Defining Moment
Everybody gets a moment, the opportunity to write their story, define or redefine their legacy, place a stamp on their place in history, and stomp out any narratives about them. In battle rap, these are some of the most memorable and greatest times, the ones fans will remember and discuss 5,6, or 7 years down the road when opportunity knocks, and a battler answers that door, several more open & suddenly a chance to be legendary is upon the. A-Ward is in one of these moments; at Max Out 3 against Aye Verb, he has the chance to define his place in this game.
A grudge match doesn’t always mean the most dangerous match; it can be said A-Ward has faced tougher competition on paper in terms of battlers in their primes and at the peak of their powers, people like Illmac, Geechi Gotti(Twice), Charron, 1/2 of Max Out 3’s main event Ill Will, the reigning COTY Rum Nitty, you get the point. There’s a plethora of high-level opponents on his resume and incredible performances produced by him on every kind of stage. With all that said, no battle he’s had has more attention, hype, and energy than this Verb battle does. You can go on YouTube right now and find audio from Twitter spaces of Aye Verb taking shots at Ward from eight months ago; this has been a long-running rivalry and buildup, and at times, we weren’t sure we’d ever see them in the ring, but we’re here now, and the excitement is thru the roof.
Art of Promotion
A constant complaint about this sport as of late is the lack of promotion, storylines, & grudges in the game. A lot of matchups are random and get booked with little to no buildup, no rhyme or reason, or real stakes attached. Respect to both Verb and Ward for building this up into something that captivates the audience; it takes a lot of confidence to be willing to put yourself in a position where a clear loss can be devastating. This is why this is the most crucial battle in Ward’s career, his second time this year on one of the biggest cards, fourth time on a card with Hitman Holla & third time where he can leave being the talk of the night but his first time in this spotlight vs. a true rival. Any true objective battle rap fan knows how talented he is and how consistent, potent, and dangerous he’s proven to be. Regardless of that, there are still doubters, critics, and narratives on his name, and that’s okay; it’s part of the game. This is the time to show why; why his fans believe in him, why the doubters are wrong, and why he’s finished in the top ten in Champion of the Year multiple times.
September 2nd will be an electrifying day in battle rap. It will be a day that sets the table for years of dialogue and conversations, starting with “Remember when ____ did that on Max Out 3?” The days we live for as fans. A-Ward is stepping into greatness and a defining moment that will impact long after he’s done battling, and I personally can’t wait to see what
