LTBR Award Recipients
Battle of The Weekend: Jey The Nitewing vs ill Will
Battle of the Night Day 1: #1 Yunus vs. Pass | #2 Lu Castro vs. Chef Trez | #3 Real Deal vs. Ms.Hustle
Battle of the Night Day 2: #1 Jey The Nitewing vs Ill WIll | #2 Chess vs Swamp | #3 Madflex vs JC
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Top Performances Of The Weekend #1 Jaz The Rapper | #2 Rum Nitty | #3 Loso | #4 Real Sikh
Top Performances Of The Day 1: #1 Jaz The Rapper | #2 Loso| #3 Pass | #4 Ms.Hustle | #5a & #5b Lu Castro/Chef Trez
Top Performances Of The Day 2: #1 Rum Nitty | #2 Real Sikh| #3a & #3b Will/JTNW | #4 MadFlex | #5 O’fficial
Round of The Weekend: Ill Will’s 3rd round vs JTNW
Staff Writers: France, Q Moody, and J Smo
Preamble by Q Moody
When Loso hinted at a game-changing card being on the horizon in battle rap, anyone who says they expected it to come from Takeova Battle League either knows too much or is a liar. Even with the massive role TBL played in MASSacre 6 being able to happen, with that event being a long-time King of the Dot imprint, the part where it says TBL is also involved is easy for some just to gloss over.
And for as spectacular as that event was, Chilla Jones, SpotShotEm, and Kenny Black decided to go fully on their own this time with Apollo. A two-day battle rap festival with, on paper, the greatest ensemble of battles possibly ever. With all the huge names and legends one could ask for and all the newer talent, people are clamoring for today. It was a giant swing, and what were the results of that? It’s one of the best battle rap cards we’ve ever seen. Bravo, TBL. This has become the new home for all different types of styles, tiers, backstories, and themes of matches and concepts. Every type of battle can live under the roof of TBL. Female battle rap, mega-matches, rising talent, Top-Tier action. Style clashes, Punchfests, Street/gritty content, Writers vs Writers, Witty/humor, performers, and intergender matches. You name it, TBL can supply it.
Even on the production end of things, Avocado/Ruin Your Day did some wonderful work, as always. There were a couple of stream hiccups, but nothing event-destroying, and the majority of the time spent watching the event was spent in pristine quality.
Froze and Broze provided wonderful commentary throughout the weekend and were a much-needed and appreciated presence whenever we did get to spend some time with them. Between the high-level analysis or the jokes and laughs like you’re hanging out with your cousins, they gave us a much-needed break when we had 20 battles to watch and pay attention to.
With all that love, though, for Apollo, there is some critique. Less so for TBL specifically, but for all of battle rap.
We don’t need any more of these 10 battle each-day battle rap festival weekends. We love battle rap here and appreciate the hours of entertainment, but it’s very overwhelming and demanding of the consumers with that level of volume. It can be especially frustrating when, in the lead-up to the event, all we were told was how smooth everything would be, getting the battles done in a timely manner and enforcing time limits. And while we didn’t experience any obnoxiously long breaks between battles, these time limits spoken of were not enforced one time over the weekend. These undercard battles were said to have shorter time limits that would be applied, which did not happen. We’re already here watching 20+ battles; time limits have to be committed to and enforced for the viewer’s sake.
Rum Nitty’s Place Among The Greats
It’s the greatest puncher battle rap has ever seen. One of the best writers battle rap has ever seen. Quotables that match up with any of the most revered legends and classic battles that rival anyone’s, with a truly remarkable level of consistency over the last 10 years.
Based on these things alone, Rum Nitty was already one of the greatest ever to battle rap. But for some people, a ceiling was placed on how high he could rise in these conversations. Despite how stellar his resume is, the retort was he hadn’t faced a “Godtier” level opponent and faced that type of pressure. Names like Cassidy, Conceited, Murda Mook, Calicoe, Hitman Holla, and Aye Verb could help solidify his spot among the kings.
But cream rises to the top, and the talent is undeniable. In the last few years, Nitty has been the marquee name and headliner for huge events, facing names like Illmac, Loaded Lux, and now Daylyt. It’s not just that he’s facing these names either, it’s the results. Against a high-level Illmac at Blackout, they had a stellar battle. Against Loaded Lux at NOME, we witnessed one of the greatest rap battles ever. And here, facing Daylyt at Apollo, he turned in a career-high performance and walked away with a clear win over someone of Daylyt’s reputation and stature.
The Man and The Myth
Daylyt occupies an odd space in battle rap. A man who’s so clearly and abundantly talented at writing that I don’t think anyone would argue against that. But his actual work in his career doesn’t match up with the reputation that follows him. Daylyt, through his visibility outside of battle rap and taking full advantage of facing Tay Roc at NOME X, gets talked about as if he’s a battle rapper accomplished to the level that peers like Murda Mook, Loaded Lux or Hitman Holla are when that’s just not true. He has his legendary moments and quotes, no one can take that away. But he’s not this flawless battler that when he’s “on”, no one can beat him. That’s just never been true. And that’s not even getting into the antics and shenanigans that should rightfully be a stain on his career.
Daylyt is talented, but the myth of Daylyt since 2020 has gotten out of hand. And while he’s not bad against Rum Nitty, and he has an exceptional 3rd round, Daylyt is also nowhere near what we’ve seen him be at his best here. And that was the case against King Los and King Bau as well. This is three battles in a row where Daylyt is underwhelming, and I think Daylyt knows he can get away without ever having to try as hard again because the Tay Roc battle will uphold his legacy and the mythos of Daylyt.
Daylyt will get to masquerade as a god-tier battler until he’s fully retired without having anything close to the work to warrant it, and it’s one of the fascinating developments in battle rap.
Chef Trez Is One Of The Best In The World
Chef Trez finished #3 and #4 on the 2023 and 2024 Champion of the Year lists, respectively. He’s the only person who finished in the top 5 two years in a row during that span.
To start 2025, Trez has provided more of that same consistency. He started off the year with dope performances against Arsonal, Kapo Bravado, Jerry Wess, and K Venom. Recently, he batted twice in one night on an OSBL, and now, on battle rap’s biggest weekend, he delivers another show-stealer of a battle against Lu Castro. Trez came with his usual high-level performance, but we even got some extra personality from the typically super-reserved Trez, which made the battle much more fun.
Trez doesn’t like the circus that battle rap is. He’s to himself and stays out of the way. But because he does that and doesn’t go campaign for himself, it’s easy for people to take what he does and the level he’s operating at for granted. Trez isn’t just “dope” or “cool”; he’s one of the best battle rappers in the world, and he has a legitimate case for being THE best battle rapper in the world if you aren’t paying attention because Trez isn’t loud about it, then you’re doing yourself a disservice. Trez is having the best run of his career, and from the look of things, it doesn’t seem like he plans on letting up anytime soon.
Lu Castro's Revenge Tour
After making some noise as part of the UM1 class and quickly establishing himself as a hugely entertaining battler, Lu Castro couldn’t quite get things back together for a few years, which he would admit was disappointing. It called into question his drive and consistency.
But this recent run from Chess to Loso to Chef Trez is maybe the most impressive stretch he’s put together in a long time, and that’s exciting to see. Lu brings a ton of life onto a card when he’s on his game, and he still has a ton of potential to be more, and instead of continuing to sink, he’s gotten himself together and is poised to make an even bigger run.
Swamp vs Chess Delivered With A Tough Act To Follow
The idea of having surprise battles on a weekend where there are already 20 battles does sound a bit extreme, but when one of those battles is something as dazzling on paper as Swamp vs Chess, exceptions are made. And we got one of the best possible versions of this battle. Especially at the fact they both hit the stage fresh after Rum Nitty vs Daylyt.
Both of these men showed up with great material, but Chess’s especially good performance added a fun spark to the card because this is the best we’ve seen him in quite some time. It provides maybe some cautious optimism that Chess could be headed toward a stronger 2025 campaign. It was a super great battle that really did give some extra oomph to an already loaded card.
Casey Jay Collects Another Win
Casey Jay delivered a stellar performance at Apollo Weekend in her hometown. Two wins on the board this year for Casey Jay in back-to-back months against a Legend and rising talent. She showed out and was a performance that reminds you exactly why she’s one of the perennial Top 5 Women of The Year whenever she is active. Giving a shot to the hungry up-and-comer Jay Love, Casey still treated the battle with full intensity, showing clear levels throughout every round.
While Jay Love made a valiant effort and had moments of her own, Casey’s experience in high-pressure environments shone through. Nearly every round, she had the crowd eating out of the palm of her hand, performance, chain punching, and some rebuttals; she was on one. Her presence, poise, and clear win laid the foundation for the hell the Bardashians were going to raise all weekend!
O'fficial Continues To Trend Upwards
O’fficial’s 2024 saw her returning to the level that made her one of the all-time greats in battle rap after a couple of up-and-down years. And that didn’t change at all here, as we were facing a very game-solid Cheyraq. O’fficial was in control from beginning to end and showed levels in delivery, pace, crowd control, and every skill in battle. The way O is battling right now, I’m not sure how many women could beat her, and it’s making the long-brewing battle between her and Coffee Brown more and more interesting. O’fficial is a dangerous woman right now, and everyone should take heed.
Much credit to Cheyraq for putting up big highlights of her own in the 2nd round and some in the 3rd round as well. She now has all 3 of the Bardashians under her resume. It leaves an interesting question of where she goes from here now that she’s battled so many of the game’s top names. She still has a handful of premier battles left in the female battle rap circuit, of course, but she’s stockpiled on a lot of the top names already, so it does make you wonder.
Jey The Nitewing vs ill WIll Was The Battle Of The Weekend
With just how good of a style matchup Will vs. Jey was, I’m happy to say it not only lived up to all the potential but even exceeded our expectations and ended up being the best battle from either day of Apollo. The battle has it all, with both being fantastic all-around talents. Jey shows why he claims to be the best writer in the sport right now while Will gets a tremendous performance, showing all facets of battle rap, with a 3rd that will go down as one of the best in his career. Battles come down to the 2nd, but regardless of who you have winning, this is one of those special battles that showcase the best of both battlers. Salute to these 2 for maybe the best battle of 2025 thus far. They walked out of this match, making use of a new acronym, #BOTW
Does Jaz The Rapper Have A Ceiling ?
Another headline spot against a legendary male counterpart, and she put on a masterclass for all three rounds. Jaz is regarded as the GOAT of women’s battle rap already, but with how great she still continues to be and still improving, it raises the question of “does Jaz even have a ceiling?”. We’re witnessing someone who was already an all-time great have a 2nd peak, and at this stage, her battling a Murda Mook doesn’t feel far-fetched or unwarranted. She’s transcending the “GOAT woman” tag and venturing towards being one of the best to do it, period. Jaz is deadly, and she’s knocking heads off, and I’m not sure I can predict her to lose a battle anytime soon.
Ave Remains Undefeated
One of the two surprise battles of the weekend, Ave vs. Cortez, had a little more tension than you’d ever expect from the matchup. With a clear time discrepancy in the first, which Ave was very vocal about, this caused a bit of competitive fire but also didn’t play much of a factor in the result.
Ave won, 2-1 clear at the minimum but possibly 3-0 depending on who you edge the 3rd, continuing his dominant form from 2024. Just another clear win for one of the best in the world right now, adding Cortez to the resume in what felt like cruise control fashion.
Heavy Is The Crown For The King Pen
Chilla Jones deserves an immense amount of praise for what he pulled off during Apollo Weekend. To orchestrate an event of this magnitude—20+ battles over the span of two days—and still keep the energy high, the crowd engaged, and deliver a dope performance at the very tail end of the weekend is nothing short of extraordinary. The scale, the matchups, the execution—everything reflected a deep passion and vision for battle rap that only someone with tribal knowledge like Chilla possesses. What makes it even more impressive is that, after overseeing every detail and ensuring each moment ran smoothly, Chilla still suited up and delivered two strong rounds of his own vs Aye Verb. By that point of the night, most would be drained, but he showed up locked in, closing out the card with class and craftsmanship.
What Chilla and TBL have accomplished with Apollo is historic when we put this event in the record books. It’s not just about the battles—it’s about setting a new standard. The event proved TBL is here in a real way, and it all starts with Chilla’s & Kenny’s leadership, their vision, and the dedicated team of masterminds they have. The bar has officially been raised, and if this is what he’s capable of when he’s just getting started, then the future of battle rap under his direction looks incredibly bright.
TBL is here. Thank you Chilla Jones.
Loso Makes The Absolute Most Of This Weekend
In one of the best showings of Day 1, Loso gave his most complete and explosive showing in quite some time on his way to a 3-0 W over not just J2, but a good version of J2 at that. In what felt like a sequel to the performance A.Ward had given vs. J2 on Winter Madness, Loso played off the surface-level angles vs. J2 but did it with his already masterful skillset for angling. It was bombs away from the top of his 1st to the end of his 3rd and a reminder of just how dangerous Loso has and can be at his best.
Pass vs Yunus: New Stars Shining and Legends Reminding
The best battle of Day 1, Pass vs Yunus is an example of when a style clash turns out perfect. It appeared it could be over early when Yunus had a powerhouse 1st to take the 1-0, but from there, Pass blended his all time rapping ability with a litany of angles, attacking character while also mixing in comedy. Pass 3rd is him at his best, and one of the highlight rounds of all of Apollo. Pass reminds those who doubted his greatness, while Yunus puts up a fight and shows once again why he’s been deemed the leader of the new school.
Madflex vs JC: A Great Clash of Two Elite Pens
Madflex vs. JC was considered one of the best undercard battles going into Apollo, expecting high-level writing on both sides. JC was good; he paced a bit slow, even for his walk-down style, but the content was still good as usual. Madflex, however, not only matched his writing but looked like the better all-around battler with a very locked-in and complete showing across all 3. Pen work, jokes, angling- Flex was in top form and won compared to a solid version of JC.
Flex speaks on how he is underrated often, and this mostly applies to a more casual audience as anyone truly dialed in, as well as his peers, knows the danger Flex presents. Not only does he show up with a creative, tailored approach for each battle, but he is also always clean. Unlike the other top writers, he levels up to his highest capabilities. Madflex should continue to match up with top-tier writers and talents from now on and continue to build momentum for a great 2025. And this is a reminder not to be surprised when you see MadFlex rock the stage and go toe to toe with killers.
Real Sikh's Final Form vs illmac
One of the best and most important performances of Apollo is Real Sikhs surgical 3 rounds vs Illmac. After claiming he’d be a “nightmare” for Illmac leading up to the battle, his performance (specifically the first 2 rounds) made good on that statement. Combining his signature rapping ability with a litany of angles and a killer intensity, Sikh showed up in A+ form for one of the most important battles of his career. While Illmac found himself and had an elite 3rd of his own, many argue Sikh even took that round as well and met Mac at his best as well as cleared him in every other portion of the battle. Sikh would state many times throughout that he is “the best in the world”, and masterclasses like this strengthen his case in the conversations of the games hierarchy.
Ms. Hustle vs Real Deal: The Battle We Didn't Know We Needed
The battle that exceeded expectations the most, the on-paper awkward matchup of Deal vs Hustle, made for a great battle, with both battlers’ approaches mirroring the other perfectly. Although the 1st started light and Hustle punched her way to a clear 1-0, the last two rounds are an interesting war of angles, with Deal pulling off what could’ve been cringey approaches masterfully and Hustle bringing a tailored 3rd that is some of the best angling executed in her career, only 7 days after the biggest battle of her career vs Hitman Holla.
Both had complementary battle-lite approaches to start their second, making the battle good but fun as well. Deal shows the chameleon of a talent he is, adapting to any matchup to entertain the crowd and viewers at home. Ms. Hustle is one of the best in the world, one of the best performers of all time, and her last week of work is an excellent snapshot of her greatness, really showed her range and versatility, and after back-to-back battles with Hitman Holla & Real Deal, she deserves massive praise for delivering on 6 tough rounds.
Danny Myers vs Quest Mcody: Good Ol Fashion Battle
You may not hear this battle mentioned as frequently as a couple of others when it comes to Battle of the Night convos, but this is 100% one of the many good battles of the weekend. Danny vs Quest was just a healthy bar fest. Quest wrote well and also took some pretty personal angles, especially towards the 3rd, but Danny is the real story of the battle with one of his better showings of the last couple of years. The bars, energy, adlibs, rebuttals, push-ups. Danny Myers Experience was in full effect and arguably led him a 2-1 victory that gives Danny some momentum heading into his Trenches battle vs K1NG while Quest continues to show out and give fights to some of EFBs best.
Kapo Bravado Picks Up The Money Off The Floor
Kapo Bravado opened Apollo Weekend with a statement, securing a unanimous decision victory over Snake Eyez in a judged battle with money on the floor. He set the tone early with a strong first round, with his skills fully displayed. He can control the room, land haymakers, and even drop a clean rebuttal mid-round. As the battle tightened in the later rounds, Kapo remained composed and consistent while Snake Eyez tried to turn up the pressure in the 2nd round, Kapo was able to last the distance. In the end, every judge gave the win to Kapo, extending his streak of judged wins over the last year and pushing Snake Eyez to a tough 2-4 record in his last six judged battles since 2022.
Side note: congratulations to Snake Eyez, who announced in his post-battle interview that he is expecting a child soon. He took the time to praise Kapo for his performance and say that he is proud of him for what he brought to the ring. Commendable post-game interview.
