Artwork by Battle Rap Bum
November 26th 2023 News Update:
In a recent Twitter Spaces session hosted by Hiphop is Real, the atmosphere buzzed with tension as Loaded Lux entered the virtual space to address remarks made by Rum Nitty on Twitter. The exchange quickly escalated when Rum Nitty himself joined the conversation, turning the gathering into a platform for a potential build-up for their match. Both parties verbally agree to lock in a battle, setting the stage for a clash of titans.
The intensity peaked when Loaded Lux assumed that Rum Nitty was still under contract with the Ultimate Rap League (URL), and apologized upon learning the truth. Rum Nitty dropped a bombshell, revealing that he hadn’t been under contract with URL since 2017 and asserted his independence to take the battle to any league. Lux, now armed with this knowledge, expressed his readiness to engage in the battle on any platform. The stage was set for a monumental face-off, as both wordsmiths confirmed their willingness to engage in a lyrical war beyond the confines of any specific league.
In a surprising turn of events, Rum Nitty took a step further, giving Lux his word that, if the battle were to be booked, he would refrain from scheduling any other battles beforehand. This commitment aimed to heighten anticipation and ensure that the clash between Loaded Lux and Rum Nitty would stand as a singular, unmissable event. Rum Nitty reassured fans that his previous battles in October and November were pre-existing commitments and wouldn’t dilute the build-up to what promised to be a mega match between two of battle rap’s elite lyricists. The Twitter Spaces session not only broke down some of the intricacies within battle rap negotiations but also fueled the excitement for a showdown that fans had eagerly awaited and we are one step closer to the battle being booked
Loaded Lux looks poised to return to the ring for the first time in nearly 2 years. As always, he theorizes of who he will battle and if he will win. When booking God Tier battlers, a lot goes into the plate. Not as simple as just a great style clash, but it needs to have demand and a genuine reason to get booked to match the importance of Lux battling. When looking across the options, there are many battlers who have done more than enough work to earn the battle, but one name seems to stand out in the many elements needed to make the battle make sense. These are the reasons why Nitty vs Lux is the battle to book.
"I respect your penmanship and what you mean to the sport." - Loaded Lux
Loaded Lux status as the first categorized “pen” battler has naturally drawn comparisons to him and the other most complex writers in the game. For a very long time, Lux has battled a variety of the best all-time talents but mostly in style clash-based matchups. Lux vs. Geechi Gotti, Calicoe, Arsonal, Murda Mook, Hollow Da Don, and Tsu Surf all provided matchups with more all-around talents. The closest Lux has come to battling another pen-based battler is Aye Verb, although Verb also is probably closer to an all-around battler than just a straight pen. Now this is not a condemning statement, as for a long time, the dream matchup between writers was teased year after year by Loaded Lux vs Daylyt. Obviously while many even still asking for it, years of waiting have passed, and other writers have arrived with just as much anticipation and excitement as a challenge.
Rum Nitty now seems like the battler to finally give Lux the Pen vs. Pen matchup many, including Loaded Lux, himself has wanted. For most of his career, Nitty has been an elite puncher, at this point the greatest, but also solely that. Some of the most creative content ever in Battle Rap but straight punching with little to nothing else. Over 2022 and now 2023, Nitty has made strides in his game to add more scheming and pattern switches to his content, bringing him more into the pen lane than he has ever been. What better situation to put 2 of the best writers of all time in than a battle more the main emphasis on who pushes their pen the best?
Timing and Demand
When booking Lux, a lot of things must line up outside of the matchup itself. It has to feel important and hold weight, and a big part of that isn’t just the opponent but when they battle. Big matches like this need peak hype to get the maximum attention/revenue, we all know this. Loaded Lux has always prided himself on trying to battle “the best out”, following the path of one of his most famous quotes: “It’s not about how many fights you had, it’s who you fought.” Currently, Rum Nitty is coming off winning the most prestigious individual award in Battle Rap, Champion of The Year. He’s followed this with another strong campaign in 2023, having some of the better battles of the year vs Saflare Sole and Ace Amin while still battling other all-time legends in big spots such as the NOME Impact Main Event vs Roc/Geechi, vs Jaz The Rapper and his upcoming headliner vs Illmac on BlackOut 8. These back-to-back elite years of work have been arguably the best of Nitty’s career and have made him a regular answer in the Best in The World conversations.
This has led to an extremely organic demand for Nitty vs. Lux from the fans. You can check almost any voting poll or post about Lux upcoming matchups, and Nitty will be found as the most mentioned name, sometimes by a large margin. Our LTBR Twitter Poll gauging his most wanted next opponent had 3 main options (Hitman, Nitty, DNA) had over 3000 votes, with Nitty winning the overall poll by an imposing 66%.
Nitty and Lux hinting at the battle on the SM13 stage only adds to the fact that people are asking for the battle, and those who can book it are aware. In years past, there have been fans that asked for this matchup purely off the style aspect, but the truth is the demand wasn’t culture-wide let alone bigger draws than some of Lux last few opponents. But as we stand in 2023, Nitty has turned into more of a high-demand, headliner talent than he ever has before. There’s no doubt this battle has a very large and organic draw. A top-level talent, organic fan demand, elite-level pen showcase while still being a box office match. At this very moment in time, multiple things just make the battle make sense.
Why Settle For 1 ?
It’s going to be 2 years since Loaded Lux’s last battle very soon, and we do not know if he battles again if he’ll stay active or disappear. After his battle with Geechi Gotti in 2021, he said he’d like to come outside 3 times in 2022.
It’s 2023, and here we are talking about a Lux return. In this situation, it would make you want to get the most wanted battle done because we don’t know when our next chance will be, thus the borderline hostile demand from fans to see Nitty vs. Lux. But with superstar talents like Hitman Holla and Murda Mook stepping out more than once this year, it seems possible to think Lux can also have around that same level of activity. In a perfect world, we get Lux vs. Nitty and Hitman in the next 6-8 months.
With the recent space that transpired, with legendary names like Lux, Nitty, Hitman, Twork, Daylyt etc., the heat for a couple Lux matchups rose even more. Nitty and Lux talked about the possibility of the battle being very real and something he plans on doing but says the Hitman battle is his priority due to the bigger impact of the matchup, while Nitty retorts it’s a money grab and does the opposite of highlighting competition.
This was also taken to another level when Lux and Hitman later in the same space had a heated back and forth, with Hitman saying, “If a league owner call with the money, he’s dead”, although he acknowledged multiple times the fans want Lux vs Nitty and that’s the matchup Lux should be taking. Looks like Hitman vs Lux very likely will go down first, and the battle is good, but the noise for Lux battling Nitty still stays high and no doubt will be a continuing topic even after a potential Hitman bout. Lux seems very confident and open to battling both individuals, mentioning he’s “lining up” matches and is “here to stay”. The demand for both battles is going to be present and is only rising. At this point, it should not be a matter of “if” Lux is battling Nitty, but “when”.
