In the tumultuous culture of battle rap, the first quarter of 2024 is officially in the books! There have been over 15+ events that’s all been live-streamed from various platforms and so many new additions & returning faces/platforms. It has honestly been a bit overwhelming!
The culture has showcased a myriad of impactful and under-the-radar transactions across various leagues and tiers of talent, leaving a mark on the year so far. From the highest echelons to the grassroots level, standout showings, and battlers staying active within the first few months, we wanna take the time to highlight the stand-out storylines that we have from the first quarter.
Transactions ranging from 1/1/2024 – 3/31/2024
Tay Roc's Rampage
Maybe the most notable storyline so far this year, Roc’s early and busy run has left him the Performance Of The Night on almost every card he touched this year. Now having battled Prep (1 round), Serius Jones, Bankhead, and Bill Collector, Roc sits at an arguable and mostly clear 4-0. With a whole other half of the already announced schedule left and big events like NOME and SM ahead that he perennially is booked for, this could shape up to be maybe the best year of Roc’s already ultra-legendary career.
Bill Collector: Career High Start
Bill has had many of the more consistent years in Battle Rap starting from 2018, and the start of 2024 could be setting up his best year yet. He started off with a rematch vs Qleen Paper on Black Ice, which while not the best sequel to the original battle, is still decent to start the year. From there, Bill has 2 of the more impactful performances he can give you: a body over Chess and a high level back and forth with Tay Roc. Bill has nothing but names on his resume so far and his chain punching may just lead to him having an argument for the best of 2024 if the consistency and level of opponent stays at this level.
Charron On A Mission
Quiet as kept, Charron is having one of the best starts to the year so far. His performance in his rematch against Danny Myers on UDubb was the standout performance of the night on the card. Then you can also point to his two headlining battles with Cali Smoov & Anderson Burrus both being very good and entertaining showings from him and his opponent. He making an imprint so far this year and shouldn’t be left out of the talks. He has set a goal to make the COTY Top 20 list for 2024, and he is well on the right trajectory to do so.
Aye Verb vs Ill Will: Full Circle's peak
There haven’t been too many blockbuster types of fights booked so far this year, but Verb vs Will on RBE’s Full Circle series is one of the few, and it lived up to its potential in all facets. The best battle in the setting so far, Verb and Will showed elite versions of 2 different styles of Battle Rap. Will was very punch and angle-heavy, being more direct to Verb and having some of the peak haymakers of the battle, while Verb showed off more of a straight rap approach, doing more with his syllable structure and having some of the best real talk lines of the battle. One of the best battles of the year so far, and even with consensus having Ill Will, the battle is a great look for both. RBE keeps producing high-quality top-tier matchups even while stepping back from larger PPV events.
Bonnie's 3 in 1 Week.
Women’s battle rap has had a lot of activity to start the year and what better example of increased volume than Bonnie’s 3 battles in 1 week to lead off her year? Battling A.Ward, Ms. Miami, and Lady J she had a variety of different types of fights all on different leagues. Quality-wise her Ms. Miami battle is the best of all 3, although it ended early due to a fight, unfortunately. Her AWard battle lands her a QOTR headliner, and her Lady J battle is the clearest W of the 3. With no impactfully bad results, a diverse resume, and good showings, Bonnie is in form and ready to keep building her possible 2024 high-ranking WOTY case.
Aging like Wine: Marv Won & Quest Mcody
Mic Master’s 48 in The Lake event is one of the more pleasant surprises event-wise in Q1, with an event stacked with mostly top-tier names matched up, most notably Marv Won vs Ave and Rum Nitty vs Quest Mccody. With 2 Michigan legends matched up against 2 of the best punchers now and of all time, Marv and Quest show they still can compete on any given night even with the best. Quest vs Nitty particularly stood out as the BOTN as well as one of the best battles of the year so far, with high-level punching matching up vs the more writing-centric, scheme-heavy approach from Quest. Marv vs Ave was more of a traditional bar fest with some angling thrown in, but still a good battle. Whether you have them winning or losing, Marv and Quest gave solid if not great efforts and showed their capability of producing good battles vs some of the most dangerous battlers the game has to offer.
Chef Trez vs Fonz Is Our Battle Of The Year, So Far
With a few notably great battles so far, like Verb vs Will, Roc vs Bill, and Nitty vs Quest, there are already conversations starting about what is the lead candidate for BOTY so far. Even with more entries being added as the weeks go on, there is still 1 battle for us that ranks above the rest: that battle is Chef Trez vs Fonz. Being rescheduled from the Redemption 3 card, Trez vs Fonz ended up battling on a Crucible event shortly after and gave as high quality a bar fest as you’ll find in 2024. 2 of the most consistent artists in the world right now, both gave a battle that was haymaker packed from the coin flip to the final bar and while other battles may have bigger names or repercussions, no battle so far has the explosive quality from beginning to end the way Trez vs Fonz has. Until further notice, this battle still ranks as BOTY so far here at LTBR.
Cali Smoov Making Moves
Cali Smoov making strides and adding milestones to an already decorated career he has. He has a headlining battle against Charron where he has a powerful 3rd round that is bound to give you goosebumps and then makes his RBE Debut in the Full Circle against Random and finds himself scoring a dominating victory for his debut. He is someone you should pay attention to when it comes to some of the transactions within the culture.
Los Premee: #1 Prospect?
iBattle has been making strides to be seen as more main stay league than a developmental league in recent times, but even with that still possesses one of the best homegrown rosters in Battle Rap. Amongst this wave of young mostly punch-heavy talent, the clear standout of this new wave is one Los Premee. With a traditional gun bar-heavy style, Los isn’t reinventing the wheel with his style, however, he keeps rapping some of the material on every card he appears on. In 2024 he has 2 battles, Red Flag and Chef Trez, with the latter being one of the most highly praised battles in any league this year. He has the type of haymaker that makes one say “How has no one said that?”, and going bar for bar with the currently elite Chef Trez, he showed his ceiling could be special and with time could evolve from not just one of the best young prospects but that he could possibly be one of the best in Battle Rap if he keeps building on his game and applying himself.
Chess Has Reverted To His Vintage Repertoire of Habits
A decade long story, we’re here once again to talk about Chess choking and as result losing. Most notable is his meltdown vs Bill Collector, but more importantly marked the 3rd time this year Chess has choked, messing up in all 3 battles so far in his 2024. Unlike vs Luck Dollaz and Ms. Hustle, his showing could not be excused by the opponents’ actions, civilian diagnosis, or any other common argument for how we got here, simply forgetting his material every round. The fact this is 3 battles in a row so early is an example of how it’s hard for Chess to even give a good, bad, good, bad type of output cause of how quickly his mistakes can snowball. This is not the first time there’s been a public demand for Chess to take a break and find time to get his mind right, but at the very least Chess being a part of any marquee or big card matchups should be questioned with the current unusable production he’s putting out. Too much talent to be talking about this 10 (!) years after his initial impact on the scene.
Ms. Hustle: WOTY keeps WOTYing
Ms. Hustle is now the official 2023 Women Of The Year, and her first performance of 2024 was probably a good sign that the right decision may have been made. While vs a very beatable version of Chess, Ms. Hustle gave a historically bad Volume card the lone explosive performance that stood out clearly as the POTN. Her 1st 2 rounds are some of the best bar-for-bar content you can find from her, and with an angle-heavy 3rd to seal the deal and catch a dominant victory over another respected name. While she did choke on Battle Academy a few weeks after, her performance vs Chess still stands out as one of the best individual showings of the year, and a couple more like it could see Hustle being one of the front runners for the WOTY award once again.
B-Magic Returns To Form
B Magic has one of the most beloved primes and tragic falloffs in Battle Rap history, being a fan favorite even when he was no longer competing at a top-tier level. However, over the last couple years, we’ve been getting a return to form. Battling and winning against Shotgun Suge and TheSaurus, Magic has started his 2024 with 2 wins over Legends, a year after having great showings vs the likes of Arsonal and EK. Never compromising his original and iconic flow and punch-heavy style, Magic just seems to care the most he has in a while and every year looks closer and closer to returning to the BMagic quality we all were star-struck by in 2013.
The Trenches: A Roster You Can Respect
At the top of the year, Trenches vs Battle Academy became a topic with the opposing league owners both talking crazy to each other and with a main claim from many that Trenches can’t compete league vs league consistently without a roster of their own to stand on. So, in 2024, the Trenches fixed this by providing a collection of new talent that has more than a couple of promising prospects. J Morr leads the charge as not a new talent but one that may finally be getting the credit he deserves, with multiple great showings on the Trenches since he got there.
Through the Trenches tournament, you get the rest of the roster, specifically with names like Muuu Wop, Tex, and K1NG making their impact. All with unique styles, this crop of Trenches-born talent has added a refreshing list of MCs to the league that can be pitched in league vs league matchups or have their profile built up vs vets in the future. Great move by the Trenches that no doubt helps further establish them as one of the key leagues in Battle Rap and helps their argument for being the top league in Philly.
Coffee: Picking Up Where She Left Off
2023 brought the return of Coffee Brown where although she didn’t take home her 2nd WOTY belt, she did have the best year of her career. Active as she’s ever been, Coffee spent 2023 in big matches battling the likes of Twork, Geechi, 40 BARRs, and Shooney Da Rapper. Her 2024 has shown no signs of the activity slowing starting the year with 3 battles: a Black Ice cage match vs legendary E-Hart, a 1 rounder on the road vs 2023 Rookie Of The Year Rocq Lee, and a battle vs Arsonal on URL. (The Battle happened the first weekend of April)
A debatable 3-0 (clearly beat Arsonal) she once again is showing that her improved consistency is something that’s here to stay as she may be an early front-runner for the 2024 WOTY race. With the Hart battle being the standout fight, and possible matchups like her vs Jaz The Rapper having noise around it since last year, Coffee Brown should be poised for another elite year.
Th3 Saga Makes his RBE Debut
In a salient debut on RBE’s Full Circle Series, Th3 Saga made his imprint in the circle with his performance against Yung Ill. Th3 Saga showcased his abilities and put his talent on display. However, it was his third round that truly left a lasting impact, as he delivered a powerful and introspective round that resonated with fans. With his poignant content, and being on the receiving end of a more modern Yung ill performance, gave a good back-and-forth battle with replay value and good start for Th3 Saga if he continues to battle on RBE.
A.Ward's 5 fo 5
A.Ward known for being a high-volume battle, kicks off the year with a few main events and 5 battles in 5 weeks. Taking on Gwitty, 100 Bulletz, Mack Myron & Qleen Paper, Bonnie Godiva, and ending his run with his strongest performance against Bangz. One could say he is 5-0 in this run, but his activity in the first quarter kept him very busy. And now he has a 7 week lay over for one of the biggest battles of his career in a headlining battle against Tay Roc on The Riot.
J2's Off To A Stellar Start in 2024
J2 has kicked off the year 2024 with back to back to good showings. A well-received battle against JC on URL’s Redemption 3 card, followed up by one of the best performances at QOTR’s Caskets or Classics 2, against Kay Prophet. J2 is showing consistency and skill, making a strong case for a 2-0 record in the first quarter of the year. The most noticeable improvement in this sample size is his ability to craft better angles. This progression highlights J2’s dedication to honing his craft and taking the necessary steps to progress.
Be on the lookout for J2 to have a massive battle in June against Tay Roc that was announced in the first quarter of this year.
Bricks On The Radar
The Bricks & Intake at RBE has been making more noise this year, coming from their Breed Dyphrent card. Some of the stand-out performances of that weekend were names like Dolla, Fate, Wise Jay Breed, Cino Savvy Zay and B The Emcee.
With over 22 battles over the weekend,
-Battles like Dolla/Jay Breed & Fate/Wise having Battle of the weekend
-individual performances from Dolla, Wise, Zay, Cino Savvy, & B The Emcee, stood out the most.
Add these names to a list of names that you should add to your watch list.
The Geechi Gotti Dynasty Contiunes
Geechi Gotti’s resume at this point is rivaled by maybe 2 or 3 others in Battle Rap history, battling not only all the commonly named URL greats but going to each region and corner of Battle Rap to take on the best talent they have to offer. One of the toughest challenges in the sport, taking Illmac on the West, added another heavyweight West Coast vs West Coast battle to Geechi’s resume, a type of battle he’s had much success in before (vs Diz, vs Nitty x2, vs JTNW, etc.). Geechi brought one of his best 3 round performances of the last couple of years and gave Illmac his 1st clear loss in quite a few years. Someone with one of the few plausible GOAT cases in the wide world of Battle Rap, Geechi adds another VERY impressive legend win to his body of work and further shows why his name holds the weight it does.
The Bardashians in Form.
Jaz The Rapper & O’ffical both battled the same weekend in March. Jaz headlining overseas against The U.K Champ, Bizzo Bond. And O’fficial with a home game against Loso on Udubb’s return.
Jaz The Rapper and Bizzo Bond proved to be captivating and dynamic, it lived up to all of its hype.
Jaz did a perfect amount of research and strategy to have bars to connect with the audience, she was self-aware of the environment and she’s not a stranger to London. The back-and-forth between both battlers was compelling with the level of writing and the entertainment factor they both bring to the stage.
Legends with home games: a recipe for highlights. Official co-headlined the Udubb event vs Loso. Even with a fair discussion around the crowd being a little too one-sided, this can’t overshine the fact that O’fficial had one of her best showings in some time and won the battle.
She was the cleaner battler compared to Loso, a given, but also used the boost from the crowd to deliver with some of her most confidence and power in some time.
Good weekend for the Bardashians!
Don Ladyii Has POTN At QOTR
The standout showing of the night, Don gave one of the more dominant showings she has in recent memory.
Don Ladyii undeniably stole the spotlight with a stellar performance. From the moment she stepped onto the stage, it was evident that Ladyii had meticulously honed her craft, delivering an unparalleled display of skill in performance, delivery, writing, and crowd control. Her aura commanded attention, creating a powerful atmosphere that resonated with the room Despite a minor slip-up in the third round, Ladyii dominance throughout the battle was so pronounced that the victory was already sealed in her favor.
MyVerse In The Lead For Upset Of The Year
While a fair share of people predicted Danny to win the battle, Myverse showed up with one of the better showings of her career and won her the RapGrid voting poll as well as our LTBR voting poll for the battle. She gets very good and debatable W vs Danny Myers, battling him in his backyard of L.A and logs an early candidate in 2024 for Upset Of The Year, with a win on the road. While doubted time and time again, it’s impossible to look at MyVerse’s recent string of performances without acknowledging a level of improvement.
Prophelinni Has A Career High Performance
The return of the cage is here!
Prophelinni’s career-high performance against DOT was a revelation, showcasing his evolution and mastery in the battle rap arena. With a seasoned presence on the platform, Prophelinni brought his A-game to his fifth battle on Black Ice, leaving an indelible mark with a performance that will be remembered for years to come. His writing displayed a level of precision and finesse that was unmatched, delivering punchlines with staggering potency and impact.
Its worth noting, that Dot’s first round was all green on 2k! He was clicking on all cylinders, which is what makes Prophelinni’s response that much more rewarding. However, it was his second round that truly stole the show, as Prophelinni unleashed an onslaught of relentless firepower, leaving both his opponent and the audience stunned by the sheer force and confidence of his delivery. This performance solidifies Prophelinni’s status as a force to be reckoned with and it serves as a testament to his skill, dedication, and undeniable talent as he continues to climb the circuits and make a name for himself.
NOX & CHVNK Win Big
At Battler Academy’s 2on2 event. ‘2 SIDES 2 A STORY’
Nox & Chvnk as a 2on2 team came in and left an impression with their performance, chemistry & creativity. Not only did they leave an impression but they left $1,000 richer too. This 2on2 team was one of the stand out teams on this card
QB Black Diamond Battle league is Birthed
Salutes to QB Black Diamond for her bold initiative in launching her own league, with promising prospects for many more successful events to come. Her dedication to showcasing Connecticut’s talent and her willingness to invest in the production and promotion of the event demonstrate her commitment to advancing the culture of battle rap. As she continues to navigate the challenges of league ownership, QB’s passion and expertise will undoubtedly lead to bigger events. Black Diamond Battle League has entered as a player in the market and we look forward to their future.
