Ahh yes, the Radar is back, last year I did one of these on Tsu Surf (Aged pretty well btw) and also Free the Wave. This time we’re going to take a look at the man who shocked the battle rap world last year, showed a new understanding and willingness to adapt to the game, and put on a dominant performance worthy of his legendary status, over Geechi Gotti. Murda Mook has a lot of potential matchups, but which ones are the most intriguing? Who is the most dangerous opponent he could face? We got five names, ranked because this isn’t fun without rankings right? Let’s go.
#5
ARSONAL
DANGER
LEVEL
Arsonal vs Mook is a battle that has been spoken about for years, there were talks of it being close to being booked, money being turned down you know all the battle rap stuff that happens. Personally, I’m not heavily invested in this battle and I think it isn’t very intriguing, but there is a grudge there, Arsonal seems very invested in the matchup and has been throwing shots for years now. I don’t think this is necessarily a dangerous battle for the Dot Mob Legend. Arsonal has been inconsistent to say the least and has put up a few forgettable performances including one on the Homecoming card where Mook shined. Grudge matches always carry a level of interest but this is one that I’m okay with if we don’t get.
#4
K-SHINE
DANGER
LEVEL
Harlem vs Harlem, Dot Mob business, a lot can be said between these two gentlemen. K-Shine is one of the most potent battlers on the planet, with high-level performances and an ability to shine(no pun intended) in any room. A few years ago it felt like this battle was close to being booked, but I still think it’s a strong possibility. The history between these two, and the approaches that could be taken make this a very very interesting battle. Mook has yet to see an elite performer and Shine is at worst the 2nd greatest performer in battle rap. It would be interesting to see how Murda would attack someone with K’s ability to create show-stopping moments, building consistent momentum and crowd participation. Please book this in New York, it’s really the only place for it to happen.
#3
RUM NITTY
DANGER
LEVEL
The punchline king, the alien, Rum Nitty. Mook made an interesting tweet after his Gotti battle directed at Rum, which immediately got the people entertaining the matchup. Rum Nitty is battler fans have wanted to see against the “God tier” battlers so the buzz was instant after their brief exchange. When it comes to pure bars as we perceive them, Nitty poses the biggest threat to Murda, he has the ability to be just as impactful live in the building and on playback which is a rare skill set. We haven’t seen Mook stand in front of a pure puncher whose only purpose is to stack bar after bar after bar while landing haymakers in their setups. The intrigue to this battle is Murda’s approach, we’ve historically seen Rum have issues with the smack DVD guys but one thing is even as a specialist, he continues to evolve and learn from his missteps. Personally, I’d love to see this in a neutral environment whether it be in Houston, ATL, or North Carolina but this as a NOME or SM headliner would shake the game. It’s possible Nitty has the best name flip on Mook and it wasn’t even in a battle against him, imagine what he’d bring to an actual three-round war.
#2
HITMAN HOLLA
DANGER
LEVEL
This is the definition of a mega-match, box office blockbuster. Hitman made some very very interesting comments on Murda Mook recently, there have been shots exchanged between the two in the last year so there is definitely a chance we can see this battle. I already have a clip on my thoughts for this (“Do it Mook, do it“) Of all the battles listed so far, this is the one I would have the most questions for Mook in. If someone came to me and said Hitman was their GOAT, I wouldn’t even argue it, his resume is incredible, the numbers are astounding, the moments he’s created have shaped the next generation of battle rap and you really can’t point to a time where he’s had a downslope in his career and he’s one of the only longtime veterans you can say that about. Holla has the combination of star power, performance, angles, crowd control, and a high battle IQ that would make him a huge threat to Mook in any setting. From New York to Houston, Holla would have no problem captivating a room, Murda showed he can perform on a big stage but this battle would really test the limits of what he can do in that environment.
#1
EAZY THE BLOCK CAPTAIN
DANGER
LEVEL
Let’s get straight to these payments! If you read the Tsu Surf piece last year you’ll recognize Eazy was on that list as well. Since that dropped all Eazy has done is improve in all facets of battle rap, he’s progressed at an ALARMING rate and has knocked down all competition so far. Eazy is the most dangerous opponent for Mook because I believe he is the best angler in battle rap right now, he’s in his prime and is still getting better. There is no doubt in my mind he would go into a dark world for Murda Mook and drop some bombs if they ever got booked. We all remember this battle was close to happening in 2021 but things fell through due to time constraints. The fact that Eazy was even that close to a Mook battle in less than 2 years on the main stage of URL says everything. He wasn’t even close to his best form at that time as we can see now, so imagine the clash in 2023!
This battle presents problems for Mook because he’s at his best when he has an angle or approach to shape the perception of the battle and control the story. It’s hard to see what he could do with someone like Eazy who has largely proven to be bulletproof to these kinds of attacks while showing an uncanny ability to counter-write and prepare for any possible scenario his opponent might bring. Book this in a small room and let’s get crazy, Eazy has said he wants the battle in a small room, Mook, of course, is always open to those types of battles. I really want to see what would take place if these two meet.
