The Ressurection
PPV Rating
Staff Writers: France
The Riot vs Rap Off
The Riot vs Rap Off card is another example of how theme cards prove more often than not to be a success in battle rap. With a mega match like Geechi Gotti vs Illmac to be the centerpiece of the card, both battlers chose a roster of names to represent their leagues with 4 notable main card matchups, varying in different storylines or opportunities being given. In a weekend jam-packed with battle rap and 4 events happening on the same day, Riot vs Rap Off stood tall as the best event having the biggest battle of the weekend, the best battle of the weekend, as well as the biggest upset of the weekend. A few standout performances from some of the cultures best give this event peak footage that was also complimented by a well-produced setting, alongside some entertaining and enjoyable commentary by RX & Cali Smoov.
With a white sheet, blue-tinted background, and pit-style crowd, the battles have a great visual touch and the signature perfect filming style of Avocado and the Ruin Your Day team. Stream was 100% smooth and for the most part whether lopsided or closed each battle gave something for you to take away with it. West Coast scene put on in L.A, and. keeps moving forward as one of the healthiest and most productive regions in Battle Rap and this event further adds to this golden era of production.
5 Biggest Takeaways From The Performances
Geechi Gotti: A True GOAT Case
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 showed up in a big fight with consistent haymakers, great pace, and performance, even used his freestyling capability not as a crutch but as a proper weapon to stay on track through the battle. Illmac had a good showing of his own, specifically a great 1st round to rival Gotti’s and a message-based 3rd that was rapped masterfully. However, with a more direct and consistent attack from 1st to 3rd, Geechi 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.
MyVerse: Wrote Off, and She Wrote Back
MyVerse entered her battle vs Danny Myers almost a comedic-level underdog, which even for those who thought she was underrated in her Flamez and Hustle showings, was understandable. Matchup wise Danny is an extremely seasoned vet and has an aggression that could’ve (in theory) been a massive problem for MyVerse. In the 1st round, the theory looked to be true. While MyVerse did well in the 1st and material-wise maybe even made it 50/50, Danny’s energy and delivery did make a difference to most. But from there, MyVerse only kept her quality of material upward while Danny’s rounds trended downhill.
Her 2nd was her best round, landing some of her best-crafted punches of the battle while mixing in what is her best trait as a battler, and that’s just being a rapper. While content has been her main knock, her ability to rap has always been sharp and she found herself in the middle of another highlight 2nd where the content matched the rapping ability and took the round. This is becoming a signature round for her, most notably in the First Lady Flamez & Ms.Hustle battle, her ability to respond to pressure. The 3rd is where some try to draw debate, MyVerse delivering another solid round with some more comedy-based material and flow. At the same time, Danny takes the straight disrespect and flirtatious (to say the least) approach that has lost many male battlers battles vs female MCs in the past. While a fair share of people are edging Danny in the battle, Verse 3rd was another solid round and shaped up to be her best 3 round showing up to this point in 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. Her punches and reference pool have gotten better while not losing the true identity of her style. While her delivery will always be a very preference-based topic for some she is finding a way to bridge that gap more and more by providing performances that are being accepted in the modern age of Battle Rap. Her stock is in the green right now and if she can provide showings like this there could be only more top-tier opponents in the future.
Real Sikh: Ready For Superstardom?
Ever since a dominant loss to K-Shine on NOME 12, Real Sikh has learned and come back an upgraded battler. With a more spaced-out schedule, Sikh has put 100% into every performance he’s had since bouncing back and has given a nearly 2-year stretch of flawless footage and results. Although not every match’s stakes measure the performance, it goes to show the true professional and talent he’s developed into. In his battle vs Emerson Kennedy, he has what many may argue performance of the night, but was a part of the battle of the night and weekend. Both went crazy in a highly well-written battle from both battlers, all 3 rounds.
Sikh walks away with another highlight showing and well-earned win vs a very good Emerson Kennedy and with every spotlight-stealing showing the anticipation builds for his next truly legacy-altering plate. He’s made his callouts: Roc, Nitty, Illmac, Pass. Whether it is those exact opponents or another top tier with at least a similar stature, it is time for Real Sikh to get another full run on the biggest cards this year and possibly cement himself as a current top star in the modern age of Battle Rap.
Emerson Kennedy: Different Battler vs The Pens
Emerson Kennedy (EK) has always been a funny talent to understand. His career is that of a regular mid-tier. You’ll get some good, some bad, a lot in the middle, gets stuck in that limbo. Not only has he improved in the past couple of years, supported by his recent COTY Top 20 entry, but there has always been one situation EK has succeeded in: vs the top pens. Starting as long ago as his B-Dot battle on Traffic 3, these are some top writers EK has faced since that highlight battle: Jey The Nitewing, Rum Nitty, JC, Nu Jerzey Twork, and now Real Sikh. If you notice something similar about these battles, it’s that they’re all amazing.
EK levels up vs some of the most respected pens and looks like he can damn near compete with any top tier in these smaller rooms, production-based settings. While his 1st round of sound effects ran a bit too long, the start was great. His 2nd and his 3rd he stays fully bar for bar and gives another 2 good rounds, particularly a great 3rd. While many will give Sikh the win, this battle is another good look for EK who shows that regardless of stature, some talents in this culture just need the right setting or matchup and they can be one of the best in the world for the day.
Bigg K: Reigning COTY Honors The Belt
Another top selling factor of this card was Bigg K with his 1st battle since being named the 2023 Champion Of The Year. Matched up vs NXT, who has become one of the most underrated battlers not just on the West Coast but in the world, he pulled up with the very efficient rounds that were a staple of his 2023 run. With a few of the room shakers needed and rapped in the signature flows that make K one of the best, it was a standard but honorable and still good Bigg K performance.
NXT did his part to make the battle good and at points competitive, with a very good case to have won the 3rd as he stayed consistent while K took a small dip, but still a debatable round. NXT gave a similar effort vs Rum Nitty in 2021 where he may not have won but walked away with a round vs one of the current best in the world. As for K, it’s yet to be known if more of the big possible matchups he can make post-COTY win are in the works or will be, but he did his job to keep his momentum up as we wait to see what The Dawg’s next move is.
