TOS Battle League Is Igniting Chicago’s Battle Rap | CHIRAQ vs PHILLY Mayhem

A league founded in 2023 in the Midwest that has quickly breathed new life into the Chicago battle rap scene is TOS Battle League. (TOS Taking Ova Shit). Despite being just a little under two years, the league has already hosted eight successful events, each with a distinctive “Chicago vs. Everybody” theme. And I mean, what when I say it’s a US vs Them type of card!

Most of the events they have thrown have been a reflection of members of the TOS roster facing off against opponents from other leagues like Battle Academy, The Riot, and Bullpen or  against talents from specific regions, such as the DMV (Their Rotten To The Core card, which focused on pitting Chicago MCs against DMV battlers, set the tone for this creative concept.)

One of the standout features of TOS Battle League is its dedication to that concept because it’s not just them being a part of collaborative events but also a testament to respect for other well-established leagues and leaders in the culture respect. That platform, the owners & most importantly, respect the City. In a short time, they’ve worked with some of the culture’s premier leagues, as listed above, and their most recent collaboration with Battle Academy produced one of their biggest cards yet, headlined by a high-profile battle between Tru Foe and Reed Dollaz. Well-known and established names like Loso, Young Kannon, Cali Smoov, Bad Newz, Moon, Don Marino, event some top-tier names like Geechi Gotti, Bill Collector, and Head Ice, have all graced the platform. 

While there’s much to unpack about the event itself, which we will do in this recap, it’s essential to acknowledge the rising MCs within the league who hold down the fort and wave the flag. Names like Tru Foe, Shiesty, Tanna, Gauge, Coach Corleone, and plenty of more names to mention. A lot of the emcees here are still in the early stages of their careers, but TOS provides a platform for them to develop and showcase their talents in a meaningful way, where the room is still tough but they are also allowed to go through the growing pains of strengthening their material and performance skills to level up as battlers. 

Although I haven’t had the opportunity to attend a TOS Battle League event in person, my extensive battle rap experience has given me a strong sense of its atmosphere through its YouTube drops and live-streamed events, like Chiraq vs. LA and their most recent card. The vibe comes across as gritty and intense yet balanced with fun and serious competition. There’s energy captured in their events that reflects the essence of Chicago’s battle rap culture.

Even through the screen, the league creates the environment you’d expect from a live Chicago event. The raw intensity and competitive spirit can be seen, and it leaves me eager to experience it in person someday. Hopefully, I’ll get to confirm that my impression of the TOS atmosphere aligns with the reality of being in the building.

The Owner Of TOS

SolidFoe Luchi, the league owner and CEO, hails from Chicago and has made his mark both as a rapper and a battle rap league figure. Over the past few years, he has released some standout music projects, including En4rcement and It’s LUUUUUCCCHHHHH, both available on streaming platforms. In addition to his music, Luchi has stepped into the battle rap ring, taking on notable opponents like T-Top in what may be his only battle thus far. He’s set to battle Shotgun Suge in an upcoming matchup on Manslaughter Battle League this November.

The league is reaching 5,000 subscribers and has surpassed the 500K mark of total views as a channel; It’s on its way to a million views, with some of its top battles cracking over 100K view total views. For a small league in its first few years, it was objectively successful and gave the Midwest and Chicago something that it needed.

Though SolidFoe often flies under the radar, perhaps by choice, Luchi’s efforts to the culture are significant and deserve more recognition. Despite not always receiving the media traction he warrants, his passion for the art form and professionalism as a league owner is evident; from even in the past, when we have spoken, and LTBR has helped out with social media promo for an event, they try to do things the right way organically and with respect. 

Salute to his partner JayP, who is also involved. They have successfully organized multiple events, showing his dedication to building something substantial within Chi City. His work may not always be widely acknowledged, but it’s clear that his efforts shouldn’t go unnoticed. Also, another individual that needs to be highlighted…

Meet Taty, she is instrumental and one of the focal points of the success here. She blazed through life with Chicago stitched to her chest; each move she makes has a rhythm in tune with the city, unshakable and proud. She wears Chicago-like armor, and every step she takes is with purpose, pride, and energy to remind you where the city’s heartbeat pulses are.

She and the entire TOS team deserve many props, but especially Taty for embodying the true essence of Chicago and taking the steps of being one of the vocal leaders. Trust and believe the bite matches the bark too! She is what you can consider to be the heart of the league. You may see her hosting the battles or you might be most familiar with her on social media, via Twitter, but it pales in comparison to her efforts behind the curtains. All the stats that don’t show up on the box score. Her dedication is real, and it’s on display to see if you’re in tune with what’s going on. And if you aren’t, we’re here to tell you that her relentless drive and efforts are uplifting the Chicago battle rap scene, and it speaks volumes. It’s all juxtaposed with how meticulous she is when executing her vision. She breathes life into everything she touches because she bleeds the passion. It’s as if her means of oxygen is ensuring the city’s legacy thrives in anything it does or anything she’s involved with. With a driven work ethic and focus, Taty always champions the success of her people, showcasing a leadership that’s as authentic as the city itself. She’s what the town needed.

She has a sharp business mind and a genuine commitment to the culture; she’s dedicated to uplifting the TOS brand and the battlers connected to it. As someone who proudly represents The Real Chicago, her efforts are gaining well-deserved recognition for elevating the city’s battle rap scene, whether it’s through marketing, feeding the battle rap Twitter Streets, matchmaking, cultivating relationships, hosting, or evaluating the talent, there isn’t any hat that she can’t wear and make it look good. Flat out, she’s a boss—no other way to describe it. 

TOS vs Battle Academy

Theme cards in battle rap have become increasingly important in recent years, adding a layer of excitement and competition to the culture. Chicago’s T.O.S. going head-to-head with Philly’s Battle Academy embodied this energy, with both rosters showing out in a small-room setting that brought a raw intensity to the performances. 

A big salute to the other half for making this event successful and helping get the vision alive is Stizz, the owner of Battle Academy. He is widely recognized and known for the years he’s put into the game with Battle Academy, and over the past two years, he has also bought into the concept of league vs. league, but more importantly, having the roster on his league stay active, working and sharpening their swords. He loves some competitive banter; he loves to go to the leagues. Events like these push the talent to new heights, as both sides are eager to prove their dominance. This collaborative energy is vital to battle rap’s evolution, mixing and mingling relationships across the country and keeping the grassroots aspects of the culture intact. 

Tru Foe vs Reed Dollaz

The main event of the TOS vs Battle Academy card, I had really high hopes for this battle because I’m a huge fan of Reed and Tru. Unfortunately we didn’t get the war we wanted, Reed was choppy and struggled to remember his material. His 2nd round suffered the most because of this and it’s sad because when Reed is on point it’s always fun to watch him get in his Rambo bag. I won’t spend too much time on Reed because of his lack of cleanliness, it’s unacceptable at any time, especially in a main event spot. He did get thru his third clean but by that point it was too little too late. 

As for Tru Foe, he showed up locked in and treated Reed like the respected OG he is. My favorite bar from him was “this gon be more like when KD met Anthony Edwards, cuz he thought he’d son me but the young wolf gon end up sweeping a legend” #GoWolves. Tru kept his foot on Reed’s neck all 3 rounds and got a clean W here. He even ended with showcasing his rapping ability with a really good flip on the patented Philly Flow. Tru has been on a special run this year that has flown under the radar. If you haven’t paid attention to his year I’d encourage you to tune in and get caught up. I fully expect Foe to be in top 20 talks at years-end and this battle only added to his case.

Coach Corleone vs Bill Collector

First, shout out to the 21-minute 3-round battles; if no one else appreciates them, LTBR does. Now, onto the battle; this was another big look for Coach in a solid second half of the year for him getting Bigg K and Bill Collector. Bill was one of the best battlers in the world when we saw him in 2024; his match with Tay Roc will end up on plenty of top-ten lists at the end of the year. He kept up his momentum with this battle and honestly did what a vet in this situation would do. During all three rounds, he was active and set the tone for Coach the way you have to do in an actual road game. 

Coach Corleone really couldn’t keep up with Bill’s consistency and back-to-back punches. Now, I’m not fully out on Coach after this because we’ve seen Bill beat vets the same way, but what I will say is that he’s faced Bigg K and Bill this year, and I can’t say that either battle has helped him raise his stock in any way. 

To compete at this level, he must raise his game to show why he belongs there. A step up in competition isn’t easy, and he’s shot at some of the best; he will have to retool and lock in to regain his momentum. I think he’s capable of doing it, but his next moves have to be his best moves, and then maybe he can have a big year in 2025. I’ll definitely be tuned in. For Bill Collector, he’s putting up another quality year worthy of a top 20 COTY consideration, and with his upcoming JC battle, I’m really excited to see where he ends up. JC is a name he’s called out for a minute, so I’m expecting a very, very high level performance and hopefully a great battle. 

K Venom vs Kaboom

I.. I don’t even know where to begin with this, Kaboom, I don’t know; maybe something was going on, and I want to give room for that being a possibility, but this is such an abysmal, odd, and just bad performance. From the moment he started rapping in his first round it was paced, loose, disjointed freestyling that gave away any chance at momentum. The sad thing is in rounds 2 & 3 when he focused on his written material, it really didn’t change anything—just an overall confusing and awful performance for him. K Venom made the best he could have a really tough situation to rap in but he stayed locked in like a professional and delivered a clean performance. 

“Homegoing, the whole family say by to boom (bada boom) they Italian now.” He had a real slick flip in his third, which I loved. Venom walked away with every round very easily. What’s annoying about battles like this is that when one’s opponent is as bad as Kaboom was here, it’s hard for Venom to gain any momentum in his career. But this was a good showing, and I hope his next opponent can give him the battles he needs to keep elevating.

Merlo 100 vs Newz

I’m going, to be honest; I was disappointed in this battle. This was not a good battle. Newz faces the likes of Geechi Gotti and Charlie Clips, but he’s not exactly new on the scene. Battling opponents like that should lead to some elevation, especially in a matchup versus someone less experienced like Merlo, but that didn’t show. I have high hopes in Merlo, and I love his confidence and how well he can promote himself and utilize social media. But this performance left me wanting more from him and felt like a step down from his Los Preeme battle, which dropped a few weeks ago. One of the hardest things in battle rap is remaining consistent, and Merlo has been very active this year, so it’s harder to maintain a standard. Still, when you set your expectations at a particular place, you have to perform to or above that level to rise in this game. 

That said, it’s not all bad; Merlo got a clear win and had some positives here. His third round was best to me he dropped a few bombs there. He’s not a heavy performance battler in the traditional sense, but he has that aggression and ability to bark and tower over his opponents, which is something you can’t teach; he has a lot of those intangibles that you see when you watch him, I want to see him stay at the level he’s shown us he’s capable of reaching. 

 

Masi vs Top Floor Lut

This was a solid battle, TopFloor Lut sets it right off skipping the coin toss, coming out this is one of my favorite Lut’s to date, he landed some dope drug bars early “When niggas told me stick to the script, I made prescriptions.” Lut brought the proper energy needed to a real road environment where every reaction has to be earned. It’s always going to be more difficult battling in someone else’s crib especially in a league vs league battle, coming in with that understanding & rapping like you’re prepared to earn everything goes a long way on cam. Masi’s first was hit or miss for me, he relied heavily on name flips which can get a bit redundant after so many of them.  

Masi’s 2nd round was a real highlight for him, a nice blend of real talk, drug bars and pain. His buzzer beater at the end “Yeah I got 4 daughters, so if yall wanna use than angle I’m cool wit it but that’s the only thing that keeps me from killing one of you niggas/ you think I give a fuck about this battle with you & me? Nah everyday I 3-0 the nigga I used to be.” Is one of my favorite lines from the entire battle. 

Round 3 was a bit of a dropoff for me, which happens in battles, it’s tough to have 6 rounds of rap without anything being lower quality than the others. My overall takeaway is I’m looking forward to seeing both of these guys again, I’d like to see Masi work on his delivery and fluidity as he goes forward and for Lut I want to see him continue to get better and gain more momentum going into whatever he does next.

Tanna vs Yo Bull P Nut

Battles like this I refer to as showcases. These are battles where one person should show separation and display their skills at a high level over their opposition. Typically, it should be a vet doing so versus a younger talent, but sometimes, like in this battle, it’s reversed. Tanna showed himself to be someone for me to watch going forward. Excellent punches, a good flow, and delivery, especially for someone as inexperienced as he is. He had one of my favorite bars, not just for the battle but also for the whole event. “It’s so sad how we caught Pnut slippin’/ closed caskets like family recipes; only his family knows Pnut is in it.” That’s a slick, high-level name flip that stood out heavily to me. Tanna has a future in this game, and I hope he keeps elevating as time passes. I’ll have my eye on him.

Now for Yo Bull Pnut, I honestly don’t have much to say here. This guy has been around for a while and I think he’s just at his ceiling and it doesn’t look like there’s much improving on it, I mentioned Tanna having one of my favorite bars, Pnut had one of my least favorite. He said, “Don’t go fuck P-nut butter. I’ll jelly ya shit.” I’m sorry, but that just isn’t acceptable for someone who has been in the game this long.

Shiesty Foe vs Shank Prezzy

This battle came with a bit of “controversy.” Many people in the YouTube comments think Shank Prezzy got the win because the crowd did not give him the proper energy. Unfortunately, I am not those people. 

Was the Chicago crowd favoring Shiesty Foe on a card in Chicago titled TOS vs Battle Academy? Absolutely. But the reason for the crowd being with Shiesty is more than just location; there was a stark difference in energy and delivery from round one, and that carried through the battle. Foe set it off, no coin flip getting right to it; he entertained early with his energy and some humor mixed in that kept the crowd in the palm of his hand. When you’re on the road, and your opponent is bringing that level of infectious performance, you have to match it. 

Shank was never able to do so; maybe he was affected by the lack of reception; it did take a minute to get some talking quieted, but truthfully, that’s happened to some of the best in the game, and the key is rapping through it at your best level. I don’t think Prezzy matched the moment here, and that’s why the battle felt lopsided. I understand commenters saying the lack of love affected things, but I also don’t use that as a crutch for bringing a subpar performance. Shankk rapped very well, but his delivery and tempo never caught up. It wasn’t a bad showing, but it’s one he can learn from. For Shiesty Foe I’m very intrigued and hope he can stay active and we can see more from him. 

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