For more proof that the future of competitive sports won’t be drug-tested, check out the filmed rap competition event Battle Rap 2: In The Trenches, directed by Eazy the Block Captain. There is a new gladiator ring located tonight in Philadelphia, and boy, are we ever entertained. Brought to you by Gutta City, the show features three battles with three rounds per battle. Rappers flip a coin to see who raps first, with the content focused on mocking and humiliating the other rapper, who is then allowed to return verbal fire. On the first card, it is OG Capri Vs Taj Milli. Next up, it is Lee L.N.D. Vs. CNG Ty. The final battle of the evening is Kaboom Vs. Riggz. The whole thing is caught on two cameras shooting live in a concrete arena somewhere in Philly. There is a crowd watching that cheers the best blows, though there are no declared winners. You decide yourselves in the end who won and who got smoked.
In Battle Rap 2: In The Trenches, words hit like fists and rhymes flow like blood. This reminds me a lot of when those UFC tapes hit the video store in the mid-90s and the excitement they generated. Of course, these bouts don’t feature dudes in tights hate humping each other. If you saw Eight Mile over the last two decades, you know what to expect from a rap battle. The big difference is this is not pretend, this is real street battles on a real street. So no, it doesn’t start off flashy, and you notice immediately there are no beats playing in the back. This can be a little jarring in the beginning, as the crowd hasn’t warmed up yet, cutting the rappers’ work out for them.
Good thing OG Capri and Taj Milli are up to the task. As the battles commence and we get further into this joint, the crowd starts bouncing and reacting, which in turn feeds the rapper’s rapid fire. Will let you know right now that one rapper falls in battle, choking harder than Joey Chestnut in Coney Island on his 70th hot dog. This is a good reminder that what we are seeing is all done without a rope.
“…this is real street battles on a real street…”
There are so many interesting aspects to appreciate about what could easily be the next spectator sport. Notice how the rappers take on the verbal onslaught from their opponent. Like in the first bout, where Taj Milli would turn his back on OG Capri and pretend like he can’t hear all the awful things he is saying about him. Is it better to play it stone-faced and not give your enemy the satisfaction? Or is it more strategic to go at it like OG Capri does, with a uniquely aggressive defense?
He will roll up on you, daring you to keep saying a whole lot of s**t about him. There are some brilliant rhymes to be found here, none of which are lost on the appreciative crowd. There is some freestyling here and there, but these players would be fools to try to enter the game without a well-memorized arsenal. And there is some impressive talent on display. It is raw talent served raw as sushi on a pavement plate.
If there were still just a thing as TV, I would watch this every Saturday afternoon. The whole format is genius in its simplicity and how easy it would be to take this from city to city. Battle Rap 2: In The Trenches is a great idea that will not be stopped, so get that searchlight busy and find it.
"…raw talent served raw as sushi on a pavement plate..."
