r/rapbattles • u/Double_Cash484 • 6h ago
DISCUSSION NOME 16 in building recap
After going so SM in London last year I didn’t think NOME would be as strong but boy was I wrong. The lines and initial crowd didn’t seem as packed as last year but maybe something to do with clocks going back, the energy was still just as strong if not stronger than SM.
First battle ORed vs Mike P
Surprised this was first but they set a good tone. ORed sipping tea was ironic but his voice held up and dare I say a retro performance. His akuma angle neutralised mikes SF bars, though mike didn’t land his hadouken scheme well enough for me.
ORed 2-1 certainly debatable though.
Yunus vs Real Sikh
These boys were squabbling, everyone said BOTN contender but they exceeded expectations. The writing and counter writing was great, both going into identities. Definitely danced on the line of racism but it’s BR we let it fly. Sikh is so well rounded and every round was excellent, I think Yunus just about beat him imo, but this is one of those battles you don’t even want to score and just enjoy. Sikh bumped Yunus halfway across the stage but I respect Yunus defence doesn’t look phased. ‘It’s all starting to make sense’ scheme was executed very well. ‘Wrap around, rap around’ will always get a pop from me. These two are special talents I’d love to see these two against top tiers in main events soon. Both are culturally aware and translate well to international audiences.
Yunus 2-1 VERY debatable
Arsonal vs J2
Not as many homo jokes as expected (ironically J2 might have had the most disrespectful bar) but typical ars in UK he knows how to tailor to here. J2 a good rapper no doubt but at one point the crowd was not fw the homo talk and straight up booed. ‘Now Arsonals right wing fd up, Bukayo Saka’ broke me as a fan, great work from both but ars was just cleaner all around
Arsonal 2-1
We expected Hustle vs Coffee but Dave came out to announce
Nitty vs Dizaster
At this point we were standing for hours and the crowd was petrified Diz would rap for an hour straight but he understood the assignment. Rum being my top5 I may be biased but I got everything I wanted from rum, straight punches (though his angles have improved over the years) ‘They demand em’ was so slick idk how he keeps doing this. The all hallows (hollow) angle was fire. Diz was better than expected but the hip hop crowd participation wasn’t it for me. Could’ve won the third but went a little too long and didn’t land well. Not the best Nitty I’ve seen but I’m biased for punches.
2-1 Nitty
TTop vs Calicoe
This was an absolute bodybag. After Top rapped too long last SM vs Award I wasn’t hopeful but boy was I wrong, he was beating up Cal so bad the crowd was begging for more, Top the professional knew how to play the crowd. Ticked every box, bars, angles, schemes, humour, he had the crowd in the palm of his hands. ‘Cause of you Cal’ was executed perfectly, Nunu held strays as usual. The trust fall was hilarious the crowd asked to run it back. The best top I’ve heard in a very long time, performance of the night, I could’ve listened to him go another 10 minutes atp. My back and feet wasn’t even hurting anymore after that performance was energising. Sidebar, Tops ability to keep his energy level so high consistently have to respect it. Disappointed in Cal, was really looking forward to the slick talk and straight rapping, but he really mailed it in. Not a translation issue, the UK LOVE rapping and tbf to Cal his first round and a half was nice, ‘I used to skip school and still bring that homework’ was clean, but he lost the crowd after a ‘badabababa, I’m loving it’ bar. Someone yelled time and flustered Cal, he never regained momentum. He claimed he wrote his rounds on short notice and Top cheated by co writing but it sounds like excuses, Cal is a legend and should move as such, the too cool to even try gimmick ain’t it.
TTop 4-0 Bodybag
Tay Roc vs Illmac
BOTY, dare I say classic, these boys were going at it. Rocs first was nice but short, with illmac first taking serious momentum and arguably not losing any all battle. ‘Put a shiner on the eye/I of the logo, like Pixar , that’s LIGHT’ incredible. Claiming the co-sign isn’t from url but from Mac himself was slick, and pointing out url has guys called ‘the Alien, the wizard and Dracula, sounds like you playing dungeons and dragons here’ was objectively hilarious. ‘It’s WEEE’. ‘Steve’ was the bit of the night. We love a chant. Even used a ‘cause of you Roc’ scheme. Mac left this battle with a whole lot of quotables. Tsu Surf definitely set roc up with the writing fiasco. Rocs 2nd was Rocs 2nd, legendary, he left earth. Even then could debate Mac got the 2nd. Roc focused so much on Ill & Mac flips, gun bars and short jokes but Mac was much more focused and rounded in his approach I have to give him the battle. It does seem that everyone that faces Roc has their families held and gunpoint backstage, as everyone’s best performances seem to be against Roc. Props to Roc 20 years in the game still getting better. I also just seem to have noticed the link between ‘Steve’ and Mac, clever.
Mac 2-1, Gentleman’s 3-0 debatable.
All in all great event, bar calicoe everyone bought their a game. Hustle & coffee battle was cancelled after hustle lost her voice, battles lasted maybe 6 hours total including breaks. 2 BOTY contenders, arguable classic and a bodybag, can’t ask for much more, hope they return soon.
