5. Real Deal vs. Rone
Why: having formerly rapped as a team, and being friends from the same state people didn’t think Rone and Real Deal would ever battle, but both have become known as the KOTD/Grindtime rappers that nobody in URL wants to face despite all efforts to that end. Real Deal and Rone had the Teacher vs. Student dynamic. Real Deal’s teaching career is often brought up in battles, just like Rone’s tenure as a Penn state student. Real Deal and Rone both have solid records with very few losses. Put simply they are two of the best.
Why: For people that don’t watch many non-URL battles, Rone is often their favorite non-URL battler, here he shows why. His lines are always creative and unique, never predictable. The kind of intelligence it takes to be a great battle rapper is very specific and unique kind. it’s not book smarts or emotional or even really necessarily verbal. It’s a quick-study cleverness, adaptability and wordplay rolled into one. It’s like talk show host meets lawyer and Rone has it in droves. Even with Rone bringing one of his best performances to date, the battle was extremely close. Real Deal is angle battler. He always take the less traveled path when it comes to approach it always works for him. This battle is full of many of the year’s most quotable lines.
Highlight: You are not your team’s quarterback, you are your team’s token white guy. If you’re packin’ the mack in the back of the Ac, you are stealing your neighbors Wifi.” -Rone 2nd round.
Winner: Very close but Rone edged it.