Rare Breed Entertainment presents the Stacked Rare Breeds card this Saturday on August 18th. Crowds will flock to Manhattan, New York’s Club Drom. Everyone will be eager to see if Murda Mook can return to his rare form.
Taking his first battle after a four hiatus, this highly anticipated matchup against Aye Verb comes with a few looming questions. Can Mook’s return change the landscape of battle rap? Or knock him off of its Mt. Rushmore?
With only four spots available, Mook has definitely earned his stripes as a legend and a flag bearer for the primary era of battle rap.
We caught up R.B.E. co-owner, A.R.P. to get his perspective on the implications behind this battle and why it will be one to remember. 
The Source: What does this battle mean to the culture?
A.R.P.: This is one of the most important battles in history. This is a rivalry that has lasted throughout the entire battle rap legacy–stemming from the on-camera era. The outcome of this battle will definitely change legacies.
If Mook loses, does that knock him off battle rap’s Mt. Rushmore?
I’m not sure if Murda Mook can be removed from the Mt. Rushmore–win or lose this battle. Think of it like the logo of the NBA. The logo of the NBA is Jerry West, yet nobody says “Jerry West was the best basketball player of all time,” they don’t say “he’s a G.O.A.T.”–Rarely do you hear him mentioned in the top five of all time.
However, he’s still the logo because he’s earned what he has earned, his status in the NBA. Murda Mook is in a similar position because he’s one the first, if not the first introduction to many battle rap fans. The legacy that he brought to the game, also being the guy that kicked off SMACK DVD–You can’t just take a guy like that off of Mt. Rushmore. If not for him, we’re not sure there would be a lot the superstar battle rappers in the game right now.
So with that being said, I don’t know if you can just remove that type of legacy based on the outcome of a battle.
What will a loss do to his personal legacy?
I think a loss does damage his legacy if he loses only because this battle means so much to the battle rap culture. So if he loses this battle being that he has the status right now of the top dog–It shifts the power. It shifts the power among all the battlers. When we announced the battle, that is what we saw a lot of the rappers themselves weighing in on. A lot of people feel that if Mook comes back after four years and loses, his peers will shift the power amongst themselves and they’ll start to look at the hierarchy of battle rap different.
You’ll start to see a lot of battlers grabbing for higher pieces of power. They will reach for battles and legacies they feel can replace the Luxes, the Hollows and the Mooks of the world. His legacy can definitely be impacted if he loses.
What do you think the biggest difference is between the new era of battle rap in comparison to the original?
One of the biggest differences is the battles come off differently because now there’s such a preparation factor now. Back then battles were done more for bragging rights, who’s the best in the hood? Who’s the best in the area? Who’s the nicest? It wasn’t about how much you’re getting paid. A lot of people weren’t getting paid back then because that was all you had–bragging rights.
Go back to a battle like Jae Millz VS Murda Mook. Nobody gets paid and its basically to figure out who’s gonna walk around Harlem saying they are the best. Adding to that, bars were different. There was no preparation time because it was about showing up on the spot and proving to be the better man.
Nobody was really on the internet digging up dirt on each other and then having months to prepare, write and structure their rounds crafted for the opponent. It was it wasn’t like that back then.
Now, fast forward, battle rap being more on the business side there is more structure to these platforms and these leagues like R.B.E. So with the structure, business and money comes a whole evolution for how the rappers prepare for each other now and how the matchups turn out. Now you got guys coming with dirt on their opponent, they’re coming with structured three rounds that have been tailored to the opponent because they’ve sat back for months or weeks ahead of time and they analyze the opponent. They find out things about them, they look into their past, they look at previous battles.
They come with way more tailored material for the opponent. So when you add the difference of how battlers approach each other now and you factor in how the business aspect has changed and grown the battle rap culture, those are some of the biggest differences as to why these battles feel, and different, compared to the DVD/corner era. Now we’re seeing things on social media, YouTube, livestream and other mediums where people access new content.
All things considered, all eyes will be watching Murda Mook on Saturday.
