Overnight Drake announced the world’s largest-ever battle rap event to be held in conjunction with culture leader SMACK/URLTV via streaming platform Caffeine, set to go down in three weeks on Saturday 30 October. The star-studded event titled “Til Death Do Us Part” features fourteen of battle rap culture’s biggest names across seven matchups on a stacked card like never seen before.
These URL battles announced are;
Loaded Lux vs. Geechi Gotti
Tay Roc vs. Nu Jerzey Twork
Murda Mook vs. Eazy The Block Captain
Tsu Surf vs. Calicoe
T-Rex vs. Rum Nitty
Jaz The Rapper vs. Gattas
Pat Stay vs. Real Sikh
A card truly full of dream matches coming to life which is sure to settle a few rivalries, and legacies cemented or altered. The stacked card would normally appear to be financially impossible with many top-tier legends altogether on one card, and also presents a significant opportunity for relative newcomers Eazy The Block Captain (Philly) and Real Sikh (New Jersey) to truly establish themselves as the leading up and comers in an ever-competitive and rapidly emerging battle rap world.
The headliner of Lux vs. Geechi will be a style clash of the ages, while the long-time face of the SMACK/URLTV movement Tay Roc faces of against Drake’s favorite battle rapper in the electrifying Nu Jerzey Twork. Mook gives the red hot and in-from Eazy a massive look on the biggest stage, while Surf and Calicoe are set to settle old differences. Harlem battle rap legend T-Rex faces off against the number one punchline rapper in the game at the moment in Arizona’s Rum Nitty while the ladies see also a clash of the titans with battle rap’s favorite Jaz The Rapper taking on an always tough Gattas. Rounding out the card in another style clash of sorts, with Canada’s Pat Stay vs. Real Sikh.
Drake has long been involved in battle rap from his involvement from his native Canada’s King of the Dot (KOTD) as well as SMACK/URLTV, with a long-running speculated battle between Murda Mook and Drake up in the air – watch below.
The card also doubles as a 12-year anniversary for the SMACK/URLTV since its relatively humble beginnings in October 2009 when it hosted its first event with STAR. From there it has progressed to selling out major venues, adapting with the Pay Per View era, and most recently transferring onto the Caffeine App for live streaming of events and hosting Video On Demand services. An impressive rise that sees battle rappers going from battling on street corners or stores for respect to six figures and significant industry recognition in the last 15 years alone too. Sure to be one of the events of the year and along with the incredibly popular VERSUZ format by Swizz Beatz and Timbaland, direct competition in hip hop seems here to stay.
