Certain
04-16-2014, 04:47 AM
http://i.imgur.com/uAJesXX.png
Season 3, Edition 8
I Got To Go To Work
INTRODUCTION by Certain
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FgXBAnduGrc
Welcome to another edition of the Art of Writing League's Season 3 weekly magazine. Last week went swimmingly aside from a lack of votes on some battles, including the title match. We have a ton of very talented writers signed in, and I'm excited for the potential of a great week. To match that, we have a great magazine in store, only possible because of the help of zygote, oats and King Ra. Your soundtrack will be trap rap the whole way through this bitch. We're the real deal; these other leagues imposters.
WRITER'S BLOCK by oats and King Ra.
The championship battle contestants decided to play nice this week and work together on discussing some major elements of writing this here genre.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RH5Ce6za4Co
OATS: Good morning, King. Glad to have you here. Before we get started, I'm curious: as a long time friend and crew member of Frank, how did you feel going up against him last week? What are your thoughts on his disqualification?
KING RA.: What's good, oatmeal? A good day indeed. Cutting to the chase, I was honestly more shocked that I even made it in the contender match moreso than being placed against the homie Frank. I respect him as a writer and I admire his drive and passion. I felt it was my chance to land a key victory, especially against one of the elites. I saw I was up 3-0 in votes before Certain dq'd him for recycling. I guess I'm not surprised because you never know what to expect from Frank, but you know something is bound o happen. Reading his verse, it seemed he was taking me lightly, so I felt what I put together stood a good chance. Either way, it feels good to finally be in a champ match, against another great writer. This will be epic, sir.
Speaking of which, you once again remain atop the league as undisputed champ. How did you feel about your win over timeless? What did you think of his piece in comparison to yours?
OATS: Funny you should ask. If I'm being honest, I think both of us underperformed. We were actually pming beforehand, mutually complaining about our lack of ideas and progress (we also changed our topic midweek). I wasn't sure if he was playing some psychological gambit or not, but ultimately both of us delivered subpar verses. Do I think I won? Yes, probably because I attempted the simpler concept so it came off as more complete, whereas he had a more complex idea that, due to poor execution, came off as convoluted and incomplete. That's my take, at least. Needless to say, I'm happy and relieved to be in a champ match for another week.
Where do you see yourself? Earlier this season I said that you flirt with that nebulous "top-tier" status, though who bestows that title and why seems to be pretty arbitrary. How much do you invest in these kinds of labels? Who would you consider to be in that elite group, and where do you see yourself in comparison to them?
KING RA.: I'm a work in progress, to be honest. I only started doing topicals last year March, where I got my start on the now non-existent Text-stars, which had a great league during its very short time period (Vulgar & Sacrifice were there). Anywho, my early pieces were very basic and short. It wasn't until the first round of that leagues playoffs when I finally began to develop more well rounded stories. Up until now, I can definitely see my progression but there are a few more things that I could work on. For me, to be told that I'm flirting with top tier and the elite class is a huge honor, especially coming from such great writers like yourself. To have that kind of label attached means a lot. That tells me people enjoy reading my work. It's not a bad label to have around these parts.
There are 6 writers who I feel are elite. And these are guys I've read from consistently: 1. dead man 2. Sacrifice 3. Vulgar 4. oats 5. zygote 6. Frank. In that order. Black's ability to string together words, thoughts and phrases while packing emotion, imagery is insane. I've read a lot of Fice's work and he is one of the few who can tell a great story or drop a great topical. His rhyming ability is top-notch. Vulgar is just ridiculous with content and the ability to really pack a story with great detail and imagery. I got you next because your pieces are usually very well written and on point. Your wording and imagery seem to be your biggest strength. Zygote is crazy ridiculous. Master of any style of writing. Always love the ideas he puts together. Then there is Frank who just seems to always win with that style of end rhymes. But his pieces are usually very descriptive and filled with imagery.
In comparison to those I mentioned, I feel I can beat any of them. I feel my ability to come up with an original story packed with content is up there. But I know to beat the elite, you have to be good in all aspects, and I know I need to work on my wording and rhymes/schemes in order to bridge that gap.
With that being said, what do you consider for someone to be called elite? Which writers do you think are making their way up that ladder? What are some things those writers can do to reach that level?
OATS: I feel you, and def agree with that list (though number 4 should probably be a little higher). I couldn’t make an order of this person is better than that, but at the top I’d also throw in Pent and Lars, 3PA and Certain, etc. The usual suspects. But before I continue, I’ll digress and echo your sentiment about being a work in progress. That’s part of the fun of writing; you will never reach a point of perfection. If you ever sit back and say “here I am, I can no longer improve on anything!” then that is a user error, and it is false. For reference, this was my first topical written for a league ever, about 4 years ago now. It’s terrible by my standards now, but if anything it serves as a reminder that improvement is not only possible, it’s inevitable if you keep at it.
Which bleeds into your question about who is on the cusp, and what they can do to breakthrough to that next level. To me, and keep in mind I’m really not well-traveled on rap forums nowadays, but the ones who stand out are Nigma, Rhetoric, and yourself. Pancake used to be on that list but I think he’s proven himself at this point. The question really being asked here is, what makes a person top-tier? It’s pretty simple. First, you have to write well, which in this context means strong rhyming, interesting subject matter, and an ability to move the content forward clearly and effectively (what I sometimes refer to as a “narrative arch,” since not every topical is a narrative story). All the people I mentioned up there can do those things. The only missing ingredient is facing and beating the current heavyweights. I don’t think I’ve improved much in the last 2 years to be honest, but it was only in that time frame that I started competing against the elite regularly, which gave me a chance to make a name for myself. More important for me, and be ready for some high grade corn coming, was gaining that confidence myself, before worrying about how I was perceived. It took a loss to Black (that I think I probably should have won, or at least have been competitive in) to show me that I was as good as the best. A few months prior to that, I would’ve thought I’d lose to Black 10/10 times.
Alas, I meander. Vulgar said it best in a thread a while back: on any given day, bags/nik/hush/whoever can beat a black/lars/vulgar in a topical battle. The same is more pronounced among topicalists, who at least practice the genre. Anyone can really beat anyone on any given match, and while the recognition of others is nothing to sneeze at, the quality of your work will outlive any online record or accomplishment.
To switch gears here, what is your writing process? When you see a topic, take us through a play-by-play of what happens from then until you post.
KING RA.: First to touch on some of the things you shared.... if that was your first topical piece, then damn, because in comparison to mines, it's so much better. I can definitely see the progression from there until now, though you've always had strong vocabulary from the start. No disrespect to Lars, Certain or Pent up.... I never heard of them until my arrival on Netcees, though they all are great writers and my list was based on who I have read from the most during my short time in the topical game. I definitely agree with you on being a work in progress. There really isn't a peak to reach in writing other than accomplishments, especially that of Hall of Fame. But I feel pertaining to writing, you can always do better whether it be with rhyme scheme, concept, creativity, mechanics, storytelling etc. For those reasons, I feel even as I improve, I am always striving to do even more. It has given the drive to consistently participate in this league this season.
My writing process is rather complex. It's 90% mental. The other 10% is the writing itself. When I see a topic, I like to let it marinate in my thoughts before I begin to brainstorm my approach, concept and how to present it in a story format. This is usually why I like to utilize all the time given before I post, because let me tell you, a lot of ideas I have are epically complex. And it takes me a lot of time to break down the idea to a level I can put it in rhyme form. I flashback to season one, going up against my good friend Cereal_Killer, I dropped a part two of my "Saw"-like suspense thriller. I wrote that piece in the last hour before the deadline. But I had such a grand scale of how I wanted to present the piece, it took hours for me to dissect from it enough to make it into rhyme format. So for me its more mental than writing, because once I get the direction down, and how I want to present it, it's easier for me to write it in rhyme form. Now because I dedicate so much time to the mental aspect, a lot of times, my mechanics are off. I've been getting better with that over the course of time though. Let me tell you, I am willing to sacrifice mechanics for epic storytelling and great content. I feel I can beat anyone in this league going that route, because readers seem to love originality and great storytelling over something written very well but lacking in excitement, originality. You all have been warned.
With that said, storytelling seems to be taking storm over the good ol' topical these days. I've even noticed the use of dialouge, especially from writers like Vivid & Just Write. Do you think the topical game is evolving to another form of writing? Can a very well written topical trump a good story? What approach do you prefer to use?
OATS: That echoes an ongoing discussion it seems, the idea that there’s a difference between a story and a topical. To me, no matter what style you utilize, you have to move the content forward. In any writing 101 class you’ll hear it phrased like “something has to change during the course of your story,” which I think is basically true. If you’re writing a straight-forward narrative, it’s easier to accomplish, or at least easier for the reader to notice what changed, whereas in a more abstract topical style verse the change might be more subtle. I don’t see the current fashion of storytelling as an evolution - as long as I can remember, people have been writing stories in rhyme format. Slick Rick, Biggie, Nas, etc were doing that before the internet was a thing, let alone internet text rap.
To me, it’s just a matter of how well you pull it off. Stories can be plain if they aren’t accompanied by something else (I lend myself towards allegories, but Frank is a great example of creating a distinct atmosphere for his stories that bring otherwise inert scenes to life). Topicals can come off as gibberish or rambling if they aren’t built around a central focus. Different topics call for different angles. Sorry to take the gray road here, but it’s true. Can topicals beat stories? Absolutely. It just all depends on the execution.
It’s been a pleasure talking with you, Ra dawg, I’ll leave the last word for you. Best of luck this week.
KING RA.: Shouts to Certain for running this league and dropping top notch mags week in and week out. I appreciate the time and consideration. Sir oats, best of luck to you too in our match. I'll make it a great one. Holler.
Week 7 Rewind
BATTLE REVIEWS by Certain
I participated this week for the first time all season, which made for a different feeling from my normal, distanced review. But hey, almost everyone showed up, albeit with some uneven efforts. Let's get to ranking the battles. I'm also trying a new thing, where I pick one segment from each battle (not each verse) to feature with each review.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V1cxP2nCBdU
1. Witty beats Totoro 4-2.
BATTLE OF THE WEEK! I probably was more critical than was fair to these two in my vote, but that is the result of my high standards for both. One thing is clear: No battle was better written, even if the topical relevance was pretty loose for both of these men this week. Witty got the win for his reader-friendly take on an alcoholic gambler. It seemed to hit close to home for him. Totoro came in with the gaudy daydream verse from the perspective of the most powerful man in the world in 2214. There were a lot of cool references, but he lacked the string to tie everything together.
No se puede vivir sin amar. Wine and pasta, enjoy.
mutual first date. RIIIING *mumble grumble.* she said "LA CASA" annoyed
Buzz cut blind, a pillar of strength: it's Solomon's ploy
indoctrinated liberal hippies verse autonomous joy
He's a jerk. She's a nympho acting laudably coy
Evolution's so hypocritical and possibly void...
evolution's so critical and Santa Clauses me toys :)
dissolution's subliminal, that's what it costs to rejoice
incompatible grown men is what it costs to be boys
2. Mike Wrecka beats Adonis 4-3.
This was an interesting battle with two tangential but close-enough takes on topics. Mike Wrecka wrote about watching movies at night, though his verse seemed to exist more for the wordplay than anything else. Adonis' verse probably stoked my interest more but lacked the polish and clarity. He took on the most powerful man topic in a way that was very vague at the end, as it wasn't clear if the idea was that psychiatrists were the most important men in the world in 2214 or if this all was a man's delusion.
I thought a Single White Female would be useful to find,
but now the thought of being Home Alone is completely sublime,
keep on the grind, caught inside of a Parent Trap,
Frozen in my emotions, now how does one handle that?
well, I get mad and react, then start to Scream,
hoping I wake up, Requiem For a Dream,
the tension seems to go on for 300 rounds,
Apocalypse Now until the walls of our house are practically tumbling down,
then we suddenly drown in our sorrows, slip into The Abyss,
All Quiet On The Western Front as we start to kiss,
3. Championship: oats beats timeless 3-1.
I'm not sure why so few people voted on this battle. oats won with a pretty cool concept, in which hip hop has been asleep since Illmatic and now is trying to wake up, though his execution was not quite as smooth as I'm used to. timeless continues to improve his mechanics, in both rhyme and diction, but he failed to captivate with a real concept here, instead just writing about a man talking to his therapist about lacking sleep.
I’m the master of what I don’t need, but when I’m aligning rhymes
I always tell myself it’s just this one time for my mind, one time...
so what do I Represent? shit, It ain’t Hard to Tell
I’m that could’ve been stupid kid at Harvard/Yale
the shadow of my martyred self, a typical hypocrite
aka “human” for those who don't resist being into it
peripheral instruments puncture rooms of my psyche
the mystical, dimly-lit tumors that light needs
what I mean, is darkness gets mislabeled as cowardly
but without it we wouldn’t see stars or know our place in the galaxy
4. zygote beats Vividlyvague 6-0.
Neither of these guys impressed me here, for very different reasons. zygote won handily, but I wonder how much of that has to do with the constituency's lack of familiarity with the dying violinist analogy he heavily cribbed his verse from. Turning that sort of thing into rhyme as well as zygote did it was impressive, but nothing about the content or analogy was original. Vividlyvague apparently delayed his writing until the last minute and came out with a verse that felt half-cooked but had a cool concept about an overbearing Elvis fan.
So on the ride home I talked up a storm. I told him my entire childhood
And all the grisly details between. Me being an orphan, and the fact I was denied books.
I imagine he would have been very sympathetic. Then, "Look!
There's a light above us! Is it GOD?" Still no response from the trunk.
Paranoid as all fuck, I swerved of the cliffside and surfed down the bluff.
We hit the bottom after fifty flips at least! I was stuck in mangled metal glass and stuff.
5. Certain beats rhetoric 5-3.
I won this matchup based mostly on mechanical superiority and polished writing. rhetoric had the more complete and resolute story, about a drunk driver and an ironic twist. But he played loose with mechanics, and most of our voters demand a lot out of that aspect of writing. I really dislike endings that aren't written in rhyme, and he built his entire twist of fate into an unrhymed coda that felt tacked on as a result. But he has potential, starting with smoothing out the rough edges and making more creative content decisions.
Thank you Hollow’s End Pub for all the fun we had
Now it’s time to give it up, grow up and be a dad
Following claps, perhaps one more night can wait
A final celebration with the guys for old time’s sake
We drank until the room spun, twisted, & stirred
Sipped our whiskey fuel until our vision blurred
6. Brian Bryan beats MMLP 7-0.
Brian Bryan, known as Lars here and Baron Mynd most places, did what he always does: He wrote a tightly polished verse with a ridiculous rhyme scheme. He also kept it very short to match MMLP. Brian Bryan's approach resonated with me because of its creativity. MMLP went way too directly into the topic of being drafted.
I rose in a panic, still barely awake,
not knowing what happened or where I was laid.
A glaring, evasive, light from above
stared on my face as I tried not to look.
Once my eyes had adjusted, more came into view,
ghastly appliances hung from every face of the room.
An arrangement of tubes act as a lynchpin
constraining my movement to a matter of inches.
7. Contender match: King Ra. wins via Frank disqualification.
It's worth noting King Ra. was winning 3-0 when I realized Frank had recycled his verse (which was an odd choice, given the recycled verse wasn't any good). King Ra. wrote a verse right up his own alley, in which he got to handle a combat scene and a futuristic power struggle. When he is in his element like this, he is very good. I thought there was a bit too much exposition here, telling rather than showing, but this was a fine verse that would have been a worthy contender match winner.
Truth. Justice. Order.
The millions I've slaughtered.
Sons & daughters I've fostered.
Lands where I breached it's borders.
Rebuilt kingdoms & altars.
Captured prisoners tortured.
New World reformer.
Peace restorer.
8. El Pancake wins via Split Eight no-show.
El Pancake wrote the best verse of the week. I don't even think that's up for debate. He tackled the topic of the most important person in your life disappearing and turned it into a commentary on how we deal with grief in such fake ways. I've been to two funerals already this month, and I've seen it myself. The writing was articulate and polished, as always, and the message was delivered clearly. Split Eight fell asleep after not getting laid.
She would’ve hated this, too. We had the same morose affinity
for being blank. If I was dumb enough to believe in a soul
she’d be its mate. And I know she’d leave this grieving alone.
But if I had known our marriage, and her subsequent “death”
(they never did find her. It was almost like she had just up and left,
but enough time passed, plus there was evidence of her blood on her desk)
meant I had to be here, I would have cut ties in a sec.
9. Bladed Thesis wins via dead man no-show.
After reading Bladed Thesis' verse in Open Mic, I felt like I had a pretty good grasp on his style. And this second verse cemented that, full of dark imagery and sharp rhymes. The schemes and lyricism were enough to pull through somewhat boring content, and the word choice was sharp throughout and even clever at times. I think for Bladed Thesis it's often going to come down to how well he can conceive plots and approaches to topics. dead man didn't write after telling us he would write.
in this sea of dirt, I rock the boat, yes.
screams begging, I fumble words and talk with slowness.
snatched from my house nonchalant and stolen.
sleep timeless as space then shuddered with a jaunt, awoken.
very quickly realized this was not my home then
but a box enclosed in. The seconds became daunting moments.
mind almost cracked, this new haunt atrocious
until I stopped with closed fists and became strong, ferocious.
a caged beast turned distraught is potent.
breath caught and frozen, this went beyond enclosed men.
10. Fig wins via fraze no-show.
Rule of thumb: If an alias intentionally misspells his or her name, he or she probably won't show. Luckily Fig posted something instead of no-showing himself. We probably won't see or hear from fraze again.
I come to, scan the room, then I cum, too.
Cattle prawns, saws, a pair of tongs and a long noose.
It all spells fun...the gag balI I grunt through
becomes loose. shit. I was getting off on my muffled voice.
Now I'm just trapped with straps, buckles and cuffs; my toys.
NO-SHOW SHINE by zygote
zygote never no-shows, so here he tries to pay penance for those who do.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xAHphpMC9zg
Fig | 7. You were arrested Friday night and have to spend a weekend in county jail. (I think this was the choice)
Short, decisive and incisive. A look inside a BDSM club chamber, a good mix of description and subtle homo-eroticism. Ended with the exact phrase "s f2f nbfh" - Fig's safeword is the phrase 'Moist Cockamamie.' It seems like he didn't really try too much on this one, but it was a good concept.
El Pancake | 5. The most important person in your life has disappeared inexplicably.
The first stanza was great, just brilliant social observation in rhyming format really. PB can be absolutely scathing whenever, before, Hipsters and intellectuals have come under attack, now the aim was fixed squarely on overly emotional individuals. The kind of people who will go straight to their social media if someone dies. “Incessant. A pissing match over which can hack it up more, tears for this one, howls for that. One even collapsed on the floor.” such a cynical yet sad expression, loss does different things to different people, PB captured here the kind of person who becomes disjointed by it, not bitter or angry, just distant and emotionally pragmatic. There was a contrast with the second half which was much more introspective, it was more of a historical look at the character, it also revealed that the character was a bit of an apathetic person to begin with, perhaps it acts as a comment that loss can magnify traits in the person it affects. So, while the original narcissistic people acted out by grandiose displays, this stoic character turned completely to stone. Well not completely, the penultimate line hinted to something that was still there, “Because she wouldn’t have carried on like this if it had happened to you.” – within the context of all that previous emotional stonewalling this kind of restrained line was just a perfect ending.
Bladed Thesis | 1. You're determined to stay awake for as long as possible.
Pretty good, there was a heavy emphasis on multiple rhyming and keeping the same rhyme scheme going for an extended period. While this technical aspect was impressive, it also caused some minor issues, in some parts it was as if the wording was a little awkward and unnatural. E.g., “the taunts so poignant of God, His motives, understanding the importance of life is the step so oft remotest.” while it can be a good device to mix around sentence structure, even people who are used to languages with a free sentence structure can find repeated mixing up of the verbs and nouns and tenses and passive vs active voice to be a little jarring. The actual point of the writing was good though, it was a nice description of an individual’s struggle with existence and greater meaning while in a hopeless situation. It touched on aspects of nihilism, existentialism and Christian religion. The way the main character arrives at a purely practical conclusion was a good comment on the ultimate un-answerability of all these big questions.
Week 8 Preview
POWER INDEX by zygote
The alien cyborg robot checks in again with a take on the top battlers in the league that has nothing to do with weekly or season rankings. He even clocks in with a great quote for every listed member.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YAFVu_A4OwQ
8. Adonis (3-4)
“Whew, I barely made it!” Scraping in by tooth and nail, Adonis fights by writing about rape and God and incest and everything else either controversial or taboo. Currently, at the bottom of the POWER HIERARCHY but his coveting eyes stalk those on the higher rungs, just waiting for any opportunity.
7. Mike Wrecka (3-4)
“I am the Omega Man.” The last of a dying breed, ever since MW reinvented himself and started using full stops instead of // at the end of each line, things just haven’t felt the same. In the end, like the Omega Man, who has adapted here?
6. timeless (3-on-4)
“A quintessential bestman.” Always coming close yet never quite crossing the line. I can write without bias, that on two occasions timeless objectively had me beat in contender matches but didn’t get the votes. A true fighter on the POWER HIERARCHY, there is the potential for a strong winning streak as timeless establishes more and more voter confidence.
5. Frank (5-2)
“We drink from the river of rivalry.” An immovable object, a thunderstorm of energy and dynamic construction. On Franks best day he is 5 unstoppable hofs out 5, on his worst he is a “snooker manoeuvre gooping her nuker.” Frank transcends any sort of numerical ranking within the POWER HIERARCHY, he is simultaneously -1 and 100%.
4. King Ra. (4-3)
“The High Priest is a Magician.”: Exodus 7:11-12 ‘Then Pharaoh also called for the wise men and the sorcerers, and they also, the magicians of Egypt, did the same with their secret arts. For each one threw down his staff and they turned into serpents.’ King Ra is a magician, a true showman, a style that embodies flair and elan.
3. Vividlyvague (4-2)
“Absentminded nutty professor.” – Vividlyvague: There’s a lot of things going on simultaneously within the writing of VV. It is a written version of a Rube-Goldberg machine, but like those contraptions it seems that sometimes all the effort went into the journey just make a piece of toast. The weeks when you really dominated proceedings, where when you connected tangentially. E.g., this week you were so direct, and while you were better in every single technical and mechanical department the payoff was perhaps too unambitious.
2. El Pancake (3-2)
“Pack challenger.” - PancakeBrah: NC trivia; “Which double AOWL champion once no-showed 10 consecutive contests in a row?” There was a time when PB was disinterested, but those days are only now a strange memory. The Pack challenger has been back for a while now, PB has the potential to usurp the top position on the POWER HIERARCHY, the two favorites will soon have to lock horns and thump chests in the quest for Topical superiority.
1. oats (7-0)
“The Alpha-dog, don’t say a word to him, just nod.” A dominant force, crushing all opposition beneath size twelve bright orange crocs. Hopefully we have a few more contests together, it would not be surprising to see oats end the season with a perfect record if he can sustain such a sustained level of sustained excellence.
PREDICTIONS by Certain
In the first week with public rankings, we are all the way back up to 20 writers. That puts even more pressure on picture week to deliver, and we obviously already have our first topic complaint. All topic titles are my own.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WkkC9cK8Hz0
Championship: 1. oats (7-0) vs. 2. King Ra. (4-3) | "Window To the Rest of the World"
BATTLE OF THE WEEK CANDIDATE! This topic is great, perhaps my favorite of the round. The reason is that it could be viewed as limiting in one sense, but it opens itself up if you apply a little metaphor on this being the topic. oats is a more unique writer with a better grasp on conceptual writing, while King Ra. shines in more narrative battles. My guess is King Ra. can deal with it. Prediction: oats 62-38.
Contender match: 3. Mike Wrecka (3-4) vs. 4. El Pancake (3-2) | "Man Overboard Intentionally"
BATTLE OF THE WEEK CANDIDATE! I decided to give this topic to these two when I couldn't decide who would have the advantage writing to it but that both would enjoy it and produce good work. There are a lot of creative angles with rhymes that I think El Pancake will explore. Mike Wrecka has been dicing his way through opponents at a slow but steady rate. He'll need to be more original to even stand a chance. Prediction: El Pancake 53-47.
5. zygote (5-2) vs. X. MMLP (0-1) | "Children on the Pages of Books"
MMLP was dwarfed by his friend, Brian Bryan (whom he was subbed into for this match), but is very deflt with his diction. Perhaps some tutelage would help him im out. But this week he goes against a well-developed monster, and zygote definitely has an advantage. How big? That depends on how much more creative MMLP can get this week than he showed last. Prediction: zygote 73-27.
7. Fig (1-0) vs. 8. Bladed Thesis (1-0) | "Woman in the Tunnel"
Fig has a tendency of not showing up against more developed writers because he has a delicate ego that needs to be stroked. He very well might not show this week, which would send Bladed Thesis to a 2-0 start without a single battle. Either way, Bladed Thesis is the heavy favorite here. Prediction: Bladed Thesis 78-22.
9. Certain (1-0) vs. 10. Witty (1-2) | "Future mausoleum?"
Witty might not show, but if he does, he surely will beat me. I proved how boring my approaches are yet again last week, with an entire verse on old people in a nursing home. Prediction: Witty 85-15.
11. timeless (4-3) vs. 12. Frank (5-2) | "Old Guitarist"
timeless says he doesn't like this topic, and that could spell doom for him because it seems like the perfect concept for Frank. Expect Frank to go with all-out bombast, but hopefully timeless can come up with a creative take that allows him to challenge the more unique writer. Prediction: Frank 64-36.
13. Vividlyvague (4-2) vs. 14. Adonis (3-4) | "Desert Oasis"
BATTLE OF THE WEEK CANDIDATE! This should be an interesting matchup between conflicting styles. Both of these guys are on tangents that I like quite a bit, but Vividlyvague has the more interesting imagination and the motivation. Adonis' choppier style, though, is more unique, which can be a tipping point. I also think the topic favors Adonis a bit, but I'm not totally sure why. I guess Vividlyvague does better on more human topics. Prediction: Adonis 51-49.
15. rhetoric (0-1) vs. 16. Totoro (0-4) | "Big-City Traffic Circle"
I'm not sure what to expect from this battle. I've heard rhetoric is better than he showed against me, and I know Totoro is one of the best when he tries. But Totoro always is a risk to completely ignore his topics. rhetoric seems more likely to go with the straight-ahead approach, which I think will serve him well here. Prediction: rhetoric 53-47.
17. d0ubt (0-0) vs. 18. Johnathan Mercy (0-0) | "Lights in a City"
Johnathan Mercy already has dropped his verse, and I sort of doubt d0ubt will. Get it? Even if he can write, winning won't be easy. Prediction: Johnathan Mercy 71-29.
19. TheRealWayneBrady (0-0) vs. 20. Zombie (0-0) | "Woman Takes a Swim"
I wouldn't pick any alias to beat Zombie, a friend of BWHAHA, Darth Yoda and big baby before here. Prediction: Zombie 58-32.
Trap All Day, Play All Night
CONCLUSION by Certain
Thanks to everyone. Come back soon. Special thanks to zygote, oats and King Ra.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nudkOIS4D9I
Season 3, Edition 8
I Got To Go To Work
INTRODUCTION by Certain
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FgXBAnduGrc
Welcome to another edition of the Art of Writing League's Season 3 weekly magazine. Last week went swimmingly aside from a lack of votes on some battles, including the title match. We have a ton of very talented writers signed in, and I'm excited for the potential of a great week. To match that, we have a great magazine in store, only possible because of the help of zygote, oats and King Ra. Your soundtrack will be trap rap the whole way through this bitch. We're the real deal; these other leagues imposters.
WRITER'S BLOCK by oats and King Ra.
The championship battle contestants decided to play nice this week and work together on discussing some major elements of writing this here genre.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RH5Ce6za4Co
OATS: Good morning, King. Glad to have you here. Before we get started, I'm curious: as a long time friend and crew member of Frank, how did you feel going up against him last week? What are your thoughts on his disqualification?
KING RA.: What's good, oatmeal? A good day indeed. Cutting to the chase, I was honestly more shocked that I even made it in the contender match moreso than being placed against the homie Frank. I respect him as a writer and I admire his drive and passion. I felt it was my chance to land a key victory, especially against one of the elites. I saw I was up 3-0 in votes before Certain dq'd him for recycling. I guess I'm not surprised because you never know what to expect from Frank, but you know something is bound o happen. Reading his verse, it seemed he was taking me lightly, so I felt what I put together stood a good chance. Either way, it feels good to finally be in a champ match, against another great writer. This will be epic, sir.
Speaking of which, you once again remain atop the league as undisputed champ. How did you feel about your win over timeless? What did you think of his piece in comparison to yours?
OATS: Funny you should ask. If I'm being honest, I think both of us underperformed. We were actually pming beforehand, mutually complaining about our lack of ideas and progress (we also changed our topic midweek). I wasn't sure if he was playing some psychological gambit or not, but ultimately both of us delivered subpar verses. Do I think I won? Yes, probably because I attempted the simpler concept so it came off as more complete, whereas he had a more complex idea that, due to poor execution, came off as convoluted and incomplete. That's my take, at least. Needless to say, I'm happy and relieved to be in a champ match for another week.
Where do you see yourself? Earlier this season I said that you flirt with that nebulous "top-tier" status, though who bestows that title and why seems to be pretty arbitrary. How much do you invest in these kinds of labels? Who would you consider to be in that elite group, and where do you see yourself in comparison to them?
KING RA.: I'm a work in progress, to be honest. I only started doing topicals last year March, where I got my start on the now non-existent Text-stars, which had a great league during its very short time period (Vulgar & Sacrifice were there). Anywho, my early pieces were very basic and short. It wasn't until the first round of that leagues playoffs when I finally began to develop more well rounded stories. Up until now, I can definitely see my progression but there are a few more things that I could work on. For me, to be told that I'm flirting with top tier and the elite class is a huge honor, especially coming from such great writers like yourself. To have that kind of label attached means a lot. That tells me people enjoy reading my work. It's not a bad label to have around these parts.
There are 6 writers who I feel are elite. And these are guys I've read from consistently: 1. dead man 2. Sacrifice 3. Vulgar 4. oats 5. zygote 6. Frank. In that order. Black's ability to string together words, thoughts and phrases while packing emotion, imagery is insane. I've read a lot of Fice's work and he is one of the few who can tell a great story or drop a great topical. His rhyming ability is top-notch. Vulgar is just ridiculous with content and the ability to really pack a story with great detail and imagery. I got you next because your pieces are usually very well written and on point. Your wording and imagery seem to be your biggest strength. Zygote is crazy ridiculous. Master of any style of writing. Always love the ideas he puts together. Then there is Frank who just seems to always win with that style of end rhymes. But his pieces are usually very descriptive and filled with imagery.
In comparison to those I mentioned, I feel I can beat any of them. I feel my ability to come up with an original story packed with content is up there. But I know to beat the elite, you have to be good in all aspects, and I know I need to work on my wording and rhymes/schemes in order to bridge that gap.
With that being said, what do you consider for someone to be called elite? Which writers do you think are making their way up that ladder? What are some things those writers can do to reach that level?
OATS: I feel you, and def agree with that list (though number 4 should probably be a little higher). I couldn’t make an order of this person is better than that, but at the top I’d also throw in Pent and Lars, 3PA and Certain, etc. The usual suspects. But before I continue, I’ll digress and echo your sentiment about being a work in progress. That’s part of the fun of writing; you will never reach a point of perfection. If you ever sit back and say “here I am, I can no longer improve on anything!” then that is a user error, and it is false. For reference, this was my first topical written for a league ever, about 4 years ago now. It’s terrible by my standards now, but if anything it serves as a reminder that improvement is not only possible, it’s inevitable if you keep at it.
Which bleeds into your question about who is on the cusp, and what they can do to breakthrough to that next level. To me, and keep in mind I’m really not well-traveled on rap forums nowadays, but the ones who stand out are Nigma, Rhetoric, and yourself. Pancake used to be on that list but I think he’s proven himself at this point. The question really being asked here is, what makes a person top-tier? It’s pretty simple. First, you have to write well, which in this context means strong rhyming, interesting subject matter, and an ability to move the content forward clearly and effectively (what I sometimes refer to as a “narrative arch,” since not every topical is a narrative story). All the people I mentioned up there can do those things. The only missing ingredient is facing and beating the current heavyweights. I don’t think I’ve improved much in the last 2 years to be honest, but it was only in that time frame that I started competing against the elite regularly, which gave me a chance to make a name for myself. More important for me, and be ready for some high grade corn coming, was gaining that confidence myself, before worrying about how I was perceived. It took a loss to Black (that I think I probably should have won, or at least have been competitive in) to show me that I was as good as the best. A few months prior to that, I would’ve thought I’d lose to Black 10/10 times.
Alas, I meander. Vulgar said it best in a thread a while back: on any given day, bags/nik/hush/whoever can beat a black/lars/vulgar in a topical battle. The same is more pronounced among topicalists, who at least practice the genre. Anyone can really beat anyone on any given match, and while the recognition of others is nothing to sneeze at, the quality of your work will outlive any online record or accomplishment.
To switch gears here, what is your writing process? When you see a topic, take us through a play-by-play of what happens from then until you post.
KING RA.: First to touch on some of the things you shared.... if that was your first topical piece, then damn, because in comparison to mines, it's so much better. I can definitely see the progression from there until now, though you've always had strong vocabulary from the start. No disrespect to Lars, Certain or Pent up.... I never heard of them until my arrival on Netcees, though they all are great writers and my list was based on who I have read from the most during my short time in the topical game. I definitely agree with you on being a work in progress. There really isn't a peak to reach in writing other than accomplishments, especially that of Hall of Fame. But I feel pertaining to writing, you can always do better whether it be with rhyme scheme, concept, creativity, mechanics, storytelling etc. For those reasons, I feel even as I improve, I am always striving to do even more. It has given the drive to consistently participate in this league this season.
My writing process is rather complex. It's 90% mental. The other 10% is the writing itself. When I see a topic, I like to let it marinate in my thoughts before I begin to brainstorm my approach, concept and how to present it in a story format. This is usually why I like to utilize all the time given before I post, because let me tell you, a lot of ideas I have are epically complex. And it takes me a lot of time to break down the idea to a level I can put it in rhyme form. I flashback to season one, going up against my good friend Cereal_Killer, I dropped a part two of my "Saw"-like suspense thriller. I wrote that piece in the last hour before the deadline. But I had such a grand scale of how I wanted to present the piece, it took hours for me to dissect from it enough to make it into rhyme format. So for me its more mental than writing, because once I get the direction down, and how I want to present it, it's easier for me to write it in rhyme form. Now because I dedicate so much time to the mental aspect, a lot of times, my mechanics are off. I've been getting better with that over the course of time though. Let me tell you, I am willing to sacrifice mechanics for epic storytelling and great content. I feel I can beat anyone in this league going that route, because readers seem to love originality and great storytelling over something written very well but lacking in excitement, originality. You all have been warned.
With that said, storytelling seems to be taking storm over the good ol' topical these days. I've even noticed the use of dialouge, especially from writers like Vivid & Just Write. Do you think the topical game is evolving to another form of writing? Can a very well written topical trump a good story? What approach do you prefer to use?
OATS: That echoes an ongoing discussion it seems, the idea that there’s a difference between a story and a topical. To me, no matter what style you utilize, you have to move the content forward. In any writing 101 class you’ll hear it phrased like “something has to change during the course of your story,” which I think is basically true. If you’re writing a straight-forward narrative, it’s easier to accomplish, or at least easier for the reader to notice what changed, whereas in a more abstract topical style verse the change might be more subtle. I don’t see the current fashion of storytelling as an evolution - as long as I can remember, people have been writing stories in rhyme format. Slick Rick, Biggie, Nas, etc were doing that before the internet was a thing, let alone internet text rap.
To me, it’s just a matter of how well you pull it off. Stories can be plain if they aren’t accompanied by something else (I lend myself towards allegories, but Frank is a great example of creating a distinct atmosphere for his stories that bring otherwise inert scenes to life). Topicals can come off as gibberish or rambling if they aren’t built around a central focus. Different topics call for different angles. Sorry to take the gray road here, but it’s true. Can topicals beat stories? Absolutely. It just all depends on the execution.
It’s been a pleasure talking with you, Ra dawg, I’ll leave the last word for you. Best of luck this week.
KING RA.: Shouts to Certain for running this league and dropping top notch mags week in and week out. I appreciate the time and consideration. Sir oats, best of luck to you too in our match. I'll make it a great one. Holler.
Week 7 Rewind
BATTLE REVIEWS by Certain
I participated this week for the first time all season, which made for a different feeling from my normal, distanced review. But hey, almost everyone showed up, albeit with some uneven efforts. Let's get to ranking the battles. I'm also trying a new thing, where I pick one segment from each battle (not each verse) to feature with each review.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V1cxP2nCBdU
1. Witty beats Totoro 4-2.
BATTLE OF THE WEEK! I probably was more critical than was fair to these two in my vote, but that is the result of my high standards for both. One thing is clear: No battle was better written, even if the topical relevance was pretty loose for both of these men this week. Witty got the win for his reader-friendly take on an alcoholic gambler. It seemed to hit close to home for him. Totoro came in with the gaudy daydream verse from the perspective of the most powerful man in the world in 2214. There were a lot of cool references, but he lacked the string to tie everything together.
No se puede vivir sin amar. Wine and pasta, enjoy.
mutual first date. RIIIING *mumble grumble.* she said "LA CASA" annoyed
Buzz cut blind, a pillar of strength: it's Solomon's ploy
indoctrinated liberal hippies verse autonomous joy
He's a jerk. She's a nympho acting laudably coy
Evolution's so hypocritical and possibly void...
evolution's so critical and Santa Clauses me toys :)
dissolution's subliminal, that's what it costs to rejoice
incompatible grown men is what it costs to be boys
2. Mike Wrecka beats Adonis 4-3.
This was an interesting battle with two tangential but close-enough takes on topics. Mike Wrecka wrote about watching movies at night, though his verse seemed to exist more for the wordplay than anything else. Adonis' verse probably stoked my interest more but lacked the polish and clarity. He took on the most powerful man topic in a way that was very vague at the end, as it wasn't clear if the idea was that psychiatrists were the most important men in the world in 2214 or if this all was a man's delusion.
I thought a Single White Female would be useful to find,
but now the thought of being Home Alone is completely sublime,
keep on the grind, caught inside of a Parent Trap,
Frozen in my emotions, now how does one handle that?
well, I get mad and react, then start to Scream,
hoping I wake up, Requiem For a Dream,
the tension seems to go on for 300 rounds,
Apocalypse Now until the walls of our house are practically tumbling down,
then we suddenly drown in our sorrows, slip into The Abyss,
All Quiet On The Western Front as we start to kiss,
3. Championship: oats beats timeless 3-1.
I'm not sure why so few people voted on this battle. oats won with a pretty cool concept, in which hip hop has been asleep since Illmatic and now is trying to wake up, though his execution was not quite as smooth as I'm used to. timeless continues to improve his mechanics, in both rhyme and diction, but he failed to captivate with a real concept here, instead just writing about a man talking to his therapist about lacking sleep.
I’m the master of what I don’t need, but when I’m aligning rhymes
I always tell myself it’s just this one time for my mind, one time...
so what do I Represent? shit, It ain’t Hard to Tell
I’m that could’ve been stupid kid at Harvard/Yale
the shadow of my martyred self, a typical hypocrite
aka “human” for those who don't resist being into it
peripheral instruments puncture rooms of my psyche
the mystical, dimly-lit tumors that light needs
what I mean, is darkness gets mislabeled as cowardly
but without it we wouldn’t see stars or know our place in the galaxy
4. zygote beats Vividlyvague 6-0.
Neither of these guys impressed me here, for very different reasons. zygote won handily, but I wonder how much of that has to do with the constituency's lack of familiarity with the dying violinist analogy he heavily cribbed his verse from. Turning that sort of thing into rhyme as well as zygote did it was impressive, but nothing about the content or analogy was original. Vividlyvague apparently delayed his writing until the last minute and came out with a verse that felt half-cooked but had a cool concept about an overbearing Elvis fan.
So on the ride home I talked up a storm. I told him my entire childhood
And all the grisly details between. Me being an orphan, and the fact I was denied books.
I imagine he would have been very sympathetic. Then, "Look!
There's a light above us! Is it GOD?" Still no response from the trunk.
Paranoid as all fuck, I swerved of the cliffside and surfed down the bluff.
We hit the bottom after fifty flips at least! I was stuck in mangled metal glass and stuff.
5. Certain beats rhetoric 5-3.
I won this matchup based mostly on mechanical superiority and polished writing. rhetoric had the more complete and resolute story, about a drunk driver and an ironic twist. But he played loose with mechanics, and most of our voters demand a lot out of that aspect of writing. I really dislike endings that aren't written in rhyme, and he built his entire twist of fate into an unrhymed coda that felt tacked on as a result. But he has potential, starting with smoothing out the rough edges and making more creative content decisions.
Thank you Hollow’s End Pub for all the fun we had
Now it’s time to give it up, grow up and be a dad
Following claps, perhaps one more night can wait
A final celebration with the guys for old time’s sake
We drank until the room spun, twisted, & stirred
Sipped our whiskey fuel until our vision blurred
6. Brian Bryan beats MMLP 7-0.
Brian Bryan, known as Lars here and Baron Mynd most places, did what he always does: He wrote a tightly polished verse with a ridiculous rhyme scheme. He also kept it very short to match MMLP. Brian Bryan's approach resonated with me because of its creativity. MMLP went way too directly into the topic of being drafted.
I rose in a panic, still barely awake,
not knowing what happened or where I was laid.
A glaring, evasive, light from above
stared on my face as I tried not to look.
Once my eyes had adjusted, more came into view,
ghastly appliances hung from every face of the room.
An arrangement of tubes act as a lynchpin
constraining my movement to a matter of inches.
7. Contender match: King Ra. wins via Frank disqualification.
It's worth noting King Ra. was winning 3-0 when I realized Frank had recycled his verse (which was an odd choice, given the recycled verse wasn't any good). King Ra. wrote a verse right up his own alley, in which he got to handle a combat scene and a futuristic power struggle. When he is in his element like this, he is very good. I thought there was a bit too much exposition here, telling rather than showing, but this was a fine verse that would have been a worthy contender match winner.
Truth. Justice. Order.
The millions I've slaughtered.
Sons & daughters I've fostered.
Lands where I breached it's borders.
Rebuilt kingdoms & altars.
Captured prisoners tortured.
New World reformer.
Peace restorer.
8. El Pancake wins via Split Eight no-show.
El Pancake wrote the best verse of the week. I don't even think that's up for debate. He tackled the topic of the most important person in your life disappearing and turned it into a commentary on how we deal with grief in such fake ways. I've been to two funerals already this month, and I've seen it myself. The writing was articulate and polished, as always, and the message was delivered clearly. Split Eight fell asleep after not getting laid.
She would’ve hated this, too. We had the same morose affinity
for being blank. If I was dumb enough to believe in a soul
she’d be its mate. And I know she’d leave this grieving alone.
But if I had known our marriage, and her subsequent “death”
(they never did find her. It was almost like she had just up and left,
but enough time passed, plus there was evidence of her blood on her desk)
meant I had to be here, I would have cut ties in a sec.
9. Bladed Thesis wins via dead man no-show.
After reading Bladed Thesis' verse in Open Mic, I felt like I had a pretty good grasp on his style. And this second verse cemented that, full of dark imagery and sharp rhymes. The schemes and lyricism were enough to pull through somewhat boring content, and the word choice was sharp throughout and even clever at times. I think for Bladed Thesis it's often going to come down to how well he can conceive plots and approaches to topics. dead man didn't write after telling us he would write.
in this sea of dirt, I rock the boat, yes.
screams begging, I fumble words and talk with slowness.
snatched from my house nonchalant and stolen.
sleep timeless as space then shuddered with a jaunt, awoken.
very quickly realized this was not my home then
but a box enclosed in. The seconds became daunting moments.
mind almost cracked, this new haunt atrocious
until I stopped with closed fists and became strong, ferocious.
a caged beast turned distraught is potent.
breath caught and frozen, this went beyond enclosed men.
10. Fig wins via fraze no-show.
Rule of thumb: If an alias intentionally misspells his or her name, he or she probably won't show. Luckily Fig posted something instead of no-showing himself. We probably won't see or hear from fraze again.
I come to, scan the room, then I cum, too.
Cattle prawns, saws, a pair of tongs and a long noose.
It all spells fun...the gag balI I grunt through
becomes loose. shit. I was getting off on my muffled voice.
Now I'm just trapped with straps, buckles and cuffs; my toys.
NO-SHOW SHINE by zygote
zygote never no-shows, so here he tries to pay penance for those who do.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xAHphpMC9zg
Fig | 7. You were arrested Friday night and have to spend a weekend in county jail. (I think this was the choice)
Short, decisive and incisive. A look inside a BDSM club chamber, a good mix of description and subtle homo-eroticism. Ended with the exact phrase "s f2f nbfh" - Fig's safeword is the phrase 'Moist Cockamamie.' It seems like he didn't really try too much on this one, but it was a good concept.
El Pancake | 5. The most important person in your life has disappeared inexplicably.
The first stanza was great, just brilliant social observation in rhyming format really. PB can be absolutely scathing whenever, before, Hipsters and intellectuals have come under attack, now the aim was fixed squarely on overly emotional individuals. The kind of people who will go straight to their social media if someone dies. “Incessant. A pissing match over which can hack it up more, tears for this one, howls for that. One even collapsed on the floor.” such a cynical yet sad expression, loss does different things to different people, PB captured here the kind of person who becomes disjointed by it, not bitter or angry, just distant and emotionally pragmatic. There was a contrast with the second half which was much more introspective, it was more of a historical look at the character, it also revealed that the character was a bit of an apathetic person to begin with, perhaps it acts as a comment that loss can magnify traits in the person it affects. So, while the original narcissistic people acted out by grandiose displays, this stoic character turned completely to stone. Well not completely, the penultimate line hinted to something that was still there, “Because she wouldn’t have carried on like this if it had happened to you.” – within the context of all that previous emotional stonewalling this kind of restrained line was just a perfect ending.
Bladed Thesis | 1. You're determined to stay awake for as long as possible.
Pretty good, there was a heavy emphasis on multiple rhyming and keeping the same rhyme scheme going for an extended period. While this technical aspect was impressive, it also caused some minor issues, in some parts it was as if the wording was a little awkward and unnatural. E.g., “the taunts so poignant of God, His motives, understanding the importance of life is the step so oft remotest.” while it can be a good device to mix around sentence structure, even people who are used to languages with a free sentence structure can find repeated mixing up of the verbs and nouns and tenses and passive vs active voice to be a little jarring. The actual point of the writing was good though, it was a nice description of an individual’s struggle with existence and greater meaning while in a hopeless situation. It touched on aspects of nihilism, existentialism and Christian religion. The way the main character arrives at a purely practical conclusion was a good comment on the ultimate un-answerability of all these big questions.
Week 8 Preview
POWER INDEX by zygote
The alien cyborg robot checks in again with a take on the top battlers in the league that has nothing to do with weekly or season rankings. He even clocks in with a great quote for every listed member.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YAFVu_A4OwQ
8. Adonis (3-4)
“Whew, I barely made it!” Scraping in by tooth and nail, Adonis fights by writing about rape and God and incest and everything else either controversial or taboo. Currently, at the bottom of the POWER HIERARCHY but his coveting eyes stalk those on the higher rungs, just waiting for any opportunity.
7. Mike Wrecka (3-4)
“I am the Omega Man.” The last of a dying breed, ever since MW reinvented himself and started using full stops instead of // at the end of each line, things just haven’t felt the same. In the end, like the Omega Man, who has adapted here?
6. timeless (3-on-4)
“A quintessential bestman.” Always coming close yet never quite crossing the line. I can write without bias, that on two occasions timeless objectively had me beat in contender matches but didn’t get the votes. A true fighter on the POWER HIERARCHY, there is the potential for a strong winning streak as timeless establishes more and more voter confidence.
5. Frank (5-2)
“We drink from the river of rivalry.” An immovable object, a thunderstorm of energy and dynamic construction. On Franks best day he is 5 unstoppable hofs out 5, on his worst he is a “snooker manoeuvre gooping her nuker.” Frank transcends any sort of numerical ranking within the POWER HIERARCHY, he is simultaneously -1 and 100%.
4. King Ra. (4-3)
“The High Priest is a Magician.”: Exodus 7:11-12 ‘Then Pharaoh also called for the wise men and the sorcerers, and they also, the magicians of Egypt, did the same with their secret arts. For each one threw down his staff and they turned into serpents.’ King Ra is a magician, a true showman, a style that embodies flair and elan.
3. Vividlyvague (4-2)
“Absentminded nutty professor.” – Vividlyvague: There’s a lot of things going on simultaneously within the writing of VV. It is a written version of a Rube-Goldberg machine, but like those contraptions it seems that sometimes all the effort went into the journey just make a piece of toast. The weeks when you really dominated proceedings, where when you connected tangentially. E.g., this week you were so direct, and while you were better in every single technical and mechanical department the payoff was perhaps too unambitious.
2. El Pancake (3-2)
“Pack challenger.” - PancakeBrah: NC trivia; “Which double AOWL champion once no-showed 10 consecutive contests in a row?” There was a time when PB was disinterested, but those days are only now a strange memory. The Pack challenger has been back for a while now, PB has the potential to usurp the top position on the POWER HIERARCHY, the two favorites will soon have to lock horns and thump chests in the quest for Topical superiority.
1. oats (7-0)
“The Alpha-dog, don’t say a word to him, just nod.” A dominant force, crushing all opposition beneath size twelve bright orange crocs. Hopefully we have a few more contests together, it would not be surprising to see oats end the season with a perfect record if he can sustain such a sustained level of sustained excellence.
PREDICTIONS by Certain
In the first week with public rankings, we are all the way back up to 20 writers. That puts even more pressure on picture week to deliver, and we obviously already have our first topic complaint. All topic titles are my own.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WkkC9cK8Hz0
Championship: 1. oats (7-0) vs. 2. King Ra. (4-3) | "Window To the Rest of the World"
BATTLE OF THE WEEK CANDIDATE! This topic is great, perhaps my favorite of the round. The reason is that it could be viewed as limiting in one sense, but it opens itself up if you apply a little metaphor on this being the topic. oats is a more unique writer with a better grasp on conceptual writing, while King Ra. shines in more narrative battles. My guess is King Ra. can deal with it. Prediction: oats 62-38.
Contender match: 3. Mike Wrecka (3-4) vs. 4. El Pancake (3-2) | "Man Overboard Intentionally"
BATTLE OF THE WEEK CANDIDATE! I decided to give this topic to these two when I couldn't decide who would have the advantage writing to it but that both would enjoy it and produce good work. There are a lot of creative angles with rhymes that I think El Pancake will explore. Mike Wrecka has been dicing his way through opponents at a slow but steady rate. He'll need to be more original to even stand a chance. Prediction: El Pancake 53-47.
5. zygote (5-2) vs. X. MMLP (0-1) | "Children on the Pages of Books"
MMLP was dwarfed by his friend, Brian Bryan (whom he was subbed into for this match), but is very deflt with his diction. Perhaps some tutelage would help him im out. But this week he goes against a well-developed monster, and zygote definitely has an advantage. How big? That depends on how much more creative MMLP can get this week than he showed last. Prediction: zygote 73-27.
7. Fig (1-0) vs. 8. Bladed Thesis (1-0) | "Woman in the Tunnel"
Fig has a tendency of not showing up against more developed writers because he has a delicate ego that needs to be stroked. He very well might not show this week, which would send Bladed Thesis to a 2-0 start without a single battle. Either way, Bladed Thesis is the heavy favorite here. Prediction: Bladed Thesis 78-22.
9. Certain (1-0) vs. 10. Witty (1-2) | "Future mausoleum?"
Witty might not show, but if he does, he surely will beat me. I proved how boring my approaches are yet again last week, with an entire verse on old people in a nursing home. Prediction: Witty 85-15.
11. timeless (4-3) vs. 12. Frank (5-2) | "Old Guitarist"
timeless says he doesn't like this topic, and that could spell doom for him because it seems like the perfect concept for Frank. Expect Frank to go with all-out bombast, but hopefully timeless can come up with a creative take that allows him to challenge the more unique writer. Prediction: Frank 64-36.
13. Vividlyvague (4-2) vs. 14. Adonis (3-4) | "Desert Oasis"
BATTLE OF THE WEEK CANDIDATE! This should be an interesting matchup between conflicting styles. Both of these guys are on tangents that I like quite a bit, but Vividlyvague has the more interesting imagination and the motivation. Adonis' choppier style, though, is more unique, which can be a tipping point. I also think the topic favors Adonis a bit, but I'm not totally sure why. I guess Vividlyvague does better on more human topics. Prediction: Adonis 51-49.
15. rhetoric (0-1) vs. 16. Totoro (0-4) | "Big-City Traffic Circle"
I'm not sure what to expect from this battle. I've heard rhetoric is better than he showed against me, and I know Totoro is one of the best when he tries. But Totoro always is a risk to completely ignore his topics. rhetoric seems more likely to go with the straight-ahead approach, which I think will serve him well here. Prediction: rhetoric 53-47.
17. d0ubt (0-0) vs. 18. Johnathan Mercy (0-0) | "Lights in a City"
Johnathan Mercy already has dropped his verse, and I sort of doubt d0ubt will. Get it? Even if he can write, winning won't be easy. Prediction: Johnathan Mercy 71-29.
19. TheRealWayneBrady (0-0) vs. 20. Zombie (0-0) | "Woman Takes a Swim"
I wouldn't pick any alias to beat Zombie, a friend of BWHAHA, Darth Yoda and big baby before here. Prediction: Zombie 58-32.
Trap All Day, Play All Night
CONCLUSION by Certain
Thanks to everyone. Come back soon. Special thanks to zygote, oats and King Ra.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nudkOIS4D9I