Presented by King of the Dot Entertainment, Dizaster and Canibus are set to battle on June 9th 2012 in Los Angeles. This will be the first time Canibus has taken to the stage for a one-on-one battle; while Dizaster, who has flown all over the world performing and perfecting his craft, is one of the most well-respected battle emcees of his respective era. These men will have three rounds (with no time limits) to claim and demonstrate their superiority, while exhibiting the skills that made them legends in their fields.
The outcome of this epic battle is anyone’s guess, but one thing is for certain: on June 9th 2012, fans worldwide will be tuning in to KOTD’s Ustream page (http://www.ustream.tv/kingofthedot) to witness a very historic event in Hip-Hop!
All I can think of is how badly Canibus burned LL in Second Round Knockout, I recall spitting two verses over it dissing my nemesis in high school at one or our talent shows. I’m going to try and talk to Canibus before this battle, but don’t take this appearance as as a step backwards for the acclimated emcee, frankly battle rap has become a prosperous part of the rap game. Over the years, battling has moved away from the streets into the mainstream; moving to larger venues with larger crowds packed around the “ring” to see their favorite artists perform. The atmosphere at these larger venues is similar to that of MMA matches: the crowd reacts and feeds off the hard hitting punch lines, as laughter ricochets off the walls when the crowd roars with approval after a joke is used to embarrass a participating emcee. The larger venues have also helped expand the popularity of battling, as it is not strictly an underground event anymore. With the rising popularity of Youtube (KOTD now has over 60,000 subscribers that have generated over 22 million total views) and online Pay Per View outlets, battling has grown into a sizable and prospering entity, with organized events run by sponsored leagues all over the world.
I’m rolling with Can-I-Bus
Back in the ’90s and early ’00s when the economy was booming and the potential for Hip-Hop seemed limitless, every artist and their moms was venturing off as a solo artist. Starting your own label was low-risk and a right of passage for successful acts. However, the decline of records sales in combination with/as a result of the recent recession have created a survival-of-the-fittest-type attitude among artists and record execs, alike. While the labels have responded by becoming stingier with their dough, sticking with established artists to knock out that hit single, solo artists are progressively receding into the comfort of the group setting. From a fan’s point of view, the allure of combining such star power is not unlike your favorite superheroes teaming up when you were a kid. And there are always those peripheral emcees who shine on guest appearances, and this should presumably be their bread and butter. Over the last few years, we have seen the following “super groups” formed:
