So I'm hearing there was a lot of controversy at the KOTD event...and y'all are surprised why? Both times King Of The Dot Entertainment has had MAJOR Events, some type of consequence/unfavorable outcome has occurred as a result from the debauchery of these "Larger than Life" events. It's definitely not the league's fault. It's the lack of respect for the league on behalf of the battlers. Diz has always talked about what goes on behind the scenes which is why he's not the ideal representative of battle rap. I'm not taking anything away from him, he's amazing in what does, but when you're one of the leading faces w/in a community, you shouldn't react emotionally and be a little more reasonable/rational/sensible in what you do and don't say. Now, aside from that, being the world's greatest battle rapper, you shouldn't have take the same approach/angle for 3 rounds no matter who you are. That's like talking about my legs for 3 rds, it just doesn't work NO MATTER WHO ARE YOU.
The fact that the event got major coverage isn't the problem either. Coverage is a good thing. The problem is the poor etiquette and sportsmanship among the battlers. Ok, so ghostwriting was finally brought to attention in the public's eye...which, c'mon people...it's been being done forever and the WELL-KNOWN battlers that rely on "nobodies", as well as their peers isn't new knowledge, but the AMOUNT/Caliber of MC's that rely on it is CRAZY. Yesterday was it's first "proof-ready" exposure, but honestly, let's face it, some of the guys in these Top Ranks don't deserve to be there and will do whatever they have to in order to stay there. I'm not saying that's the case with Arcane, but people on the radio pay for play/lyrics/placement/etc. and this isn't much different. People pay for their slots to stay relevant in these leagues, whether it be placement, ghostwriting, etc. It was just never spoke of on hip hop forums. It was brought up in several battles before, but NOW, since Drake, HipHopDX.com, MTV Canada, etc. there's some sort of attention shined upon it to those that aren't familiar with the culture, which is why new found exposure is great, BUT, for those that know how deep battle rap goes, if this is the first light of you hearing something about battle rap, it's not necessarily a good first impression.
KOTD gets MAJOR recognition and props for their professionalism and events regardless of the controversies that surround some of their events, because had it not been for the whole Canibus situation, the talks of major rap artist's involvement/interest in battling wouldn't have happened as quick as it did and catapulted the way it did. URL recently had a major event fall to pieces, not due to the battlers, but due to the capacity and which it's being covered. In a way, these are GOOD problems.
I suggest that with the new found exposure of Battle Rap, the leagues start imposing disciplinary reprimanding such as fines or some sort of consequence. Record labels have done this forever and continue to do so SINCE the amount of exposure is pretty equivalent to that these days. A battle rapper is a public figure, as well as a league/"label" representative. In the long run, the only one's that really suffer the consequences of battlers talking shit is the general managers and owners. A battler is an independent artist who uses whatever platform/stage they need to in order to perform their craft. Just as ALL Independent artists are expected to perform a job at hand, so are they (ESPECIALLY PAID BATTLERS). Lupe got tossed off stage during the inauguration for not acting/speaking accordingly and I agree that he was out of line saying "Fuck Obama" AT Obama's inauguration. It's just logic.
As far as the content spoken about in battles, that's also something that should be looked at discretionary bc of the amount of involvement from the industry these days as well. Freedom of Speech is key, no matter WHERE/WHAT we're talking about, but there should definitely be somewhat of a filter. Talking about another KOTD Member buying lines is one thing and discrediting the MC is fine, that's what BATTLE RAP IS ABOUT, but going to the level to expose it in the manner it was done looks bad a) bc of being for the dude that is in contention of holding the "title. b) it discredits the whole "honor" (if that) of the chain and what it took to get there. c) it's being exposed by the CURRENT "champion", as well as all parties carrying the LEAGUE's name through the chain, d) you're not just catering for a room full of people, you're catering for the world nowadays. Talking about how much you get paid, who sweats your status, etc. is absolutely petty and looks foolish to a grown ass person. Talking about how money you get paid for a battle almost implies you never get paid that amount for anything else you do, which isn't shameful, but it's petty. Your money situation is your money situation. Bragging about the money you make is the shit that gets you shot & 50 (having done BOTH) said it best, "I let my watch talk for me, my whip talk for me..." People who are making REAL money don't have to brag about it, the proof is in the pudding.
At the end of the day, hip hop music and wrestling are 1 in the same... A skilled form of ENTERTAINMENT...nothing MORE. Some people do in fact live the life they speak about, some don't and become more popular than those that do. Either way, you, as the public are entertained by it and that's all that matters. This post MIGHT/PROBABLY WILL offend some people, others might pass it and say nothing, but I'll end by saying this: The rational receive more backlash and repercussions than belligerent nine out of ten times. Why? Because people fear a dog that bites, as opposed to one that doesn't. People even still fear a dog with a muzzle, rather than a well-behaved trained dog, why? Because the one with the muzzle makes more noise, but without order, nothing exists and if the leagues don't start restructuring and stop letting so much knowledge release itself, the very reason we love battle rap will the very reason it hinders it's growth from becoming a permanent fixture in Hip Hop.
