“The SlapBack’s” Battle Of The Week: Hollohan vs. Cortez

Before I go on to discussing the video below, I would like to mention the fact that this KingOfTheDot event entitled “Blackout2” is most definitely packed with the best production and “epicness” I’ve ever seen in a rap battle before. From the dramatic introduction interviews to the appearances from Raekwon The Chef and EpicMealTime’s Sauce Boss, this event is definitely not something you want to let slide without recognition and respect.

With that out of the way, the battle itself is something I really enjoyed and is something that will more than likely remain in my top favorites. Brooklyn’s own Cortez came through with tons of personals against Nova Scota’s Hollohan who threw out plenty of mind-benders himself. In three two-minute rounds, much can be said about this battle, especially given the fact that it was not judged.

In round one, I personally believe there was a close tie between the two. Both came hard in their verses, but both were also still gaining momentum for their final two rounds, which really ended up being the phenomenal moments of the battle to me.

I give the second round to Hollohan, simply because of his ability to keep people on their toes. While he delivered so many unique similes, many too were slept on, as the crowd could only pick apart so many at once. My favorite line was Hollohan’s:  ”I’m removing your organs like a church renovation,” which made even Raekwon scratch his head.

For the third round, once again I have to give it to Hollohan, but only very slightly. Do not get me wrong, Cortez damn near killed his concious with what he had to say, but once again, Hollohan somehow came with so much more consistency and punches that I had to give it to him.

In all, this was once again a great battle. Something that I believe hangs in the ranks of the DNA vs Dizaster battle and others. I loved this, and can’t wait to see what else KingOfTheDot has to offer.

- Talon Ducheneaux, The SlapBack (Saturdays from 10pm-midnight @ WQHS.org)