URL has unveiled the highly-anticipated lineup for Summer Madness XIII (SM13), cementing its status as the pinnacle in battle rap. Scheduled for Sunday, August 27, 2023, at The Ballroom at Warehouse Live in Houston, TX, the epic showdown will be broadcast live exclusively on Caffeine via the URL channel, with full replays available on The Ultimate Rap League’s App.
The electrifying matchups include Tay Roc vs. Ave, T-Top vs. John John Da Don, DNA vs. Jerry Wess, Fonz vs. Shotgun Suge, and Nu Jerzey Twork vs. Hollow Da Don, promising an unforgettable spectacle for battle rap enthusiasts worldwide.
Last year’s Summer Madness on Caffeine garnered over 2 million viewers, making it one of the platform’s most-watched events, with the official hashtag trending #1 on Twitter. In 2023, the URL channel amassed an impressive 143 million views across 680 streams, establishing Caffeine and URL as the ultimate destination for engaging with the thriving battle rap community.
URL has unveiled the highly-anticipated lineup for Summer Madness XIII (SM13), cementing its status as the pinnacle in battle rap. Scheduled for Sunday, August 27, 2023, at The Ballroom at Warehouse Live in Houston, TX, the epic showdown will be broadcast live exclusively on Caffeine via the URL channel, with full replays available on The Ultimate Rap League’s App.
The electrifying matchups include Tay Roc vs. Ave, T-Top vs. John John Da Don, DNA vs. Jerry Wess, Fonz vs. Shotgun Suge, and Nu Jerzey Twork vs. Hollow Da Don, promising an unforgettable spectacle for battle rap enthusiasts worldwide.
Last year’s Summer Madness on Caffeine garnered over 2 million viewers, making it one of the platform’s most-watched events, with the official hashtag trending #1 on Twitter. In 2023, the URL channel amassed an impressive 143 million views across 680 streams, establishing Caffeine and URL as the ultimate destination for engaging with the thriving battle rap community.
Everyone is all abuzz for the battle of the decade, Summer Impact. And usually the pre-game attractions are the face-offs. But this time… the pre-game is a game, a celebrity basketball game if you will.
On Friday, August 9th, Summer Impact Weekend presents Battle Rap All-Star Game. The teams are divided into two signature SMACK/URL events. One team, lead by Wild N’ Out super-star Hitman Holla is called “Summer Madness.” The other team lead by NWX founding member, K-Shine, and called “NOME.”
Scheduled to be on the Summer Madness team are the following top tier battle rappers: Tsu Surf, Chef Trez, Loso, Calicoe, Goodz, Charlie Clips, Nu Jerzey Twork, Aye Verb, Jaz, Ave, Brizz Rawsteen and Jai 400 Block.
Slated to be on NOME are Shotgun Suge, Loaded Lux, Tay Roc, Murda Mook, John John Da Don, Arsonal, DNA, ShowwOutt, E-Hart, Cortez and Burke Bucks.
This will be an interesting contest as both teams have notable athletes. Multiple Remix partners, Hitman Holla and John John Da Don have both had hoop dreams… that had some fuel behind them. Though they are not on the same team in this bout, it will be interesting to see how partners square up as opposition. Will it be a flashback to their classic Summer Madness 2 battle? Or will they be joe friendly… like we’ve seen them make nice over the last few months?
Will Shotgun Suge really embody Shaquille O’Neal, really slamming on his opponents or will Jaz take the MVP just because… well… she is Jaz.
Either way, we are sure folk will turn up. Speaking of turning up, my bet is on K-Shine’s team. Just seem like the will be hurkin’ and lurkin on the competition.
Speaking of hurkin’ and lurkin….
The Battle Rap All-Star Game will take place, August 9th at 6pm at Carole Hoefner Center aka “Curry Court” in Charlotte, NC.
URL does it again by shifting the culture with a new franchise to tickle the fancy of battle rap enthusiasts. Combining two of their marque events, Summer Madness and Double Impact, the world’s most respected stage in battle rap promises to bring the star power in double doses.
Summer Madness has been the platform for at least the last 7 years that has brought out the biggest names in the culture and in the industry to see titans go at it in lyrical warfare. Double Impact, a fairly newer franchise founded in 2016, pairs up dynamic duos to play tag team in these bar-for-bar contest.
While the card has not been announced, one bout has been and surely you will be floored.
Mega-star Tsu Surf and his partner Tay Roc aka “The Face of URL” will make another appearance as Gun Titles to battle two heads on battle rap’s Mt. Rushmore, Loaded Lux and Hollow Da Don. Load Lux has long cemented himself in battle rap’s history, and pairing him with Hollow Da Don proves to be a coup for the master think tank over at URL.
But let’s look at these four contenders Summer Madness records so far.
Hollow Da Don and Tsu Surf have only appeared on one Summer Madness a piece. Hollow Da Don battled Tay Roc at SM6, where many believe that Tay Roc killed him with two crazy bars that had to deal with a seat belt and a buzzing fly. See below. While Tsu Surf had a great entertaining battle with Hitman Holla at SM4.
Lux stunts with his Summer Madness appearances as he had an incredible battle with Calicoe in SM2, and even memorable battle with Charlie Clips at SM5. In both battles, the Harlemite took aim at his opponents’ fathers. In the Calicoe it won him the battle, and in the Clips battle not so much. Clip’s free style ability backfired with the Wild N’ Out star hitting him with the line implying that it doesn’t matter what you think his father did… his mother was the real gangsta in their family.
Leading the pack is the reigning “King of Summer Madness,” Baltimore’s own Tay Roc. There is little to be said about this emcee, other than when you here… “Summer Madness coming,” you can’t help but get excited. He is sure to bring passion and fire to the table. Summer Impact, with his partner Tsu Surf, we are sure he will do the same.
Canada’s talented and imposing yet hilarious Pat Stay is set to battle URL’s top gunner, Tay Roc on SMACK/ URL’s Summer Madness 8. This card will be the league’s first ever abroad event held in London on Saturday, November 10th. Since the Don’t Flop (UK’s most dominant battle rap platform) hit a low a couple of years ago, leaving the British battle climate ripe to have other platforms emerge. One example is Canadian league King Of The Dot (KOTD), who has teamed up with Chalked Out to fill this gap. You know who is else looking to at least test the waters? SMACK/URL, the #1 English speaking league in the world.
Pat Stay ascension to the URL has been a long, patient road. Many believe it is overdue because he has put the work in. Stay has had classic battles on KOTD with many of the top battlers in the culture: Arsonal, Hollow Da Don, Dizaster, Head I.C.E, Math Hoffa, Charlie Clips, Daylyt, Bigg K, Serius Jones and a heated encounter with Calicoe. He has battled DNA on UDUBB, Aye Verb and Danny Myers on RBE, and both John John Da Don and Tony D on the UK’s Don’t Flop. Battling artists that have been known to win on URL should give him insight on what to expect that Summer Madness stage (albeit a different dynamic as no one knows if the URL European fanbase differs across the pond).
If Pat Stay is able to have a strong performance versus Tay Roc next month, the demand for him to make his URL debut in America will be hard to ignore. And perhaps, we could expect to see him on a URL New York stage early next year. Pat Stay’s comedic ability is likely to play in his favor in England, but if Roc is able to get in his bag and rebuttal with unexpected jokes of his own it could hit twice as hard and turn the battle around possibly.
Anything can happen with these two.
While Tay Roc has proven over the years to be nearly unbeatable on URL in New York (having battled nearly every top name), some would say he has been less convincing on the road. His battle against Dizaster in LA was not his best performance. Also, despite being booed by an attentive and at times hostile Houston crowd when he battled Goodz, he still took away a 2-1 debatable win. Those domestic battles have done little to alter how anyone looks at Roc as a champion. But his battle against the Canadian born, Charron is one that people are pointing to as caution for The Gun Bar King. Tay Roc had a very difficult battle versus the KOTD/Wild ’N Out’s star on UDUBB. Fans will look at Pat Stay and Charron as similar types of opponents. That would be pedestrian, as both emcees bring entirely different swag to the table. The only things that are similar is that they are funny, white and from Canada.
Another thing to note is that this will be his first ever international battle for Roc. And to go against the seasoned traveler Pat Stay will prove to be a difficult match-up, particularly in front of the much more neutral London crowd.
Salute to Tay Roc for taking a challenging and possibly awkward battle here. Roc has been developing his pen and pushing himself to be more than just the Gun Bar King. This battle represents a real opportunity for Roc to showcase the creative writing ability and personality. Real Talk: despite his age, Roc is a bonafide vet, seasoned over the last 14+ years. Fans and critics need to remember that, as Roc’s superpower tends to make people cast him as the underdog. If Tay Roc is able to overcome what he has called himself his “biggest challenge yet” in a multi-faceted and adaptable Pat Stay in London, the case for Roc to be etched on Battle Rap’s Mt. Rushmore increases.
The announcement comes on the back of the Battle of Da Don’s headliner for Summer Madness 8, with Hollow Da Don set to face his name-sake nemesis in John John Da Don in what is sure to be a heated encounter and is long awaited. With only two battles announced to date for SM8, the card is already looking fire and has sent battle rap fans into a frenzy. It will be interesting to see how all the battle emcees adapt to an away URL crowd in London – now a long, long way away from New York’s home.
London fans, tickets available now from here to support the culture and allow battle rap to continue to develop. The Pay Per View is available as usual from http://www.watchbattlelive.com/
