ROUND ONE REVIEW
Fig is dead to me.
As I’ve already said, Round One was a huge success in my eyes. Only two no shows exceeded even my lofty expectations. I’ll give a short run down of every match before getting to the Second Round previews. I was able to vote on 12 of the 14 matches last round and I have to say that almost everyone dropped either a good or great verse. Keep up the high quality as we continue, it’s been a joy to read.
(1)dead man vs. (32)breathless
This was a classic content vs. concept battle. Multiple voters thought that breathless’ concept/story line was superior. If the two writers were to simply submit a story board of their idea, breathless would have pulled the upset. Then the writing came into the picture. That’s not to say breathless wrote poorly; he dropped the best piece I’ve read from him. Black, though, did what Black does and wrote with his trademark style. It was too much for breathless to counter and Black’s disadvantage in concept was easily overcome. Black won in a shutout, 5-0.
(16)Mr. J vs. (17)Witty
The slightest of upsets, and in seeding only. This was the most evenly matched contest going into the round but Witty pulled away with a relatively easy victory after being down 2-1 after the first three votes. I was one of the two votes against Witty but it was one of those situations where you feel bad after voting, no matter who you sided with. To me this was razor close, and both writers approached the topic slightly differently with strong writing. Please forgive me, Fox. I know not what I do. Witty won 6-2.
(8)ZYG vs. (R)Mordycai
ZYG posted his verse within an hour (or thereabout) of the match being posted because he already knew what his topic was due to his 4th Internal Hard Drive having a psychic component made of a lithium-corn beef alloy. I thought Mordycai acquitted himself quite well in this battle; he had some good phrasing and lines throughout his piece. I had an issue with his verse at a conceptual level but it was solid. ZYG took a very unique approach to the topic and wrote a verse with some social commentary and humorous one liners. His ability to capture the voice of a sports announcer was spot on and the satire was well put. ZYG won in a shutout 5-0.
(9)big baby vs. (24)Fig
Fig’s a funny guy. Fig makes me laugh. Fig promised me he was going to show. Fig didn’t show. Fig is dead to me. big baby took the picture and ran with it, writing the best verse of the First Round in my opinion. It was a very strong piece of writing that stands out as unique in comparison to everything else written in the opening round and made me fiend for some green pussy. If Fig (who is dead to me btw) had shown he would’ve had trouble topping big baby’s submission (most people would) but it would have been interesting to see his response. This was the match I was looking forward to the most and it didn’t happen, but big baby made up for the lack of showing. big baby won via no-show, in the records as a 5-0 shutout.
(4)Frank vs. (R)Nigma
The second biggest upset of the first round. Both writers wrote lackluster submissions relative to their level of talent and esteem within the topical community. This match required a bit of overtime as it was tied 4-4 at the end of the extended voting deadline. Two votes came in, one for each, but per the rules set forth Nigma won since the first of the two were cast for him. Frank has a penchant for stick to one scheme for extended periods, often at the expense of natural wording. That was never more true than in this instance. Nigma’s verse was below average for his level of writing but he was able to squeak it out. Frank then went full Frank, talking shit to any and everyone and leaving one word negative feedback on respected writers’ open mics. Class act. Nigma won 5-4.
(13)trap vs. (20)CopyPat
One of the two matches I didn’t vote on. I read both verses multiple times and just couldn’t honestly give a vote either way. Both writers expressed some disappointment with the topic they were given. On a purely technical level Pat exceeded trap but trap had the edge in terms of content. Neither writer seemed to have dropped to the best of their abilities due to dissatisfaction with the topic. It’s a fair point; it was probably the weakest topic I selected but that’s no excuse. In the end the voters sided with trap’s advantage in concept. trap won 5-4.
(5)Totoro vs. (28)YDK
YDK made it interesting and this match was probably closer than the final vote disparity indicates. NYC went with a very literal approach but surrounded the topic with character details and history while YDK did the same with a more metaphorical approach. NYC’s writing, though, was superior in my opinion and he won over many voters due to it. His rhythm, rhymes, and diction were all strengths that buoyed a shaky verse conceptually. YDK put forth a good effort and earned some votes but in the end he was outclassed. Good showing by both. Totoro won 7-2.
(R)Orc vs. (21)oXus
No show by Orc after subbing in for ill nik-A. I didn’t read oXus’ verse and he later told me that it was a no show verse. oXus was probably mis-seeded (to low) so it’s a nice little bit of justice that he advanced to the Second Round. Orc vs. oXus would’ve been an interesting match up to read, though, so that’s a bit of a disappointment. oXus won via no-show, in the records as a 5-0 shutout.
(2)Pent uP vs. (R)diode
The other match that I didn’t vote on. This was an unfair matchup for Pent, as I’ve already described previously, and diode took the #2 seed down to the wire. Diode’s proven himself to be a force in Netcees’ topical scene, making a strong run in the AOWL and nearly taking out Pent here. I didn’t vote because diode and I got into a little tiff (tehe) about the circumstances of this battle and I didn’t want to possibly stir up any more rancor. Not that I would’ve voted for Pent; I chose not to read this. In the end it was decided by the slimmest of margins. If diode was able to sign in on time he would’ve likely garnered a reasonable high seed and possibly be in the Second Round. Pent uP won 5-4.
(15)Wise Ways vs. (18)Vividlyvague
Good battle. Wise wrote my second favorite verse of the round, and my favorite of the verses that went to votes. He was able to use his patented style as a character sketch which was the perfect confluence of style and concept in my opinion. Vivid wrote a strong verse as well; it was predicated on dialogue and his mechanics were in good form. This was a case of a good verse going against a slightly better, great verse in my eyes. No shame in the loss. Wise Ways won 6-1.
(7)Lars vs. (26)Objective
Lars wrote a verse with some Breaking Bad allusions comparing and contrasting reality with the glossed over version of reality in entertainment, also touching on the plight of people trapped in the global drug trade. It wasn’t his best work but I was thoroughly entertained and he kept his writing tight and very smooth throughout. Objective approached the topic with a broader scope, telling the tale of America’s downfall and the rise of a leader in the future. His verse had some definite bright spots but I personally think he bit off more than he could chew, losing the details in trying to describe the world. Fun battle to read, though. Lars won in a shutout 5-0.
(10)Certain vs. (23)Mike Wrecka *Battle of the Week*
It seems a bit odd to call a shut out win the battle of the week but, in my opinion, that’s exactly the case here. Both writers took my favorite topic of the round and went in completely different directions, both dropping great verses. Mike took a more literal route but made his verse dope through his writing and character portrayal. Certain went left-field in terms of concept, but related to it in a truly unique way while telling a story of mind control, zombies, aliens, and the human condition. It seems that every voter thought both verses were top notch, but one was just
this (makes small space between thumb and pointer finger) (kills Fig) better. Great match. Certain won in a shutout 5-0.
(3)Vulgar vs. (30)Innovator
Vulgar didn’t disappoint, writing one of the handful of verses in the first round I thought were great. He wrote a verse about familial structure and its positive effects with third world countries as his canvas. His style was dialed in and the content was some of the best I read. Innovator was no slouch, either, writing the best verse I’ve read from him. He may have slightly out-rhymed (maybe) Vulgar and his verse definitely had a more slick and innovative (LOL GET IT!) flow. I think he missed the mark just slightly in regards to the heart of the topic whereas Vulgar nailed it in addition to his superior content. Fun read. Vulgar won in a shutout 5-0.
(14)Split Eight vs. (19)The Mind Assassin
Good battle (I’m getting repetitive here). Both writers approached the topic in a relatively similar way while diverging in execution. This was the most focused verse I’ve seen from Veritas and he brought a high-minded look at the human condition from the perspective of the tiger. His flow was a bit elongated, though, and lost the technical battle. Split approached the topic in a straightforward fashion as well, and may have had the slightly less nuanced approach. He pulled a dead man, though, and simply overwhelmed the voters by outwriting his opponent. His style was refined, with no superfluous elements. This battle deserved a few more votes due to its quality. It received the least amount of votes outside of the shutouts. Split Eight won 5-2.
(6)Soulstice vs. (R)uh-oh
The biggest upset of the First Round. Soulstice lost because he ignored the topic. Plain and simple. He wrote a great verse, one that would be a celebrated Open Mic, but any relation to the topic was extremely tangential and tenuous at best. uh-oh’s verse was good; the all caps takes away from the actual depth of the piece. His flow was smooth and he strictly adhered to the topic. In a vacuum, Soulstice’s verse was better (but not by as much as a first glance would indicate) but uh-oh actually played the topical game correctly and came out with a deserved W. uh-oh won 8-6.
(R)oats vs. (22)Just Write
Bags stepped out and oats took his place, which is par for the course. Oats wrote one of my favorite pieces of the round, a story about a man confused on how to provide for his family given an unethical choice. Just Write wrote a story about internal family conflict due to a lie and an out of pocket family member. Oats combined strong wording, a splash of humor, and a strong through-line for his story and he won pretty easily. I felt that Just Write went in too many directions but his verse had some highlights. oats won 8-1.
TOP 5* VERSES OF ROUND ONE
6* because I’m indecisive
5. oats/dead man
4. Vulgar
3. Certain
2. Wise Ways
1. big baby
“Baby don’t worry. I won't judge you, your plastic pussies perfect
You're my doll. Unhinge my wallet, stiff. As if you were a taxidermist
it's more like, a metaphor for where these verbs drift
where the feline between your green legs isn't purring.
I whisper a singular poem, intervened breaths so unnerving
words strip your soul, sea of stress. these tulips converging
watering your rose-bed. prime faucet, growth blossoms from its roots
inundating so awesome, saliva droplets form caution to your fruit
pass the rush. or taste a grasp and cusps, as this stallion busts
if that weren’t enough. try & answer love. I forget the science
pinned you against a wall. gravities ineffective on your capricorn-like lust
explode inside, where no man has triumphed. this lions magic thrust
most physical law forms can’t resolve this defying act of lust
i’m programmed to fuck. software interprets the code you want unlocking
decipher the matrix surface, aboard this horny locksmith
to unload this perverted trojan horse that ive concockted
if collarbones are for nibbling, the arch you form is my hearts’ synopsis searching
I could sense your chakra flowing, and fully diagnose it as lava whirling.
my pinocchio woody has come to surface, and surely he is not so nervous
to jerk and spit on your prada purses, my serpent lynch. Give God your cervix.
pilot this plane, til’ your metatarsal bones are marked for curling
dress you up in blush hickey pools, that come in forms of bursted galaxies
connecting constellation schools along your basin.
Create a perfect map of these. so innately, the Gods awaken to admire dreams.
jealous of the coloration my tongues creating.
hum a vibrational moan that travels through my lips
& phonetically pulsates your queen, in this dulcet extreme
with such a connotational tone, it unravels through your hips
observe tiny ripples spawn when I palm your backside with force
squirm at the gaudy impact, it’ll feel like a landmine with torque
It’s assinine. But worse, is that I’m a pressure censored drone
one step forward; this leprechaun of golds', registered to explode
an emphatic long-kiss, stops it. long enough for me to inform
interrupted long-breaths, I disclose to my messengers not to go
report our love like a perfect swarm. so exciting when it drips rain
your thunderstorm nails, cleave marks like bolts of lightning on my ribcage
An abstract author would call it : - Athena/Zeus; role reversal bitframe
thought you'd haul my spinal cord along my torso with that look on your face
weather report forecasted downpouring sex hormones once you took off your lace
testosterones useless. There’s nothing that could handle your moistiness
a titanic story twist. Paddle boats first, but I’d rather drown in the coitus
tempestuous fire. You could come test me, if you think that I’m idle
one hell of a cinch, you’d think it was sex for survival for your bellowing prince
the way that delicate kiss, turns into pecks of revival for my yellowish skin
You’re my featherette. My gentleness. This gentlemen itching to guide through
arch your back 1 more inch, that’s exactly 1 more that’s stretching inside you
so settle in this, one more length of your lips', leathery licks
my dollar bills whisper washingtons' ingenuous haiku
while you’re clenching your fist. Id come clench it beside. move
to let you know we’re on fire, I feel when you flinch. souls so close together
they send a message, as to hint, our life forces are vital.
i’m an immense horse, riding on his Pegasus to find you
and when my soldiers enriched. He could spread his wings. Your vagina”