[oats]

Split: it took a couple reads to really fall into this, but that's mostly because I'm high-tired and would get lost in the depths of your verbiage (in a good way). nevertheless I enjoy verses that exist for re-reading; to me it's a fault if you can get everything out of a first read. in any case, the unique language and lofty descriptions definitely set a tone, like an intense silence. very pensive and brooding.

I like how there's never a full-frontal encounter with the topic. added to the allure, of not only the verse but the woman. I definitely can testify to the unnerving feeling of vulnerability for a chick. this was a great sketch of that, projected onto a friend-zoned (I think) suitor. very pancake-ish style, you two share a lot of similar sensibilities. I didn't like how you named her midway through, would have almost liked her to not be named. Nikki sounds pornoesque to me, too, which isn't a big deal but I figured I'd mention it. not much to complain about here, it was a thorough, well-written verse.


Vulgar: this definitely had some similarities to the bball game of death, insofar as the twisted turns and straightforward narrative style. some maniacal shit, which you do better than anyone else. you don’t lose the realness in the humor; these seemed like regular personalities that have been shaped and distorted by extraordinary circumstances, this being just another in a long line. I like how you shade these characters, hinting at more than what is actually there. lots of dope shit in this story.

it’s tough because I just don’t see fear as being the main player in these events unfolding. if anything, more like preparation, experience, competence, etc. I get that Murray was scared, but even if he was exceedingly confident/fearless, would things have turned out any different? I’m not sure they would. How would he have gotten the code out of the man? That was my main gripe, I guess. the story itself, the writing, was all great, but I just didn’t see this being a depiction of fear.


Vote: this is odd, in that I'm not voting for the verse I liked more. While both were very dope in their own right, I felt like Split's just tackled the topic better. Vulgar may have been victim to his own creativity, as it just deviated enough to make the indecision of being in a state of fear feel a little tacked on. Dope battle though, my favorite of the round.