FINALS MAG: HO HO HOLD MY BEER

[Dominate]

Alllllright we are almost there folks. We had some strong showings in our semi finals last week, no major controversies, and mostly good and sufficient voting. Let’s keep it going one more time. This round is for the trophy/ies. Let’s get into it.

SEMI FINALS RECAPS

symetrik vs brokenhal0 (Topical)

This one saw Halo spin us a yarn about a magical tree and a scoliosis ridden protagonist who seeks out its healing powers only to realise it’s not quite what he bargained for. Meanwhile, Symetrik interpreted the tree as Yggdrasil and crafted an intriguing story that wove in elements of Norse/Viking culture and mythology. Halo’s improvement continues to impress, and continuing on this trajectory I could see him making in the the finals and even champing in the near future, but for now he was simply out-written by his opponent. Symetrik wins 4-0 and moves on to the finals where he faces Activate Self. This round was perhaps the best verse I’ve seen from Symetrik (albeit I’m only familiar with his more recent work), so I’m really excited to see if he’ll bring the same or even better quality writing to the finals.

fraze vs ACTIVATE SELF (Topical)

This one was a slightly controversial win for Activate, who went well over the line limit and got away with it, with fraze declining to take the DQ win. My apologies again for not noticing and intervening before it was too late, and kudos to fraze on his sportsmanship here. Apart from that unfortunate hiccup this was a pretty nice battle. Activate continued his story from last week, and although I felt the topic was a little bit shoehorned into that idea he delivered a strong verse nonetheless. Meanwhile, fraze spun the picture into an overview of epic, other-worldly battles between mythic entities, and the gambling and shenanigans that accompany them. Super creative take, and we saw him flexing his rhyme schemes and linguistic prowess throughout. Most voters felt the more abstract and sometimes poetic language he used was a bit too heavy handed and struggled to follow, and ultimately Activate took this 3-0.

John Dillinger vs Etherwave (Regular)

Here we saw Ether having a go at text battle rap for the second(?) time ever. I said in my vote but will repeat here - her instincts in terms of tone are spot on. She sounded aggressive, authentically. No cornyness at all. Many topical writers who try to make the jump (and many who only did regular battles to begin with) struggle on that point. So kudos for that. Beyond that, while there was a little creativity and wordplay, her punchlines didn’t stand up to those of the more experienced battler here. Dillinger copped some flak from voters about using too many lines going after Ether being a woman, but still managed to win convincingly with the final tally being 7-0. I hope we’ll see Ether back having another go at regular battles next year.

Saint vs Regulator (Regular)

This one was closer than I think most people thought it would be. Regulator had a ton of creativity in his verse and as we saw in his topical run his mechanics are quite good. He strikes that same aggressive/not corny tone I mentioned earlier for Ether. The potential is all there. For the moment though, in most bars he just doesn’t quite have the wording needed to clarify his ideas into an impactful punch. Saint had a couple of misses of his own this week but also some real hitters, including what was IMO the best bar in either of the two regular battles this round in the ‘roadside assistance’ line. The final result was 5-0 to Saint, who moves on to the finals against John Dillinger. This spells the end of Regulator’s tourney run, but I hope we’ll see him back again for the next one.

TOP PUNCHES

John Dillinger vs Etherwave
Loud and ugly, no amount of makeup could hide the shame
Ain’t talkin jacking styles when I say no one tryna ride ya Wave
Them voters musta been drunk, how u champ a league, some luck dude
Cuz u ain’t Bomb Bae - it just takes gallons of that gin to wanna fuck you

Etherwave vs John Dillinger
John Dillinger a pililgrim, come to pillage like his people. It's just in his blood and I came to spill it like my equals. He a nobody. Imma put So many holes in this boy til he see through

Regulator vs Saint
You think ur best punch is the rock, but when I swing I'm handing you the boulders.
The way I brush saint off, u would think I only want the devil standing on my shoulders.

Saint vs Regulator
Ur girl stay on corners.. cardates anytime/place schmoes like to stick it
within 15 mins she'll jump a Hotrod & get AAA for her Roadside assistance
&Bro don't raise ur voice without sack or blood to back it up
cuz 'id beat Reggaton down w/ hooks more repetitiously than Latin clubs

VERSE OF THE WEEK

I had a few quality verses to pick from here, but I’m giving the nod to symetrik this week. Although I had a little niggle about one plot point being unclear as I mentioned in my vote, the general quality of the writing combined with the technical prowess was undeniable. This was the Symetrik I’d been waiting to see. Well done mate.

Originally Posted by symetrik

“Hi, my name’s Eric and I’m an addict.”

I cleared my throat, a cold Styrofoam coffee clutched in my hands.
”For the last, like… eight months, I’ve been addicted to scag.
I wouldn’t usually be here, but things have gotten pretty bad,
and I figured this was my last chance to return to the right path.

I ascribed to a culture that I only started living in my 20th year
but had recently learned shit that confirmed my heaviest fears.
It wasn’t strength but savagery, from the skald to the seers,
seeking to shed blood over their swords and spears.

It was a moment of identity that history had run through,
and so, learned; I burned every piece I clung to,
but I still see omens, even knowing they’re untrue.
A white dude feeling guilty about things I couldn’t undo.

It cracked an already fragile foundation,
founded by my grandad, his back bad and already aching,
prattling adages seemingly addled by ages
that advocated patience and strength in the face of any battles awaiting…

and there I was, needle down. Bare is the back of a brotherless man.
I’m an addict, admittedly, but I’d never admitted it ‘til I struggled to stand.”

They applauded when I finished - witnesses. An alibi that was part of the plan.
I left the room silently, hoping to amend soon for a past with fresh blood on the land.

The air was windy and cold. Frost-tinted windows of cars parked under a solitary light’s glow,
and two blokes stood by an old Chevy, eyes heavy with a quiet hope that it might snow.

I smiled politely and strolled by as thunder rumbled, turning the block.
I got to my car, fumbled in my pocket, pressed the key to the lock,
and got in - my head fogged and my eyes glued to the glovebox,
my willpower waning from sight like the Víkingr’s boats after they’d shoved off.

I was pulled from my woes by a loud caw;
A raven alighted the vehicle’s hood with a dead mouse in its southpaw,
claw tapping gently on the metal as it steadily tilted its head
and surveyed me, a mere mortal treading on the realm of the dead.

I breathed in deeply and opened the glovebox; my heart was tired.
Across the street, an old man closed his curtains as a car backfires

BATTLE OF THE WEEK

I’m giving this one our other topical battle. Although all the votes ultimately went to Activate, this was a pretty evenly matched battle IMO and I loved that we had two very different takes on the topic, which were very different again to what I had seen in it.

Originally Posted by ACTIVATE SELF

In The Company of Shadows

Chapter II

…Eleanor came hurling through the void…
Her body crashing onto the cold, jagged stones down below.
Her skin scraped and exposed, her bones aching from the blow.
Yet... s l o w l y she rose.
The air was thick and corrosive, suffocating, oppressive—
there was no mistaking this place for somewhere pleasant, like Heaven.
She felt a devilish presence—something as ancient as night—
as staircases unfolded right in front of her eyes.
Pillars hung from a sky that was hardly divine,
the stars darkened with time.
The steps arching like spines, charred and coated with slime.
This primordial site was so bizarrely designed,
that it was hard to describe. It seemed partly alive;
she felt it watching in wait—
like a Black Widow spider when it's stalking its prey.
There was a pulsating quake, like a heart-thumping sound,
causing ripples and waves as it pumped in the ground.
While the faintest of whispers seemed to swirl in a mist
that surrounded the remnants of a magnetic disk—
it was eldritch in nature, a non-mechanical compass,
that spun erratically fast until the Shadow Man stopped it.
His rotting eye sockets and abominable grin
could strike fear in the hearts of the mightiest men.
"Eleanor," he sneered, jaws dripping with tar,
"You’ve returned to the Hollow, after veering too far."
"The Hollow?" she echoed, her voice trembled with dread.
"Yes, the Hollow," he hissed, as the mist turned red.
"It's not a place, IT’S A THING," he sporadically screamed.
"A primal hunger that feeds on your psychotic deeds."
Insanity's pull began to tug at her mind
as the compass transformed into a carnival ride.
She was back to the night that the fire took place,
wearing a hospital gown, and a crooked smile on her face.
Kerosene in a can with a lighter in fist;
fuel spilling behind her before igniting the tents.
“So you remember it, child,” the Hollow intoned,
not the voice of the Shadow, but distinctly its own.
"I was present at birth, and when you killed your first pet,
for every person you murdered without a shred of regret."
She tried her best to reject it—but she knew it was true.
She saw the blood in her nails, and her face on the news,
and she remembered the smell of the hospital food—
her prison cell of a room, and all the antipsychotics
that would help her forget, that she was always a monster.
She wasn't locked in the Hollow; it was something she fostered—
deep down in her conscience, she was part of its roster:
a cosmic evil incarnate, a living vessel of death,
an antediluvian darkness, transmuted to flesh.
Not possessed by its essence—but enmeshed and enthralled.
She accepted her calling while the Shadow Man crawled
into the depths of the fog, and the Hollow dissolved.
She saw the hospital walls and fluorescent white lights—
and she was back on that gurney, where she had medically died.
But to the nurses' surprise, she went from dead to alive,
as her vital signs rose, and the doctor apprised,
"I think we've gotten a pulse."
Eleanor awoke, fully conscious again,
with a glint in her eye and a monstrous grin,
psychotic and twisted, reminiscent of his.
And when the doc leaned in, he could see it was crucial—
the Shadow Man smiling in the pits of her pupils.

—> Part 1

Vs

Originally Posted by fraze

[Narrator]
In the infinite impossible, the secret realm where worlds collide
Only strength survives, weakness is defined as born to die
Beauty thinks its born for flight til fate’s sting changes hornet’s stripes
From caution warning signs to unmarked graves tracing the borderlines
Grace replaced with morbid sights means more bids placed as merchant pace
Venom dripping glares give way to bared fangs with a serpent’s haste
Blades that wave like workmans spades to pave the way to better lives
Victory made bittersweet… by aftertaste that chases bettors’ highs
In dead of night, debtors might… find necks under the threat of knives
It’s gambling with your life to take that chance when you won’t get it twice
Second hand advice is like a kingless knight or stringless kite
Yet eagles never soar before they spring to test their wings in flight
No pain? …I’d maintain that yields about the same as nothing ventured
When champions take field against you, can’t escape with nothing injured
In arena, front and center… star… or candle flame that came and went

[Fight Night Intro: Bizarro Bruce Buffer]
With no more ado ladies and gents… you’re welcomed to the main event!
Light on horizon splits darkness like a rising sun… spectators rise as one
For a challenger whose time has come… the Violent Giant… Tyrant Xun!
Opposing the corona sage… he takes the stage with throne at stake
Can’t roll over this boulder mage… it’s Valinar the Stone of Rage!

[Narrator]
As bells tolls… the cracks form… a solar halo shrouds a black form
Stone slabs stack forming platforms… then a light’s born like lightning in flash storms
Powers collide with a clash… a moment as fragile as shattering glass
Clouds of dust hide who’s standing at last… but that’s what crowds are gathering to ask
Blow trumpets and cue feathered bands to harken with their harps in hand
The blackest heart plays hearth to sparks from a magic lamp as carpet lands
And strands twisted by arts of devilish artisans sift shifting sands
A watchful eye gives northward glance, while pointing trembling crimson hand

[Outro: Parley Pete]
Then an object is lifted, but how come? Not that it shifted the outcome
Nothing is scripted, come to your senses… but this should signal the end of the trial run
I’ve completed preparations. Now the calibration’s excellent.
But make no mistake… well at least I won’t… at the next event.

FINALS MATCH UPS

symetrik vs ACTIVATE SELF (Topical)

I’ve had enough of the AI images and decided to just pick a random one that caught my interest this week. Curious to see how these guys interpret it. Will Activate continue his story from last round again, or start fresh and give us something totally new? Will Symetrik post another banger of a verse this week and finally clinch his first tourney win? It’s a tough one to call. 50-50 I’m too pussy to do it. Expecting a great battle.

Saint vs John Dillinger (Regular)

These guys have been the ones to watch right from the start of this tourney. Both did a great job against their AI opponents in round 1, making full use of the profile I gave them with various angles and nameflips, as well as attacking the AI itself. In round two their experience clearly showed over their less seasoned opponents with both winning convincingly. Finally, we have them paired off against each other, and I'm sure each of them sees a challenge in the other. Saint has consistently been a feature in pretty well every league and tournament on both this site and RB for as far back as I can remember, so that experience and honing of his skill may tell here over John, who's only recently returned from a long time away from text. On the other hand, John seems hungrier for the win from what I can tell, and may make the bigger effort here to get over the line. Both are capable of champing and I look forward to seeing what they bring. 50-50 also too close to call.

INTERVIEW WITH PANCAKE

This week we have an interview with PancakeBrah, winner of the AOWL season 2. While not as prolific as other names that get mentioned in these lists, I’d argue he’s among the most talented writers to ever grace this hobby, and certainly he’s one of my personal favourites.

CakeBrah, first of all I want to give you an extremely long overdue thank you for what you put into this site 10 or so years ago. Besides the aforementioned writing, you ran at least a couple of leagues and tourneys I participated in and enjoyed, and have always been stellar voter (let’s forget about last week). I’m sure I didn’t realise at the time what a mammoth undertaking it is to even just do a decent job at all that, let alone do it to the standard you did. Thanks man. You were an integral part of Netcees’ greatness in its prime.

Well that's awful nice and appreciated. Always enjoyed your work and respect you putting in the effort in these latter days to keep the flame alive.

Am I right in thinking last week was the first time you’ve engaged meaningfully with writing on Netcees in 5+ years? What’s brought you back to us?

I think I drunkenly posted some music-related Disc posts a few months back, which I was wont to do since I "left" the site (and when I was active). I consider that writing. Drunk posting over 30 on a Text Battle Rap Poem Network in 2024 is a lost art, something I think the next generation should spend some time thinking about. They stand on the shoulders of giants. As for coming back I've recently become sober thus I've recently become bored and prone to nostalgia. This whole reply is very alcohol-centric, I should reflect on that. With that boredom and nostalgia, after striking up conversations with old flames failed I decided to cosplay as my younger self for a bit and post on Netcees. Why anyone is doing this hobby (netcee'ing, not text - the text I respect) in post-Covid times is their own story and I think that's beautiful, to be romantic for a moment.

You were on Netcees for as far back as I can remember, but what are your roots in this hobby?

I was a your typical very-annoying white hip hop fan in middle school into Freshman year of High School. Very The Roots, Nas, Talib Kweli, Jurassic 5, Blackalicious, Dead Prez, Outkast-coded. Insufferable. Also enjoyed PS1 Final Fantasy games and had ample free time at the expense of socializing. These toxic traits in a young Michigander leads to only one place - GameFAQs' Rap & Hip Hop Board. That board leads only to earnest threats of battle rapping between tween idiots. Threats lead to moderation leads to finding one of the thousands of dead game message boards and using that to run rap matches. After such success someone makes a standalone website called BattleZone. PancakeBrah nee SickFastShock has a wonderful time battling constant foes like The_Pharaoh and others until he's a Sophomore and all the girls he likes are indie/emo types and he leaves texting forever....until a wild lark in his early-20's googling 'text battle rap' leads him to Netcees. Enchanted by the personalities and majesty, the rest is history.

What’s in a name - why PancakeBrah? Was it ever anything else?

Other than SickFastShock, no. In terms of text rap handles at least. When I returned, triumphantly, to the text scene I was obsessed with lifting weights. With my gremlin proclivity to message board my hobbies to death I was a lurker, sometimes-poster at Bodybuilding.com's Miscellaneous (aka MISC) board. Think the energy of 4chan with a lower IQ tangentially related to lifting weights. Shitposting they'd call it now. A thematic name for a Misc'er (NOTE: bought two Misc shirts and wore them publicly) back then ended with Brah. Or Breh, but that accounted for 7% of cases. So, AlexJonesBrah or WheyBrah or LulzBrah or whatever you want. World was your oyster. I still had a drop of that mid-aughts, early 10's lulrandom humor in me so I picked Pancake. PancakeBrah. Pancake for no reason Brah for everything. This hit like hotcakes on Netcees, my boarding ascent was meteoric, hoisted atop a throng of women until Bags discovered I stole my whole schtick from Misc. I was able to pivot and here we are in 2024.

Who or what has been your biggest influence as a writer? Who are your favourite writers past or present?

To answer the second question first my favorite writers are (were?) deadman, Big Baby, dullboy, Wise Ways, Vulgar, Oatmeal and Certain. Probably in that order. That's its own tier but I enjoyed so many writers during my peak activity on the site. Witty, Geno, Zygote, Split8, Fig, Zen, and NYC all come to mind so quickly. I'm probably missing someone obvious and that bothers me. I missed the 'peak' of texting as an activity but I hopped on the train with the veterans and people who were passionate enough to keeping doing this fading hobby. Going to the Open Mic during that 1-3 year window was incredible. As for my biggest influence I spent the latter half of my main time here trying and failing to emulate deadman and Big Baby. They were good as fuck at writing text raps, ridiculously. I tried to ape them with more commas.

What’s your favorite verse from your own works? Why?

I hate everything I wrote on the site, now. Horrible. I feel like that must be relatable. I'm pretty sure when the site went through one of its many migrations (.com, .co, .net, etc.) some portion of the active Open Mic was lost and basically unfindable. On that earlier site I had a piece called 'IDIOOOTTTTT' (number of O's and T's ~) that dullboy called the best piece on the page at the time or something to that effect. I know that happened, core memory of this whole texting phase. It was written sober and had some clever rhymes and unexpected schemes, content was just attempted witticisms. I nominate that for my favorite verse. I skimmed what remains of my writing on this site and found some decent rhymes and creative stuff but most of the pieces had some messy shit or latter halves drunk written and mushy.

What’s one of your favorite/most memorable verses from anyone else?

Incredibly difficult, especially so with the aforementioned loss. Even if the links existed I'd have trouble getting to them. There's a lost Open Mic piece written by one of the Big Baby cohort think it was Zombie something that was perfect. Can't even guess at the title now. But that's my clear #1 based off vibes. Any deadman verse from that era at random gives you a better than 50/50 chance at a HOF-type of verse. I can't remember any titles of my OM's from back then so I'm fucked to remember others. Aside from that one unknown title written by an approximate name you could just take any name mentioned in my favorite writers response, find a piece in that time period, and get a gem of writing. Later half Split 8 had some insane short verses.

What’s your number one piece of advice for aspiring writers?

Keep at it, bucko! I'm not a writer by trade or hobby anymore but I think anyone who liked reading, writing, music, rap, the arts keeps that with them throughout life. Only way to get better is do more, not just writing but other arts and life experience. Then rhyme that shit.

Who are you predicting in our finals matches?

I barely participated in or read the battle side during my time, I'm at 0 for this little return. So for the battle I'll pick John Dillinger to sweep the votes because he posts aggressively and I'd rather him not bother me, to be his friend. For the topical side I've enjoyed reading both and both have talent. Nice matchup. I have a preference for the style I've read of symetrik, so he gets my pre-match nod.

What is the best Christmas food?

Big Ham guy.

Finally, tell us about the Netcees 2025 Revivalist Movement. Will we see you back competing next year?

This is a positive spirit forward movement. Everyone wears it we just have to release that into our mind-palaces. Battle's already won, we're just waiting for the newspaper to tell us. You've already felt it and you know it's coming back. The Overton Window is body-length. Tap in, brother.

I'll probably vote on some stuff, play at writing an Open Mic, and just vibe for a week or two.

Thanks for your time Cake. Best of luck with the sobriety.

INTERVIEW WITH JOHN DILLINGER

What are your roots in this hobby? Where did you get started, before Netcees?

Always been a fan of rap, I started on RB around 2009. Naturally went to NC1 before the server got shut down and all that info lost. I used to pic battle these old heads when I was 17 and still held my own. Those verses are lost with time though…

What’s in a name? Why John Dillinger?

JOHNxDILLINGER was a name I was using on PlayStation Network around 08-09, I thought it looked cool. I just incorporated it to my Netcees username

Who have been your biggest influences over the years? Who are your favorite writers?

My favorite writers over the years have been Cashius and Alvin Karpis

Give us some of your favourite punchlines that you’ve written. What would you say is your strongest verse to date?

I feel like my strongest verses to date have been my battles against Cred, Joog, Letterman, and Cashius. I won the first three but it’s tough catching a dub against a legend like Cashius. Couple of my favorite verses came against Lucipher Howlz and Bleak in the NWL when I won the title.

What about others - what are your favorite lines or even entire verses if there’s one that stands out for you?

I ain’t gonna lie Cashius verses in the BA Swag & Flow Tourney and Karpis verses in Summer Classic V been GOATed.

One of my all time favorite verses was Cashius verse against Boredom in the SF Tourney

What’s your strategy going into this final battle? What do you think Saint’s strengths and weaknesses are, compared to yourself?

Saint is a legend on the forum, he doesn’t show much weakness. I’ll see what I can do against him.

Have you ever battled him before? What was the result?

Never battled him before.

What is the best Christmas food?

I’ll take it a step further and say the best Christmas plate consists of some mashed potatoes, sweet potatoes, some ham, turkey, stuffing, some greens and some cranberry sauce if it’s done right.

Any other thoughts you’d like to share?

I just wanna say my bad to Etherwave with all the misogynistic bars. It’s just a text battle at the end of the day. Also thanks to Dominate for putting on an end of the year tourney for us.

INTERVIEW WITH SAINT

INTERVIEW WITH SYMETRIK

What are your roots in this hobby? Where did you get started, before Netcees?
I been writing since I was ~7 years old, poetry and all. Got more into the rap side of things when I joined Shadowville to start making music (I'm forgetting what got me into rap in the first place though), and then when that got spam filled and shitty I ended up finding Netcees.

What’s in a name? Why Symetrik?
to be honest, nothing really - it just felt like a good moniker, I've tried a few over the years before when I was younger (totally garbage shit) but none of them stuck with me as long as this one has. not even really a stage name, just a handle.

Who have been your biggest influences over the years? Who are your favorite writers?
mostly people here that keep me honest and challenge me, Universe is a big one bc dude just writes and writes and writes and then rags on people for not writing :P outside of Netcees, I dunno, I enjoy a good Kendrick verse, Aesop Rock for the lyrical dynamics

What’s your favourite verse you’ve written, and why?
super slept on but I stepped in for Diablo in a battle against my current opponent (in which he no showed) and I was proud of the effort I made to emulate Diablo - dunno how well I actually did BUT that's one of the few verses I've written where I spent more than a day on it (at least back then, I have a few recent ones I've done a few days of work on)

What about others - is there anything that’s been particularly memorable for you?
There's a Bayou verse out there somewhere that elevated my game just by reading it, and I tend to steadily be impressed by lars content (or inspired perhaps, while still carving out my own voice and place)

Tell us about your process - how do you go from the topic image/prompt to the finished result?
process has evolved recently - I create an abstract theme inspired by the image, then create a story that uses that theme but also touches the actuality of the image. I think the first time I used this newer method was the previous battle where I clean sweeped my opponent - but awkwardly, wrote it on the last day, theme and all.

previous to that strategy... I just spitballed, had an idea and just kept writing until it fleshed out.

What’s your strategy going into this final battle? What do you think Activate’s strengths and weaknesses are, compared to yourself?
my strategy is as above - I don't have to change anything based on Activate's strategy, I know he's a threat when he has the time to write, but I know I am too so it's just gonna come down to the small details - I'm starting to learn and come into my own strengths, so I'll be leaning on my understanding of them to help win.

Have you ever battled him before? What was the result?
I'm pretty sure the only time we've faced each other was when I stepped in for lars in the above answer, and it was a no-show on his side so I don't have the personal experience against him.

What is the best Christmas food?
Chinese food

Any other thoughts you’d like to share?
appreciate you putting in the work on the tourny and helping show others "hey more than just lars can run these things". and glhf ACTIVATE, don't go over the 48 line limit or I'm gonna call DQ :D

INTERVIEW WITH ACTIVATE SELF

What are your roots in this hobby? Where did you get started, before Netcees?
That’s a great question. When I first started writing rhymes online, Yahoo message boards were still a thing. Not long after, I found my first hip-hop message board. This was early 2000s, and I think it was called Sushi Raw or something like that. It was actually a subforum on a bigger site for a hip-hop artist or singer. From there, I ended up on some now defunct sites, then Rap Is Alive, RapBattles, Lyrical Assault, Rap-Royalty, and eventually Netcees. There were tons of other boards I visited and maybe dropped a verse or two, but nothing major.

What’s in a name? Why ACTIVATE SELF?
Technically, it’s SELF ACTIVATE everywhere else. When I signed up here, the name wouldn't register or something, so I just flipped it around. There’s no deep story behind it. It just popped into my head. If anything, a lot of my early writing leaned metaphysical, and the name really fit that vibe. Honestly, it still does, just not as much as before.


Who have been your biggest influences over the years? Who are your favorite writers?
Man, back in the day, there was this dude named Joe M or M Joe—something like that. He posted on one of the boards I frequented, and he was insane. He set the bar for me in terms of what reading and writing text rhymes could be. That guy had everything: flow, wordplay, you name it.

On this site specifically, there are a few names that come to mind: Eng, Deadman, Lars, Universe, Geno, Alice, Sammy. There are more, including some in this tourney, but those are off the top. Oh, and I really like your work. I catch it every now and then in the AWOL forum, and you’ve got a really sharp pen.


What’s your favorite verse you’ve written, and why?
That’s a tough one. The first thing that comes to mind is “The Pinocchio Complex.” I wrote it back in 2013 or so, and at the time, I thought it was dope. It explored the idea of artificial intelligence gaining self-awareness and how it might react. That topic has always fascinated me, and this verse was one perspective on it. People seemed to dig it back then.

If not that, maybe “Mone (Man of No Ego)” or “Space Balls.” Those stood out because they had tight narratives while maintaining complex rhyme schemes, which is something I always aim for.


What about others—is there anything that’s been particularly memorable for you?
There’s this guy named Sammy who wrote two pieces I’ll never forget. The first was about the rise and fall of empires, but each “empire” was actually a rap board. He captured the mood and vibe of each site and turned them into these ruined or rising cities. He made himself a wandering warrior/writer looking for the best kingdom. It was super detailed and creative.

The second one was about soulmates who were separated, and the twist was they were actually socks that got lost in a dryer. At the end he called them “sole-mates,” which might sound corny, but the execution was brilliant—super poetic and clever—you didn't know they were socks until the end.

Oh, another memorable one was by this guy named Neek. He wrote a story about this thirty-something gothic dude who found a Craigslist ad for joining a vampire club. At first, he thought it was just a group of quirky weirdos wanting to cosplay as vampires and maybe indulge in drinking some blood for kicks. But when he showed up, it turned out they were actual vampires. The whole thing was essentially a comedy, but it was brilliantly written—funny, sharp, and super engaging from start to finish.

Tell us about your process—how do you go from the topic image/prompt to the finished result?
It really depends on the topic, but my approach is to expand on what’s given and build a whole world around it. I try to stay true to the topic while adding layers so the reader can connect the dots and have an “ah-ha” moment by the end.

For linear pieces, I’ll sketch out a sequence of events and figure out how to weave it into a rhyming format. But sometimes, one good line will change the direction entirely, and I’ll run with the new idea. It’s a very organic process.


What’s your strategy going into this final battle? What do you think symetrik’s strengths and weaknesses are, compared to yourself?
I’m keeping my strategy under wraps since the mag drops before the battle. No free recon. As for weaknesses, I haven’t studied his style enough to speak on that, and I wouldn’t want to sway voters in anyway either.

His strengths? He’s great at world-building and creating authentic, grounded characters. Even in fictional scenarios, his work has enough realism to make you buy into the story.


Have you ever battled him before? What was the result?
I think we battled like seven years ago when I first joined NC, but I could be wrong. I vaguely remember writing a verse about a nuclear bomb while he did a twisted fairytale. If it was him, I know I won that round, but I’m only 50/50 sure it was against him. I'm sure he'll correct me if I’m wrong.


What is the best Christmas food?
The spiked punch and eggnog, no question. My family throws down on Christmas, and I end up at like five different houses, so it’s hard to pick one dish. But yeah, sticking with the liquor.


Any other thoughts you’d like to share?
Yeah, just a quick recommendation for anyone reading my verses: read them aloud or under your breath. I’ve noticed some people might miss the complexity of my rhyme schemes when reading silently. I write everything with the possibility of it being performable, so even slant rhymes, half rhymes, assonance and consonance are meant to enhance the flow, but may not be as obvious if not read out load. But become way more rhythmic and fluid when verbally pronounced. I have rhymes inside of rhymes, man. lol

Anyway, it’s just a suggestion, though; everyone has their own way of processing text. Other than that, thanks for putting this together, and good luck to the other finalists.

MEMES


















CLOSING THOUGHTS

Thanks everyone for a great tourney so far. Let’s bring it home in this last round. Show up, vote, do your part. See you next year.

Merry Christmas ya filthy animals.