Doing something a bit different this time around, I’ll be doing ranking videos on the various MC’s included in the cyphers among the handful of clips I’ve seen and give my overall take based on what I saw of them across the board and who stood out for the best/for the worst and who just didn’t impress me enough to be listed in either!
So before I start this, this is just MY opinion. Doesn’t mean it’s fact, doesn’t mean you have to agree with me and you’re allowed to have your own opinion on the matter, this is just how I feel from my own taste! So with that out of the way let’s get into it!
The list of MC’s included across the board were
-NELLZ
-DECAF BLACK
-RAPN FRZZY
-SOL IMC
-ISMILEZ
-MEATY BONE
-ACE
-JUDAH FEENOM
-NOBLE
-CRACKAJACK
-SC STATIC
-CHAIN TUDDA
-ILL NASTY CRIMINOL
-SVR
-JOEY G
-NOVA SPORT
-SAMMIE B
-MIKEY D
-JAMES EARL WOODZ
-FARKAS
-GRILLZ
-N.O.B.L.E
-A-ONE
-NAZTEE NATE
So, obviously a lot of names and before I do my criticising I respect anyone who can actually get in there and do a cypher verse, I definitely don’t like every verse I hear but the act of it and having the balls to perform one in those settings is sick so regardless of the outcome, shoutout to all the names involved for giving it a shot!
Now, let’s start with most stand out for me. Across the 4 clips I saw the few names I fucked with heavily were
-Mikey D
-ISMILEZ
-CRACKERJACK
-NELLZ
-JUDAH FEENOM
I feel these cats are the most consistent throughout the cyphers (Mikey only being in one), but KILLED IT in his intro verse! ISMILEZ across her multiple verses brings fresh flavour, charisma, and dope MC skills that left her (in my opinion) at the top of the pack.
For me, CRACKERJACK in the ‘2019 845 MVP Cypher’ specifically had one of the most standout verses of the whole series! Especially towards the end when he goes ‘Remember Jesus Died at 33, just like Nipsey Hustle’, that line went HARD!
-NELLZ and JUDAH alike both I felt were probably the most consistent and quality-driven throughout the four cyphers I watched! Both brought the heat, stayed interesting, and kept their intensity at an all-time high, and they ended up being the ones (outside of the other three) that I was on the lookout for!
Now, as far as names that I found interesting but not entirely amazing were cats like
-SOL IMC
-CHAIN TUDDA
-SVR
Don’t get me wrong, they didn’t do ASS, and they had enough personality for me to remember them, but they just felt a tad too over the top for my liking!
SOL reminded me too much of Immortal Technique, and if it’s a paying homage deal, I fucking LOVE THAT concept (if it is), but even still, I wanted to see more of him and less reminded of a cat who already exists in this rap game! Stepping out of the shadow a bit.
CHAIN was dope enough, but I didn’t like his image with the knuckle dusters on and all the gold on. Don’t get me wrong, in music videos and shit like that, it’s tough, but I felt like it was more substance in image than it was bars. I felt like there was more to be seen that we didn’t get (same with the guy who wore the mask for his rap), the Casey Jones-style mask.
And SVR stayed always in the middle for me. Never doing ASS but never having the standout of the night, but again, nothing but love to even attempt his shit!
Also before I dive into the ASS factor, one thing that annoyed me a bit was the in the third one I think (the one with Mickey D) when they had the Ghost energy drink fridge. Now I don’t know how much of this was just lip synced for the camera and the real audio added later but I didn’t like that there was young kids and there was talk about giving women the inches and sexual talk.
I’m always pro freedom of speech but if those verses were live and the kids heard all of that, I felt that was a bit fucked but hopefully it was just lip synced for video sake!
Now into the ASS and for me there’s only 2 names that truly stood out for me.
-RAPN FRZZY
-Sammie B
I’m sorry but I couldn’t get into ANY of these verses by any of them. I think Sammie was only in one but she wasn’t hitting it. She just felt awkward and off, no real rhythm or groovy structure or anything to hold on to! Her verse felt flat and her bars, wordplay and overall charisma on the mic was lacking and unfortunately it stood out like a sore thumb.
And RAPN he just played the forced quirkiness ‘over the top’ card WAY TOO HEAVY. Trying to be the cyphers equivalent of ODB or something similar, Bizzare from D12.
All about being the one that stands out for his gestures and weirdness. Relying on a stand out look and purposefully pretentious to get attention with a fake eccentricity that feels ‘out of place’
Again, if you want you can come out and lash out and say ‘I’d like to see you step into the cypher and do better’ and you’d be 100% correct. I know I would do terrible and I’m self aware of my lack of skills as an artist.
But as a journalist who prides myself on his honesty in my blog I can only say what I feel and unfortunately for those two names that’s how I feel!
https://youtu.be/OAGLTCAMaUQ?si=vpcKp8Le65gPkjpz
https://youtu.be/hd31uuLldnE?si=AE81_WNTi2bIb-cv
https://youtu.be/B6aPVYfJUY0?si=noVYYPt56mqjDr-S
https://youtu.be/s6LIG_CMB2w?si=zCB51buDAHxNsuED
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