“Stop my time” was the prevailing soundbite during the first ever Total Slaughter battle rap pay-per view. What we should have heard instead was, “stop the show.”

Over the course of three hours, fans were treated to a series of production blunders including live stream failures, sound issues, microphone snafus, a lackadaisical crowd and uninspired performances from the battlers themselves.

There’s a certain feeling that is synonymous with battle rap: It’s grimey, rough, and dangerous. Seeing two battlers backed by their entire crew (and a couple of disinterested women) on stage is compelling. It anchors the moment in reality and also makes for an entertaining watch as we observe reactions. Clearing the stage, Total Slaughter attempted to make it all about the two participants which, while very admirable, hindered the performances. There were no hype men, no people off whom to play lines, and simply no energy.

Arsonal and Big T kicked off the show and Big T proved that his loss against T-Rex was not a fluke, as Arsonal proceeded to pick him apart for three rounds. However, this battle quickly became an afterthought once T-Rex and Daylyt hit the stage. Rex delivered as he had in all previous rounds, but it was Daylyt who stole the show – for all the wrong reasons.

Reverting back to his cartoonish ways, Daylyt showed up to the battle in full Spawn cosplay, and was thoroughly beaten for the first two rounds. In the third and final exchange, Daylyt spit one line: “To come up with this third round, it took a lot of dedication/ See this? This is prescription for my schizophrenia, and as you can see I’m all out of medication.” Daylyt proceeded to crush an empty pill bottle, and tear apart his costume, while screaming inarticulately. The round ended with him stripped down to his boxers, laying on the floor as co-commentator Ebro pleaded for him to, “get the fuck up.” It was more than disappointing to see Daylyt squander such a huge platform with childish antics.

Following that debacle, the crowd was more out of it than ever, and Loaded Lux did not do very much to buoy their spirits. After a promising first round, the crowd sided with Murda Mook and essentially booed Lux out of the venue. It is worth noting, though, that Murda Mook was the (perhaps only) highlight of the event. Three ferocious rounds of bars proved that the old veteran was still a force with which to be reckoned.

The most anticipated battle of the night followed with Joe Budden taking on Hollow Da Don in the main event. The production of the show fell apart at the seams around this time, as the crowd sat through what felt like an eternity of technical delays. The wireless microphones were not even affixed to either competitor prior to them coming to the stage and when they were attached, they did not work properly. In between rounds, Budden and Hollow were in constant discussion of whose sound was working, who should use the handheld mic and more. Host Sway did his best to entertain the crowd during the endless lulls, but to no avail.

Technical difficulties aside, Budden and Hollow delivered a very admirable opening two rounds, with the majority of people awarding both to the underdog, Budden. things fell apart once and for all by the third rounds, though, as Hollow delved into tired Tahiry jokes and tasteless jabs at the Slaughterhouse member’s mother. The crowd was not feeling the direction Hollow went, and the energy evaporated at the Highline Ballroom. Joe Budden, perhaps already feeling the victory, delivered an uninspired and boring round before stumbling and enduring boos from the crowd. Clearly out of his element, the reaction got to Budden and he put the mic down and walked off stage before attempting to come back and finish – but by then it was too late. The judges awarded what felt like a default victory to Hollow and the show ended as awkwardly as it had begun.

There are rumblings of a Total Slaughter 2 and, should that take place, one can only hope it feels less amateurish and disorganized. Live streaming issues are to be expected as it seems no one has that technology down pact, but to fail at mic’ing up emcees is laughably sad. Battle rap needs energy and we felt none of that on Saturday. Next time, bring the crews and bring the bars.

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The highly-anticipated Total Slaughter PPV goes down tomorrow night. In the main event, we’ll see Joe Budden take on Hollow Da Don, but we’ll also have Loaded Lux vs. Murda Mook and T-Rex vs. Daylyt. To get prepared for the event, catch up on the latest Road to Total Slaughter episode, which sets up the final battle. Also, check out the 24/7 style show “Bright Lights,” showcasing Budden and Hollow’s preparation. If that wasn’t enough, Joe and Hollow hit up the Breakfast Club for a wildly entertaining chat on who will win and why. Watch everything below.

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It’s been a crimnally long time since we’ve gotten a solo Royce da 5’9″ mixtape (four years, in fact), but it looks like that’s about to change. The as-of-yet untitled tape will feature the Cardiak-produced “Son Of Greg,” in which Royce details his sobriety and life changes. In the video, he also touches base with Joe Budden and Jalen Rose, as they discuss Budden’s Total Slaughter battle with Hollow Da Don. Watch below.

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Eminem’s latest endeavor back into the battle rap scene is Total Slaughter. The show takes place July 12, but Fuse has produced a four-part series that follows all the battlers as they vie for spots on the undercard. The show culminates with “Bright Lights,” a two-part special in the same vein as HBO’s 24/7 in which we will get access to Joe Budden and Hollow Da Don’s preparation for their main event battle.

“I’m a passionate battle fan, so this is something I’ve always thought about doing,” Eminem told Rolling Stone about the “Road to Total Slaughter” series and the “Total Slaughter” live event. “I came up battling at the same time I was making records and learning my way around the studio. It’s a little bit different in terms of the kinds of tools you need, but the competitiveness is the same. The times I didn’t win gave me just as much light in the past as when I did. It’s all about your performance.”

Watch episode one now.

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Mr. Yaowa himself stopped by Sway in the Morning to discuss the new battle show Total Slaughter, which premiered on Fuse this past week. He also touches on his career outside of Slaughterhouse, his past as a drug dealer, and more. Watch it below.

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While one of the most anticipated battles of the year, DNA vs. Ill Will, was abut to take place, RESPECT. caught up with Smack and Beasley to discuss the competition, their battlers and Night of the Main Events 4. You can read all about it in our upcoming issue but, prior to watching DNA and Ill Will go at it for three rounds tomorrow, we’re giving you a preview of Smack and Beasley’s mindset on the event and their “imitators.” Read on below.

RESPECT.: With all the competition going on right now, how do y’all feel? Are you the leaders in the battle league space?

Beasley: I still think that URL is the leader in the space. All of the major talent that attracts viewership at MC battles online, they come from our platform. Even if they weren’t a big name, they were established here and we broadened their profile to enable them to go out and battle. Any other league that’s out here, they are trying to secure views, they are using our talent pool to do so. Whether they are small leagues, major corporations that are now trying to come in, labels… I’ll say it’s good on one end when you have them imitating what you are doing, ’cause it shows that you are making an impact. But it’s also frustrating because in addition to us being businessmen and entrepreneurs we are also true to hip-hop.We always believed in being original.

Night of Main Events is coming up, but your marquee event is the annual Summer Madness show. What do y’all expect from both high-powered battles?

Beasley: Energy. I expect energy, performance, excitement, and elevation of MC battle culture to another level. People have to remember that we were able to do something that few thought was even possible. People laughed at us, thought we were jokes, clowns… “There’s no money in this.” Now we are selling out venues. One of the owners of [famous New York venue] Webster Hall told us the only people to sell out Webster Hall were The Killers and The Rolling Stones. They said no one else ever in hip-hop was able to haul out to that level with the ticket price point that we had. [Editor’s note: Tickets can reach up into the $200 range.] They said it was insane. We are providing jobs, opportunity for these guys to make money. They are actually making a living off of battle rap now. They can pay their bills, travel the world, have opportunities to go to other leagues overseas. You see guys in other countries acting like they are Smack. So even if we don’t get any bigger, it just feels good to know we did something that contributed to hip-hop culture that will be around forever and that’s documented that people will always refer to.

The full issue hits newsstands soon.

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