2018 Text Grand Championship Magazine and Discussion (Ep. 2)

[NOBLE]

PRESENTS

HOSTED BY:

NOBLE

Welcome to Episode 2 of the 2018 Text Grand Championship Magazine. Big shout out to @ILLicitt for providing the graphic header with the two boxers!
We're half-way through the tournament and are standing amidst the quarter-finals. Only 8 elite emcees remain: Aggo, Bape, Bleu, ILLicitt, Jimmy Hoffa, Rai, Shodan, and Xwizit . Who are YOU putting your money on? The winners of this round are all guaranteed to earn trophies. The rest of the tournament following this round will merely be to sort out who gets the bronze, the silver, or the gold. This is the "Do Or Die" round: either you win a trophy or go home. Round 2 came with a few surprises. There were a couple of shocking upsets, but we'll get more into that later. Everyone is posting because everyone is hungry. Read the battles and enjoy the creativity, but also pay attention to the drive, the tenacity, the spirit of competition augmenting every bar and every diss lobbed at the opponent. There are some dope matchups in this round, and no one is to be underestimated. Like the previous episode, this one includes interviews, recaps, predictions, and highlights from the last round. So without further ado, let's get to it!

<img src="http://i68.tinypic.com/j5k1vk.gif" border="0" alt="Interviews">
I caught up with a couple of the winners from Round 2 to get some recaps and touch on some of the highlights from the last round. Read along as I interview Aggo, ILLicitt, and Shodan.
<img src="https://www.letsbeef.com/forums/image.php?u=880334&dateline=1515908081" alt="NOBLE" width="32" height="32"> I guess my first question will be to Shodan. You just defeated EZ Boi. Wow! Were you a bit surprised by how things turned out?
<img src="https://www.letsbeef.com/forums/image.php?u=897879&dateline=1515824576" alt="Shodan" width="32" height="32">I'm not surprised by how things turned out in that battle, though I can't say I expected it either. My joke prediction aside, I thought I was moderately favored going into the battle, with say a 70% chance of winning, because I already had what I thought were particularly strong bars. With that said, EZ Boi is good enough that you can't write him off completely, no matter how good you are.
<img src="https://www.letsbeef.com/forums/image.php?u=880334&dateline=1515908081" alt="NOBLE" width="32" height="32">Of all the people who were ousted in Round 2, who do you guys feel had the strongest verse? I personally was really impressed by Lil alzie.
<img src="https://www.letsbeef.com/forums/image.php?u=902105&dateline=1516258132" alt="ILLicitt" width="32" height="32">To be truthful, I thought there were many verses in round 2 that deserved VOTR recognition. Ironically, my opinion of who's verse was the best is a tie between Shodan, Bape, and Rai. For Rai to come into the round against an established vet, mod, and title holder and win says his verse simply outclassed Row's verse.
<img src="https://www.letsbeef.com/forums/image.php?u=897879&dateline=1515824576" alt="Shodan" width="32" height="32">That's a tough choice between Row, Fidel Z, and Bape. I'm not including Celsius in this assessment for obvious reasons. My winner is Row, but my opinion might well swerve after some re-reads.

As an aside, Row lost by a very small margin, and I was going to vote for him over Rai but couldn't because Row has me blocked. I bet he wishes he could go back in time and unblock me.

About Lil alzie's verse: It was definitely the one that surprised me the most, in terms of being better than the author's usual material. I didn't think he was capable of coming up with such creative punchlines. Still, his execution was sloppy and his punches weren't as good as some of those in the other battles of the round. With that said, I'd bet quite a bit that if he and Xwizit could have had their reputations switched before voting, Lil alzie would have won, or at least lost by a much smaller margin.

<img src="https://www.letsbeef.com/forums/image.php?u=891607&dateline=1515108602" alt="Aggo" width="64" height="32">I guess Row probably. That turned out to be a really close match. Alzies verse definitely showed that he worked hard to put something together for the tourney. I think I'm more surprised at Celcius. His verse seemed very disjointed with some weird wording and irrelevant setups. Not like him at all. Props to Shodan though, that was an important battle for him and gives him some momentum heading into the later rounds. Unfortunately for him, if he wins this round, that's as far as he'll get.
<img src="https://www.letsbeef.com/forums/image.php?u=880334&dateline=1515908081" alt="NOBLE" width="32" height="32">Aggo, you're facing fellow mod and Punisher crew leader Bleu this next round. What do you see as your path to victory?
<img src="https://www.letsbeef.com/forums/image.php?u=891607&dateline=1515108602" alt="Aggo" width="64" height="32">Beating Bleu is certainly not an easy task. Hes one of the sites most decorated champions in multiple arenas. Bleu is probably the favorite to win this whole tourney so if I can pull of a W here I feel like the biggest obstacle on my oath to the final will be out of my way. Bleu is gonna be bar heavy as usual and I probably don't have a chance bar for bar so I'm gonna have to try to go personal. Unfortunately, I don't have a lot of ammo on Bleu in that department. Maybe I can pay him to no show and write for me for the rest of the tourney. Jk. I can't do that. I still owe him money for writing all my tag tourney bars for me.
<img src="https://www.letsbeef.com/forums/image.php?u=880334&dateline=1515908081" alt="NOBLE" width="32" height="32">Which battle did you guys think was the best in the round (other than your own)?
<img src="https://www.letsbeef.com/forums/image.php?u=897879&dateline=1515824576" alt="Shodan" width="32" height="32">That's a tough choice between Rai vs Row and Bleu vs Fidel Z, but I'm going to have to go with Rai vs Row because of how underwhelming Bleu's verse was.
<img src="https://www.letsbeef.com/forums/image.php?u=891607&dateline=1515108602" alt="Aggo" width="64" height="32">Tough call. I thought lock had some nice personals against Macc, including one that he came up with mere minutes after Macc made some jackass comment in the shoutbox. I thought it was cool to see that go from the chatbox to the battlebox so quickly. Alzie vs. Xwisit and Bleu vs. Fiddy were both enjoyable battles for me as well.
<img src="https://www.letsbeef.com/forums/image.php?u=902105&dateline=1516258132" alt="ILLicitt" width="32" height="32">There were a lot of good battles. But BOTR in my opinion goes to Jimmy Hoffa (Lockhart) Vs OMG. I didn't expect the battle to come out to an 80% - 20% decision, but I thought it was the most even matched bout when it comes to reputation, experience, skill level, all of the above. Jimmy came out victorious and now he has Bape in the next round...should be BOTR material.
<img src="https://www.letsbeef.com/forums/image.php?u=880334&dateline=1515908081" alt="NOBLE" width="32" height="32"> ILLicitt, you've won your first two rounds convincingly, and now you'll arguably face your toughest challenge yet in Shodan. How do you see your place in this tournament? Do you see yourself as more of the favorite, underdog, or dark horse?
<img src="https://www.letsbeef.com/forums/image.php?u=902105&dateline=1516258132" alt="ILLicitt" width="32" height="32">I see myself as a worthy opponent, but I also feel like I'm vastly underrated. Jimmy highlighted that nobody really knows much about me so here's a short bio. I was introduced to Letsbeef under the name of "SoMaziin" by Dante..others know him as NAWKOUT ARTISTT (who had his start as SoulRite). Shortly after a 40-19 run, I changed my name and eventually lost my account and password. I think there was a special character in it I couldn't duplicate or find. But after I got locked out of that main account, I came back with different names but never stuck with one account, until I eventually took a long break and only just recently made my return under the name ILLicitt. So I'm shaking off a year and a half of rust. I definitely see myself as an underdog because Shodan has built a much stronger reputation than he used to have. So I'm going up against a much improved battler with reputation on his side. My position is underdog in this round, and I'm looking forward to it.
<img src="https://www.letsbeef.com/forums/image.php?u=880334&dateline=1515908081" alt="NOBLE" width="32" height="32">Did any of the Round 2 outcomes surprise you guys? Did anybody win when you thought their opponent would've won instead?
<img src="https://www.letsbeef.com/forums/image.php?u=902105&dateline=1516258132" alt="ILLicitt" width="32" height="32">The outcome of Rai Vs Row shocked me the most. That was definitely an upset. I don't know about anyone else but I expected Row to get a win by 60%-40% or an even greater margine.
<img src="https://www.letsbeef.com/forums/image.php?u=897879&dateline=1515824576" alt="Shodan" width="32" height="32">I wasn't surprised by any battle result in round 2, which in a statistical sense I suppose is surprising in itself. All eight battles dropped, and in all eight cases the battle was won by the person I expected to win, even when I thought the winner was only slightly favored, as in Rai vs Row.
<img src="https://www.letsbeef.com/forums/image.php?u=891607&dateline=1515108602" alt="Aggo" width="64" height="32">The only battle that really surprised me was Cel vs. Sho. Not that I didn't thing Shodan had a chance, just how one sided that battle was was really unexpected. The fact that Cel went with a multi to hide his identity and had to resort to that kind of gimmicky shit kind of turned out to be a bad look. I didn't like all that to begin with but getting bodied by the underdog while going through those motions felt kind of cringy.
<img src="https://www.letsbeef.com/forums/image.php?u=880334&dateline=1515908081" alt="NOBLE" width="32" height="32">All right guys. Is there anything you'd like to say to the readers/voters or your opponent for Round 3?
<img src="https://www.letsbeef.com/forums/image.php?u=891607&dateline=1515108602" alt="Aggo" width="64" height="32">I'd like to remind everyone who got eliminated that their jobs are not over. Please continue to read, vote, and expo. A lot of times the voting on tournies fizzles out as less people are involved in the actual battles.
To Bleu, if you beat me this round I'm gonna poison you're cat. I know how much you love that cat. I know it was the only thing that brought you comfort when your brother lost his legs in the paragliding incident, and i swear to god I will put near lethal doses of ricin in its fancy feast.

Fuck your cat.
<img src="https://www.letsbeef.com/forums/image.php?u=880334&dateline=1515908081" alt="NOBLE" width="32" height="32">Lol!
<img src="https://www.letsbeef.com/forums/image.php?u=902105&dateline=1516258132" alt="ILLicitt" width="32" height="32">I reached out to Shodan after I learned we'd meet in round 3. It was all respect from the both of us. It's no secret, Shodan will be my toughest opponent I've faced so far in the tournament. I just want the public and voters to know that this verse from me will be the best verse I've written since my return. I have no doubt Shodan will bring his A-game too, so expect a clash.
<img src="https://www.letsbeef.com/forums/image.php?u=880334&dateline=1515908081" alt="NOBLE" width="32" height="32">Looking forward to it!
<img src="https://www.letsbeef.com/forums/image.php?u=897879&dateline=1515824576" alt="Shodan" width="32" height="32">To ILLicitt: I don't believe we've ever squared off before. This should be fun. Do note that I'm going to be battling with one metaphorical hand tied behind my back because I am also writing my LBT title defense verse for Rai.

To the voters: GC battles are much more important than regular battles, so dropping subpar votes on them is bad and borderline disrespectful. If you are in doubt about your ability to drop good votes, and most of you should be, I recommend following this procedure when voting on GC battles, and indeed all tournament or otherwise important battles except battles in which one participant autowins:

First, read each verse carefully, spending a good amount of time and effort to comprehend and appreciate each verse. Then, if you have even the slightest doubt about your winner, reread both verses until you are absolutely certain about it. Next, mentally outline your opinion of each verse, a comparison of the verses, and why you chose your winner. Only then should you begin writing your expo. The expo itself should consist of at least one medium-sized paragraph, 50 words being a good minimum. Of course, more is better, and anyone looking for inspiration is advised to examine my expo on Louie Dawgs vs Bape in round 2.

To all LB members: I strongly implore you to vote as many round 3 battles as you can.

<img src="https://www.letsbeef.com/forums/image.php?u=880334&dateline=1515908081" alt="NOBLE" width="32" height="32">Very sound advice, Shodan!
<img src="https://www.letsbeef.com/forums/image.php?u=880334&dateline=1515908081" alt="NOBLE" width="32" height="32">Thank you guys very much for your time!

<img src="http://i67.tinypic.com/2eby91e.gif" border="0" alt="BOTR">

The Round 2 BATTLE OF THE ROUND award goes to...

Jimmy Hoffa vs. OH MY GOD

I agree with ILLicitt in being surprised by how one-sided the votes were and thought it should've been a lot closer. Check that out if you haven't had a chance.

<img src="http://i67.tinypic.com/whxu2f.gif" border="0" alt="http://i67.tinypic.com/whxu2f.gif">

There will be an award for the top voter of this tournament. I will edit this section a little later with the current tally.

<img src="http://i65.tinypic.com/54suus.gif" border="0" alt="Predictions">
This episode's predictions for the GC Quarter-Final Round is brought to you by @Seul

Originally Posted by Seul

Bape vs Jimmy Hoffa:

I would say Jimmy Hoffa is the favourite here, he's been around a long time, consistently been winning, and just got his first orange title not too long ago... BUT he hasn't been at his full potential so far this tournament imo. Bape is one of those hit or miss types, he'll either come hard as fuck or fall flat. Both have a clean style but I think Jimmy's is more polished. Both also have had some easy rounds earlier in the tournament, so both will probably put out their best verses of the GC so far... but even in that regard, I would still go with Hoffa....

19% Bape - 81% Jimmy Hoffa

Xwizit vs Rai:

Rai is just coming off an upset victory over Row, I think that will help his momentum going into this round but he will have to come stronger if he wants to give Xwizit problems. Xwizit is definitely one of the favourites going into this tournament and his verse against Lil Alzie was over-kill to show he isn't playing around. Rai is very clean and goes for big multi set's which caters to alot of voters liking, but Xwizit's unique way to touch on concepts can't be ignored. This one will be good, but I think Xwizit will edge this with a touch more creativity.

74% Xwizit - 26% Rai

Bleu vs Aggo:

I haven't seen much of Aggo from before, but he has apparently elevated alot lately - and from what I see? Every verse is a joy to read... but on the other hand, Bleu is considered the true GOAT of this site by many and has been winning tournaments consistently. Both have similar styles imo, clean execution and strong set-ups. Both leaders of Punishers, I think this will be a great clash but I see Bleu taking this, at the same time I wouldn't be surprised to see if Aggo has some tricks up his sleeve, to turn the tide into his favour.

65% Bleu - 35% Aggo

Shodan vs ILLicitt

I think this one will be a comfortable win for Shodan. He has been on fire lately and just took out Celsius like it was a walk in the park, ILLicitt has just recently returned to the site and still hasn't caught a strong stride. Shodan's complex style has been hard to beat lately, as he's been a formidable foe to anyone he's battled recently, even beating Xwizit... and due to this I think Shodans bars will out-power anything ILLicitt has to offer.

100% Shodan - 0% ILLicitt


Good-luck to all.

.
All right, folks! We've come to the end of another episode of the 2018 Text GC Magazine. Please make sure you check out the battles as they drop and cast your (well-explained) votes. Until next time...deuces!

[NOBLE]

PRESENTS

HOSTED BY:

NOBLE

Welcome to Episode 2 of the 2018 Text Grand Championship Magazine. Big shout out to @ILLicitt for providing the graphic header with the two boxers!
We're half-way through the tournament and are standing amidst the quarter-finals. Only 8 elite emcees remain: Aggo, Bape, Bleu, ILLicitt, Jimmy Hoffa, Rai, Shodan, and Xwizit . Who are YOU putting your money on? The winners of this round are all guaranteed to earn trophies. The rest of the tournament following this round will merely be to sort out who gets the bronze, the silver, or the gold. This is the "Do Or Die" round: either you win a trophy or go home. Round 2 came with a few surprises. There were a couple of shocking upsets, but we'll get more into that later. Everyone is posting because everyone is hungry. Read the battles and enjoy the creativity, but also pay attention to the drive, the tenacity, the spirit of competition augmenting every bar and every diss lobbed at the opponent. There are some dope matchups in this round, and no one is to be underestimated. Like the previous episode, this one includes interviews, recaps, predictions, and highlights from the last round. So without further ado, let's get to it!

<img src="http://i68.tinypic.com/j5k1vk.gif" border="0" alt="Interviews">
I caught up with a couple of the winners from Round 2 to get some recaps and touch on some of the highlights from the last round. Read along as I interview Aggo, ILLicitt, and Shodan.
<img src="https://www.letsbeef.com/forums/image.php?u=880334&dateline=1515908081" alt="NOBLE" width="32" height="32"> I guess my first question will be to Shodan. You just defeated EZ Boi. Wow! Were you a bit surprised by how things turned out?
<img src="https://www.letsbeef.com/forums/image.php?u=897879&dateline=1515824576" alt="Shodan" width="32" height="32">I'm not surprised by how things turned out in that battle, though I can't say I expected it either. My joke prediction aside, I thought I was moderately favored going into the battle, with say a 70% chance of winning, because I already had what I thought were particularly strong bars. With that said, EZ Boi is good enough that you can't write him off completely, no matter how good you are.
<img src="https://www.letsbeef.com/forums/image.php?u=880334&dateline=1515908081" alt="NOBLE" width="32" height="32">Of all the people who were ousted in Round 2, who do you guys feel had the strongest verse? I personally was really impressed by Lil alzie.
<img src="https://www.letsbeef.com/forums/image.php?u=902105&dateline=1516258132" alt="ILLicitt" width="32" height="32">To be truthful, I thought there were many verses in round 2 that deserved VOTR recognition. Ironically, my opinion of who's verse was the best is a tie between Shodan, Bape, and Rai. For Rai to come into the round against an established vet, mod, and title holder and win says his verse simply outclassed Row's verse.
<img src="https://www.letsbeef.com/forums/image.php?u=897879&dateline=1515824576" alt="Shodan" width="32" height="32">That's a tough choice between Row, Fidel Z, and Bape. I'm not including Celsius in this assessment for obvious reasons. My winner is Row, but my opinion might well swerve after some re-reads.

As an aside, Row lost by a very small margin, and I was going to vote for him over Rai but couldn't because Row has me blocked. I bet he wishes he could go back in time and unblock me.

About Lil alzie's verse: It was definitely the one that surprised me the most, in terms of being better than the author's usual material. I didn't think he was capable of coming up with such creative punchlines. Still, his execution was sloppy and his punches weren't as good as some of those in the other battles of the round. With that said, I'd bet quite a bit that if he and Xwizit could have had their reputations switched before voting, Lil alzie would have won, or at least lost by a much smaller margin.

<img src="https://www.letsbeef.com/forums/image.php?u=891607&dateline=1515108602" alt="Aggo" width="64" height="32">I guess Row probably. That turned out to be a really close match. Alzies verse definitely showed that he worked hard to put something together for the tourney. I think I'm more surprised at Celcius. His verse seemed very disjointed with some weird wording and irrelevant setups. Not like him at all. Props to Shodan though, that was an important battle for him and gives him some momentum heading into the later rounds. Unfortunately for him, if he wins this round, that's as far as he'll get.
<img src="https://www.letsbeef.com/forums/image.php?u=880334&dateline=1515908081" alt="NOBLE" width="32" height="32">Aggo, you're facing fellow mod and Punisher crew leader Bleu this next round. What do you see as your path to victory?
<img src="https://www.letsbeef.com/forums/image.php?u=891607&dateline=1515108602" alt="Aggo" width="64" height="32">Beating Bleu is certainly not an easy task. Hes one of the sites most decorated champions in multiple arenas. Bleu is probably the favorite to win this whole tourney so if I can pull of a W here I feel like the biggest obstacle on my oath to the final will be out of my way. Bleu is gonna be bar heavy as usual and I probably don't have a chance bar for bar so I'm gonna have to try to go personal. Unfortunately, I don't have a lot of ammo on Bleu in that department. Maybe I can pay him to no show and write for me for the rest of the tourney. Jk. I can't do that. I still owe him money for writing all my tag tourney bars for me.
<img src="https://www.letsbeef.com/forums/image.php?u=880334&dateline=1515908081" alt="NOBLE" width="32" height="32">Which battle did you guys think was the best in the round (other than your own)?
<img src="https://www.letsbeef.com/forums/image.php?u=897879&dateline=1515824576" alt="Shodan" width="32" height="32">That's a tough choice between Rai vs Row and Bleu vs Fidel Z, but I'm going to have to go with Rai vs Row because of how underwhelming Bleu's verse was.
<img src="https://www.letsbeef.com/forums/image.php?u=891607&dateline=1515108602" alt="Aggo" width="64" height="32">Tough call. I thought lock had some nice personals against Macc, including one that he came up with mere minutes after Macc made some jackass comment in the shoutbox. I thought it was cool to see that go from the chatbox to the battlebox so quickly. Alzie vs. Xwisit and Bleu vs. Fiddy were both enjoyable battles for me as well.
<img src="https://www.letsbeef.com/forums/image.php?u=902105&dateline=1516258132" alt="ILLicitt" width="32" height="32">There were a lot of good battles. But BOTR in my opinion goes to Jimmy Hoffa (Lockhart) Vs OMG. I didn't expect the battle to come out to an 80% - 20% decision, but I thought it was the most even matched bout when it comes to reputation, experience, skill level, all of the above. Jimmy came out victorious and now he has Bape in the next round...should be BOTR material.
<img src="https://www.letsbeef.com/forums/image.php?u=880334&dateline=1515908081" alt="NOBLE" width="32" height="32"> ILLicitt, you've won your first two rounds convincingly, and now you'll arguably face your toughest challenge yet in Shodan. How do you see your place in this tournament? Do you see yourself as more of the favorite, underdog, or dark horse?
<img src="https://www.letsbeef.com/forums/image.php?u=902105&dateline=1516258132" alt="ILLicitt" width="32" height="32">I see myself as a worthy opponent, but I also feel like I'm vastly underrated. Jimmy highlighted that nobody really knows much about me so here's a short bio. I was introduced to Letsbeef under the name of "SoMaziin" by Dante..others know him as NAWKOUT ARTISTT (who had his start as SoulRite). Shortly after a 40-19 run, I changed my name and eventually lost my account and password. I think there was a special character in it I couldn't duplicate or find. But after I got locked out of that main account, I came back with different names but never stuck with one account, until I eventually took a long break and only just recently made my return under the name ILLicitt. So I'm shaking off a year and a half of rust. I definitely see myself as an underdog because Shodan has built a much stronger reputation than he used to have. So I'm going up against a much improved battler with reputation on his side. My position is underdog in this round, and I'm looking forward to it.
<img src="https://www.letsbeef.com/forums/image.php?u=880334&dateline=1515908081" alt="NOBLE" width="32" height="32">Did any of the Round 2 outcomes surprise you guys? Did anybody win when you thought their opponent would've won instead?
<img src="https://www.letsbeef.com/forums/image.php?u=902105&dateline=1516258132" alt="ILLicitt" width="32" height="32">The outcome of Rai Vs Row shocked me the most. That was definitely an upset. I don't know about anyone else but I expected Row to get a win by 60%-40% or an even greater margine.
<img src="https://www.letsbeef.com/forums/image.php?u=897879&dateline=1515824576" alt="Shodan" width="32" height="32">I wasn't surprised by any battle result in round 2, which in a statistical sense I suppose is surprising in itself. All eight battles dropped, and in all eight cases the battle was won by the person I expected to win, even when I thought the winner was only slightly favored, as in Rai vs Row.
<img src="https://www.letsbeef.com/forums/image.php?u=891607&dateline=1515108602" alt="Aggo" width="64" height="32">The only battle that really surprised me was Cel vs. Sho. Not that I didn't thing Shodan had a chance, just how one sided that battle was was really unexpected. The fact that Cel went with a multi to hide his identity and had to resort to that kind of gimmicky shit kind of turned out to be a bad look. I didn't like all that to begin with but getting bodied by the underdog while going through those motions felt kind of cringy.
<img src="https://www.letsbeef.com/forums/image.php?u=880334&dateline=1515908081" alt="NOBLE" width="32" height="32">All right guys. Is there anything you'd like to say to the readers/voters or your opponent for Round 3?
<img src="https://www.letsbeef.com/forums/image.php?u=891607&dateline=1515108602" alt="Aggo" width="64" height="32">I'd like to remind everyone who got eliminated that their jobs are not over. Please continue to read, vote, and expo. A lot of times the voting on tournies fizzles out as less people are involved in the actual battles.
To Bleu, if you beat me this round I'm gonna poison you're cat. I know how much you love that cat. I know it was the only thing that brought you comfort when your brother lost his legs in the paragliding incident, and i swear to god I will put near lethal doses of ricin in its fancy feast.

Fuck your cat.
<img src="https://www.letsbeef.com/forums/image.php?u=880334&dateline=1515908081" alt="NOBLE" width="32" height="32">Lol!
<img src="https://www.letsbeef.com/forums/image.php?u=902105&dateline=1516258132" alt="ILLicitt" width="32" height="32">I reached out to Shodan after I learned we'd meet in round 3. It was all respect from the both of us. It's no secret, Shodan will be my toughest opponent I've faced so far in the tournament. I just want the public and voters to know that this verse from me will be the best verse I've written since my return. I have no doubt Shodan will bring his A-game too, so expect a clash.
<img src="https://www.letsbeef.com/forums/image.php?u=880334&dateline=1515908081" alt="NOBLE" width="32" height="32">Looking forward to it!
<img src="https://www.letsbeef.com/forums/image.php?u=897879&dateline=1515824576" alt="Shodan" width="32" height="32">To ILLicitt: I don't believe we've ever squared off before. This should be fun. Do note that I'm going to be battling with one metaphorical hand tied behind my back because I am also writing my LBT title defense verse for Rai.

To the voters: GC battles are much more important than regular battles, so dropping subpar votes on them is bad and borderline disrespectful. If you are in doubt about your ability to drop good votes, and most of you should be, I recommend following this procedure when voting on GC battles, and indeed all tournament or otherwise important battles except battles in which one participant autowins:

First, read each verse carefully, spending a good amount of time and effort to comprehend and appreciate each verse. Then, if you have even the slightest doubt about your winner, reread both verses until you are absolutely certain about it. Next, mentally outline your opinion of each verse, a comparison of the verses, and why you chose your winner. Only then should you begin writing your expo. The expo itself should consist of at least one medium-sized paragraph, 50 words being a good minimum. Of course, more is better, and anyone looking for inspiration is advised to examine my expo on Louie Dawgs vs Bape in round 2.

To all LB members: I strongly implore you to vote as many round 3 battles as you can.

<img src="https://www.letsbeef.com/forums/image.php?u=880334&dateline=1515908081" alt="NOBLE" width="32" height="32">Very sound advice, Shodan!
<img src="https://www.letsbeef.com/forums/image.php?u=880334&dateline=1515908081" alt="NOBLE" width="32" height="32">Thank you guys very much for your time!

<img src="http://i67.tinypic.com/2eby91e.gif" border="0" alt="BOTR">

The Round 2 BATTLE OF THE ROUND award goes to...

Jimmy Hoffa vs. OH MY GOD

I agree with ILLicitt in being surprised by how one-sided the votes were and thought it should've been a lot closer. Check that out if you haven't had a chance.

<img src="http://i67.tinypic.com/whxu2f.gif" border="0" alt="http://i67.tinypic.com/whxu2f.gif">

There will be an award for the top voter of this tournament. I will edit this section a little later with the current tally.

<img src="http://i65.tinypic.com/54suus.gif" border="0" alt="Predictions">
This episode's predictions for the GC Quarter-Final Round is brought to you by @Seul

Originally Posted by Seul

Bape vs Jimmy Hoffa:

I would say Jimmy Hoffa is the favourite here, he's been around a long time, consistently been winning, and just got his first orange title not too long ago... BUT he hasn't been at his full potential so far this tournament imo. Bape is one of those hit or miss types, he'll either come hard as fuck or fall flat. Both have a clean style but I think Jimmy's is more polished. Both also have had some easy rounds earlier in the tournament, so both will probably put out their best verses of the GC so far... but even in that regard, I would still go with Hoffa....

19% Bape - 81% Jimmy Hoffa

Xwizit vs Rai:

Rai is just coming off an upset victory over Row, I think that will help his momentum going into this round but he will have to come stronger if he wants to give Xwizit problems. Xwizit is definitely one of the favourites going into this tournament and his verse against Lil Alzie was over-kill to show he isn't playing around. Rai is very clean and goes for big multi set's which caters to alot of voters liking, but Xwizit's unique way to touch on concepts can't be ignored. This one will be good, but I think Xwizit will edge this with a touch more creativity.

74% Xwizit - 26% Rai

Bleu vs Aggo:

I haven't seen much of Aggo from before, but he has apparently elevated alot lately - and from what I see? Every verse is a joy to read... but on the other hand, Bleu is considered the true GOAT of this site by many and has been winning tournaments consistently. Both have similar styles imo, clean execution and strong set-ups. Both leaders of Punishers, I think this will be a great clash but I see Bleu taking this, at the same time I wouldn't be surprised to see if Aggo has some tricks up his sleeve, to turn the tide into his favour.

65% Bleu - 35% Aggo

Shodan vs ILLicitt

I think this one will be a comfortable win for Shodan. He has been on fire lately and just took out Celsius like it was a walk in the park, ILLicitt has just recently returned to the site and still hasn't caught a strong stride. Shodan's complex style has been hard to beat lately, as he's been a formidable foe to anyone he's battled recently, even beating Xwizit... and due to this I think Shodans bars will out-power anything ILLicitt has to offer.

100% Shodan - 0% ILLicitt


Good-luck to all.

.
All right, folks! We've come to the end of another episode of the 2018 Text GC Magazine. Please make sure you check out the battles as they drop and cast your (well-explained) votes. Until next time...deuces!

Good work on this..even though John jones vs Connor mcgregor doesnt work.. But Great None the less, im looking forward to round 2

Good work on this..even though John jones vs Connor mcgregor doesnt work.. But Great None the less, im looking forward to round 2

Oh you're just gonna threaten Mr Flopsy like that Ag?.. That's it

Oh you're just gonna threaten Mr Flopsy like that Ag?.. That's it

[exwhyzee]

Not Mr Flopsy

Ay g'luck @Rai

Dope shit Nobes

[exwhyzee]

Not Mr Flopsy

Ay g'luck @Rai

Dope shit Nobes

Dope Noble ,
@Shodan , well you're right.. i do, and tbh i honestly forgot you were.

but I acknowledged the flaws in my verse and that's what beat me.

Dope Noble ,
@Shodan , well you're right.. i do, and tbh i honestly forgot you were.

but I acknowledged the flaws in my verse and that's what beat me.

Full disclosure. Bleu ghost wrote my interview answers.

Full disclosure. Bleu ghost wrote my interview answers.

Originally Posted by Xwizit

Not Mr Flopsy

Ay g'luck @Rai

Dope shit Nobes

Same to you, x...will be a good one

Originally Posted by Xwizit

Not Mr Flopsy

Ay g'luck @Rai

Dope shit Nobes

Same to you, x...will be a good one

[Bape]

Good luck @Jimmy Hoffa

[Bape]

Good luck @Jimmy Hoffa

Good luck @Me.

Good luck @Me.

[Seul]

My bad @Alzie, In the predictions I said @Xwizit murdered you... no hate just didn't feel your verse as much as the rest of the site did, apparently.

[Seul]

My bad @Alzie, In the predictions I said @Xwizit murdered you... no hate just didn't feel your verse as much as the rest of the site did, apparently.