From A Fan's Perspective
From A Fan’s Perspective: Zoning 17
A FlipTop fan shared their thoughts on the Zoning 17 event last Saturday.
Anonymous Battle Fan
June 04, 2024
So, I went to Zoning 17 last Saturday with three office friends, who are also fellow battle rap fans. We admit we weren’t enthusiastic about the lineup at first, but since we’re all free that day, we still decided to check it out. After all, there are still the two Isabuhay matchups to look forward to and we’re curious about what the emcees from Won Minutes Luzon could offer. I’ll start off by saying that we’re glad we attended. Zoning 17 is an unforgettable experience and just proves that we shouldn’t sleep on all of the FlipTop emcees.
The only negative thing for us about this night is that we weren’t able to watch the first two battles: Caspher vs Andros and Frinze vs Hespero. The traffic was really, really bad! It used to take around 35 minutes to reach Makati Central Square but last Saturday, our trip was about an hour and a half. Whew! Anyway, according to those we’ve interacted with at the event, both battles delivered and each rapper brought a distinct style to their material.
When we reached the venue, we were just in time for Neghoy Gy vs Antonym. Negho Gy’s rounds are a showcase of flawless multisyllabic rhyming and technical writing. While wordplays are nothing new to battle rap, he managed to make them original and captivating. The majority of Antonym’s material is slept on, but hopefully, it will get more recognition when it’s uploaded on YouTube. For us, not only is it unique, but it’s also very clever and intricate. Katana vs Meraj entertained us throughout! Meraj’s angles and brand of humor are creative and his rhyme schemes remain fascinating. Katana will surely gain more fans when this battle goes online because of his masterful performance. He dropped witty line after witty line and never had a dull moment in each round. It’s a match that features a refreshing type of comedy. Don’t miss it!
Believe the hype! SlockOne vs Ruffian for the 2024 Isabuhay Tournament was a banger. Yes, we also believe it’s a candidate for battle of the year. Apart from being a showcase of advanced wordplays and metaphors, this match showed how crowd control and presence are supposed to be done. We agree with the decision but wouldn’t be surprised if there will be discussions upon release. It was VERY close. From round one to three, we couldn’t help but react loudly to the haymakers.
G-Clown vs Vitrum is the other Isabuhay battle of the event. G-Clown once again impresses with his raw aggression and faultless flow mixed with his hard-hitting punchlines. We became solid fans of Vitrum after his performance at Second Sight 12 and he didn’t disappoint here. He delivered his now trademark harsh bars and dark humor while displaying pure confidence on stage. Vitrum vs SlockOne is going to be interesting!
Lhipkram vs SirDeo will probably get a mixed reaction when it’s out on YouTube but to be honest, it was still an entertaining clash. We appreciated the combination of straightforward humorous and serious lines and the fact that they both came prepared. It may not be the battle of the night, but it’s FAR from a terrible matchup. It still garnered a decent reaction from us the crowd.
Thank you to the FlipTop emcees and the entire staff for this awesome night. We started with low expectations and ended up with more anticipation for the next event, which is Unibersikulo 12! To those who haven’t been able to watch live, we highly recommend that you do. You won’t just see the epic matchups up close, you will also have a chance to make new friends and interact with the rappers. We hope to see you on June 29!
