The Rap Game UK: What is a clash?

Clashing has been a big part of rap for decades, but where did it come from? And how exactly do you master it? We hear from some of The Rap Game UK’s experts who tell us the secret to winning a clash - the equivalent of lyrical assasination.

On episode 2 of series 4 of The Rap Game UK on BBC Three, the artists had the chance to clash with each other. JClarke, one of this year’s artists from Brixton, south London, hit Big Jest with lines like: “I heard your hairline had a chat with your beard and he said slow down ‘cus you know I can’t keep up.” Konan laughed while guest mentor Lethal Bizzle looked transfixed, like he couldn’t wait to hear what would come next.

It’s 2004. A young Kano and Wiley, two of the biggest British rappers of all time and widely described as pioneers of grime, face a slightly shaky camera in a basement. They start to spit bars, with Wiley delivering lines like “I would bury Kane, I pop your girlfriend's cherry Kane” in response to Kano’s: “When I spit, I spit to kill, spit fire, set alarms, you know the drill. Entire crew armed, you know the drill, brain games - if you wanna play, you know I will." It sounds harsh, but it’s all the art of seeing who has the best and most cutting lyrics.

British grime MC and rapper Jammer, who ran Lord of the Mics, a series of filmed grime clashes, was a guest mentor on last year’s The Rap Game UK and previously cited Wiley vs. Kano was one of his favourite clashes. The event, filmed in his basement 18 years ago, started a series of high-profile clashes between some of Britain’s most iconic grime artists including Skepta, Jaykae (guest mentor on this Rap Game episode 2) and Big Narstie.

You might think clashes only happen in films, but they continue to be a popular and significant part of rap.

A clash, also known as a rap battle, is when two or more performers go head-to-head. It incorporates boasts, insults and wordplay and can be freestyled, and they often happen in front of a live audience.

Some say battle raps began in the US’ East Coast hip hop scene in the late 1980s, with one of the first infamous battles happening between Kool Moe Dee and Busy Bee Starski in December 1982.

In terms of coming to the UK, Jumpoff’s Spin the Mic tournaments in 2005, in which MCs battled against each other in rounds of freestyle acapella battles for a cash prize, was a key turning point in establishing a British rap battle scene. According to some critics, Jumpoff, established in 2003, were one of the first companies to publicly organise and film rap battles in the UK. After this came World Rap Championships in 2006, which brought together competitors from the UK, US and Canada, all for the title of ‘World Rap Champion’ and a cash prize of around £42,000, and Don’t Flop from 2008 - now the largest rap battle league based in the UK. It was one of the first UK leagues to embrace competitors bringing pre-written bars, and battles go on for three rounds.

Skepta, Wiley, Kano, Novelist, Riz Ahmed and Professor Green are just some of the well-known UK artists who have taken part in clashes.

Nigerian-born English rapper Shaybo, a guest mentor on this year’s Rap Game, tells BBC Three growing up she listened to a lot of grime. Clashes were about “being able to rap on the spot and being able to go toe to toe with people and it's just about you embracing and you learning your lyricism and just being able to do those things on the spot, head on.”

Clashing started at school for her when she took on British grime MC and MOBO award nominee Novelist. “Novelist actually went to the same school as me, and we would do rap battles in the playground. So that's where I kind of learned how to kind of pick up the pace and be a rapper and stand with the guys.”

One thing is clear when it comes to a clash: Go hard or go home. British grime MC and rapper Jammer, who ran Lord of the Mics, was a guest mentor on last year’s The Rap Game UK and described contestant Pocaa’s tactic of ripping Brynbp’s wig out from her pocket as “the art of war”.

“Get them close. Then chop their head off,” he told the artists.

But there’s also room for humour. Rapper NoLay, part of grime collective Unorthodox and who Krept described as “an expert in the art of clash”, acted as mentor to the artists on week 2 ahead of their clashes and told Zoellz: “If you go in there and make people laugh you’re sold already.”

Similarly, confidence is key as it encourages the audience to join in. When giving advice to Liverpool-based P3lz, NoLay said: “When you go, make sure you look him dead in the eyes. Say a bit more with your hands - point at him, express whatever you’re saying.”

Guest mentor rapper Lethal Bizzle first known as a grime MC for More Fire Crew encouraged the artists to get the crowd involved as it “will help your case”.

At the end of the day, clashing is entertainment for the audience. Ahead of their rap battles, Konan likewise advised the contestants: “Remember you’re not just clashing each other, you’re performing also. So make the most of it. I want to see you go crazy on them."

Also, clashing is a chance to really show off your talent. “It's just the competitiveness, man, and a chance to show your skill,” says Rap Game co-host Konan. “It's easy to do things when it's just you. But when you have to go against other people, you start to see who's really built for this and who’s up for the challenge.”

“Someone running in a race track by himself is way different from competing in a race against other fast people. And I mean, it's entertainment. At the end of the day, man, it's always good to see people competing against each other.”

You can watch Rap Game UK on BBC Three and BBC iPlayer.