96
Bars/Wordplay 9
"You beat Illmac after Con beat em, you beat Big T ok really bro, I murdered Verb I murdered Roc, and what I did to Rex, silly though, and Factor his career been fucked they ain't even goin to X videos" Clips can bar your life away and that’s always been the case, with the ability to hit you with haymaker after haymaker comprised of slick wordplay and the sheer power of his words. Not one to over-complicate matters when he can paint the picture more clearly, Clips pen isn’t as complex as much as it’s simply fire, as it's able to be incredibly descriptive all the while being far more clever than most.
Delivery/Performance 10
"This ain’t about uptown versus downtown, this is simply about who’s better, Reed Dollaz whipped yo ass on camera, back in the days when he was way clever, and you got the nerve to compare yourself to Floyd, with all of them losses? I gotta say never, but then again the way you struggled with Reed (read) you might be Mayweather" The true image of a heavyweight, Clips has a jab and a overhand right that is unstoppable when he’s in his zone. Although not able to hit you with any accelerated delivery or hardly even a change of flow, Clips has a formula that is undeniably effective, and it’s also a fan favorite considering how his performances are of the most coveted in the game.
Originality 10
*Grabs ring card girl* "Sweetheart, let me ask you a question right, If I asked you to put this ring card down, would you come over here and touch him? he said he was signed to a label before, would you still fuck him? now see you pulling her, now all that's doing is gonna make this Tec spark, hit your stomach now both of y'all can share those stretch marks" Like all of the living legends, Clips didn’t make his name by reminding you of someone else. I can’t recall anyone from the DVD era who had the same skills and demeanor, nor can I think of anyone in the new class who can duplicate his talent overall.
Versatility/Jokes 10
"What's up with all this celebrity nut huggin' you be doing? Here's a few things somebody told your boy: You used to be on Twitter everyday trying to get a DM from Souljaboy... " Nevermind the punchline that comes later, the believability of that line directed at Conceited is just one of the many reasons Clips is as funny as anyone, and in many respects his comedy is his best quality. After barring you to oblivion Clips can roast his opponent to a crisp, eating away at his soul and spirit to the point where there’s legitimately nothing left. In fact more often than not with Clips it’s actually the bars that are the jabs and the jokes that are the haymakers, in which case his comedy more than anything else is what puts away his opponents. Of course that’s not always the case as his freestyles, rebuttals, and overall wordplay also have contributed to many of his wins, in which case despite not being as versatile as Hollow with his delivery, he’s still more adaptable than 99% of the rest of the competition.
Freestyle/Rebuttals 10
"See I know who, said you know what about you know who, but let's keep that between me and you, what's wrong Ars? these bars getting close to you, I can hear your heart beating... THAT'S WHAT THE FUCK IT'S SUPPOSED TO DO" Would be indisputably his best quality if his delivery was always clean, considering when his rebuttals have worked they’ve contributed to some of the best moments in battle rap. His rebuttals can not only make entire venues shake, but they can also single-handedly win him matchups, with his rebuttal for Rex on behalf of his family arguably still standing as the best rebuttal in history. The only problem is when Clips gets the mumble mouth or simply doesn’t freestyle anything that’s relevant or makes sense, a reality that’s not only a detriment to his mystique but also a representation of his insufficient preparation, (an issue where he most likely relies on his natural abilities too much, and to a fault). Nonetheless Clips still deserves a 10 in this category simple because he’s one of the few talented enough to even attempt to do this, and furthermore because when he’s on his ceiling is as high as anyones.
Impact/Brand 9
"I mean yeah you fucked up my rhyme in the meanwhile, but I don't know if you know that I'm the best with the freestyle, you can say fuck this ***** but you wouldn't touch this ***** even if you knew 50 you wouldn't Young Buck this *****" An interesting category for Clips because as respected as his name is in battle rap, it’s unclear how marketable he’s made himself outside of it. Furthermore he’s pretty much the opposite of the Hollow effect, in which case he battles people so often for the competition and money he over saturates himself to the point we’re no longer that excited. For example when you see Hollow’s name or Mook’s name it’s pretty much a done deal that it will be a must-see event, yet when you see Clips name your only hope is that it’s against the best competition, in which case you’re still unsure if Clips will even come with a full 3 rds. Otherwise it would of course be negligent not to mention how Hollow’s LOM brand is unconsciously bigger than Clips apparel, highlighted by Hollow trademarking his own Sike I Lied moniker for his own capital, not only a clever battle tactic but also an education on how to do good business. Perhaps if he was more active on his own CharlieClipsTV channel, which actually has ingenious production value despite not having been updated in 8 months, he could translate his reputation into a reputable brand… but then again maybe not considering there’s no equity in views and mentions.
Views/Numbers/Multiple Formats 10
"Don't ever discredit me in battle rap, I'm one of the reasons we went without a drought, now look at your boy shining, on MTV without a doubt, how I go from Nick Cannon to this Kannon (YK), idk I be wild'n out" Charlie Clips has Platinum views and a few times he’s come close to going triple, with Clips vs Rex, Lux, Arsonal, and Tay Roc (the rematch) being some of the most watched battles in history. With that being said those numbers are hardly consistent, as battles with lesser opponents on off brand formats hover around the hundred thousands. Whatever the cause may be the reality is that Clips is NOT a sure thing to hit a million every time, no matter if there are an extremely few amount of MCs who can claim that in the first place. Either way Clips performs on a variety of formats and puts out relatively good numbers every battle, which is all the more impressive considering the frequency of his performances.
No Stumbles/Chokes 8
"Nah fuck it...it's over...sike I lied *****! What I look like? that *****? Aight I did that on purpose, see I'ma tell you a secret between you and me ,I choked on purpose, so I can talk to this fat ***** that look like he work with truancy, see I knew you was gon' start booing me, yeah you fucking up tight... fucking up tight, he got me mad the last round cause he wack, I'm fucking up tight, Summer Madness is over, just fuck it, just fuck it, goodnight, don't worry about it... *flatline*..." The most unfortunate element of his game, not at all because he’s the biggest offender but more so because his achilles heel directly correlates with his greatest strength, as demonstrated in how easy it is for him to decisively win or lose battles against his opponents. As quick as he is to improvise with a room rocker, he’s just as fast to dig himself a hole he can’t rap out of, and at this point he’s no more/less likely to do one or the other.
Stays Active/Consistency 10
"How I'm supposed to salute Gemini you can't bow to the dead, I'll pop a pill take your girl home spend 9 in hours in bed, I'm from America she from London, so I made her give me 5 hours (a)head" Although he was nowhere to be found in the early years of the URLTV era, he was active in the Lionz Den/Sub 0 days where he put in some incredible work and built himself a name. It was then after a long hiatus that Clips came onto the scene vs Verb in 2011, where he was met by a large ovation for a dominating performance to which he’s never looked back. Clips has been incredibly active in recent years, and if only his performance was consistent he’d be considered the most dangerous battle MC alive. Nonetheless he’s clearly not afraid to put his reputation on the line, and for that reason he should be respected for never backing down from a challenge.
Bodybags 10
"Fuck my pops life, MY MOMS WAS THE REAL GANGSTA IN MY FAMILY" Clips can put your bodybag in a bodybag, that is of course if he doesn’t bodybag himself. Nonetheless his bodybags are so impressive that he deserves a 10 in the category, with bodybags vs Rex, Shotty Horroh, and Tay Roc (the original) that are quick to come to mind. It should be noted that if Clips stayed true to the script every time (if there even is one) then the bodybags wouldn’t be as impactful, therefore it’s his unique ability to improvise which makes him such a threat in this category as well as in battle rap in general.