90
Bars/Wordplay 9
"I don't give a fuck if it's Christmas it ain't Holla day (holiday)" The knock on John is that he's the worst offender of the 10-4 stolen rhyme, as if he doesn't come up with his own fire bars or clever word play. However whether he does it deliberately to pay homage (I say a Big verse I'm only biggin up my brother) or intentionally to style on you (you made it a hot line, I made it a hot song), every time he's coming with heat and that of course includes all the word play that's his own.
Delivery/Performance 9
"I said the gun so big I gotta hold it like a water hose, It's like I'm getting head from a milf, I let that 40 blow, 30 from the heat outta nowhere, Norris Cole" John John’s delivery is on point, nothing over the top but just a crisp and fluent cadence packaged with overall solid performance. Basically John John can rap well and he never looks wack on stage or on camera, in essence he's just a solid MC all around.
Originality 9
"Speaking of that, for ****** to be say I be stealing bars, that's retarded to me, cause I kill ***** with their own style, and add my own bars to the heat, cause they was food, and I proved, that you are what you eat, even in Mortal Kombat Shang Chung was the hardest to beat." This is where a majority of fans would like to see John John lose more points, but let us offer a different perspective. In the genre of rap where over time so many lyrics have been borrowed and modified, while simultaneously instrumentals have been built off samples of other music, there’s a long history of artists taking something that’s out there and making it hotter. Sometimes your favorite songs from your favorite artists are a complete revamp of music that was celebrated decades before, and if you study the history of music going back even further you’ll see that there’s nothing new under the sun. With that in mind John John has found a way to stand out in the battle rap game where so many others blend in, in which case to many that should make him original enough.
Versatility/Jokes 9
"I got a call from somebody that Bill went to school with, he said Eric Wilkerson rode the short bus and had a bad habit of drooling, he stayed in one class all day, with 10 teachers and 5 students, I said you telling me he was Sped Ed? he said duh? I knew it!" Not overly versatile but not necessarily one dimensional either, John John can break you down with bars, schemes, jokes, and personals to the point where his rounds are well crafted, and his name on the card is something to always look forward to.
Freestyle/Rebuttal 8
"I ain't the type to speak on beef that ain't mine, but ***** why you battling me, don't waste time, see you... *touches nose* *snaps fingers* shit I tried to rebuttal, I'm a get in to my shit, I tried to rebuttal..." Not his best quality, and sometimes when he makes an attempt it takes away from his performance, such as the Tay Roc battle where he at least played it off rather smoothly. Otherwise some believe his ‘borrowed’ content are premeditated rebuttals, such as his rounds vs Bill Collector, yet that’s a misrepresentation of the category all together. [A good time to once again plug John John vs Bill Collector though - one of the best battles in recent memory that battle rap media overlooked].
Impact/Brand 9
"That's A headshot to his jaw with a slug, or B shotgun pellets all up in his gut, or C go for his legs and have him crawling in his blood, or D start from his feet and shoot ALL OF THE ABOVE." John John has been building his name and reputation year by year, and most recently he’s even expanded his brand by starting up his own Bullpen Battle League, which has already hosted a few events with some high profile names on each of the cards. Furthermore the production value they put behind the footage is exceptional, and as long as they keep putting out quality battles then Bullpen Battle League will be around for years to come.
Views/Numbers/Multiple Formats 9
"Any ***** running a battle league just hit my line bro, and I don't care who it is as long as you spend that money pronto, so if you want a no name dead, just give John, Doe (dough)." John John does his numbers, going triple Platinum with Hitman and hitting a million with Bill Collector and K Shine, followed by Tay Roc and Mr. Wavy close behind them. He’s battled everywhere from URL, KOTD, UW, and even the old GrindTime, while meanwhile his battles on his own league have him around 500 grand as well. One noticeable misfire however is his performance on 106&Park where he got eliminated in his very first battle, a detriment to his resume when you consider Lux & Hollow made it all the way into their Hall of Fame.
No Stumbles/Chokes 9
"He even told me about Dirty Dana at the time was the new chick, she let everybody from... *snaps fingers*... fuck...." John John has definitely stumbled before (Tay Roc, Bill Collector), however he isn’t prone to completely forgetting his rhymes. Instead he sometimes tries to do too much (Roc) or otherwise simply gets tongue tied (Bill) yet to call either a choke would be disingenuous.
Stays Active/Consistency 10
"Fuck that white boy, I hope somebody stick some knives in em, but I'm gon treat you like him, so you can die with em, so for that city in South Carolina, I'm a let that 9 get em, and give Charleston (Charles ten) and make him one of my nine victims." John John definitely stays active and now as much as ever before with his Bullpen Battle League, and for the most he’s always consistent and his performance is correct no matter his opponent. Meanwhile in recent years it seems URL has struggled to get consistent high profile battles on their stage, in which case the smaller leagues have become all the more important.
Bodybags 9
"I bumped em only cause it's on sight with this *****, I'm charged up, back to back, like that light skinned *****, but he can be drake, I'll be Quentin Miller, I gotta RIGHT (write) for this *****." If you don’t think John John has bodybags then go check on Reed Dollaz and Mr. Wavy, the latter who we still haven’t seen since John John decimated him and made it look easy. He otherwise has a ton of debatables but nonetheless that often makes for classic footage either way (Hitman, Bill, Money Bagz, etc.)
for thisshitishotsunlive interview above