In the subjective world of unjudged rap battles, there’s no official record to show who’s been served and who is really at the top of the game. However, setting a benchmark based on YouTube views offers a very tangible metric that speaks to a rapper’s popularity and relevance. For years, New Jersey rapper Arsonal had been the #1 most-viewed, English-speaking battle MC, but that changed on Friday, August 5th. According to Versetracker, a website that archives rap battles and tabulates the statistics behind them, the new king is DNA. The Queens battle veteran has generated almost 48.3 million views spanning 91 battles, for an average count of over half a million per battle. Those numbers come partly from his willingness to take on seemingly anyone, anywhere, at any time, but also from his ability to maintain a positive working relationship with all of the biggest leagues in the English-language scene. Since his on-camera debut for Grind Time in 2009, he’s become a regular fixture on URL, King Of The Dot and Don’t Flop, and has produced bona fide classics for those leagues and more. To be noted, DNA is only the #1 English-language battler. He’s #8 in the world, behind seven Filipino rappers, including Loonie, who at #1 has 101 million views in 16 battles.
Watch the two most-viewed American battlers go at it below.
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