Math Hoffa 2013: Year in Review
Brooklyn bred Math Hoffa had a busy year in 2013. Many top tier battlers choose to battle four or fives times a year. With only 7 (YouTube) battles on his resumĂŠ from 2008-12, Math more than doubled his catalogue in 2013. On September 8, 2013 his successful streak of battles came to a screeching halt when he punched his opponent Serius Jones in one of the most anticipated match ups on Ultimate Rap Leagues (also known as URL, the highest viewed battle league in North America) yearly superbowl-esque event, Summer Madness 3. Math Hoffa is considered one of the legends who never retired. His claim to fame was throwing a punch in his first (taped) battle in 2008 versus Dose. As history proved to repeat itself, Serius Jones also took a punch from Math Hoffa in what was considered a âLegend vs Legendâ battle. His punch in the Serius Jones battles shut down the whole event and caused countless problems with sponsors and the venue owners alike. Both videos of Math losing his temper have generated millions of views on sites like Worldstarhiphop.com and YouTube, making him one of the most infamous names in battle rap.
 Whether he tried his hardest or came unprepared, Math successfully made it through 2013 in a way very few battle rappers could. He solidified his status as a legend, and maintained a level of interest with his audience with material that never grew old or tired.
 The following is a quick look at Math Hoffaâs battles in 2013. The good, the bad, and the ugly.
 Vs Pat Stay, co hosted by Drake (King of the Dot, Canada)
 Dubbed the âbattle of the bullies,â Math Hoffa versus Pat Stay had a lot of hype leading up to the battle. Contrary to what most people were expecting, both contenders remained respectful and gave one another plenty of space during their performances. In a debatable match up, both rappers came prepared. Many believe Math âdidnât tryâ because it was for a foreign league, yet still managed to entertain with his catchphrases and entertaining delivery.Â
 Best line of the battle:
âAll you Pat Stay fans close your eyes, get in the zone and relax
Visualize Nova Scotia, Dartmouth, an open door in a local flat
You go inside, walk into the living room and whoâs sitting on the sofa? Pat!
Now immediately you get excited cause youâre a fan and thatâs how you supposed to act
You approach for dap and a cloud of smoke makes you choke and hack
The smell is like wet ass
Thatâs when you notice Pat
Suck a pipe, fuck ya life
Your favorite battle rapper is smoking crack!â
-Round One, addressing Pat Stay admitting he used to smoke crack cocaine
 vs Hitman Holla (King Juce battle league, US)
Event: Triumph Over Demise
 This battle has two of the biggest names in the game. The view count is so low because it was released on KingJuce.com and is not viewable on youtube. It requires that you purchase a King Juce membership for a small price (roughly 5 dollars). Although the battle is not available on YouTube, you can catch them both dropping their rounds with no crowd. Although Hitman Holla was at home in St. Louis, Math Hoffa came through with good material and proved he has crowd control wherever he goes.
 Best line of the battle:
âI hear you do a lot of exposing in your second rounds
Thatâs cool, Iâma take that
See I got somebody close to you thatâs been feeding me straight facts
Now this person been with you since the braids to the wave caps
And when I tell you who it is, Iâm guessing heâll have to face that
Itâs your hairline! Me and that n*gga go waaaay back!â
-Second round, referencing Hitman Hollaâs receding hairline
  vs Dose [Rematch] (Ultimate Rap League, US)
Event: Unfinished Business
 This was a previous battle that never made it passed round one after Math threw a punch at Dose and ended the whole battle. In the first rematch of URL history, Math opened his first round by saying âAlright look before I start I wanna say I was never proud of what happened between me and Dose and thatâs why weâre here today, to do this for hip hop.â He held out his hand for a high five and pulled it away to yell âhe still look like a sucka!â in classic Math Hoffa fashion, he began what is arguably his most entertaining battle of 2013.
 Best line of the battle:
âSo if you came here to fight, letâs skip through the bluffing
I punch a hole through this bird and get a fistful of stuffing
I told you âgimme my space!â you said âletâs get it, itâs nothing!â
You disrespectful! So I checked you! *claps his hands* End of Discussion!â
-Round One, addressing their previous altercation
 vs Shotgun Suge (Ultimate Warrior Battle League, US)
  In another battle dubbed âbattle of the bullies,â Math Hoffa and Shotgun Suge are both known for overstepping the proverbial line-in-the-sand. This battle delivered on itâs title more so than his previous versus Pat Stay. Math edged every round versus Suge, and proved himself as the better of the two âbulliesâ.
 Best line of the battle:
âWhen Trick Trick stepped to Arsonal, it was over you
If I was Surf Iâd punch you in the face for what Iâm going through
I guess this shit was overdue, a lesson learned for both of you
A shotgun does the most damage when itâs close to you!â
-Round One, addressing Sugeâs behaviors effect on his crew
 vs Shotty Horroh (Donât Flop, UK)
Event: Set the Standard VI
 I prefaced this list by saying âthe good, the bad, and the uglyâ. This is a battle that falls under the âuglyâ category. Although having a nicely polished first and third versus Shotty Horroh, Math Hoffa came to the event without a second round prepared. He delivered about 6 lines and called âtimeâ on his second round. Although Maths point was that he didnât need a full three rounds to beat Shotty Horroh, the execution was uncomfortable at best, causing league owners to face palm at the embarrassment of Math not taking the battle seriously. Definitely not a good for Math Hoffa, and he hasnât been invited back to Donât Flop since.
 Best line of the battle:
 âIâll slap him, jab him, kick him, grab him
Lift him, flip him, slam him, grip him, drag him
Stand him, just to trip him!
Pull out my knife and just stab him
Then I stomp on his chest til his heart beats different patterns
While he sprayin up blood like itâs the crips attackin!â
  vs Jon Jon Da Don (Ultimate Rap League, US)
 Despite being a bit of a random matchup, both emcees conducted themselves well. Math Hoffa succeeded in embarrassing Jon Jon by addressing his reputation for copying (âbitingâ) lines from other battle rappers and getting away with it.  Math came with a comedic style this time, while Jon Jon came with serious material. For whatever reason, Math continuously talked throughout the first half of Jon Jonâs second round, answering Jonâs rhetorical questions and giving explanations for Jonâs accusations. Itâs tough to watch because it is poor sportsmanship and makes him look bad.
 Best line of the battle:
âYou make the worst life decisions, I been wanting to do this for so long
You a virus in battle rap and I canât let you go on
You steal bars, you stole Jonesâ, you stole Hollowâs you stole Conâs
You stole Doseâs, Even Soul Khan the list goes on!
But thatâs five cats, Iâma stop at five cats n*gga hold on
You took five cats and put âem together
Well thatâs actually kind of clever
That explains why your punches are all bites you think youâre Voltron!â
-First round, addressing Jon Jonâs tendency for stealing rhymes
 vs T-Rex (Killaz Battle League, US)
 This is Mathâs second rematch in 2014. After their first battle in 2009, both of these battle rappers have made names for themselves in the past four years that solidified their spots as legends who never retired. T-Rex came with the predictable style that he normally uses and for the second time Math Hoffa won. This battle however is tough to judge on account of it only being one round.
 Best line of the battle:
âNow they say in this day and age that we live in with technology on the rise
Super powers watching super powers, secret governments trying to thrive
They say if we have another World War, not one of us would be alive
Radiation infects the skies and sentences genocide
Only one species would survive
Dot Mobb! The f*cking roaches!â
-Comedic line addressing T-Rexâs crew âDot Mobbâ and their bad reputation
 vs Daylyt (Rap Battle Network, US)
 Much like King Juce, this battle is only available for a 5 dollar fee (Hence, 67 views). Much like his battle vs Shotty Horroh, this battle would fit into the âuglyâ category for Math. An underprepared Math was ridiculed by Daylyt during his rounds, where Daylyt continuously pushed his buttons by spilling water on Mathâs sneakers and pulling out a pillow to lay down and sleep while Math was rhyming. Iâm unable to provide the best line of this battle because of the 5 dollar fee, but if I can remember correctly both rappers came unprepared and I donât remember anything worth quoting in this underwhelming battle (Hence, once again, 67 views). Daylytâs shenanigans is the only element that gives this battle replay.
 Vs Math Hoffa (MC War, US)
Event: Clash of the Titanz
 Yet another battle against a Dot Mobb member, this battle took place in a small league, with a different format than the traditional 3 round acapella battle. It was a two round battle with the first round being over a beat. For this reason, it was a relatively lighthearted battle with both rappers clearly having fun whilst rhyming over a beat.
 Best line of the battle:
Ya girl tried sliding me the bush she slimey
Heard she a star so I shot her with fly me
Liked her, so I tapped twice cause I(âm) G.â
-Round One, referencing Instagrams (IG) âlikeâ function which allows users to double tap a picture to mark it as a âfavoriteâ or a âlikeâ
 Mathâs tenth and final battle took place at the end of August vs Serius Jones (The K-Shine battle was released in October but took place prior to August). Due to the violent outcome of that battle, Math hasnât been seen since in the ring. Perhaps leagues are afraid to book him, or perhaps he is taking a break after his hectic 2013. Regardless of the reason, 2013 was truly Math Hoffaâs year and has solidified his catalogue to a legendary status.