Fighting in Battle Rap: The Paradox
 In a form of entertainment that glorifies violence like none other, it would seem as if throwing a punch was fair game in the world of battle rap. Wrong. Math Hoffa’s punch thrown at Serius Jones landed him a spot on the bench that he’s yet to bounce back from. With this being Math Hoffa’s second offense, Smack/URL officially banned Math for his actions.
“I want all the fans to know that we don’t condone that kind of behavior here at the URL, we don’t support it in no way, shape, or form. At this point forward as it stands right now Math is definitely banned from the URL. He won’t be able to participate in the events due to the situation that happened and the liability he may bring to our business. It’s unfortunate because that’s my brother, I don’t hate Math I just hate what he did. We gotta hold our emotions when we’re performing. This is an artform and when you’re a battler you’re supposed to be professional. I know things can get real frustrating at times when you’re up there but that’s part of the sport.”
-URL spokesman “Smack”, YouTube: “Smack Talks SM3, Math Hoffa, Hitman & More”
Smack has publically made statements saying that he felt personally disrespected by Math’s actions. When a league spends thousands of dollars on an event, throwing a punch can hinder the brand making it more difficult to book venues and find sponsors for future events. When Math threw a punch at Summer Madness 3 (URL’s Superbowl-esque annual event) it shut down the event subsequently cancelling all of the battles set to take place after Math Hoffa/Serius Jones.
 As we roll through April, Math Hoffa continues his hiatus.  There is clearly a long list of reasons why NOT to start a fight during your battle.  With that being said there are some positives that should be acknowledged.  Views. More views means more publicity. A 54 second clip of Math Hoffa punching Serius Jones has gained 1.3 million views on WorldStarHipHop.com. In contrast, the headlining battle from the same event (Calicoe vs T-Rex, 47 minutes) dropped on the URL YouTube page has only gained 832k views.Â
The controversy surrounding Math Hoffa’s punch has drawn more views than if he hadn’t thrown the punch. After the footage was released, Math had more of a buzz than ever before. Some people would even argue that Math’s first altercation (vs Dose, 2006) is the foundation that Math built is career on. Had Math never thrown that punch vs Dose there’s a chance his career would have fallen into obscurity. However, the millions of views (plus a TV Spot on “Most Shocking...”) made him a household name to battle rap fans.Â
 Is it okay to throw a punch at your opponent during a battle? No. It is completely unacceptable and disrespectful towards everyone involved. That being said – does it have it’s advantages? Absolutely. Math Hoffa’s career is defined by this paradox. Is his career over because of this? Only time will tell.
