People have called this bit out, and it's right, you can do this, is that, you know, it's middle-aged guys that, you know, probably their knowledge of hip-hop has dropped off the planet about 2005.

Sure.

And, you know, inherently, you could say it's corny or whatever you want to, and, you know, there's some of that.

You have to believe that.

But nonetheless, to change that,

you cannot say this about this round.

No.

Is that esoteric, he is a professional MC. He is worked with many members of the Wu-Tang Clan.

His Zarface project is with Inspector Deck. He's got an album coming out, a collaboration with MF Doom. He shared the stage with Kanye West, 50 Cent. I mean, this... And he grew up battling. He, you know, came up battling Philadelphia. You can find this stuff in the internet. It's how he got noticed. It's a way a lot of emcees get noticed. So, Esoteric is going up against Dan Roach. Why Dan Roach? Because he won last year. He's a champ. Dan Roach is the only repeat contestant. I'll let you know, there's two more battles left after this, and he is the only repeat. We just thought that he's got to have a shot to defend his crown. And so I've been looking forward to this because it's going to be just awesome. Because Esoteric is going to go first and you'll hear that. And then there'll be

Dan Roach, which will come out so horribly corny. Maybe. It's just, it's not about, it's

embarrassing. It's not about the rap. It's about who people want to win. I'm just so happy.

And I think that and I, by the way, this battle, I'm probably the most, well, the hindsight, the Heinz and Gorman thing was probably my favorite. And there's a couple of, and there's a couple of things. And there's a couple of things. And there's one coming up that we're going to end it with a bang. I just, I'm so excited. I don't want to spoil it. but I will say that this matchup is my favorite social experiment.

I'm so glad that I didn't have to do it this year.

It's going up against us. But I will say that this matchup is my favorite social experiment.

I'm so glad that I didn't have to do it this year. You have to go against Esoteric? Oh, my God. Anyone going up against Esoteric is going to be tough. And by the way, so Esoteric had made a song that I thought was great. He was like, okay, well, I heard Gorman's. I'm going to step up my game a little bit. He talked to Rucker, and Rucker was like, dude, take me out.

Take me out of this, which Esoteric is confirmed, and rip on Fred Moore. You've got to rip on him, not me. So I've not heard this version of Esoteric song. But let's not wait around. That's right. Let's get right to esoteric

And then I want with very minimal time between esoterics and Dan Roaches

Because the juxtaposition That's right. Let's get right to esoteric, and then I want very minimal time between esoterics and Dan Roaches.

Well, the juxtaposition we're going to do the normal.

We're not going to do anything differently.

I want to rush it. I want to rush it.

Because Dan Roach won last year, he gets the honors of going second.

...