RSTL Tribune.... Who Made Top 10 ..?

[Omen]

WELCOME
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RSTL
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TRIBUNE
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OPENING STATEMENT
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Hello ladies and gents. Welcome to another week in the RSTL. Last week had its strong points as well as its weak ones. It seemed as if our championship had sprung a debate between people within the league. A debate on whether crew voting should be allowed, not allowed, or counted as half a vote. People the issue is something that can be debated but it’s a tuff decision to make. While it shows its fairness it also holds back voters in the league. So I ask you people to drop your opinions within this thread. I’d like to know every ones thoughts on the subject matter.
So without further ado here it is the:
RSTL TRIBUNE
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SCATTR’D BRAIN
(Written By: Vectore)
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first off, welcome me you mother fuckers.. & gimme dap because i filled in
for some other jackass who didnt feel like doin his part in the mag. the
introduction to my piece is simple.. i gotta do an overview of the league,
so that's what i'll do. we got this new thing the tag tournament goin on,
which will put a total halt to the actual league & we're only going to
accept so many people making others not able to participate.. luckily, i got
my spot with 4sight, but no tellin how good anybody can do with this new
addition of the pic topics. true, they're a good idea & true, they'll open
other options.. but alot of the pictures are self-explanitory.. if pics are
going to be topics.. we need to have pics with very broad subjects. the rstl
is probably the best ran league on the net, but the RBL is catchin back up.
so everyone give dap to the RSTL mods.. they work real hard when they dont
have to. the topic organization has been dope, although we've got the same
people in there every week thinkin of topics, then when the topics are
posted.. the people that dont contribute are the same ones bitchin every
week. lame. go drop a topic & hope it gets picked if you think the topics
suck. ahhh, found a wrong thing with the league.. the continuous double
battling is gettin annoying, i've wasted 2 weeks battling people i've
already beat or lost to. i'm honest, i cant be god extensions, talent, or
author nyse.. but i sure as hell can beat you flash in the pan fuckers &
that's who i keep beating.. i'm not one to complain about an automatic win,
but shit's gettin old, feel me? talent vs. author nyse should be THE battle
to watch this week. author is always droppin those simple yet complex topics
in the idea box, but HEY! what do i know. keep doin what you're doin & help
with the topics. this is the one tracked mind of a scatter brain, signing
out. WMW

[Omen]

TOP 10 VERSES
(Written By: Tha Talent)
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10.Worst Enemy
people were suprised when Worst actually showed this week, and though he lost to IV, he still showed this week again...and i for one am very happy that he did...he beat a strong verse from spy2 via his great take on the graveyard topic, and now is back in the top 10(i'd assume)...his strong wording really brings his story along nicely, and this week he definitly had the story to back the writing...a very nice piece, though it was somewhat reminant of last week.

9.Lithix
though he beat Corey, i feel Lithix is better than this, but he chose a topic i could not stand by the end of the week, and so his status got hurt slightly...not only that, but he didn't have a take on the topic as nice as specifically Mac, vectore, and baron...however Lithix is such a skilled writer, a polished writer, that he can write a verse with this kind of topic and still make it very enjoyable...he really wrote his verse well, smoothly transitioning from an Author NYSE type opening to a Jowelz type body, with no break in fluidity...everything was well worded with dope flow and it ended up with a good, though not great, ending...a strong piece.

8.MC Greg Braid E
as a newcomer to the league whose opponent no showed, it would not suprise me if i was the only member of the RSTL who read Baron Mind's dope ass verse this week...but i did, and i can tell you right now, i am glad i did...Baron wrote a very well told story, throwing a lot of emotion and an intricate plot twist into the confessional story...it was one of a broken family, which is a topic that always keeps me personally interested, and he laid it down well...only in his final verse could you truly grasp the summation of the points of the story...very nice indeed...well written with a good flow too...dope verse.

7.wrongmakeswrite
this is far and away the best piece i've read from vectore, and only a strong week like this could keep his verse from being in the top 5...he had the second best take on the topic that was chosen by the majority of the rstl this week(god knows why), the confessional topic...his verse was filled with great wording, solid flow, and a strong plot that for some reason people didn't understand, though i felt his verse was much more cut and dry than his opponent, trap...wrong vs. trap was the battle of the week in my opinion, and wrong definitly gave trap a run for his money with his career verse.

6.Awedishin
he's the Dennis Rodman of the RSTL - every once in a while me may do something strange, but Mac always rebounds...this is the rebounding week, as last week i really couldn't get into his verse...and rebound he did...he took a true story, usually a negative in my book, and really flipped it in a way that i found dope...he led you on to believe it was a story of confession, when it was really a story of skitzophrenia...Mac always rocks a great flow and writers voice, and that was no exception this week...very strong verse.

[Omen]

TOP 10 VERSES CONT.
(Written By: Tha Talent)

5.God Extentions..
creativity lives inside this man...trap took a dope twist on this topic...something that might have flown by the head of a lesser reader...i guess i just love traps style too...he words everything so well...really paints a picture with his imagery...this week his grandmother/mother twist on the Fetus topic was dope...it was a little confusing until the end, when he revealed the whole twist, but a few read throughs after that i really felt it...i could understand what was happening much more, and so if you didn't get trap's verse and only read it once, i recommend a second or third read through...his flow and writers voice are smooth, and enjoyable...trap always comes with a nice verse.

4.Jowelz
he's Mr. Natural of the RSTL...he's Jowelz - and he's proven to be arguably the greatest writer in RSTL history...how so? by his incredible writers voice and ability to transcend conventional limitations among writers...Jowelzy can pull off a comedy verse and then smoothly transition to an emotional classic...this week showed why i have dubbed him Mr. Natural...the Goaty chose the "your boy is locked up for something he didn't do" topic, and showed his incredible ability for character development...Jowelz has a phenominal ability to encomapass a characters full persona into just a 40 bar rhyme...and he always makes everything work out, and always writes stories that could actually happen...the ending of this may not be the most exciting thing, but i have to ask myself, wouldn't the character have done that?...and the answer is yes, and things like that have made him Mr. Natural.

3.InsaneVillain
one of the biggest names in the RSTL has returned to full form after a disappointing verse last week...IV came with pure fire this week, twisting the "slave from heaven" topic in a way in which he brilliantly portrayed the struggles of a man who truly did come face to face with the devil...IV is the king of foreshadowing, and he also never allows his reader to be bored because of the fluidity in which his stories move...all of this combines into a great verse...his flow is viably insane, one of the best in the RSTL right now...but the foreshadowing was made this verse great...read it through a few times...then read it through a few more...you will understand just how deeply entrenched into this topic IV got...he extended the metaphor perfectly, and in many weeks would have had the verse of the week with this one.

2.Richard Corey
i'm going to be honest, if i had to pick from Peril, Jowelz, Truth, IV, Fracture, Warren, Vern, NYSE, Tali, DahLohner, Mac Flow, and i had to pick the most talented storyteller in RSTL history, i would say you were missing one name that could at least compete with any of them: Richard Corey...sure his stint hasn't been as long as Jowelz and he didn't win 16 times in a row like Truth and he hasn't won nearly as many titles as Peril, but RC can write with the best of them...and why? because he is so orignal with his concepts and so strong with his wording that he has molded himself into a powerhouse...this week he took the "slave from heaven" topic and completely twisted it into a story where all evil is created by God as a way to make either the evil doer or the victim "see the light" and turn to him...and then he told the story of the renegade "demon" who chose not to follow God...but i'm not sure you caught everything when you were reading it...it was one of the better stories i've read in a minute...i read it a few times, and each time came out with a different opinion...he may have lost to lithix, but it was still a great verse.

1.Author NYSE
mannnn...aren't we all glad NYSE didn't retire...this week NYSE tied IV and Peril for the record for most consective weeks of title defense, and beat tek no matter what tek says...NYSE came with a genius verse, combining three topics a molding them together with the story of Romeo and Juliet...yeah...umm, i was going to do that but decided not to *covers face*...hah...anyway, this approach wasn't all that made NYSE's verse dope, of course...his flow is fire if you read it like a rap verse, and if you read it like a poem, his word choice is immaculate...and if you read it like a text piece, both poem and rap, he had great flow and word choice which is pretty much all you can ask for...his poetic style has changed the RSTL, as he is the first dominant head ever to use a poetic style(possible exception=Poetiquette)...all in all NYSE deserves this spot for his genius take on the topic and incredible style used to write it...period.

[Omen]

INTERVIEW OF THE WEEK
(Author NYSE)
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WeeZy: *ahem* Welcome, Ladies 'n Gents to this week's RSTL Tribune Interview. With a change of events, I, ILLweeMaN, will be Interviewin' none other than the former champ, Author NYSE. Welcome to the show man.

Author Nyse: Hello. Nice to be here. :-)

WeeZy: No doubt. After winning the title for the 2nd time, you manged to hold it for quite some time, tieing the Record set by Peril Eyes. How do you feel about that?

A. Nyse: Its cool. I never thought I would make it past the first week after me winning. I was against Talent and for sure felt destined to lose. So I suprised myself with holding onto it for so long. But I think perhaps people are ready for a new champ.

WeeZy: Saying they're ready for a new champ, is that the reason you signed out of the League at this point in time?

A. Nyse: Not particullarly. I mean I just feel that people think its time to move on. Time for someone else to hold the reigns. But I felt somewhat of a tainted victory this week. People made it seem lackluster. There was no pride in my win.

WeeZy: What do you mean it was a tainted victory? Are you saying you didn't desreve the win this week?

A. Nyse: I never feel I deserve a victory. I think the voters decide who should win. But there is a sense of small pride that come with winning a match. You feel good about what you have written and that people felt you deserved the win. But I just felt like that was all taken away this week by a few minor controversies.

WeeZy: What were these few minor controversies this week for you?

A. Nyse: Well I can't really say for sure that anything was directed towards me personally. It was statements that the crew I was in only voted because they were crew. That it was a form of swaying on my part.

WeeZy: Well, I voted on the battle and also read some of the votes after I submitted mine, and there were many differen't opinions on each verse. Sometimes I wonder if people actually read the verses or not. Do you get the same feel?

A. Nyse: I don't know. I hope that each voter does read the verses and votes honestly. I don't think that 'chain voting' is the way it should be. If you honestly felt someone was better than say it. Don't hide because your afraid others will hate you because you voted differently or because you feel that they person you voted against might not vote for you. Just be honest with yourself and with your vote.

WeeZy: I feel what you're saying. After this battle was finished, Tek posted a statement saying that he was robbed. Do you think it was right on his part to say this?

A. Nyse: No. I think statements like that are a way to gain more hype for yourself. So that perhaps the next week the voters will sympathize with you and see that you really do deserve to win. I have a lot of respect for Tek, he's a great writer with a true talent, but I feel statements like that should be kept to oneself. And in a way its a a form of belittleing your opponent.

WeeZy: Since this match, do you think you and Tek have any beef going on?

A. Nyse: I'd like to say no. I hold no resentment for him. I harbor no ill against him. In fact I wish him the best of luck next week. I'm not one to stress things to much but I call things like I seem them. But mainly I just try to keep my comments to myself in a match. But if he feels some sort of hatred towards me than thats him.

WeeZy: That's good. Now, there was things about you swayin' - and you stated how can you sway if you're never on the boards. What were these accusations, and why do you think they came up?

A. Nyse: Its because I was in Textual Pleasures and crew members voted for me. So it was felt that they voted for me solely because I was a crew member. But I only know 3 of them. But honestly. I feel that the issue was brought up because Tek was losing. Don't take this wrong in any way. And this might come back at me but oh well. See Tek stated he let it slide against his match with Vadik the week prior. Well he was winning that match so it was no big deal to him then because he won. But I think the fact that he was losing this time around caused him to feel the urge to bring it up. I don't hold it against him. Many would of done the same thing. I just feel if votes would of been reversed if I would of been losing than none of this would of been mentioned, for the simple reason I never saw it mentioned before until now.

WeeZy: Well, you answered my next question. I remember he let crew members vote in the Vadik match - He did win that quite easily (not in a mean or ignorant way) - so he had no worries, and you bring up a very good point. By the way, am I still the sexiest RSTL Competitor?

A. Nyse: You have that won by far.

WeeZy: Wahoo! aaaaannnnnnyyyyywwwwwaaaaayyyyyysss s, you signed out of the league. Why didn't you stay one more week to get that record around your waist?! Yes, I'm mad at you for that..

A. Nyse: Well its not for sure I would of got it. Omen has been trying to convince me to stay atleast one more week and I am contemplating on doing so. But I mean I would be facing Talent. He is a great writer and has such a powerful writers voice. He's a strong competitor. Its not an easy victory to come by. To be honest, I would say he is the only one in the RSTL that I really don't enjoy facing.

[Omen]

INTERVIEW OF THE WEEK CONT.
(Author NYSE)

WeeZy: I see. Well, maybe it's too late to try to get back in - Will you ever come back to the RSTL and try this run again, and stay this time?! Btw, tell me if I'm reading wrong - In a way, did you leave 'cause you didn't want to lose? Not in a harsh way *ducks*

A. Nyse: No I don't fear losing. Losing helps us grow as writers and as people. I can take a loss. I signed out because I just lost my motivation. This week killed it. And I don't have any plans on coming back. Not at the moment. If I do it will only be for this next week, but I don't think I am going to.

WeeZy: Now, although you are one of the greatest writers I've seen in the RSTL in a long time, I think you're also the most humble. You have the skilled bunch who hpe up their pieces, sometimes a little too much, like IV. Then you get people like You and Tha Talent - Very humble. Would you agree?

A. Nyse: In a way yes. There is nothing wrong with hyping up your piece. Its over hyping it that can cause problems. See I feel that if a person is over-confident than it refelcts in their writing. But I may be humble. I just don't feel I need to cause any tensions with anyone. I like to just post up and see what people think.

WeeZy: I see what you're saying. And do you think this week's RSTL matchup influenced your idea of droppin' TP?

A. Nyse: In a sense yes. But mainly no. I really am hardly on and feel I don't contribute enough. Which is mainly my fault because I could do more, but I rarely have the time.

WeeZy: True. I only see you on AIM and we flir..I mean talk.. but.. err.. We're out of time for tonight, but I must raise this question that the whole RSTL Community has - Are you Mill City Poet?

A. Nyse: lol. You know I get asked that everytime I am on. But I will neither confirm nor deny the facts. I know Mill and he knows me. Thats all I am going to say.:-) But May I say something upon departure?

WeeZy: Very good answer, yes you may :-)

*3 Minutes Later*
WeeZy: *Looks At Watch* ahem..

A. Nyse: TekNeek you are a very good writer.. you have the skill, your a tuff competitor to face for anyone in the league. Your style has developed a lot stronger from when we first faced eachother. The rematch was something I was looking forward to. Its sad it turned out the way it did. I have no ill intentions against you. I think your a cool head. You deserve respect. Statements in this interview were just my opions on things. Not to be taken harshly. TP I am sorry for the drop, but I just feel I lack the motivation to do the whole crew thing. I am hardly on and hardly do anything while the rest of the crew is constantly moving and adapting to eachother. IV someday we'll face eachother again. And this time Weezy won't edit me out. Talent, you have a strong writers voice but you need to pick up the confidence stick alittle. Your verses are never subpar or even par for that matter. To the rest of the league... Keep doing what your doing. You all posses the talent and will grow as writers.
Everyone in the league is a threat to someone. Just know you can win in every match. Oh and Weezy is still and always will be the sexiest man to ever be in the RSTL.

WeeZy: What did you mean by Me Edit You Out, hmm? 'n Yes, the SEXIEST!

A. Nyse: lol IV showed me our past match were you edit out my bottom half

WeeZy: HHHHHHEEEEEEYYYYYYY, I edited it back in damnit! Didn't I? !

A. Nyse: iono .. I was mainly messin with ya

WeeZy: LMFAO! oooootttaaaaayyyyy, thanks alot man for this. It was great having you here tonight, Midnight - 1 AM. Let's do this again sometime - *slips you phone number*

A. Nyse: lol yeah first time I was interviewed

WeeZy: Word..

*curtains close*

A. Nyse: *cries*

[Omen]

RSTL TOP 10
(Written By: Wisdom)

New Section Is To Be Adopted This Week.
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THE ART OF VOTING
(Written By: Cigma)
Aside from the verses themselves (complete ones, not those whack 4 lines no-show drops) voting is the lifeblood of the RSTL. We can’t live without them…but we can certainly bitch about how they are derived. Now I won’t be so arrogant to assume that my voting methods are superior to anyone, but from the votes I’ve seen of late, many are neglecting to spend an adequate amount of time breaking down these verses in an appropriate manner. Voting should not be a chore, done lightly, or flippantly.
See…the veracity of votes directly relates to the credibility of the league. Once people stop judging the verses themselves there is a problem. Favoritism is a cancer, otherwise known as ‘riding.’ Yet this should be obvious when we see it. A more subtle discrepancy though, is the lack of an in depth vote. By merely glancing through you might miss some important things that the writer was trying to accomplish. A well thought out vote will view each piece from several angles.
This goes far beyond simply a rhyme scheme and flow. There are a plethora of elements involved that go into a verse that many neglect to notice. For all and intents and purposes, you can break a verse up into two spheres under which most criteria will fall under: Writing and Rapping. Does either have a higher degree of importance than the other? That’s entirely up to the voter. My hope is to inform voters that there’s more to a verse then they could possibly have imagined.

Rapping – It’s the R in the RSTL, the reason many of us got into the league. This is also the easiest to pick up when reading a verse. Rapping involves flowing from one subject to the next and how it’s presented to the audience. Now some of these elements can be interchangeable with Writing, but here are some things that fall under this category: Flow (is the verse smooth?), Rhythm (is the verse flat or lively?), Wordplay (play on words/puns), Simile (drawing comparisons using like or as), Metaphors (drawing comparisons by saying something is), Rhyme Scheme (Dr. Sues level or more complex?), Multiple Rhymes (lines which rhyme in more areas than just one time), Audio (how the verse sounds read aloud), Progression of Words/Ideas (Rapping itself comes from this. Case in point, you might start off talking about a chair, then go to the table, then what’s on the table…that’s the essence of rap). Effective use of these devices will definitely elevate your verse above the mundane.

Writing – Ah, this is where voters tend to go blind. This is the S and the T. Writing encompasses such a broad area that it’s easy to understand why voters may not see the total picture. There is a difference between good rap, and good storytelling, our goal is to combine the two. If rapping is the tool, then writing is the content, the meaning. It’s how effectively the author draws the reader into their world, paints a picture. But writing too has tools that are specific to itself. Here are some things you should keep an eye out for: Theme/Plot (what’s the point of the verse? does it tell a good story, tell one at all? In the case of a topical, does the writer relate to that topic well?), Tone/Mood/Atmosphere (is there and overall feel to the piece?), Build-up (does the writer have enough/adequate details to support the story?), Foreshadowing (clues dropped in the story pertaining toward the ending), Closing (does the ending make sense? is there a twist?), Vocabulary (Dr. Sues level or more complex? Is it appropriate?), Allusions (references to other works), Alliteration (repetition on of letters used, fine female friend.) Imagery/Description (how vividly does the world the author create translate to the reader?). Good writing should stay with the reader even after they’ve completed the verse, should impact them in some way.

This is by no means an end all guide to voting, just a benchmark for what to look for, what I look for, when I’m reading a verse. After factoring everything else, only then should personal preference should come into play. That is a mistake most people make. You might not like the verse…but if one competitor clearly incorporated more than the other, accomplished more in their piece, clearly wrote better in most aspects, the vote should in all fairness go to them. But when all is said and done, it’s your vote, and you have the power. We just ask you don’t abuse it.
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CLOSING STATEMENT
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Ok people that raps it up. This year is almost over. And with the holidays coming up the RSTL could suffer like Thanksgiving week. So it has been proposed that the RSTL be shut down for the holiday week. This would be a way to ensure that there is limited no shows as it is plausible that people will hardly be on during this week. So if anyone cares to offer their insight onto this matter as well as the one brought up earlier, it would be appreciated.
So….
Thanks for reading this week’s Mag and I hope its to your liking and thanks to all of those who helped contribute to this weeks production.

[FórmÅl LôGíc]

Nice Mag.

[JuJewBea]

i read the whole damn thing that was a nice interview keep up the good werk.....peaz

[Awedishin]

thanks for the top ten verse again, I'm on a roll with that....

nice interview and other things, good mag as usual...

see you guys later

[vectoreman]

jeah. i made the mag, with top verses..
.. today's verse will be equally ill, i got a good concept.

[Wise-Punchlines]

good shit on the mag..props

[P i n n a c l e]

good looks

[MC Greg Braid E]

Word. Nice mag, thanks for the #8 verse, i wasn't sure if anyone actually read it, but im glad you did Talent. It's cool to get props from you after you raped me in PnP = D

[A.S.K]

good looks

1. i think crew votes should be aloowed, cos we knwo all the best voters are in crews anyway
2. nah, rstl shouldnt go down over christmas, cos people still gonna show if theyre determined

just my view

[Poetiquette]

good mag as usual

['Revelations']

Nice stuff. Enjoyed it. Hope this quality of mag keeps up.

[Lithix]

1. What does it take to get you people off of Corey's dick?

2. About the pictures being self explanitory... so are most of the topics given each week. Its up the creativty of the author to form the concept into their own creation, whether it be a straight topic or a picture. Anything can be twisted.

[LDogg The King]

^^^ word to that 2nd one.


and to nyse... we'll talk. sorry u fell you dont contribute enough in tp..

dope mag.

ill be making my comeback in tha tag tourney with ww3... be on the look people : )

[Lokternal]

Crew votes should count full, If someone is honestly voting for someone they know they shouldnt then they are a dickhead. When I vote I dont care who writes it, I simply give my opinions, and thats that. I hope the people in this league do the same, and vote fairly. I know if I was voting if I was in a crew I'd want me vote to count as a full vote. It takes time to vote, and I wouldnt want my shit cut in half. Just my 2 cents. Great mag this week as usual.