TNT: "Sweet Sixteen"

[Vern Acular]

THE NEW TRIBUNE
Sweet Sixteen


::INTRO::
::NORTH::
::SOUTH::
::EAST::
::WEST::
::OUTRO::



::INTRO::

first i want to give a special thanks to Tha Talent for assisting me with the mag practically every week, his top 10 pieces have always been just what the mag needs to be regarded as one of the best mags around, this week, although, he withdrew from the tourney, for reasons we dont need to discuss, he has put together in his words. a breakdown of all 16 participants that have made it to the "Sweet Sixteen", i just want to say that you are deeply appreciated for what you do, b/c you are always giving credit to others, you dont really get that satisfaction of seeing yourself in a top 10 list, but IMO you are one of the best in the league, and i am glad to see that you signed back in, your writing abilities are far beyond par, each week you bring great verses, im not going to over-evaluate, i just want to say thank you for what you've done for the league, and i give you the official title of the Peoples Champ, if anyone disagrees, you lack intellegence

thank you
-Vern

now to the tournament, last week, was somewhat disappointing, alot of unsuspected no shows, as i mentioned tha talent is out due to technical reasons, but names such as art writaz, poetiquette, and what most were calling the favorite to win, richard corey, that gives me asigh of relief competition wise, but it also gives me the feeling of disgust that the cats i rely on to show, and make the tourney appealing, set a bad example to the new comers, by no showing, i know things come up, but atleast apologize or something, i think a lot of people fail to realize all the work and responsibilities of a moderator, nonetheless, a special thanks to the people that did their part and showed, now we’re down to the sweet 16 plus 1, due to a tie, voting last week was bland as usual, hopefully this week everyone will show, and vote, that way we can make this event successful, as it has been in the past

now to the matches, last week, one of the best matches imo was omen vs erykah, im not one to do a lot of evaluating in mags, that’s why i appreciate tha talent so much, but this match was closer than the votes tell, erykah wrote a really good verse, but so did omen, im sorry i didn’t get to vote on it, but for those that read it know what im talking about, it’s worth a read if you haven’t, anaphora wrote a really good verse but no one got to see it due to art writaz no-showing, another one worth peeping, username showed us how to pull a no-show verse out of his ass, the funny thing is it was actually pretty good, not stellar or anything, but he showed dedication, eventhough his comp was messing up, he still got a verse in, and b/c liquidlife recycled a verse, he won by default, and possibly could have won without it, i apologize to trap, he sent me his verse and i lost it, but he still found a way to post a verse, and get the win by NS, vember continues to run his mouth, and may be banned due to it, the only advice i have for him, is grow up, other than that it comes down to my match of the week award, congratulations to idol z and infinite truth, my oh my, 2 great verses, both looked liked they were writing to win, unfortunately only one could which was IT, but idol but up a valiant effort, anyway, lets see whats up with the “Sweet Sixteen” compliments of tha talent

[Vern Acular]

::The North::
01 - Omen
Currently, the RSTL has four members with over three championships. Vern Acular is a six time champ, Jowelz and Peril Eyes are five time champs, and Omen is a four time champ. However, what makes this even more impressive is Omen's other record, the record for consecutive title defenses. Six straight weeks of defending his throne under the alias Author Nyse, and Omen only concluded his reign when called into active duty. Now, he's back for a tournament, all the while still stationed in the Balkans with the US Army. AND HE'LL STILL FIND TIME TO BEAT YOU. Omen is one of the most poetic writers in RSTL history. He throws creativity around like a football, with some of the best plots, most creative concepts, and most surreal imagery around. Omen is a force, and he is the favorite to win his bracket, not just because of his well earned top seed, but also because of his skill with words. Every read from this man is a journey, and whether you like the soft tones of his poetry or not, you have to respect him. And even as he is bogged down by his daily demands as a solider, he is still coming as strong as ever. Prediction:Final Four

05 - Formal Logic
Of all the recent RSTL competitors, one would be hard pressed to find someone as inconsistant as Formal Logic. Formal is very skilled. He has enough talent to possibly win a championship or two. And yet he hasn't truly made his presence felt yet, leaving the question: why? And another question, when will he show his true ability? Formal has, in the past, truly motivated me with his writings. I can remember times where he was in the top 5 verses of the week, if not higher. And yet, I've read some verses that seemed so vague and unfulfilling, as if he becomes victim to apathy on occasion. A tournament is the perfect place to show your true skill, and i can only hope Formal realizes this. If he does, he could give Omen a serious challenge, and even contend for a Final Four spot. Prediction:Eliminated by Omen

06 - Headless Verseman
You can call it irony, that Formal Logic, whom i just wrote about, and Headless are in the same bracket. As you may have just read, Formal suffers from occasional bouts of apathy, but Headless's case is different. The Verseman has proven himself to be one of the best writers on the internet, and at the same time, seems to not care about what happens in the RSTL. He started his RSTL career as a nearly unbeatable force, going something like 11-2. Though he never won a title, any RSTL writer of the time recognized him and his skill. But recently, he has shown an apathy toward the topics and an overall apathy toward the league. His verses have been known to be sloppy and poorly written, with no attempt to push himself. Headless is a classic case of a man who is too skilled to lose, and at the same time, not a safe pick to win. However, if his two tournament verses are any indication, he might just be turning things around. If he does decide to show his best work, then a sixth seed might end up coming out of the Northern Bracket. Prediction:Eliminated by Anaphora

07 - Anaphora
He's been called the future of the RSTL, and he's certainly one of the fastest rising members. Anaphora is here. His verses recently have been nothing short of great, as he will be in the championship(against Vern Acular) when the regular league commences. He has improved during his time in the league, and now seems to have found his niche as a storyteller. His stories are clever and multilayered, and his wording is very smooth and creative. Infact, if asked to compare Anaphora to any of the league's heavyweights, i would say his style reminds me of my own, to be more precise, of the style I was writing most of my verses with about half a year ago (back when i was dope). He smoothly tells original stories, an ideal style for an RSTL competitor. And with that style, he aspires to go as far as I did using the same style in the last 64 man tournament, and perhaps even win the final. I'm not sure if Anaphora is quite ready to take on the elite, as, at times his mechanics aren't as smooth as i would like, but if he keeps improving and his creativity stays with him, he could go far. Prediction:Eliminated by Omen

[Vern Acular]

::The South::
03 - Ill Logic
I had left RM when Ill Logic aka Naughty Nebzer began his rise through the RSTL ranks, which culminated in a title match which he lost. And so, I have not read very many RSTL verses by him, though i did read the verse that got him into the championship, and I read his round one verse. Though his #1 Contender Battle verse was dope, with well chosen words and a very nice plot, and showcased his skill well, I felt that his Round #1 verse could have been better. That said, how I can best just Nebzer's skill is not through the RSTL, but through our former powerhouse crew, Textual Pleasures. TexPles collaborated a lot, and got many responces. And the theme of MANY of those responces to just about every collab was that Nebzer had a great verse. Here was a non-champ, whom many did not even recognize as Ill Logic, and thus assumed he had never really done anything in the league, now outshining the likes of Omen, L-Dogg, Mac Flow, Vadik, and, yes, myself. So don't try to tell me that Nebzer only got a 3 seed because he's a mod, because Nebzer has a fresh style, and will not be easily defeated if he tries. Prediction:Eliminated by God Extensions

04 - God Extensions
Trap's my boy, but he stole his style from me. Actually, I'm not sure Trap stole his style from anyone, considering he's been netceeing longer than any of us. However, the truest vet of the RSTL has really never proven shit in this league. I believe the highest he's gotten is a number three ranking. That doesn't mean shit come tournament time, when skill takes over. And trap has PLENTY of skill. He's not only one of the most creative writers in this tournament, he's also one of the most well worded. Trap doesn't write poetry, but at the same time, he's very poetic. I love his verses, he's probably one of my top ten favorite writers in the RSTL. When he turns it up, he's nearly unbeatable. The question is, will he come all out, or just his normal, still dope verse. Either way, he's good enough to go far, especially considering he is in the weakest bracket. Prediction:Final Four

07 - Harlequin
Finally having officially stated his identity, Rapter2K now finds himself as a member of the Sweet Sixteen. His last two tournament verses have been about transformers, and I really hope he gives up that gimic quick. It was creative the first time, though. However, Rapter's skill is not so much found in his creativity. Rapter's strength lies in his lack of an obvious weakness. His wording is not INCREDIBLE, but at the same time, he gets the job done. Imagery is probably his strongest catagory, and yet I wouldn't put it up with the best of the best. His flow was an area of concern before the tournament, but it seems like he's realized that he needed to smooth it out and has strayed from the overtly long bars recently. I would say the biggest asset Rapter has is that he, like Anaphora, has been improving greatly. He's not quite as good as Anaphora yet, but I can see soon down the line a time when Harlequin will be able to compete with the vets. I'm just not sure that time is now. Prediction:Eliminated by Ill-Logic

09 - Namix
I didn't like Namix's Round One verse. It seemed like he tried to fit a three page story into a fifty line rap verse, which of course hindered his rhyme scheme and made the wording seem a little choppy. However, this round he really pulled off a great verse. The writing was witty and his word choice was smooth, though not great. I can still see subtle signs that he's not totally adjusted to writing topicals, however he does it well enough. I've always felt namix to be one of the wittiest guys on the board, just from reading a few of his battle verses. He has a creativity that I don't, and he used it well, to compliment his pretty nice concept last round. If he can do the same this week, he'll make a tough match even for a writer as skilled as trap. I'm really interested in seeing how he develops. Prediction:Eliminated by God Extensions

[Vern Acular]

::The East::
04 - SeQueL
I can't remember ever seeing someone amaze me in their first week in the league quite like SeQueL. SeQ is a respected and well known battler, who's battle style is the fairly typical "short setup, long punch" style. People who use that style rarely ever make a successful transition into storytelling, because even if their stories are fresh, and their word choice is good, it still feels like a battle because of the setup-punch style. However, SeQ broke all those rules, and came in with a furious flow and great word choice, to compliment a great storyline. His RSTL debut was ranked 3rd in the top 10 verses. Recently, SeQ hasn't been quite THAT good, as his story ideas haven't been quite as creative as that first one, but his word choice has, if anything, improved, and his flow hasn't fallen off a bit. He's very skilled and multi-dimensional, and has proven his versitility by writing a purely entertaining verse in the first round, and a very deep story last week. This is a guy who could pose a very serious threat in this tournament if he keeps trying, and keeps his content fresh. Look out for him. Prediction:Final Four

05 - DMeTRiUS
I'm not going to lie, I'm really not a huge fan of DMeTRiUS. However, I do respect him. He has won his fair share of battles in this league, although two of his most prestigious battles he was in he ended up tying his opponent (IV and SeQueL). Still, when he tries, DMeTRiUS has been known to prevail. Last 64 Man Tournament, DM wrote a great comedy verse under the name Underdog, and no one noticed it. But to me, that is the DMeTRiUS that is good enough to be a former champ. He showed wit, a polished flow, and nice word choice, along with a flair that is rare to see. He wrote a good, well written comedy verse. That's something only a few, notably Jowelz and Mac Flow, are known to be able to do. I wasn't as impressed with his effort last round, where he tried the gimmic of rhyming his whole verse off of a single sound, but chose the ridiculously simple "ation" sound as his rhyme. However, he still had a great flow and made some decent points in his political banter. We aren't used to seeing DMeTRiUS put full effort in. Infact, I really can only remember seeing him do it 3 or 4 times. However, when he wants to, he can beat the best. He is probably the underdog against SeQueL, but that is a title he relishes. I'd personally love to see DMeTRiUS prove his skill again and win it all, but the question is, as with several others (see Headless Verseman, Formal Logic), will he put enough effort in? Prediction:Eliminated by SeQueL

07 - MC4Sight
MC4Sight's name might not be familiar to some. And if its not, then you probably weren't watching the league this past winter. 4Sight's style intruiges me. His verses often toe the line between boredom and character development. However, he usually stays to the right side of the line. Even while on the right side of the line, 4Sight's style is make or break, because his verse is generally a build up to a twist or conclusion. So if his foreshadowing isn't good enough, the twist seems out of no where, or if his foreshadowing is too good, it isn't suprising at all. Still, I really enjoy reading his verses because his wording is so polished and smooth, as is his flow. 4Sight writes truly easy reads, and at the same time, if his twist is well done, he can really make you think. And he seems to understand human emotion, as he paints pictures of his characters exceptionally well. Prediction:Eliminated by Username

09 - Half N Half
You might know him by the name Khoi Ngujin, but if you haven't been paying attention to the league, you probably just flat out don't know him. However, that's no reason to underrate him. RnR has produced several great writers, myself included. 1/2man is one of those. He is a smooth writer, more than anything else. Perhaps he has not totally adjusted his style to the art of storytelling yet, but he seems better at it everyday. His biggest weakness in my eyes is his somewhat simplistic rhyme scheme, however he has also been working on that I believe. I'd like to think the advice I've given him has helped him become a better writer, because I've seen so much improvement in this kid. He's turned himself into a true writer, with word choice solid enough to rival any of you. And he really writes enjoyable verses. Sometimes I question his plots, but at the same time, they are written well and he usually pulls off what he offers. I'm not going to lie, I really wish I had been able to show on time against him, but I completely understand that he had assumed I was no showing, and I feel that it would have been a bit of a bitch move for me to leave my verse up. However, I told him that he better have a great verse this round, so if he wins, don't be suprised, even though I am not picking him. Prediction:Eliminated by SeQueL

14 - Username
Username has impressed me. He seems to have things in perspective. He could do what Serge does, and proclaim himself better than anyone on RM, because, at least in terms of battling, he probably is. Yet instead, he seems open and candid and not very egotistical at all. He lets his skill speak for itself. And it does. User hasn't made the total transformation of styles between battle and topical like SeQueL, which is partially because his battle style is easier to transfer to topicals than SeQ's, but he has definitely proven himself as a real writer. His round one verse was ranked as the fourth best verse of the week, by yours truly, and, had he been able to put more effort in last round, he probably would have written something that good again. This round, he has told me he will put the effort in, and that's a bad sign for 4Sight. Username, like everyone in this bracket, has enough skill to win the bracket. Will he win? Maybe. But he will certainly pose a threat. Prediction:Eliminated by SeQueL

[Vern Acular]

::The West::
01 - Vern Acular
Vern's an RSTL GOD. He's got more titles than anyone. He's changed the way people write. And he's still developing. Believe it or not, Vern may be the greatest of all time and still improving at the same time. Everyone knows that he's great, and his flow and word choice and plots are great. No point in going into detail about that. But what I want to talk about is how Vern has been improving. Vern used to tell stories. He would take a tale of everyday life and turn it into an entertaining story. He did that well. However, it seems like recently, Vern wants more than to entertain. He's been writing much deeper, more complex stories with much more powerful underlying messages and themes. And he's been writing great topicals. This is part of the maturation process of a writer. Essentially, what I'm saying is, it seems to me that once Vern feels totally comfortable in his new writing self, he could take the RSTL to a level beyond. Prediction:Final Four

02 - Infinite Truth
He might be the most misunderstood writer in the modern RSTL. People don't seem to realize just how good he is, but Infinite Truth is MORE than good, he's great. A true legend who still holds the seemingly unbeatable streak of 16-0, Truth hasn't gotten the credit he's deserved since that streak. Part of it may be because he hasn't been consistant enough in the league to get back to the title match and reclaim the throne he's held twice already, and thus has been said to have fallen off. However, when Truth is on, he's as good as anyone. This is the type of guy that can win as often as he has a reasonably creative idea in his head, because his rhyme scheme is absolutely amazing and his word choice is perfect for his style of story. Its the rhyme scheme that really mezmorizes me though, more so than Vern's even. He uses three or four rhymes at once at times, all very good multis. And he usually has a great twist at the end. Truth is a serious contender to win this whole tournament. Prediction:Eliminated by Vern Acular

11 - Lord Drama
Perhaps, on his way to winning the last 64-man tournament, L-Dogg did have a fairly easy road. Even so, there is no disputing that L-Dogg is a very good writer. He uses a great flow and has very smooth word choice, to go along with decent stories. The story line is L's biggest weakness, though. He has always seemed more at home with topicals rather than stories, and he will admit that, I'm sure. However, even when telling a story, L can use his great rhyme scheme and solid word choice the occasional witty line to keep his reader interested. The big question, of course, is "can L-Dogg repeat?" Personally, while I don't feel that he will, I definitely feel that he can if he puts his all in and picks topics that suit his style. Next round he faces Infinite Truth, and I believe that if he tries to outstorytell Truth, he will lose, but if he goes with the charisma of a smooth sailing topical, he could very well win. Prediction:Eliminated by Infinite Truth

13 - Vember
I've got no plans to go into any detail about Vember. He's a kid that doesn't know when to shut up. I personally have no vendetta against him, but I do have advice. Don't talk shit if you can't back it up. Vember's not a bad writer. But Vern is on another level. Still, Vember, when he's on the more poetic tip, is actually not a bad writer at all. PredictionEliminated by Vern Acular



::OUTRO::

well if you've read this far, you know everything there is to know about the "Sweet Sixteen", this round will be good, the winners of each match will duke it out to battle for division champ and a trip to the final 4, who will win, who will fall, just a note, there is 6 Elite members left, will my prediction come true, atleast 3 in the final 4, we will soon see, btw, make a note, the RSTL LEAGUE will be starting up again next week, only those that sign in will be eligible for participation though, so go sign in if you want a spot in the ranks, as for the 16 plus one left, good luck

[A.S.K]

ohohohoho this is an amazing mad

big ups to talent for this, and vern as ever

cheers for the comments, i did the transformer thing cos some1 dared me to do, and i really appreciate the commetns

pure fantastic mag

[MC4SiGHT]

nice mag...i'm glad i read this before i wrote my verse...your description of me talent was real good man....i think it's gonna help me...

and good luck to username...i hope he does put a good effort in..

because for the rest of this tournament that i'm lucky to be in....4sight is gonna be kicking up a notch.....

[headless verseman]

good shit, and yes.....ive turned around what used to be "casual participation" into crown seeker

[DMeTRIUS]

lol .. talent never liked me :-( ... nah but yea at the end my flow did get kind of ridculous ... but when u're feeling something u're feeling it and aint nothing u can about it ... but if u go back and read the words without trying to rhyme it ... the shit is deeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeep

[Anaphora]

Wow, compared to... well, Talent I'm guessing, and predicted to beat Headless... *basks in the glory*...

I should pull my first no show ever and disappear as a 'should've been great'. haha

[Nebz]

I wouldnt say all that...about me outshining anyone....i cant hold a candle to Omen, L-Dogg, Mac Flow, Vadik, and,Tha Talent....
^ All great writers...

nice shit tho

i enjoyed the mag...

[Khôi NguJin]

this was really fresh.

Big ups to all involved, and a big applause to Talent.

[Tha Talent]

yeah, i know, i'm god.
lol.

next week, instead of just doing top 10, considering there will be only 17 MAX, i'll just rank all the verses, if that's alright with you vern.

[Vern Acular]

that's fine by me....


talent = god

[namix]

Originally Posted by Anaphora

Wow, compared to... well, Talent I'm guessing, and predicted to beat Headless... *basks in the glory*...

I should pull my first no show ever and disappear as a 'should've been great'. haha

dude the pieces i've read from you are really really technically sound..you have really nice 'conceptual flow' in them all the time.. I think your too modest lol..

but anyway, great mag.. wow @ your breakdown talent, that must have taken a relatively long time, they were such personal and specific breakdowns, props pawtna, its appreciated.. (and you too vern lol)