RECAP: Big Beat MKE 2019 Finals
With seven weeks of tremendous battles serving as its precursor, everyone at Jackalope Lounj on Thursday night knew that the finals of Big Beat MKE was going to be something special. It was beyond that. With the combo of Da Monsta (40 Mil) vs. Fearjoy and James Ashen vs. Spice God, as well as performances from A.C. The Ruler, Twan Mack, and Shle Berry, the night was a fitting send off to this year’s tournament. A crowd spilled out of the venue onto Broadway Ave., making for a very lively environment of battle fans.
Before the main event of the evening, the Third Place Battle was nothing short of epic, as James Ashen faced Spice God. Both producers shined throughout the whole tournament, and made strong cases to be in the final last week, so it was no surprise that this contest was very evenly matched. Both also brought a combination of hip hop, trap and EDM to the table, making their sounds work well together. With an enthusiastic crowd, there was no doubt that overtime would be called for. After four blistering beats from each competitor, it was ultimately James Ashen that walked away with the Third Place win. Both competitors will likely be a strong contender in next year’s event, should they decide to enter.
The main event of the evening, however, was a battle that should be talked about for some time. The story lines wrote themselves, as Fearjoy was a young upstart that produces a hybrid of EDM and hip hop, facing Da Monsta (40 Mil), a hard hitting veteran who had made it to the finals of beat battles before but had never secured a win. The two brought different styles, but the crowd ate it up, as audio jabs went back and forth. A very strong third round from 40 Mil almost sealed things early, but there was no way the crowd and Twan Mack were going to let the round go without overtime. Fearjoy actually responded strong with his fourth beat, but it wasn’t enough, as Da Monsta (40 Mil) took the win and the crown of 2019 Big Beat MKE Champion. Congratulations to both on an incredible run, and an amazing final battle.
Thank you to all of our producers, sponsors, judges, and performers, as well as Twan Mack, Alpine and Gonzales Visuals for putting together a legendary tournament this year. Big Beat MKE will definitely be back for 2020, and you can see your final bracket below:
