May 20, 2025, 9:00 a.m. ET
The Richmond Seen was in the building for Southpaw Battle Coalition’s How to Squabble, 6 battles, 12 heavy-hitting emcees, and a room charged with energy you could feel in your chest. Yelling, clapping, foot stomping, and bar after bar that made the whole crowd react. This wasn’t just rap — it was war with words.
This past Sunday, May 18th, inside Richmond’s CNTR, Southpaw Battle Coalition packed the house for How to Squabble — a four-hour masterclass in wordplay, punchlines, and lyrical warfare. The title bout saw Roc Raw hand Juanski his first league loss in a tightly contested, high-energy battle. The reigning champ, handled well his first defense, and was handed the belt – Roc Raw proved why his name should be at the top of Richmond’s battle rap scene.
From the jump, the drive in every performer fueled the energy in the room. If there were a manual on how to squabble, this was it — bar for bar, punch for punch, with crowd reactions you could literally feel. Even for the audience, myself included, it was about camaraderie. Every bar was worth shouting about, and the crowd responded every time. Battle rap is as much about wit as it is about weight, and the lines thrown that night carried both.
Uncle Phil with the newspaper — imma be on the news later. (obvious reasons why this bar was enjoyed)
That was the kind of wordsmithing just from the opening rounds.
Jerrell Golden vs Ten4Short
Score: 86-85 Ten4Short
One of the closest battles of the night. The judges agreed Jerrell’s third verse was solid, but Ten4Short’s consistency across all three rounds edged him the win.
Chef Tokin vs MinuteMadeMeechy
Score: 90-81 Chef Tokin
One of the cleanest, most decisive wins of the night. Chef Tokin didn’t come to get smoked, he came to win.
IntroVerse vs King Cam
Score: 87-84 IntroVerse
IntroVerse had a crazy opening line: “You’re only here because you got pulled into my gravity field.” That set the tone. This battle might’ve been the most entertaining, and Cam’s Ray J bar? Incredible.
Tre Awthenicc vs Era Hardaway
Score: 90-81
10-9, 10-9, 10-9 (unanimous Era Hardaway win). Tre came consistent across all rounds, a tight, back-and-forth bout, but Era’s tenacity
Preme vs TSON (# 1 Contender Eliminator)
Score: 88-83 Preme
One of the most intense matchups of the night. Preme dropped lines like:
“I can see the dog in you, you like a white woman’s purse. Breathing is beautiful, I remind n**as first. Press that button, that’s something only a life can alert.”
This was an incredible match.
Roc Raw vs Juanski (Title Match)
Score: 87-84 Roc Raw
Roc Raw took the coveted belt and ended Juanski’s undefeated streak in a masterclass of confidence, control, and perfectly placed punchlines.
Era Hardaway (with locs) goes up against Tre Awthenicc (with wavs) at the How To Squabble match hosted by Radio B and Lady Savage.
A few other battles deserve their flowers:
There was a moment in the Chef Tokin vs MinuteMadeMeech battle where it was overly understood that Chef came to cook. And not to get smoked (like a pack, or his last match). The TSON vs Preme was pure back-and-forth clinics. The kind of battles where both emcees come out swinging, each line sharper than the last one.
The next event is “Clash of the Multiverse” at the Richmond Music Hall, June 28th. Tickets are available at RichmondMusicHall.com.
As Juanski said in his final round:
“What’s so funny about a successful Black man that’s not broke? That shit’s hate.”
That line — and that sentiment — hung heavy in the room.
How to Squabble wasn’t just an event, it was a showcase. A reminder that Richmond’s battle rap scene is alive, dangerous, and capable of hanging with anyone on any coast. If you weren’t there, you missed something special.
But trust, they’ll squabble up again.
Photos by Eric Jackson / The Richmond Seen
A similar article on battle rap, and the upcoming match appears in print on May 25, 2025, Section A, Page 15
of the Richmond edition with the headline: Clash of the Multiverse. Order The Paper
