What is versus. Versus Battle - What is Versus Battle? History of Versus Battle. Versus Battle — History of Versus Battle

"Versus" is the largest rap battle in Russia, it is a prototype of an American show on the Internet, during which participants take part in the reading of pre-prepared excerpts in the style of rap and hip-hop, while facing their opponent. In Russia, more than 1 million 33 thousand people subscribed to the Versus Battle page on the Vkontakte social network in Russia. The same number of subscribers are on the YouTube video channel.

Versus - no restrictions

In Russia, rap and hip-hop culture is inferior in scale to the American movement, and domestic performers of this genre have not yet become world-class stars, such as Eminem or Jay-Z. And yet there are enough fans of the "black neighborhood style" in the country - and recently the possibility of holding a speech duel between rappers has expanded the horizons of this direction and involved hundreds of thousands of fans in the culture.

Stars who take part in rap battles and perform at a decent level secure a place for themselves on the hip-hop walk of fame in Russia.

In this regard, "Versus" is a kind of platform for a splash of emotions with the help of creativity, an opportunity to prove to oneself and fans of the genre that not everyone can adequately "read out".

A distinctive feature of this channel is the absence of lexical restrictions in statements to your opponent within the round: that is, swearing, insults and obscenities against the enemy in Versus battle are allowed if they are not immoral or inciting enmity on the basis of nationality. Such "low blows" will not go unnoticed by the judges (most often there are three of them, but maybe five), and a participant with such a meager vocabulary and inability to use it will not win the battle.

A little about the creator of the battle

The father of "Versus" is a restaurateur, a non-replaceable host of each issue on the channel and the main organizer of all meetings. He got his nickname due to the fact that the first battle was organized right at Timartsev's workplace - in a restaurant.

Subsequently, he and his friends came up with the idea to transform the venture into something larger. And now "Versus" is a full-fledged, mature project that gave birth to such a star of the rap and hip-hop industry as Noize MC.

Timartsev, not embarrassed, openly says that the project does not yet bring millions of dollars, which many people mistakenly think - the reason for this is, of course, that this movement is only gaining momentum in Russia, and in order for the idea to bring its financial results, you have to wait a year.

"Versus": what for how much?

The rules of rap without rules are simple: there are always two participants in each battle, they know each other in advance. Each of them, before the start of the verbal battle, must prepare 3 passages (one in each round) with an appeal to his opponent and read them out. As a rule, the form of address is "insult with taste". The brighter, wittier, the sharper the participant's reading, the more chances he will have to win.

The victory is awarded based on the decision of the judges, each of whom is an expert in his field. But the results, as a rule, become clear to everyone even before the end of the battle - spectators who directly observe the process along with the restaurateur and judges can support or boo the participant.

Fresh blood: rappers from the yard rock stadiums

To expand the boundaries of the battle and give aspiring rappers a chance to become famous, the organizers created another platform for those whose name is known only in a narrow circle - "Versus: Fresh Blood". At the qualifying stage, the winner in this category is determined only by the viewer of the channel - which balances the chances of all emerging artists, and makes it possible to gain instant popularity among fans of the genre.

Today, only people who completely ignore the fact of the existence of YouTube do not know what a versus battle is. Everyone else has at least heard about this phenomenon, and many have watched the releases, the most popular of which are gaining tens of millions of views.

How to become famous on the Internet?

In the 21st century, thanks to the development of the network, you can become popular in a few days:

• Such "undesired popularity" is enjoyed by many heroes of viral videos;
• Many modern stars are trying to "promote" themselves on social networks as well;
• For someone gaining popularity becomes an end in itself and the result of painstaking work;
• The Internet has become another "springboard to people" for the talented and ambitious.

The main desire is already clear - it is easy to monetize your recognition, turn it into a very real profit. Enough:

1. Gather your audience;
2. Get people interested in quality content;
3. Consistently release new content over a period of time;
4. Intrigue your viewers or readers.

And if at first you have to work independently for your popularity, then everything will go according to the “snowball” principle. Although, relaxing and resting on our laurels, you can lose the lion's share of your audience at the expense of those who have not yet achieved significant success, but they are no longer averse to "biting off a piece of someone else's pie."

What does versus mean?

Latin and English language completely agree, versus - confrontation. Theoretically, a confrontation between anyone or anything can be implied. If you remember your childhood and the game Mortal Combat - before each fight between the characters there was a mark "vs." - short for versus.

But in this case, we are not talking about old games:

• Versus is a St. Petersburg project designed to popularize rap culture;
• Author and permanent host - Restaurateur;
• Within each release, there is a confrontation (battle) between two benchmarks;
• Each is given 3 rounds and complete freedom of speech;
• At the end of the release, a jury of 3 or 5 judges makes their verdict;
  Each of the members of the panel of judges casts his vote for the one whom he considers the winner, motivating his action;
• No financial rewards, only respect and popularity.

Over the entire existence of the site, the number of videos on the channel has exceeded one and a half hundred, but really popular rollers - less than 10.

However, it is difficult to say that the rest of the battles did not interest the audience - from 500 thousand to 3 million views, on average.

Viewers give their preference to issues in which they take part:

1. Oxxxymiron;
2. Rickey F;
3. XXOS;
4. Larin and.

How to get to the versus battle as a spectator?

During the first releases, one strange moment caught my eye - the site was half empty, no crowd. With the growing popularity of the channel, the situation has changed, during each new versus the bar is packed to capacity, but in connection with this, the new problems:

• The bar itself 17/03 is not designed for a large number of spectators;
• A certain number of "tickets" goes to the participants and organizers to send their friends and support;
• There is no particular desire to let strangers into the “celebration of life” after touring events.

So it turns out that ordering tickets online or buying on the spot is unrealistic. If you know someone or someone knows you, no problem, they will take you through. And the financial component in this matter will not help much. Theoretically, anyone can write to the project participants, and there everything depends on charisma and tractability.

During the filming of Versus FreshBlood, everything is somewhat simpler - the project participants have not yet “caught their star”, so they are more active in contacting and getting in as an invited guest who will support one of the speakers is not so difficult.

The popularity of the project helped revive the careers of many already forgotten performers and even gave popularity to newcomers:

1. RickeyF- remembered for immoral battles in the second season of FB;
2. Alphabet- the winner of the first season, a native of Kazakhstan and the owner of an outstanding fast flow;
3. XXOS- the winner of the second season, drinking away the prize fund and the acquired popularity;
4. Oxxxymiron- one of the strongest representatives of the entire site;
5. - "Lit up" in 2016, the performer, the destroyer of spiritual bonds.

What is versus BPM (BPM)?

For a better understanding, abbreviations should always be spelled out:

1. B- beats;
2. P- per;
3. M- minute.

Parameter beatsperminutes indicates the speed of music playback - the number of quarter notes sounding in 1 minute. Most artists use the range from 30 to 240 bpm, but for battles, the number 140 fell in love:

• High speed;
• Ability to set your aggressive style;
• Not so fast that you can no longer make out the words;
• Looks impressive from the side.

Among domestic performers, there are enough of those for whom such speed is an insurmountable barrier. And for just a few, this bit will be too slow.

For a long time, the Versus battle platform ignored this format, refusing beats, but since the fall of 2016, the approach to the situation has changed:

• Denying the popularity of 140 BPM has become simply impossible;
• Other venues were getting the attention they deserved for the new format;
• Many famous rappers expressed their desire to hold a battle under beats.

As a result, we got more energetic and less drawn-out rounds with good music. A plus for the audience and a good bonus for the organizers in the form of audience growth.

Versus popularity on Youtube

Versus is a successful project on YouTube, designed to popularize rap culture:

1. The releases with Oxxxymiron, Slava KPSS, Rickey F, Khovansky and Larin received the greatest popularity;
2. In each confrontation, performers have three rounds to express everything they think about their opponent;
3. The number of views on the most popular battles is already measured in tens of millions;
4. It is almost impossible to go to the shooting of the issue without any acquaintances;
5. New formats appear too rarely, and advertising is only getting bigger.

The project has a future, definitely. At least due to the number of subscribers and regular viewers who have already managed to attract. But the quality of the content is steadily declining, new interesting performers are not appearing, and the greed of the organizers is only growing. And keeping the interest of the audience is not so easy.

Yes, it was funny when adults or yesterday's schoolchildren stood opposite each other and watered the opponent with their last words. But it's interesting to look once, maybe twice. Yes, even ten. But not from year to year.

Even people who are not interested in rap culture already know what a versus battle is, due to its incredible popularity. Wonder how long she'll last.

Video: how are rap fights going?

Versus Battle is the name of the St. Petersburg venue where rap battles take place. A rap battle is a rhymed competition of performers in which they must sharply and accurately hit the enemy. In its modern form, the battle rap genre originated in the West in the early 1980s, and came to Russia in the early 2000s. There are online battles and offline battles. The first ones take place on the Internet, and their participants send the recorded tracks to the organizers, after which they are judged. Offline battles are those that take place live: participants stand opposite each other and in front of an audience of spectators. The latest is Versus Battle. It was created as an analogue of foreign projects Don "t Flop in the UK and King of the Dot in Canada. Their releases are published on the Internet in video format. The word versus from Latin translates as "against", that is, literally Versus Battle is "opposition ".

Modern battles are more about modern poetry than about hip-hop culture. The internet doesn't have the censorship we're used to on TV, and because of free speech, they've started to gain popularity. "Versus" appeared in 2013, but in Russia it is far from the only one. However, it was he who managed to gain the greatest fame in the CIS countries. The reason for the popularity is, first of all, that already eminent hip-hop and rap performers, well-known in wide or narrow circles, and not newcomers to the genre perform on the site. Among them, for example, Oxxxymiron. Battles with his participation have several tens of millions of views. His battle against Johnyboy in 2015 entered the history of world hip-hop as the most viewed battle in a day, gaining one million views in 24 hours, and now it is the most viewed battle in the world with over 40 million views. In 2017, Oksimiron's battle against Glory of the CPSU has already collected more than nine million views in a day. Another wave of popularity of rap battles was brought by video bloggers who also took part in Versus. Battles Larina against Khovansky and Dzharakhov are also among the most viewed in the world. Another feature of Versus is the spin-off of the Fresh Blood project, where little-known but talented performers have the right to show themselves to the general public, and in 2018 also be under the mentorship of Oksimiron or Smokey Mo. On the "Versus" they are "untwisted".

Performances are held both a cappella and accompanied by musical accompaniment - musical beats different speed. In order to win the battle, you must not only write a text with good rhymes and learn it, but also have charisma, have a sense of humor, dilute the text with punchlines (intonation emphasis on the key line of the text), change the reading technique (flow) and apply other tricks (flips, doubletime, freestyle, delivery, gang bars), and, of course, to know the enemy not only in person, but also in other places that the participants try to hurt during the performance. Spectacles are often added by certain images of the participants. The result of the competition is traditionally evaluated by the judges, but recently it has increasingly remained open to the viewer. The fights that caused a public outcry make a lot of noise in the media and social networks. Someone even compares them with literary disputes of the early 20th century. Often, it is thanks to Versus that new jokes and memes appear in Runet. Although, to some extent, "Versus" itself has become a meme among both his fans and haters.

The world famous company Versace (pronounced Versace). A few years ago, she resumed her work after a break. The return of the Italian fashion house to the creation of Versus collections was caused by the financial crisis.

Brand history

The brand was founded in 1989 by Gianni Versace.(Gianni Versace) is a talented and founder of his own brand. decided to open a new clothing line in order to expand the circle of his customers. Versus was supposed to be a breath of fresh air for Versace, was supposed to attract young people who prefer style. In just a couple of years, the new line has become an independent brand in its own right. Another feature of the new brand was democratic prices, because it was designed for a young audience, which traditionally has a more modest budget. Gianni here moved away from creating luxurious things and focused on original design. Clothing from Versus was fundamentally different from the usual collections of the legendary Italian brand.

Versus was not a discounted version of Versace, it was an independent brand, unlike any other clothing line. That is why Gianni Versace here for the first time refused to use his name in the name of the product. The word "versus" in Latin means "against", and this was main idea new brand. Against luxury and against the elitism of fashion. This name showed the opposition of Versus to the products "", created by Gianni before.

First, the fashion designer launched a perfume on the market with a new label. It was Versus by Versace, and it was on sale for only $50. After the success of the fragrance, the Italian designer began to develop an experimental collection. In 1995, New York hosted the first fashion show with a bold, bright and original design. Success was evident, sales figures rapidly crept up. The fashion designer's sister (Donatella Versace) became the head of the youth line. Buyers highly appreciated the new idea of ​​the House of Versace, they fell in love with it for its individuality and freshness of style.

Second birth

This brand has gone through many ups and downs. For example, for 4 years nothing was produced under the Versus brand. Work was temporarily suspended from 2005 to 2009, until the brand was given new life by British designer Christopher Kane. Together with Donatella, they brought Versus back to the global market. The revival began with the production of the collection, then, in 2010, a full-fledged collection of clothes of this brand was presented at Milan Fashion Week.

Christopher Kane is a Scottish designer who has just started his career. Donatella Versace, the head of the Versace fashion house, admitted that Kane strongly reminds her of her brother Gianni. She said that Christopher has the same endless creative energy as the great Italian. That is why Donatella chose Kane as the collection designer for Versus. This brand still means a lot to Senora Versace today, it was from her that she began her independent work in the fashion world.

However, the idea of ​​Gianni Versace to create a democratic line in the new version of Versus is completely forgotten. There are practically no clothes for a real wardrobe. The only exceptions are cocktail dresses with traditional puffy and biker-style leather jackets. The main part of the collection was made up of dresses created by Kane from blue and red satin. Ordinary women who do not have a model figure are unlikely to be able to wear them, because these outfits are almost entirely made up of cutouts. The collection contains many products of the joint work of Christopher and Donatella.

The brand does not stand still and is constantly evolving. During 2011, the management of the Versace Group plans to open 20 Versus brand stores around the world. The brand claims to be the new iconic name among luxury manufacturers. The first watch collection of this Italian brand was presented to the public in September 2006 in Milan.

In addition to clothing and accessories, Versus is actively selling perfumes and optics. In 2010, a perfume was released, which was called Versus. Buyers praised the freshness and lightness of this fragrance, created by perfumer Nataly Lerson. The packaging of the perfume is made in the style of the 90s, and the model named Lara Stone became the face of the fragrance.

The brand's product line includes and which are produced in Switzerland. They are a more economical option compared to Versace's luxury pieces, but these watches attract buyers precisely for their stylish simplicity.

Despite everything, fashion researchers unanimously consider the Versus brand to be the most promising of all that Versace produces. Youth-oriented products have always been more likely to be a mainstream success. Indeed, the current state of affairs of the brand can be called successful, because it makes good sales in more than 50 countries around the world.

Official site: www.versus.it