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The Elements League logo

The Elements League (TEL) was an underground rap battle league that formed in Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada in the summer of 2007. Filmed, pre-written rap battles, posted to Youtube and shared to the Atlantic Canadian hip hop focused message board Halifamous.com, became an instant hit. Aspiring battlers used the message board to call out competitors and organize future events, eventually leading to iZrEAL Media Arts overseeing the production of what became a weekly event. Sometimes held in the Pit, a recessed parking lot at Morris and Lower Water in Halifax that served, for many years, as the city’s lone permission wall for graffiti writers, but mostly held after hours in a boxing gym provided by boxer Tyson Cave, the Elements League was raw, uncut battling—unsanctioned, underground, self-contained and frequently intoxicated.

As the battles grew in popularity and the live events were drawing as many as a few hundred spectators to each event, the videos posted to Youtube started to spread out from the region and soon other battle leagues formed, following TEL’s pre-written formula, including Grind Time, King of the Dot, and Don’t Flop. Within a few years written battling was a global phenomenon, and battlers around the world were squaring off with rehearsed bars for online audiences. It even led to a movie, Bodied (2017) that featured beloved TEL champion Pat Stay in a cameo role.

Of course, rap battling has a long history that significantly predates the rise of the Elements League in Halifax back in 2007, but the modern hip hop practice of filming pre-written battles, leveraging social media for views, and ranking battlers in a (loosely, in the case of TEL) organized league is an idea that can trace at least some of its roots to those wild Friday nights in a Nova Scotia boxing gym when TEL host iZrEAL would quiet the crowd and say, “Alright, it’s on you, fam.”

The Elements League is an important part of Atlantic Canadian hip hop history and more work needs to be done to tell the story. For now, East of East has copies of all but two of the battles from the original Elements League, and all of the battles at the reunion events held in 2015 and 2018. Below you can find battle statistics, although the exact dates of most original TEL battles are unknown at this time.

The Elements League Rules

No catching feelings

Three two minute rounds with a 30 second grace period for a total time of 2:30. The clock will run full time.

No beats, no mics, it's a street battle

No extra points for freestyling, it is a written battle

No touching your opponent or interrupting 

No fighting

No crew interference (and only 5 crew members in your corner)

The judges have final say

Absolutely no ties

No speaking for the dead

No racist shit (introduced after TEL 21)

Audience Rules

No stealing

No Fighting

Do not enter the ring

No talking or causing interruptions

Turn off cell phones

No touching battlers

Respect the premises

No video cameras

The Elements League logo
Date
Ep.
Battle
Winner
$$
Venue
Host
Judges
Notes
Cops?
06/15/2007
TEL 00
Casper vs Lex
Casper
50
Millwood High School
Tyrell Williams
Martin Finch, Knucklehead, White Mic
TEL 01
Casper vs. Quake
Casper
Graffiti Pit
Martin Finch
Loony Toonez, Trobiz, RS Smooth
Cops
TEL 02
Pat Stay vs. Critical
Pat Stay
50
Graffiti Pit
Tyrell Williams
L Deez, Joe Buck, KL
Rules introduced
TEL 03
Greedy vs Luke Skratch
Greedy
50
Fairview Junior High
iZrEAL
Martin Finch, Anonamyss, Flip Scripture
iZrEAL introduces introduces new rules, including No Catching Feelings
TEL 04
Ambition vs Hartigan
Ambition
50
Boxing Gym
Tyrell Williams
Dirt Raskal, Luc, Big Fela
TEL 04
Gduble vs Kimber
Kimber
n/a
Boxing Gym
Tyson Cave
Dirt Raskal, Dean, Tyson Cave
Impromptu freestyle battle
TEL 05
Casper vs Chronic
Casper
50
Boxing Gym
Tyrell Williams
Hermit, RS Smooth, DJ IV
Flip Scripoture starts acting as a co-host
TEL 06
Decipher vs Baseline
Baseline
50
Boxing Gym
iZrEAL
J.Assassin, Foff, Senile
iZrEAL introduces updated rules
TEL 07
So$a vs Kid Smallz
Kid Smallz
100
Boxing Gym
iZrEAL
DJ $, 902Kid, Markit, then Kiki Shepard style crowd vote after bonus round
Planned freestyle battle
TEL 08
Critical vs Luke Skratch
Luke Skratch
100
Boxing Gym
iZrEAL
Joe Buck, Hermit, Luc
iZrEAL thanks Mimic for establishing the Elements League section on Halifamous
TEL 09
Gduble vs Slomo the Great
Gduble
100
Boxing Gym
iZrEAL
Mimic, Drow, MandaJane
TEL 10
Pat Stay vs Miracle
Miracle
100
Boxing Gym
iZrEAL
JRDN, DJ IV, Hermit
Audience rules read for the first time, someone stole something from the gym
TEL 11
Decipher vs Baseline
Decipher
100
Boxing Gym
iZrEAL
Hermit, DJ IV, J-Bru
TEL 12
Redrum vs Mosh
Mosh
50
Boxing Gym
iZrEAL
Pat Rock, Hermit, Spesh K
Redrum left his money at home, Mosh battled him for charity. The "Redrum throws a bag of weed" episode.
TEL 13
Hartigan vs White
White
50
Boxing Gym
iZrEAL
Pat Rock, Hermit, Spesh K
TEL 14
Demikz & Heartz vs Markit & Boy-ill
Markit & Boy-Ill
Boxing Gym
iZrEAL
J-Bru, DJ IV, Alex from Soled Out Sneakers
First 2 on 2 Freestyle battle
Demikz vs Redrum
Demikz
Boxing Gym
iZrEAL
The first episode to be cut from the season, as referenced at the end of the Redrum Speaks video (TEL 11.3)
TEL 16
Chronic vs Baseline
Chronic
Boxing Gym
iZrEAL
DJ IV, L Deez, Hermit
First use of props - Baseline
TEL 17
Ambition vs Miss Meliss
Ambition
Boxing Gym
iZrEAL
Video removed.
TEL 18
Pat Stay vs Jesse Ito
Pat Stay
200
Boxing Gym
iZrEAL
Hermit, IV, Tyrell Williams
Wager was for $200 and a seafood platter from John's Lunch.
Miracle vs Mosh
Miracle
Graffiti Pit
iZrEAL
Dirty D, Hermit, (third judge unknown)
No existing tag to indicate which episode, but likely 19
Cops
TEL 20
S Class vs C Thru
S Class
Boxing Gym
iZrEAL
Unknown, Anonamyss, DJ IV
Introduction of Gillian Pardy as Ring Girl
TEL 21
Demikz vs Blacksmith
Demikz
Boxing Gym
iZrEAL
Dirt Razkal, Loonie Toonez, Hussels
This battle led to the institution of a new rule: No racist shit.
TEL 22
Decipher vs Maximus
Decipher
Boxing Gym
iZrEAL
Hussels, A Weezy, DJ IV
TEL 23
Greedy vs Junior
Greedy
Boxing Gym
iZrEAL
Unknown, L Deez, Hussels
Cops
TEL 24
EMC vs Barbour
EMC
100
Pavilion
iZrEAL
Kiki Sheppard style audience vote
First beatbox battle. Police shut down the boxing gym for the week, so a fundraiser was held at the Pavilion.
TEL 25
Pat Stay vs Gduble
Pat Stay
100
Pavilion
iZrEAL
DJ IV, Hermit, KL
TEL 26
Decipher vs Lex
Decipher
Boxing Gym
iZrEAL
Dirt Raskal, Spesh K, Ghettosocks
First TEL back in the gym in a month, stricter rules to draw less heat.
TEL 27
Foff vs White
Foff
Boxing Gym
iZrEAL
Hussels, Spesh K, Ghettosocks
Dirt Raskal stepped down from judging due to knowing Foff.
TEL 28
Chronic vs Jesse Ito
Chronic
Boxing Gym
iZrEAL
A Weezy, RS Smooth, L Deez
TEL 30
Maximus vs Jese Ito
Maximus
100
Boxing Gym
iZrEAL
Chronic, Kid Smallz, iZrEAL
Retirement Battle
TEL 31
Al Boogie vs White
Al Boogie
Boxing Gym
iZrEAL
Chronic, Kid Smallz, iZrEAL
TEL 32
Critical vs 3F60
Critical
Boxing Gym
iZrEAL
DJ IV, Knucklehead, Hermit
3f60, formerly Steve Styles, says some sort of racist shit and is escorted to the door after Tyson makes it clear that there is a zero tolerance policy on racist shit.
TEL 33
Decipher vs Mosh
Decipher
Boxing Gym
Kid Smallz, iZrEAL
J-Bru, T Bone D, L Deez
TEL 34
Pat Stay vs Chronic
Pat Stay
Graffiti Pit
iZrEAL
Littles the General, DJ IV, Hermit
Cops
07/13/2015
TEL2 01
Lex vs Gduble
Gduble
Halifax Common
iZrEAL, Pat Stay
Dirt Raskal, Hermit, Tacktishun, KL, (fifth judge name unknown)
These battles sponsored by Muzik Over Matter Recordings, Unity Among Scotians (UAS), CDN Movement, Kush Team, Kasper K Photography.
07/13/2015
TEL2 02
Casper vs Chronic
Casper
Halifax Common
iZrEAL, Pat Stay
Dirt Raskal, Hermit, Psyc the Prynce, Rellz, Unknown
07/13/2015
TEL2 03
Miracle vs Foff
Miracle
Halifax Common
iZrEAL, Pat Stay
Dirt Raskal, Hermit, Tacktishun, Psyc the Prynce, Tyrell Williams
10/04/2015
TEL2 04
Chris Crooks vs Donair Beast
Chris Crooks
Halifax Common
iZrEAL, Pat Stay
Psyc the Prynce, Foff, Miracle, Kid Smallz, Dirt Raskal
Chris Crooks (Demikz) freestyled all of his rounds
10/04/2015
TEL2 05
Thr33sixty vs Komplic8ed
Komplic8ted
Halifax Common
iZrEAL
Miracle, Foff, Kid Smallz, Dirt Raskal, Psyc the Prynce
10/04/2015
TEL2 06
Jim West vs TB
Jim West
Halifax Common
iZrEAL
L Deez, Knucklehead, KL, Hermit, (fifth judge name unknown)
10/04/2015
TEL2 07
Critical vs Luke Skratch
Promo, no winner
Halifax Common
iZrEAL
This battle led to a massive brawl in the Commons.
06/03/2018
TELR 01
Komplic8ted vs WrightTone
Komplic8ted
100
Titan's Gym
Kid Smallz, Pat Stay
Kid Smallz, Pat Stay
Rhyme & Punishment League Undercard: Jim West v White Boy/M Pulse v Wasp/Complex v Partially Psychotic
06/03/2018
TELR 02
Cavy vs. Demikz
Demikz
100
Titan's Gym
Kid Smallz, Pat Stay
Tanar Repchul, Tacktishun, Komplic8ted
Cavy vs Hickey G and Demikz vs Lex, but no Lex or Hickey G so Demikz & Cavy freestyle instead.
06/03/2018
TELR 03
J-Bru vs Gduble
Gduble
100
Titan's Gym
Kid Smallz, Pat Stay
Hermit, Dirt Rascal, (other judges names unknown)
Judges deadlocked so Pat Stay stepped in to declare Gdouble the winner.
09/30/2017
HOP 17
Pat Stay vs Gduble
Promo, no winner
Dartmouth Cove
Miracle
KOTD presents a Pat Stay vs. Gduble TEL rematch at Hopscotch 2017.

The Elements League did not technically have a formal organizational structure, but organizers included, at various times:

iZrEAL
Tyson Cave
Tyrell Williams
DJ IV
Flip Scripture
Hermitofthewoods

L. Deez
Kasper K
Musik Over Matter
Unity Among Scotians (UAS)
CDN Movement
Kush Team

 

Camera Operators:

Andrew Abraham
Holt Zalupa

T. Dot
Our Dynasty Our Destiny

Liam Petite
Adam MacPherson

Shout out to Barbour's black eye, the unofficial mascot of the Elements League.

 

 

 

 

 

 

RIP PAT STAY
(1986-2022)

Elements League data compiled by East of East. Please do not reproduce without permission. 

Battle rapper Pat Stay sneers at the camera is a close up screencap from his TEL battle with Jesse Ito.
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