Soulbody Cyphers Presents: The Cinematic Showdown
Circle Cinema
Tulsa
Feb. 22, 2024
From the big stage of collegiate sports to the big screen of Circle Cinema, Marshall Moses has always been comfortable in front of a crowd. Now going by the name Soulbody Meta, Moses has created a platform called Soulbody Cyphers, showcasing some of Oklahoma’s best hip-hop artists. With its recent “Cinematic Showdown” event, Soulbody took over the legendary Circle Cinema for a night of short films and artist intro videos on the big screen, plus a cypher for the ages, in front of a sold-out audience. The buzz around this night was real: outside the venue was a line of people who had to be turned away.
This cypher was more of a “versus,” with two artists at a time going head-to-head, each performing one track. The final result was determined by five judges: hip-hop artist OTS J Huncho, radio personality MidWest Bj, producer 2Peece, artist and No Parking Studios CEO Dialtone, and musician Kendra Mars.
To be honest, the fight card seemed more like a Sweet 16 basketball bracket, with 14 battles taking place in a single event. Looking back, I would want maybe eight to ten matches instead. What I can’t deny is that each match brought its own magic, even the ones that were controversial, like Vanilla Cain being called out for not showing up on time, or the questionable decision on Sango Bangz vs. JediahKO. There was even a battle where the opponent didn’t show up at all, but the show must go on, and singer Emani took full advantage of the sold-out crowd by shooting a music video.
Many of the battles had a yin/yang aspect, with two rappers going up against each other with very different styles. There was no bigger yin and yang than Kode Ransom vs. Bezel365. Ransom, known for his writing abilities, has been credited for ghostwriting for some of the biggest artists on the radio. He jumped from bar to bar with such cleverness and wit that there are still lines replaying in my head. Bezel365, on the other hand, chose to strictly freestyle: no written pre-rehearsed lines, just pure unfiltered streams of consciousness that proved he is one of the best rappers in town. He freestyled for over eight minutes. It’s a skill that very few can master, and many who have grown up with him knew that this was no fluke. In a room full of rappers, no pen could beat this display of sheer lyrical mastery.
Soulbody Cyphers is built on encouragement and advocacy for mental health. Even when someone would lose a battle there would be a round of applause and respect shown to both artists. My only critique: the judging. Understandably, this is a community centered on positivity, but that can also hinder an artist if there isn’t any constructive criticism to go along with the support. The judges had that opportunity, but in most cases, it felt more like a participation vote than the discerning critique needed to help an artist truly get to that next level. Every hero needs a villain. And every Randy Jackson needs a Simon Cowell to cut through some of the fluff.
The cinematic display that was seen at this Soulbody Cypher was nothing less than a blockbuster hit. The event showed how many amazing artists we have in the state and how supportive everyone is. I suggest that the judges throw more constructive criticism and actionable steps to help artists get better next time. Nonetheless, the event was worth every penny, and it’s a movie that deserves a sequel.
Next at Circle Cinema: Josh Fadem Presents Noir Nights, March 11
