Live: TheSaurus @ Monterey Live

ABOVE: A clip of TheSaurus vs. Tantrum at Scribble Jam '08. TheSaurus was the 2008 Battle Champ.

The best rapper on the planet resides on the Monterey Peninsula. Believe it or not, it's true. TheSaurus, the 2008 winner of Scribble Jam, the annual summer festival held in Cincinnati, has two world rap battle championships under his belt and is the one of two two-time Scribble Jam battle champions.

Freestyle MCing is as raw as it gets, and TheSaurus has devoted his entire life to the artform. Thursday night, opening for Alex Lee at Monterey Live, he flashed some of his impressive skills while showcasing his recorded work. He can definitely throw down the nice lines off the top, at one point chiding his Peninsula homie "this guy can't pick up a barbell/He's from Carmel." Coming unrehearsed, the punchlines hit just right.

One song big-upping the 831 was a nice reminder that this guy knows his place of residence and despite the acclaim he's received, he's a hometown boy to the fullest. I have video that I'm working on of the show, but you can check out one of his freestyles above and get a recap of Scribble Jam below.