Worst gifts do battle at Spring Hill Mall

What you hear is not a test. I'm unwrapping to the beat.

And these dope rhymes about awful gifts are gonna try to move your feet.

At Spring Hill Mall Saturday, shoppers set the holiday tradition of re-gifting and the old-school rap battle on a collision course.

In front of a crowd of about 50 shoppers, amateur hip-hoppers rapped about who had the better second-rate gift.

Sarah McNaughton, a freshman at McHenry West High School, took on McHenry West sophomore Chanel Senese in the first battle. Sarah unwrapped a giant hat, while Chanel got a lion pillow.

"I got a hat, and you got a lion. It's better than your pillow, so thanks for trying," Sarah rapped.

Chanel eventually claimed hip-hip honors, but both went home with "Family Guy" DVDs.

The Re-gift Rap Battle was a promotion for Sierra Mist, which offered samples of its beverages during the event.

"It's a play on the whole re-gifting white elephant gifts," said Zack "Z-boy" Arnett, the event's emcee. "Sierra Mist is really kind of a fun, lighthearted drink. We wanted to create a fun atmosphere."

Chris Erst of Bartlett struggled to come up with rhymes about how his walkie-talkie set was better than his opponent's hair dryer.

"I couldn't think of anything to rhyme with walkie-talkie," Erst said after losing to a young girl.

The rap battle piqued Erst's curiosity while he was working at the nearby Whitehall Co. Jewelers.

"I think this kind of thing is perfect for this mall because rap is pretty popular in this area," Erst said. "It draws attention to other stores. It shows people that this mall is better than (how) people think of it."