Battle rap is not only an art form and a sport, but also an industry that has slowly grown over the past decade. There are test sites all over the country, but New York is the epicenter.
Tucked away between a Pentecostal church and a real estate office on the eastern edge of Bedford-Stuyvesant, a Brooklyn neighborhood synonymous with hip-hop par excellence, is a small wellness center. The sterile 800-square-foot or so property has a wall of mirrors, stock photos of people doing various exercises, and fluorescent lights that make the plastic plants in the corner look even more fake. At night, one might think that this is a waiting room and not an actual battlefield.
Here, in this unpretentious room, The Trap NY It is one of several battle lap leagues based in New York City and hosts most of the events. If it’s only the climax scene of “” that you encounter these confrontations,8 milesThis venue can seem overwhelming at first. Definitely less colorful than the steampunk underground arena where Eminem triumphed over Anthony Mackie.
But those of you who follow today’s vibrant, multi-layered battle rap ecosystem know that this humble gym is much more than a place for aspiring rappers to covet each other. Founded by Tyrell Reid, aka No Mercy, Trap NY is a famous institution where the culture’s future stars are born.
“This is one of those places where you can make a statement with a proper performance,” said Hero, 29, a rapper from Dallas. “This is where I have to prove that I’m one of the big players in Battlelap.”
Battle rap is not only an art form and a sport, but also an industry that has slowly grown over the past decade. Leagues like Ultimate Rap League (URLs), king of dots and Rare Breed Entertainment has amassed a loyal following by hosting national events with some of the world’s best fighters. These organizations are now paying top pay to MCs who can keep their fans engaged and prove they can stand up to the competition.
Today, hundreds of aspiring rappers are chasing the money and respect that comes with being a top-tier battle rapper. For many, the journey begins in places like Trapp NY. Hero is one of a slew of rappers who fly across the country just to rap at his center of wellness. Very few people get paid. They come to Trap because they know that if he performs well there one time, he has a chance to be part of the next generation of rap’s elite.
These battles often have a simple structure, with three rounds of two MCs trying to outwit each other with a cappella verses specially crafted for their opponents. In the end, there is usually no official winner. For many viewers, whether in person or online, half the fun is debating who won.
Contests like this are one of hip-hop’s most fundamental and time-honored traditions, a culture that celebrates its 50th anniversary this year. Battle rap operates outside the hip-hop industry, but organizations like the Ultimate Rap League are dedicated to bringing battle rap to a wider audience. Founded in 2009, URL has racked up hundreds of millions of streams with thrillingly staged events and sold out venues of over 1,000 seats. Between ticket sales, ad revenue, pay-per-view broadcasts, and app subscriptions, outfits like URL have taken battle rap street art and turned it into a legitimate business.
Troy Mitchell, better known as Smack, one of URL’s founders and owners, said, “The sport just wasn’t recognized or respected enough by hip-hop culture to reward MCs.” “We took it from the street and brought it into the venue and then we started making a business out of it, a business where you can actually pay MCs to do what they want.”
The immense lyrical talent contained in the members of URL has been key to their success. Unlike an artist’s recording, Combatant doesn’t have to worry about musical trends or chart his data. Hire a producer or book studio time. TikTok virality or playlist placement. This allows children to focus on complex wordplay and detailed storytelling.
But it also means that if their pen isn’t powerful enough to impress an excited and often ruthless audience, there’s not much else they can do to charm them. Packed with highly skilled MCs, the sport achieves a lyrical standard that many feel is lacking in today’s mainstream hip-hop.As DNAThe famous 31-year-old Butler from Queens said, “I can count on one hand the names of people who I think have as much lyrical tendencies as Battle rappers.”
Perhaps this explains why the big names in hip-hop are getting more and more attention.Drake is hosting and sponsoring some URL events, in one of which said that these rappers are “obviously people I’m very inspired by and people who motivate me when I’m writing.” ” in the URLhomecomingNew York’s royalty, including: Busta Rhymes, with Fabolous and Ghostface Kira as audience members. Remy Ma even started his own Battle Rap League. Chromium 23with the goal of providing more opportunities for battle rap women. The organization packed Sony Hall in New York in February and held events such as: Final game With a total prize pool of $25,000, the women-only tournament is a milestone in this male-dominated sport.
“There is a huge pay gap between men and women in the battle rap space,” said Remy Ma. got her started With this kind of contest, “I feel like someone who knows battle rap needs to step in and give them a chance to level the playing field,” he said in an interview. (The $25,000 prize went to his C3 from Queens.)
as an audience And the respect for battle rap increased, and so did the money. URL now pays its biggest stars up to six figures, and many rappers now say their talents are better valued and appreciated battle his rap than the record industry. I feel
According to DNA, many in the record industry say, “I’m hugely popular all over the world, but the deals I get are terrible. Top battle rappers, we know a lot of recording artists get.” We are doing more than we can and We have the creative freedom of independent contractors. “
But to earn a spot in a league like URL, the rapper must first hone his skills in smaller, more frugal arenas. Battle Wrap has proving grounds all over the country, but New York is the epicenter. Ambitious talent flocks to the city, hoping to get noticed through local leagues like Trapp NY. eye battle again WEGO HARD TV. Their fights take place in chartered gyms, galleries, and clubhouses. There, a dozen spectators crowd around the unpaid talent in a narrow semicircle.
However, what it lacks in terms of size and flash, it makes up for in imports. The people who run them are highly respected and well-connected in the battle rap world, and big organizations like URL often look to them to scout their next star. Today, many of battle rap’s greatest talents are the kind of hard, yet deeply human raps. Easy The Block Captain Or an Indian-American rapper real sikhKnown for his dizzying flow and wordplay, this artist has been groomed and spotted in places such as Trapp NY.
“A lot of people are sleeping watching the fighting going on here,” he said. Chris Doves“But hey, this is where you’ll see the stars of tomorrow,” said the 20-year-old rapper from New Jersey and one of Trap’s rising stars.
The 35-year-old No Mercy hasn’t made a big profit since founding Trapp NY in 2013. In fact, he often loses in events. But for him, it’s not about building a successful business, it’s about nurturing up-and-coming new MCs and giving them the tools to succeed. Trap rappers may not find instant fame or fortune, but if they are willing to work hard and listen to feedback, they will have mentors who can take their battle rap career to the next level. You can get
“We don’t want to sell people the idea that you can fight here once and become this big star overnight,” No Mercy said. “No, expect to work with us to improve for at least a year. Look at where you are now and see where you are next year. No change. Please check.”
But Staten Island-based battle rapper and iBattle owner Alex Braga, better known as Lex Luthor, argues that groups like his are more than just springboards. As URL gains national recognition, he believes smaller franchises are important to maintain a sense of community and focus on talent that may not be as marketable as in the past. (Although most of URL’s stars are heterosexual black men, iBattle regularly features rappers of all races, religions, sexual orientations and genders. recent battle It featured a showdown between a white Christian rapper and a bisexual Jew. )
Rex became the owner of the league about six years ago. His career as a martial artist was just starting to take off when his iBattle, the league he grew up in, began to decline. It was then that he realized how important places like this were to him.
“I felt like the longer I went on doing battle rappers, the more and more the community disappeared,” Rex said. “So when iBattle was discontinued and the original league owner was unable to operate due to health issues, I knew I couldn’t let it die.”
maybe Rappers often throw insults, death threats, and literal spit in the faces of their opponents at events, but it’s confusing to hear a battle rap called Community. He was one of the events in Trap, Chris Dubs wraps to Excel“Blow up a magazine and your death will be on social media / Click that brother right away and it’s a tic-tac-toe: You’re gonna see the X on the hashtag.”
But if you look beneath the violent atmosphere of these battles, you’ll notice signs of deep camaraderie. A rapper will often nod in approval or pat him on the back if a competitor hits a particularly good punchline. If someone starts forgetting what they wrote, they may mutter words of encouragement. And when it’s all over, the rappers will almost certainly give you congratulatory applause and hugs.
“It’s like boxing,” explained Cheeko, one of the URL’s owners. “Boxers, they appreciate each other’s skill sets and are rooting for each other. You don’t see many MCs disrespecting each other. It’s almost like brotherhood.”
This mutual respect plays a big part in Battle Rap’s appeal. For many MCs, this culture provides a necessary, but very rare, opportunity to express themselves in a productive and safe way.
“Battlelap is the only place where two people can vent their grievances, say what they don’t like about each other, and shake hands at the end,” he said. Excel, 37, got his start in trap and has been performing on battle rap’s biggest platforms ever since. “This is the only place in the world where Crips can fight Blood and no one dies.”
There are many cohesive forces within the battle rap community, but perhaps the strongest is a deep belief in the art form itself. With hip-hop continuing to be the dominant force in popular culture, some say battle rap has the potential to become mainstream.
“I guarantee that within the next decade, the battle rapper will be as famous as the artists in the industry are,” said Dubs, who aims to become one of URL’s next big stars. rice field. “People are finally starting to notice, which is great. Start now so you can appreciate this work, which is still in its early stages.”
