If you’ve ever been interested in the world of rap battles you’ve likely heard of King of the Dot and are aware of the big events they throw in Vancouver every few months. If you are especially in tune with the local scene then you know all about Smoked Out Battles and the consistently amazing atmosphere of their events. While KotD shows are more high profile featuring the world’s best talent, Smoked Out offers something different, a little more intimate, with a little more local charm.
Every Smoked Out event is always a special night. This next event is poised to top them all as the organizers seek to break ground with the first ever Smoked Out Grand Prix. A 16 man tournament starting August 29th at Olympia Restaurant in Surrey featuring all the best local talent in one place.
I spoke with one of the battlers performing that night, Rhythm, about the Grand Prix and Smoked Out’s role in the Vancouver battlerap community.
Q: How did you get started in battlerap?
A: Well to be honest, I’ve been a huge fan of battles since early KOTD, but I never really thought it was something I could do. I had been making music for quite awhile at the time but the sheer charisma involved really intimidated me. It’s always been something of an awe inspiring aspect of hip hop for me. The music I made was often enough to fill any need to vent emotionally about anything so I stayed as a spectator and really enjoyed the art that way.
However within the last two years my family and myself have hit some pretty serious troubles in life, with over 6 combined family friends and my little sister passing away all within a one year span. It was devastating. I knew I needed a venting system to maintain any sort of sanity and screaming profanities into an empty mic just didn’t seem like a strong enough system. So I got a hold of KotD and showed them I was ready and then after that battle I reached out to Smoked Out and they set me up for their next event. The sheer release of negativity in such a positive environment is really a huge boost to my mental health and happiness so I’ve stayed in it and developed a real love for the element.
Q: What is it about the environment of a Smoked Out event that is so much fun?
A: Without being corny (hopefully), it’s the positivity. From the moment you step to the venue the buzz is intense, people are joking and laughing at the door and freestyling outside. Beatmakers are showing off their latest releases while we all catch up with one another. Its a very close community we’ve created with not only the rappers but the fans being very interactive as a group, and we’re always quick to include anyone who comes around, everyone’s welcome. Inside the energy is always high and battles feed off of it. There’s an almost almost primal feeling to the air with cheers and hollering and great crashes of excitement.
Q: Is it difficult to keep the aggressive nature of the battles inside the ring? Have you ever had to fight?
A: I’ve never had to fight though I can tell you that tempers can get very high. However the golden rule in battling is to never take a swing and we all abide by it really well. I’ve almost always found that once you and your opponent finish your rounds the tension is relived in a huge way. Boxers say you never really know someone until you fight them and its the same in rap battles. While at times it can be very difficult to keep your anger or aggression within the limits of battle rap, it often makes for the best battles due to the high emotional energy each rapper has poured in. The battlers are professionals and we all know that we entered this no holds barred type of community though, so even with pure hate between two opponents safety is rarely a concern. Besides, black eyes heal, but seeing why you’re a terrible person hurts forever 😉
Q: How would you describe your battling style?
A: I’ve heard the words ‘working man’s rapper’ thrown around a lot and I couldn’t agree more. I know that in rap a lot of artists embellish or make up their fake personas so I made a decision to do the exact opposite. I went hyper sensitive to what I am and that’s a heavy duty construction trade worker for over a decade now. Its actually very liberating. I rarely have to worry about someone calling me out, its not hard to put together that I’m working class. To me working class is tough as nails and that’s something I try to portray. If I was to personify the actual rap style I’d have to go with a highrise tower foreman, the guy who can yell with authority and command respect. Its a very aggressive yet intelligent style I like to think, a little fast paced maybe but full of entendres and supports. A style that will very quickly dismantle who you are and leave your framework for inspection. But above all its a style people can relate to because in the end, there’s probably more working class in the crowd then there are ballers.
Q: How do you see your music affecting your battling career and vice versa?
A: I feel like Battling has completed me as an MC. I’ve always made music. I’ve hosted shows from UFC nights at bars to big production affairs; I’m a fairly established freestyler with a very personalized style; and for almost any occasion if you give me a mic I’ll make the crowd move. But with the addition to rap battles in my portfolio I really feel like I’ve rounded myself out to being a full blown emcee anyway you chop it up. It’s subsequently boosted my stage presence of both elements while they feed off one another and with the aggressive nature of the writing in battle rap it keeps my music free to stay in its desired lane which is usually much softer than my battles. So now if I focus on a single style for a while, be it aggressively battling, emo rap songs or really intricate story flows I always know I’ve got that diversity on lock.
Q: What advice do you have for someone who is interested in battling?
A: This is actually a tough call because my advice would be very person specific. But if I had to lay one rule or piece of advice it would be this: battle rap doesn’t judge your words or swagger NEARLY as much as your self esteem. Your self esteem is critical to you surviving in this game, period. So before you step into the ring get right with yourself. Look at the stupid shit you did in your past and make peace with it, figure out how it made you grow or just realize you’ve moved on. But when someone brings it up you cant have an ounce of pain or regret in your eyes, because if you don’t believe in yourself then the crowd never will. Make peace with yourself before you bring war onto others.
Good advice and good luck against ALA, you know I’ll be there to see it Saturday Aug 29th at Olympia Pizza in Surrey
You can follow Rhythm on twitter @RhythmHipHop