When most people think about a rap battle one of the first things most people will think of is the movie Eight Mile staring Eminem. The story of a struggling MC who makes it to the top of his local battle rap competition and gains the respect of his sceptics and critics.
Do we have anything like that in New Zealand?....yes we do and It's called 1 Out Street Battle. On the 25th of February 2012 I went to my first ever rap battle at Takapuna beach. 1 Out Street Battle is New Zealands first MC Battle League and I wished I knew about these events sooner so I want to do my part to spread the word so others with an interest in Hip Hop don’t miss out.
Formed in December 2010 by Spearman, 1 Out Street Battle holds events every month. The battles consist of 3 rounds at 1 minute per round, the rappers aren’t accompanied by music which is known as acapella.
The aim of the game is to make fun of your opponent with clever word play and rhyme schemes and believe me there are no holds bared. The MC’s touch on any subject they feel will demoralise or rattle their opponent and gain points with the audience including extremely personal subject matter like raping family members, insinuations of incest and being abandoned by parents as a child. You wouldn’t want to do this if you were over sensitive. But as with all things Hip Hop very little is taken seriously and insults hurled dissipate into the air as fast as they're spoken and to be honest it’s not too dissimilar to watching stand up comedy.
The venue changes every month usually a beach and occasionally a bar and all that’s required are the people and someone to film the battles and its game on. The event is hosted by Spearman and Tokie Kones and they often have a well known MC as guest host. There are a dozen or so regular battlers and contenders come from all over the country to participate. The battles give the MC’s a platform to display their skills and to gain exposure with the ever widening audience.
Contenders often post amusing vlogs that poke fun at their opponents in anticipation for their upcoming battle. It’s almost like the hype build up seen in pro wrestling and is pretty darn funny.
This is a fascinating and highly entertaining event and I suggest you come and check the next battle out.
If you want to keep tabs on the events go to http://www.facebook.com/pages/1-OUT-Street-Battles-NZ/142510922480462 and like 1 Out Street Battle on Facebook.
In the mean time have a look at some of the contenders from the days events.
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