issue #53 2018
battle rap
EDITION
ADI SHANKAR Dead Silence. Ciddy. + Dizaster.Bodied. #Eminem.
BUILD YOUR OWN!
STARTING A NEW BUSINESS? LET US HELP.
Editor/Publisher: Tyrone Davis
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Contributing Writers: Lucky Smith Greetings, Battle rap culture has been around forever but I was in college when they were being filmed and placed online via outlets like Youtube. Rap Battles featured on Smack DVD were the first ones I saw and Smack and a lot of those battle rappers have become household names today. With that being said, I’d like to introduce you to our “Battle Rap Edition” where we speak with some battle rappers (known and unknown), as well as one of the producers for Joseph Kahn’s battle rap film, “Bodied” which is now available on Youtube Premium. Also, “Twenty4Seven Magazine: The Mixtape Vol. 2” will release early 2019! In the meantime, check out our website, www.twenty4sevenmagazine.com for news, interviews and other great content. Tyrone Davis
Contact: twenty4sevenmagazine.com twenty4sevenmagazine@gmail.com youtube.com/twenty4sevenmagazine twitter: @twenty4sevenmag instagram: @twenty4sevenmagazine facebook: twenty4seven magazine Editor Contact: brightwoodentertainment.com brightwoodentertainment@gmail.com youtube.com/brightwoodent twitter: @brightwoodent instagram: @brightwoodentertainment facebook: Tyrone Brightwood Davis phone: 404.409.6553
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PHOTOSHOOT VIDEO INTERVIEW
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CONTENTS 4-5 DEAD SILENCE 6-7 CIDDY 8-11 ADI SHANKAR 13 #EMINEM 14-15 DIZASTER 16-17 BODIED 18 BATTLE RAPPERS CAN’T WHAT?
CONTACT US TODAY
W W W. B R I G H T W O O D E N T E R T A I N M E N T. C O M
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What do you say about the theory that battle rappers can’t make real records? It’s less common for battle rappers to make likable music catered to the average listener due to their familiarity with battle rap structure and not song structure. A battle rapper can easily make a record if they understand song structure though. Have you released any music projects? I’ve released 6 official records and I’ll be dropping one more record for the year in December along with 2 more in January and February of 2019. What would you say separates you from the rest? What separates me from most would be my ability to adapt to battle rap and being an artist (songwriter). I understand the structure of both and have been able to consistently give great final product in both areas of entertainment.
PHOTO: THE PROMO GODDESS
DEAD SILENCE A Q+A ABOUT BATTLE RAP BY LUCKY SMITH Introduce yourself for us. Where are you from? I’m Dead Silence. I’m a battle rapper, artist and film scorer from Indianapolis, Indiana. Explain your thought process behind the name. The thought process behind Dead Silence came from enduring pain and producing creativity with that same energy. Dead Silence also comes from how I move as an individual. I don’t talk as much as people expect and I observe everything possible. Did you start out as a battle rapper? I started out as a songwriter and eventually developed into a professional artist. I came into the rap game September 2017, given an opportunity by B. Jones (starting his rap battle League). He saw me in numerous cyphers and invited me to battle due to another battler dropping out at the last second. I dominated my first battle and have been in the game since. Does Indianapolis actually have a battle rap scene? Indianapolis has 2 battle rap scenes that I know of personally. The inner city’s main battle rap scene consists of 8-10 battlers in a league called “CCBL” which was started by B. Jones. The other league involved Andrew Hunt who hosts battles as well. I haven’t been to their battles yet but I’ve heard of a good select few who will be battling against “CCBL” on December 1st. How do you feel the city measures up to the other cities in the Midwest, in reference to battle rap talent? I feel as if Indianapolis is new to battle rap in a major way but the grind has been there for a couple of years. Not until this year has battle rap blown up. In my opinion, I can see a solid 3-5 battlers representing Indianapolis on a major platform against the other Midwest cities. How many battles have you been in? What is your record? I’ve been in four solo battles and one 2 vs 2 Match-Up. My solo record is 3-1 and took the L on the 2 vs 2 matchup. Who would you say was your most competitive battle TWENTY4SEVEN MAGAZINE
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against? How did you handle it? My most competitive will be against Huruhkain, which will take place on December 1st. I’m approaching the battle with constant schemes followed by unique punches. We both have similar unorthodox styles so it will be a classic for the city. If you could pick anyone in the world to battle, who would it be and why? I’d battle Rum Nitty (from Phoenix) due to the fact he’s the so called “Punchline King”. Also, I like a challenge that will push my pen. The better the challenge, the more I’ll push. Who are your “Top 5” battle rappers of all time? Loaded Lux, Rum Nitty, Danny Myers, Tay Roc and the old Aye Verb. Have you come across a lot of women who battle rap? I don’t come across a lot of women who battle rap. That’s rare.
Have you had a chance to see Joseph Khan’s battle rap film, “Bodied”? If so, what do you think? I just saw the trailer a month ago. I’m mad I’m so late on the movie but I’ll watch it this weekend.
Who won these battles on wax and why? Remy Ma vs Nicki Minaj Remy Ma. She aimed for more personals, unlike Nicki Minaj who tried to barely throw personals and make a commercial pop record at the same time. Joyner Lucas vs Tory Lanez Joyner Lucas. His first record was fire and was consistent on throwing personals along with using his great flow and changing deliveries at the same time. Tory’s first diss record was purely commercial and no material was aimed toward Joyner. He said a whole lot of nothing. Tory’s second record was impressive. I feel like nobody expected that from him. More personals were aimed at Joyner but he had to copy Joyner’s style. Joyner finished the beef with his 2nd record clapping back at Tory’s 2nd diss track by being consistent and demolishing him with more personals along with maintaining his delivery and changing flows constantly.
Do you think battle rappers get the respect they deserve from the industry? I feel as if battle rappers will only get respect to a certain audience. When it comes to music, the average listeners goes along with a certain vibe instrumental-wise before really tuning into lyricism. Battle Rap fans have a tendency to gravitate towards certain battlers due to favoritism, material and lack openmindedness sometimes.
Jay Z vs Nas Nas, even though Jay Z’s disses were slept on. In my opinion, Nas made one of the popular well known, “Top 5” disses of all time. Nas made the “Ether” instrumental so well known because of how much that diss track destroyed Jay Z, globally.
The industry is too in-tune with commercialism. Honestly, outside of Smack/URL, no other battle league is promoted/ shown as much unless its a league from over seas. Even when it comes to over seas rap battle leagues, most will not get as much attention as the league “Don’t Flop”.
Drake vs Pusha T Pusha T. He lyrically murdered Drake to the point where an O.G. had to come in and advise Pusha T to stop. Drake even made a record on his album to explain all of the hidden info Pusha T put on wax.
What was one of the best battles ever to you and why? One of the best battles to me would be Loaded Lux vs Calicoe. It’s amazing because it shows you who the real battle rap listeners are when it comes to breaking down the battle. Loaded lux did not target calico as much as Calico targeted Loaded Lux, material wise. Loaded Lux is so much of a mogul that he got praised for choking in a verse. Battle Rap regulations, when it comes to choking, you lose that round. Most commercial fans will say Loaded Lux 3-0’d Calicoe because of his third round, but you have to give Calico the 1st round due to Loaded Lux’s choke and you have to give Loaded Lux the 3rd round due to how he broke down Calico’s existence. Personally, I have Calicoe 2-1 but the 2nd round is a great toss up because it can go either way.
Eminem vs Machine Gun Kelly Eminem. Respect to MGK for coming at Eminem because of Em’s ego, disrespect and narcissistic ways towards other artists. Nobody would ever think of coming at Eminem in general so respect to MGK period but Eminem lyrically demolished MGK. I haven’t heard of MGK’s name after Eminem’s last diss record. Rest In Peace. Follow Dead Silence on Instagram @deadsilence9, on Twitter @Deadsilence_9 and on Facebook: Kold Mason (Dead Silence). His email address is deadsilence10mc@gmail.com.
Is there such thing as “going too far” in a battle? You can’t go to far in battle rap. Battle rap is the proving ground for Hip-Hop, lyrically. When a battle rapper decides to battle, he/she has to understand what they are signing up for. Everything from social media to real life information can be used against them at anytime during a battle. Live more privately. Can anyone who can rap well be successful at battling? You can be a great battle rapper and an artist at the same time. The format for battle rap is more free as far as word-space and there is no tempo for battle rap. Even with a tempo, battle rap is more loose, delivery-wise. As an artist, you have to understand the structure of music. Music has a restraint on tempo. 4/4, 3/4, 2/4, along with many other measurements used is the backbone of other sounds creating a record. Most artists develop their material by deciding what is best for the audience to listen to based off of the tempo given.
PHOTOS: WILDSTYLE PHOTOGRAPHY
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Ciddy is an artist and battle rapper from originally from Ann Arbor, MI. He moved to Detroit at the age of 10 and has been active in the city ever since. Check him out. I came across you for the first time after seeing someone (it might have been Quest MCODY) post your “Ask Me If I Care” EP on Facebook. The artwork was dope and it caught my attention. It’s a solid project as well. What was your thought process behind the concept of the project? Thanks man. The cover took a couple of months to paint. I thought of the whole artwork concept myself and it was done by Roger Betka. My thought process was just making a project with no skips, a project that every song could be a single, ya know? That’s without it being bubble gum or super commercial. I’m just being myself, basically. I didn’t learn you were also a battle rapper until after I heard the EP. I had mentioned you to a friend who is more knowledgeable about who is who in the battle rap world and he told me. How did you get into rapping period and which came first, records or battling? I started off cyphering and freestyling and started recording myself on this portable recorder that my mom bought me. I was basically doing songs and battling all at the same time. Which do you prefer more, recording or battling? I prefer recording because it’s more personal. As long as I’ve been watching battle rap on Youtube, it seems the winner is left up to the fans who are present during the battle and the people in the comments online to decide, which basically boils down to them debating about it. How does that work within the ranks of these battle rap leagues themselves? Do they say, “Yo bro, you won/lost” or do they leave it up to the fans as well? You ever heard the saying “opinions are like assholes......”??? That’s battle rap fans, to me. It’s just a preference thing. Being an entertainer and performing in front of strangers can be tough period but I think it takes a special kind of person to be a battle rapper. How do you approach it? I get asked that a lot. I’m comfortable getting on stage because it just feels natural, especially at this point. Confidence will make or break you as a artist/battler. You have to convince people that you’re legit with this shit. How do you feel about “crowd bias” regardless of whether it’s in your favor or not? In my opinion, it actually helps you as a rapper battling in hostile elements. We’re from Detroit and it’s not like a big east or west coast market. All of us from here got no problem with road games. We’re use to it.
CIDDY Steady Reppin’
WORDS + INTERVIEW BY TYRONE DAVIS
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Have you gotten a chance to see the battle rap film, “Bodied”? If so, what did you think about it? If not, what do you think about the trailer? I haven’t seen it but if it gives battlers shine, I’m with it. One of the themes of the film and battle rap in general is being able to say things about someone that one shouldn’t say. What’s your take on it, being that we also live in an era where everyone is being politically correct out of fear of offending someone and being “cancelled”? The only shit I really don’t like is speaking on dead relatives/
homies. I don’t rock wit that. Anything else is fair game. Being that you are from the state that birthed Eminem (who is also a producer of the film), how do you feel about his contribution to Hip Hop overall and his recent project, “Kamikaze”? Slim is one of my favorite rappers ever. I’m a huge fan of a lot of his shit. “Kamikaze” was crack. For those who aren’t familiar, what other battle rappers from Michigan should they be checking for? Bruh, this question is a whole interview in itself. There are so many dudes doing their thing here that I’d be naming people forever. Michigan got killers! It’s scary! One thing that has been hard for me is that I’ve seen a lot of rap battles, but I don’t know much about any of the battle rappers like I know the recording artists. What can be done to change that? Binge watch. It is like sitcoms. You have to follow the storylines. There are quite a few leagues out there. Do you think the game is becoming oversaturated, even though the masses aren’t necessarily up on it 100%? There are way too many leagues. When I was coming up it was way harder to get in the battle rap circle. You had to be dead nice to even be able to come around. I wish there were only a few leagues or at least one per region or some shit. What was your most challenging battle to date? Challenging? Maybe Chilla (Jones) because he’s the only person I ever battled that I knew before hand was probably more lyrical than me. So, I had to blend aggression and jokes with my bars to compete. Also, Young Kannon in Chicago was no joke since I was on his turf. What are your “Top 5” of all time: A) Rap Battles There are so many I like but these are some of the one I watch often. Murda Mook vs Serius Jones, Conceited vs Tsu Surf, B Magic vs Qleen Paper, K Shine vs Tay Roc and Hollow vs Passwurds. B) Diss Records “Checkmate” by Jadakiss, “Back Down” by 50 Cent, “Ether” by Nas, “Takeover” by Jay Z and “Back to Back” by Drake. C) Artists This is not really a “Top 5” but some of my favorites are Lloyd Banks, Eminem, Nas, DMX and Mase. Tell us something about yourself that most don’t know. I’m a huge skateboarding fan. What do you have coming up next? I have a few projects coming in 2019. Visuals also. I might do a battle or 2 as well. Follow Ciddy on social media @Itsciddy.
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ADI SHANKAR Digital Bootlegs Words + Interview: Tyrone Davis Adi Shankar is film producer and YouTube personality who is best known for “The Grey”, “Castlevania” and his “Bootleg Universe” series. He is also a producer of Joseph Kahn’s film “Bodied”, which is now available on Youtube Premium. During our chat, we discussed his childhood, “Bodied” and other film projects, the state of the entertainment business and creating content in the internet age. How did you end up in Hong Kong and Singapore, being that you are originally from India? My family moved there in search of better opportunities. I’m very fortunate to have been exposed to a myriad of cultures before adulthood. It gave me a perspective and point of view that continues to benefit my work. As an army brat, I spent some time living and traveling in Europe when I was young but I’ve always wanted to travel further west. What did you like most about Hong Kong? I liked that in my lifetime I got to experience living under colonial rule and that I can remember the residue of the British Empire. Hong Kong was the second last British colony with Macau being the last. It’s something that sounds so ancient today, but I live in it. In America, we’ll relocate from state to state and not have to deal with major changes other than cost of living and things of that nature. How does that work abroad? I’ve heard quite a few people relocating to completely different countries. How do you adjust to different cultures, language, etc.? It’s not like that in the East. Each region has a radically different and nuanced culture. Fortunately being forced to adapt consistently at a very young age made me hyper attune to body language.
PHOTOS: DEXTER BROWN
How does one immigrate to America by himself at the age of 16? What was that experience like and what type of adversity did you face when you got here, if any? It was scary. I had just moved here and two days later, 9/11 happened. The second was that some of the nomenclature was foreign to me. Finally, I didn’t know how to drive. How did you get your start as a creative? Was it before or after arriving to LA? No. I spent years trying to stake my ground as a creative. I had to combat my own insecurities and my own preconceived notions. Also, back then the industry had almost no diversity, so that was a struggle. Finally, I learned how to drive so I could move to LA so the freeways were scary. To have as many big projects as you have, do you think that
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came from pure talent alone or “who you know”? Which do you think is most important in 2018? I didn’t know anyone in Hollywood when I moved here. I wouldn’t say pure talent either because I had a ton of angles, helpers and people who believed in me. You’re a producer of the Joseph Kahn film, “Bodied” that was released not too long ago and will be available as a Youtube Original soon. For those who haven’t seen it, what is the film about? On the surface it’s a film about underground battle rap. Under the hood it’s a dissection and send up of our PC culture. The hypocrisy of living life today frustrated Joseph Kahn so much he had to make this film. Eminem and his manager, Paul Rosenburg are also producers of this film. What was it like working with them? They did an amazing job on the soundtrack. Joseph Kahn and Eminem go so far back as he directed several of Eminem’s early music videos that were responsible for branding him. I was having a conversation some friends a few months back and they had never heard of the term “satire”. I told them that Aaron Mcgruder’s “The Boondocks” was an example of one. For those who aren’t aware, what is a satire and what was the approach to creating “Bodied”? Satire is subversive comedy disguised as a drama. Bodied is a film about an outsider, both racially and culturally, infiltrating the rap world. Bodied in a lot of ways is a simulation of internet culture. Can we expect to see any real battle rappers in this film or will they all be actors? This film is packed with battle rappers and actors. Joseph Kahn is such a brilliant director that he can work with actors and non-actors alike and it will be awesome. Were you a battle rap fan prior to this project? If so, who are your “Top 5” battle rappers? No, not a fan. Murda Mook, Aye Verb, Eminem, Jin and Eyedea. TWENTY4SEVEN MAGAZINE
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There has always been a myth that battle rappers can’t write songs because they are too focused on BARS. That may have been more true 10-15 years ago, but I’ve heard some dope music from some battle rappers over the years like Quest MCODY, Arsonal, Lotta Zay, Ciddy and more. What is your take on it? Agreed. I also think what is considered a good song has paradigm shifted because of the internet and the low cost of producing/distributing music and that’s leveled the playing field. You’re also acting a bit in the film, correct? I have a cameo, yes. I play a campus security guard. I’ve been told it’s a memorable scene. “Bodied” premiered in 2017 and I even remember Charlamagne tha God mentioning that he was going to appear in the film back then. Can you give us any insight as to what happens behind the scenes with the release of projects like this? Every project is completely different. Bodied is particularly unusual because Hollywood doesn’t understand the film’s audience, so this was an education process for “There are still everyone involved. Tell us about Netflix’s “Castlevania”. I haven’t seen it yet but I recently watched the trailer for season 2 and it looks good. It reminds me of Todd McFarlane’s HBO series, “Spawn” in regard to the artwork and I really enjoyed that. So, I’m going to binge it so I can catch up. It’s a fantasy show about Dracula, mythical creatures and the vampire hunting family who battle them. It’s based on a video game series that’s been running since the 80’s.
gatekeep-
opening because the cost of making content continues to drop, distribution has evolved because of the smart phone and people want specific content today.....”
Even on the music side, people are listening to albums the day of release and calling them “classics”. What is your approach to creating? Any pressure trying to keep up with everyone else? I feel immense pressure trying to keep up with myself. Pressure to keep up with everyone else is an illusion that will rot your creative core. I’ve never been to a Comic-Con of any kind, but I’ve always wanted to go and I feel like I’m losing for having not been to one yet. Am I correct? Yes, you’re missing out. It’s a cultural phenomenon at this point that transcends its mere convention roots. When I was living in Germany (92-95), I used to watch
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What superhero film or film based on a cartoon would you like to see be made or remade? I really hope we get “Thundercats” at some point. I don’t want to read any more articles about it until it’s a 100% go. He-Man. I want He-Man.
ers but the floodgates are
Speaking of binge-watching film projects, do you think content is being released to frequently at this point? As a creative myself, I sometimes feel as though people don’t really appreciate creative works as much as they used to because so much is being thrown at them at once. In 5 years we’ll have 50 times the amount of content, so get ready. That content will be super niche and super specific.
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“Sailor Moon” and “Ronin Warriors”. That was the only exposure I had to Anime. My senior year of high school, I got into “Dragon Ball Z” but after watching for about 6 weeks, I stopped because they were fighting Majin Buu too long and I got tired of “tuning in next week”. You and I are the same age but I am black and it wasn’t a thing in our culture. As a grown up, I’m seeing a lot of black people are into it. Explain Anime culture and why you think the people that enjoy it do so much? Anime culture, like battle rap culture, sneaker culture, comic book culture or any subculture that the internet has magnified into a mainstream culture is hard to describe in a sentence because it’s filled with nuance.
You know what? I just realized you did the “Power/Rangers” film that was on Youtube. I even posted it on our website on 2/24/2015 and credited you. I completely forgot and hadn’t put two and two together. That’s wild. So, THAT’S the “Bootleg Universe”. Explain that for those who don’t know. I feel like I just took an L, lol. Power/Rangers was a hard-R take on the Mighty Morphin Power Rangers. I was a huge Power Rangers fan growing up, and I saw the show about being about an alien (Zordon) recruiting and brainwashing children to fight.
- Adi Shankar
That film was originally pulled down, right? Yes. It caused some controversy. Power/Rangers was how I saw the show as a 7 year old. Considering the climate of the entertainment business today, are “gatekeepers” still in control? Elaborate. Yes. There are still gatekeepers but the floodgates are opening because the cost of making content continues to drop, distribution has evolved because of the smart phone and people want specific content today when for decades it was all about making things for the lowest common denominator. After “Bodied” and your upcoming project in 2019, where do you go from there? To Asgard to steal Stormbreaker from Thor. How can you be reached via social media? People can reach me @bootleguniverse on Instagram. Any last words? No, just be yourself and believe in yourself.
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THE
BARBERSHOP
TWEET DAT! battle rap
EDITION
@SirRams1: @ThekidJ_c will always be in my top 2, and he’s not 2. I have ran out of words to describe this niggas pen and respect for the craft, no matter the opponent, every line bro. Every line. @Rakabash: Arsonal over this “Murder Was The Case” beat is (fire emoji) This dude is essentially battling to a beat. Ars actually topped his last freestyle on Flex. Definitely on the Mt. Rushmore of battle rap. @Unusual_Suspect: @hollowdadon you killed it in the movie Bodied you was funny. You need to move to Cali its long over due. Keep staying king you deserve all this success
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@ahmad_alhoseiny: This was a dope ass movie went way harder than I expected. Amazing production @JosephKahn and shoutout to the goats @MRDIZASTER @hollowdadon and @iAmLoadedLux and all the other battlers for doing a great job playing their roles! I wanna see more! @MickeyFactz: As far as Im concerned this Smack joint, is my last time doing this. Bloggers of the culture, fans of the culture, we gotta do better with upholding these mc’s. The mental strain that goes into this is GRAND. On so many levels.
#EMINEM
@CalumWorthy: BODIED inspiring @Eminem to freestyle is cooler than winning any award. @zackfox: this Eminem freestyle just brought back segregation @sheepworlfdog: I’m not a big Eminem fan by any means but his freestyle is impressive as hell lyrically and his word play as well. These snippets taken out of context are literally just trolling. If it ain’t your lane it ain’t your lane but give the man some respect. @EliorJah: Eminem is a good example of what happens when a rapper doesn’t change their subject matter or evolve as they get older, the PRIME example @BeckyBose: People complain about #StanArmy #Eminem fans but the haters are the ones that can’t stay off our stuff. No one asked for your opinion. You don’t want ours so why share yours. If you don’t like him okay great for you (peace emogi) out of my conversation then. It’s simple agree to disagree @TrelloDeLaGetto: For someone as technicial gifted as Eminem, he literally says nothing in his raps and that freestyle proves it. Bruh just rambling about whole alot of nothing. @eminemzminnie: Don’t be mad at Eminem because he woker than y’all. Eminem preaches the truth, rather you wanna hear it or not cause truth is, racism exist, Trump is a racist, and Y’all will never respect Eminem as the GOAT cause he white. And I promise that’s the truth. #Eminem @Jacob_E_M: Eminem really like rapping lol
R.I.P.
MICHAEL DAVID LARSEN (EYEDEA) NOVEMBER 9, 1981 - DECEMBER 16, 2010
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DIZASTER megaton
Words + Interview: Tyrone Davis Los Angeles’ Dizaster is a battle rap veteran who has many notable rap battles under his belt, including bouts with Arsonal, Math Hoffa, Chilla Jones, Canibus and more. He most recently appeared in Joseph Kahn’s battle rap film, “Bodied”, which he says is the best film based on battle rap ever made. If you haven’t seen it, it is now available on Youtube Premium.
How did you get involved in Joseph Khan’s film “Bodied”? I got on board because Kid Twist (Alex Larsen) was contacted by Joseph Khan to make a film about battle rap. Kid Twist is a battle rapper who studied Journalism and went to school for literary arts, majored in writing and writes scripts. When they started on the film, Kid Twist created a character with me in mind. I had no idea this was happening. They had been writing this script for years and kept it quiet. They called me like, “Yo, we got this script.” I checked it out and they were like, “Congratulations”, you know what I mean, lol? So, I was already written into that shit, which is pretty cool. It’s a blessing. What can you tell us about the film as a whole? It’s a satire. It’s a dramedy and it talks about a lot of political subjects like cultural appropriation. There are a lot of things that are addressed in it. It’s a really good film for battle rap because battle rap has never been captured in its complete essence. It’s a real battle movie, man. It’s like all of us in a movie together. It’s what you’d imagine but with a storyline that could be generalized to the world. It’s like an American pop culture fucking masterpiece, bro. That’s how I see it. So, it did the battle rap culture justice overall? 100% to the fullest extent. I mean, there is obviously more that could have been done but there is only so much you can put into a 2 hour movie. There is always going to be someone who says, “Oh, I wasn’t in it!” or “You could have captured THIS.” but for what it was, we’re lucky to have that in a full feature film like this. There will never be a battle rap movie better than this movie. Were the right battle rappers chosen to represent the culture? Oh, fuck yea. As long you have all of the legends in there like me, Hollow, Lux, Conceited, Thesaurus, Illmatic, Arsonal etc. I mean, these are GODS in battle rap….irremovable legends. Having Smack, Organik and Lush One too, obviously. People may argue about why they aren’t doing more than that (in their role) but they really don’t need to. The fact that they are appearing in it is a cosign. Their name is the most important thing. People don’t love them for their acting skills. People are in there for certain reasons and the battlers like Lux and Hollow are rapping in there. Dumbfounded is in there as well. He’s a battle rap success story. You guys (battle rappers) have been going at each other’s necks for years and sometimes things go further than the battle and can even get physical. What was the atmosphere like on set with the other rappers? Even though I had my shit with “KOTD”, at the time all of that stuff wasn’t even that serious and it’s hard to be mad in a situation where everyone is winning, bro. I don’t know. Even if I’d seen an enemy at that point, I wouldn’t even want to fight. We’re surrounded by people with tons of fucking money. Battle rappers just act a fool when we’re in the playground. I can’t act a fool in a situation like that, know what I mean? What was your most memorable moment on set? I don’t know man, lol. It was all memorable. It was an incredible experience. There was a lot of shit. Watching the guy Joseph Kahn work....He’s a fucking insane person. Just learning from these people and acting is crazy. Being someone who known to say things that are controversial, how do you feel about being people politically correct and more sensitive these days, especially on social media? I don’t believe that’s good at all. I think they hurt personalities, they stunt growth and they don’t allow a person to develop. They hide from the inevitable. The world is an ugly place. You have to learn to grow thick skin. You can’t block shit in real life so if you’re bothered about some shit online, you become fragile and it’s going to get worse. I understand not everybody is built the same. Some people can’t tolerate that sort of thing and that’s cool, just stay the fuck away from us. Drake said that Pusha T went too far in their battle. Is there a such thing as going too far in battle rap? I’m sick of those guys comparing themselves to us. Drake is the homie. Shouts out to him, but those guys should never compare themselves to us because we have agreements to do
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this. We’re warriors. These guys aren’t built like us. They shouldn’t be disrespecting each other. They are from different worlds. They’re musicians. I’m working on an album. I want to put out a record but my record ain’t going to be about ripping shit and flipping shit and skipping shit. That’s just battle rap. I’m going to make a real record. What I’m trying to tell you is records are a different space. I know some people battle on records and that’s cool too but those are different types of rappers. They shouldn’t even be holding themselves to our standards. We really live this shit. For them, maybe they shouldn’t cross the line but this is battle rap, bro. Get the fuck out of here, lol. You’re going to get killed over here, no matter who you are or what you do. Even if it’s a good thing, I don’t give a fuck. You a doctor? Great! (Starts rapping) You’ll get hit with the fucking steth-o-scope and fuckin…you know what I mean? I doesn’t matter what you are in battle rap. YOU GON DIE! Lol! To pull this off, it definitely takes a certain type of individual just to be able to perform in front of people but you guys are literally going at it like “Playing the Dozens” back in the day. How to you approach battling and how do you keep it all together when being disrespected in your face? For me, you can’t really piss me off and the one time that I did do some shit in a battle, it had nothing to do with the battle. It was a lot deeper than that. For someone to be able to say words to piss me off, I don’t think I’ve ever gotten pissed in a battle like that. I’ve been fake pissed off just to entertain people but you look like a sucker if you get mad for real. You have to have some type of self worth and you have to be able to make fun of yourself. It’s healthy. Unless one is a die hard battle rap fan, people don’t normally get to know battle rappers like they do artists. Why? We’re more in character all of the time. Battle rappers are battle rappers 24/7. If you look at our Twitters, our Twitters are an extension of the battle scene. The shit that I say on Twitter, I’d never say in real life. Lol, well maybe some of the shit. Would you guys like to be known more or do you like things the way they are? You know what? Maybe it’s because battle rappers are introverted as far as keeping to ourselves and not sharing information because our information can be used against us, regardless of whether it’s good or bad. The less information you know about a battler the stronger he is. I mean, think about it. You know how easy it is to diss me or people who have been around as long as we have? They’d have 15 years to go back on. A guy who just appeared yesterday with no history has a big advantage on there. You can’t just battle random people. It’s dangerous. One of the stigmas about battle rappers is that they can’t put out good music. Do you agree? You know, making good music is just practicing. I’d have crazy records if I’d put in time. It’s easier than battle rap, the fuck? I think musicians are just threatened. It’s easy for someone to help you do a record and make you a nice fucking beat, give you a good singer to go on there and help you out with a good bassist or some shit. We have to do all the other shit. It requires focus and time. We survive off of battle rap so we can’t stay away from it for too long. You can’t focus on both. I think that’s why Daylyt is doing his music shit and when he does music shit, he doesn’t come around that much, which makes a lot of sense. Ok, so “Bodied” is now available on Youtube Premium and you attended the premier when it came out in select theaters. How did the fans react? It’s a fucking great movie, bro. I’ve watched it 8 times already. I’ll be honest with you. I’m still not bored of it and all of the fans who have seen it want to see it again. It’s a fast paced movie. You’ll definitely want to see it again as well. Photos of Dizaster taken from his Instagram. Follow Dizaster on Twitter and Instagram @mrdizaster. TWENTY4SEVEN MAGAZINE
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JOSEPH KAHN’S FILM, “BODIED” NOW AVAILABLE ON YOUTUBE PREMIUM BODIED is the satirical story of Adam Merkin, a progressive grad student who becomes an accidental battle rapper whose success breeds outrage. The film stars Calum Worthy (Austin & Ally, The Thinning, and American Vandal), Jackie Long (Idlewild, ATL), Shoniqua Shondai (Sing It!, The Fosters), Walter Perez (The Avengers, Fame), Rory Uphold (Hella). Also featured are well known battle rappers Dizaster, Dumbfoundead, Hollow Da Don and media personality Charlamagne Tha God.
Livorno, Italy until he immigrated to the USA at age 7. After attending NYU Film School for a year, he dropped out to direct low budget music videos for gangster rappers.
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In 2015 he released POWER/RANGERS, a satirical, selffinanced “fan film” starring James Van Der Beek and Katee Sackhoff that became an internet phenomenon. BODIED is the latest independent film from Kahn, and it has won audience awards at Toronto International Film Festival, Fantastic Fest, and the American Film Institute.
YouTube Premium is a subscription service that gives you access to YouTube Original Movies and Series -- along with, a premium music service, and an uninterrupted experience across YouTube. YouTube Premium is currently available in the U.S., Canada, Mexico, Australia, New Zealand, Korea, the U.K., Ireland, Germany, Austria, France, Italy, Spain, Sweden, Norway, Finland, Russia, Denmark, Netherlands, Belgium, Luxembourg, and Brazil. ABOUT THE FILMMAKERS Joseph Kahn (Director) Joseph Kahn has directed hundreds of videos for artists including Taylor Swift, Eminem, Britney Spears, Maroon 5, Dr. Dre, Backstreet Boys, U2, Janet Jackson, George Michael, Wu Tang Clan, Katy Perry, Lady Gaga, Shakira, and Rihanna. He also directs commercials for clients such as BMW, Lexus, British Telecom, Adidas, Samsung, Maybelline, Fox Sports, Budweiser, Revlon, Burger King. He has won multiple Grammys, MTV VMAs, Clios, Emmys, and been honored with a lifetime achievement “Icon” award by the UK Music Video Awards. Kahn was born in Pusan, South Korea. His family lived in TWENTY4SEVEN MAGAZINE
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In 2011 his self-financed independent cult film starring Josh Hutcherson, DETENTION, premiered at the South By Southwest Film Festival. It was bought by Sony Pictures and released in 2012, after winning multiple audience and jury awards.
Alex Larsen (Writer) Alex Larsen is better known as Kid Twist, a 10-year veteran of the battle rap scene and an internationally renowned and innovative battler. He is most known for his witty, incisive humour, laidback delivery, and off-the-top rebuttals. Alex first made his name in the 2007 World Rap Championships, and in 2008-2009 he was integral to the founding of the King of the Dot battle league. KOTD has since grown to be one of the biggest and most respected battle organizations in the world, with the scene as a whole drawing more fans and attention by the day. While continuing to battle at major events against top-tier opponents worldwide, his parallel professional life has included work as a game designer and screenwriter, most recently writing for the TBS celebrity rap battle show Drop the Mic. Follow Joseph Kahn on Instagram and Twitter @JosephKahn. Follow Alex Larsen on Instagram and Twitter @alexktwist. Press material and artwork and courtesy of bodiedmovie.com. TWENTY4SEVEN MAGAZINE
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BATTLE RAPPERS CAN’T WHAT? Words By Tyrone Davis For a long time, it was said that battle rappers didn’t make good music. This was said for a lot of reasons such as battle rappers are so used to focusing on lyrics, punchlines, etc. and are focusing on a target, that they aren’t necessarily great at
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WAY OF THE WON DETROIT, MI
creating hooks, melodies, etc. However, from what I’ve seen over the last 10 years or so, battle rappers have been putting out dope product. Here are a few projects worth mentioning that you should check out.
AYE VERB
GOD KING XERXES ST. LOUIS, MO
MURDA MOOK
EAZY DOEZ IT HARLEM, NYC
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