By: Emma Yuan
The Statue of Liberty stands tall and proud, its green robe luminous in the light. At night, the city glows brighter than day, towering buildings raised towards the heavens. Even a blind man can trace the skyline of New York, the apple of the Earth’s eye. The global city seems to contain a piece from every crevice of the world, all combined into a patchwork of diversity and culture. Within it, the art of battle rap has settled its roots.
Perhaps in elementary school, you were familiar with the verbal spars exchanged between fellow peers. Children would gather around in a circle, chanting for conflict. Not the exchange of fists you would expect, but rather of wits. A battlefield laced with the snot and tears of its tragic predecessors. Anyone who goes in unarmed, or at least without the protection of a well-tacked “your mom” to any given statement, would find themselves doomed in the pit of momentary humiliation, forced to relive the moment over and over until the end of their primary school career.
If you find your memories exempt from such scenarios, consider yourself lucky. Though it is unlikely that the above situation would have played out in such an exaggerated manner, there are many, now aged into maturity, that would rather eat bricks than to recall their past “epic roast battles.” Either would likely cause an equal amount of intestinal discomfort. However, others have since evolved themselves from such petty little squabbles and honed their words to be true weapons of destruction. Their battleground remains, thorns ready and rivers run with blood, words sharpened beyond any blade. After all, as swords stab ink will bleed. Such occurrences stand as one of the few phenomena that can believably be topped with the phrase, “And then everyone clapped.”
A wellness center in a Brooklyn neighborhood may seem obscure at first, but within, individuals gather to demonstrate their art—the Trap NY. Hero, a rapper from Dallas, regards it as an opportunity to make a statement and find a place within the ranks of battle rap. It provides hope that a rapper starting out with their craft may find themselves amongst the elite. It is not uncommon to find a crowd crammed within the area allotted for such statement making. Two are selected to face off in front of the thousands viewing, physically and on stream. A coin is flipped, the order called. Then, the war of best out of three erupts.
Over the years, rap has steadily built traction throughout society, and has gained recognition from vast numbers of the world’s populace. Some of those experienced in their craft such as members of the Ultimate Rap League, King of the Dot, and Rare Breed Entertainment cemented their popularity at national performances. Due to the rising interest in the sport, money awarded to winners of battle rap has been bumped up by thousands of dollars, piquing the interest of many more aspiring artists.
But like any sport, in the end, the artists can show their appreciation for each other. There is a silent respect among rappers. One that may not make itself evident as they throw well-crafted insults at the other with the vitriol of a forest fire. However, beneath it all, or rather above all else, they are united beyond their lyrical exchanges by their art form. Though every spar between rappers holds a unique, distinctive blend of their personal styles, what remains prevalent is their sportsmanship.
And in the end, everyone gets to clap.