Battle rap is at a pivotal stage in its growth. It has the potential to stake its own claims, make its own rules and bring a larger audience in. More so than ever before is battle rap culture being accepted into the mainstream. Twitch hosts KOTD battles live, Caffeine is the official platform for URL, and now presidential candidates are buying into the battle rap market.
The stakes are huge, can battle rap continue on its path without forsaking any of the true tenets of the culture?! Is working with mainstream consumer culture a sell? Can it be done without sacrificing it’s truth? No one wants to be the consumer when they are used to being the hustler. The hopes are monumental that battle rap can be itself and continue its path of growth for the people, the fans, the battlers and for the culture.
The video featured below highlights the internal dialog of many disenfranchised voters and people who generally don't have faith in the political system. Charlie Clips and DNA represent that dialogue and "battle" to influence others to use their voice to create change. The message is clear and it is that battle rap is making the largest waves it has ever made.
When prominent battlers get a solid check from a public service and a larger platform it's never a bad thing. This is a continued evolution of the culture that is being utilized to spread a message. The battle rap community as a whole is well aware of the messages it sends and it is almost always apparent that the culture will continue to drive towards positivity. The video may not be the message you align yourself with personally but as a niche culture of hip hop we can all agree we’ve come so far and our presence is being felt and the talent of the culture is being recognized. Salute to those who carry on its traditions and use their influence for good! Salute to battle rap, its fans and the talent that makes it happen and drives towards a future for it participants. It is time for battle rap to be the main stage.