Battle rap fans were kept in the dark at King Of The Dot’s Blackout4, but everything came to light when the rappers hit the stage.
The fourth installment of the celebrated Blackout battle event kicked off with incredible energy at Toronto’s Opera House Friday night when, for the first time ever, King Of The Dot decided it would not be announcing the card until the moment of the battle. And the ingenious idea was an effective way to bring even more hype to the already highly anticipated event.
Organik, the KOTD CEO and mastermind behind the idea, was determined to change the face of battle rap, adding more entertainment and mystery to the lyrical sport. “It’s been one of those events that have been historic for us from the jump,” says Organik.
“It’s just adding a bit of excitement back into the battle scene for the fans and the rappers and everybody involved. It’s weird how far a little idea can push people in terms of motivation and excitement. Innovation is the key.”
“It’s just adding a bit of excitement back into the battle scene for the fans and the rappers and everybody involved. It’s weird how far a little idea can push people in terms of motivation and excitement. Innovation is the key.” – Organik
Fans herded into the venue from the chilling polar vortex that blew through Toronto for some unexpected and legendary matchups such as Charron vs. The Saurus, DNA vs. Arcane, Arsonal vs. Swave Sevah and the first ever female vs. male rap battle in King Of The Dot history when Bonnie Godiva faced Uno Lavoz.
Besides some noisy fans, a brawl in the crowd and some cancellations from a few fan-favourite battlers (such as IllWill and Big T), the battle event gave fans the entertainment and legendary match-ups that they paid to see.
Although the winners were up to fan perception, there was no denying that Charron was hungry when he stated that The Saurus was a washed up emcee that he hoped to never be like at that age and even though Bonnie Godiva choked on the second round, she exposed Uno in the third by bringing out Mystique as a witness to ‘testify’ against her former flame.
King Of The Dot outdid itself with the surprise Blackout4 card, reaching a new caliber of battle rap business.
And that was just day one.
Words By. Samantha O’Connor + Photos By. Candace Nyaomi
Comments are closed.