Holyoke, Mass. is being treated to a major battle rap event this Saturday (May 16), the biggest one the state has seen yet. Nikiya, the man behind "MASSacre," is well known behind-the-scenes, but typically stays away from the spotlight but since he's now a full-on player in the battle rap business world, we thought we'd reach out to get some more info on him and his intentions.
BattleRap.com: So first of all, who are you?
Nikiya Osborn: My name is Nikiya Osborn, some call me Uncle KY.
How’d you get into battle rap?
I didn't grow up constantly looking at YouTube but one day I decided to try and look up old Eminem battles and came across Dizaster vs. Canibus and from there just went down the rabbit hole looking into all the old history of Grind Time, Fight Klub, the WRCs, Scribble Jam, to the current KOTD, URL, and Don't Flop.
You’ve been at most major events for the last few years. What did you learn from them?
I've learned if it's a two-day event never to leave Day 1 early or you might miss a Danny Myers vs. Rum Nitty type battle (exactly what happened to me at “Battle Of The Bay 6,” my first event). I’ve also learned that events rarely start or end on time, and that while there is a lot of violent imagery with battle rap, violence is the last thing anyone wants and most people are very friendly.
What event stands out the most from all of them?
I really have to go with a weekend instead, and that would be the weekend of “Blackout 4” and “High Stakes.” That weekend I was completely a part of battle rap history and I could feel the energy of the culture. I traveled to both events, ending my time in Toronto at BO4 at 3:00 a.m. Sunday morning and catching a flight five hours later to get to New Jersey to head to “High Stakes.”
What made you want to throw this event?
Two reasons: I thought I was in an area that could use a big event (especially originally wanting to throw it in Boston), and selfishly I found out my wife was pregnant and I wouldn't be able to travel as much as I had been.
How did the partnership with KOTD come together?
By going to a lot of events I became friends with people in KOTD and when I had an event in mind with most of the battles lined up or being worked on already I reached out initially to Lush and Aspect One. With me being from L.A. originally, that’s what felt natural.
Why did you pick these battles?
I tried to have a good mix of battles that people had been asking for (Pat vs. Calicoe and Bigg K vs. Ill Will), battles that rappers wanted to do (Arsonal vs. Shotty 2 and DNA vs. 40 B.A.R.R.S.), battles that I personally wanted to see (Rone vs. Goodz and DNA vs. Dirtbag Dan), and local rappers on the rise (Xcel vs. Danny Myers and E. Farrell vs. Sicarii).
We’ve seen a lot of new players throw one event and then disappear. Are you in for the long run?
I'm in this scene for the long run. I'll always support it and try to have a positive influence on it. As for throwing events, I hope so but I'm a pragmatist. This isn't a scene flush with cash and it's not easy to make a profit as a promoter. I want to throw amazing events in small venues which can only be supported by pay-per-view revenue.
What’s next after “MASSacre?”
Recovering, haha. Spending some time with my family and newborn daughter. I'll probably watch “Back To Basics 2” on PPV as I really want to make it to “World Domination 5” as I haven’t made it to a WD event yet. After that, I’ll decide what my next move will be.
The event goes down at 4:00 p.m. on May 16 in Holyoke, Mass. See the full card, and buy the $30 live pay-per-view (hosted by Dirtbag Dan and BattleRap.com's Chris Mitchell) here.
Cover photo by Zach Macphoto.
Thoughts? Let us know in the comments below.
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