The global spread of battle culture is nothing new, with most fans familiar with leagues all over the map, from South Africa to Sweden to The Philippines. But now a new power is rising in Pakistan's capital of Islamabad, emerging from an established hip hop scene.
They-See Battle League (whose name is a play on the word "desi," which itself is a loose term representing the different peoples and cultures from South Asia) launched in August with an event that was a success before it even happened.
We got in touch with league rep and battler Xpolymer Dar, a veteran emcee from Islamabad to get the details on what's going on out there.
BattleRap.com: So first of all, who are you?
Xpolymer Dar: I am Xpolymer Dar, a Punjabi rapper from Islamabad, Pakistan. I'm also a crew member of Rap Engineers, a signature hip hop crew from South Asia that's been active since 2006. I'm a pioneer of Sufi Rap and president of They-See Battle League.
How did you get into battle rap?
I had been a fan of battle rap since I got into hip hop, but I got introduced to the modern format back in 2010 at a friend’s place. Since then it has been very difficult for me to listen to rap music, and now battle rap is 90% of my hip hop intake. Battle rap ruined me for real.
How popular is Western battle rap in Pakistan?
Rap in general is extremely famous and the masses here follow all mainstream hip hop artists and radio trends. But there are a good number of people who have their eyes open to the underground scene. As far as Western battle rap is concerned, huge battles like Dizaster vs. Canibus, Dizaster vs. Cassidy and Illmaculate vs. Bigg K got more heads turning towards the culture.
The introduction of desi rap battles in Pakistan is giving the local audience a general grasp on battle rap culture and now they want to see more and are exploring Western battle rap to fulfill that hunger.
What’s the scene like out there?
Desi hip hop is getting huge and the movement is picking up. The introduction of They-See Battle League has certainly sparked some serious fire and now a lot of desi rappers want to participate and become part of the battle culture.
Our next event is already looking big, although the scene here can't be compared to what we see in West. But it is building up into that Grind Time era and we are witnessing a lot of intellectual and theatrical advancements in rappers' performances.
I personally can't wait to see They-See Battle League reaching the level at which KOTD and Flip Top are operating. There is a lot of potential here and we can surely convert all that potential and energy into something way bigger.
How is it different than the Western scene?
I don’t see any difference as far as the skills are concerned. Rappers here are well equipped and super charged to prove themselves. The differences are evident when it comes to sponsorships and endorsements. Since it is a totally new culture here, the corporate sector and trendy brands are having a difficult time digesting this type of entertainment. Restrictions on a few social media platforms like YouTube are major setbacks, but the fans know how to find ways around them to view the battles.
You had your first event “Dangal” in August. How did it go?
Dangal — which means a one-on-one wrestling match held in an arena, gladiator style — was initially supposed to be a garage or basement event. But after the announcement in July, the hype started building up and it made waves in the entire desi hip hop industry. Every desi rapper or hip hop fan in our region became aware of it. We had to make some quick decisions and turned it into a proper event. Everything went in from our pockets with almost no hopes for any return.
It's clear in my head that I am not investing in a business, in fact I am investing in desi hip hop. The event was hosted by Osama Com Laude (who will be battling next event). Co-hosts were Yaruq Masood Malik (Rap Engineers), Usman Mukhtar (filmmaker), Talal Qureshi (producer) and Shamoon Ismail (rapper/singer).
There were some technical glitches and errors and there is room for improvements but we had to go through it once to learn. There's a first time for everything and the next event will incorporate all that we learnt from Dangal. In short, Dangal was a success.
How does Pakistan’s culture impact the content?
I am glad you brought that question up. Pakistan is not how most people in the West presume it to be. It is a blend of extremely progressive and competitive people. My partner in They-See Battle League, Aboo Dean, is a Christian and my team is comprised of people from different or no belief sets. People in urban Pakistan have moved on from ethnic and religious differences and are very open to almost all forms of entertainment that are also being followed in the West.
Are there battles in English?
In the first event there were no battles in English, but there will be in the future. I would love to see our English battle rappers progress and make their way to events like KOTD's World Domination and other international stages. They-See Battle League welcomes all languages that are spoken in South Asia.
Anything else we should know about it?
They-See Battle League is a co-partnership of me and Aboo Dean. We would love to work with other leagues and make international battles happen.
Based on decades of rivalry on both nations, one of our upcoming projects will feature Pakistan vs. India battles in Dubai or at the border. Work is in progress.
How can people follow the scene or learn more about it?
Battle rap fans can subscribe to our YouTube, Facebook and Twitter.
Watch Xpolymer Dar's headline battle here, or check out another interview about the battle scene in Russia.
Thoughts? Let us know in the comments below.
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