20 Questions With Lu Cipher

Get to know the up-and-coming Florida-based emcee.

Lu Cipher's name has been buzzing since his Don't Flop debut against Troy Brown became known for being one of the most slept-on battles of 2015. In the years before that breakout battle, the New York emcee made waves in his new home of Florida with standout appearances in Grind Time Now and Enter The Dungeon, bringing a blend of charisma, densely layered writing and laid-back comedy.

His stock rose even more near the end of 2015 with an invite to battle Shox The Rebel at Don't Flop's "7th Birthday Weekend" and a straight-to-main-channel KOTD debut against Madflex at "Back To Baysics 3."

We hit him up to get a sense of who he is and how he sees battle rap.

Who are you?
Lu Cipher

Where are you from?
Brooklyn, N.Y.

What’s it like there?
We get a lot of hate but the fact of the matter is New York is the greatest city on Earth. I live in Tampa, Florida now though.

How old are you?
29

How long have you been battling/rapping?
Forever. But if we're just talking written era league battling then I've been at it for about 4 years.

What made you start?
Waystid Talent was looking for a way to market our music so I tried getting my homie Kingpin in battles for years. He didn't want to do it and neither did I. So in order to get more exposure I decided to take one for the team l.

How would you describe your style in three words?
Calm, cool, collected.

What makes you different from other battle rappers?
I'm the same person inside and outside of the ring.

What’s your best battle?
Lu Cipher vs. C3

What was your worst?
Lu Cipher vs. Sir E

What did you learn from them?
That my memory is not what it used to be so if I want to excel at this I would have to put as my thought into my preparation as I do in my writing.

What’s surprised you the most since you started battling?
Every time I meet a battler who I respect and look up to, they tell me they've been watching me and they are already a fan.

Lu Cipher at Don't Flop's 7BW. Photo by iDJPhotography.
Lu Cipher at Don't Flop's 7BW. Photo by iDJPhotography.
What’s your favorite battle of all time?
Fox 5 vs. Reign Man

Who’s in your current Top 5?
Well #1 is definitely this kid Lu Cipher. He's a beast. The other 4 change almost daily.

Which battle rapper annoys you?
T-Rex

Who would you battle if you could choose anyone?
Already locked in but I can't say anything about it yet.

What’s the biggest problem in battle rap?
They took away accountability when they took away judging. A rapper's worth is determined by their views and popularity now and it has almost nothing to do with skill level or record.

How would you fix it?
There's no fixing it. Battle rap got too big for its own good. It used to be the escape from the trash you were force fed through TV/radio where only those who were true to the culture could thrive. Now some of these battlers are more popular than them dudes on TV. It's the double edged sword. It's great that battle rap getting as huge as it is but the core essence is being lost as it becomes more mainstream.

What do you do when you’re not battling?
I run Waystid Talent. It's a group of the best emcees in the game. I know you think I'm just saying that because it's my team but gimme a year and you'll be saying it too.

How do you want to be remembered?
As someone who has always stayed true to myself and what I believe in. Someone who doesn't switch sides or dickride for popularity. I just want to be remembered as the man who started Waystid Talent. And I want that to mean something to a lot of people.

Check out Waystid Talent's latest track:

Follow Lu on Twitter and check out all of our Lu Cipher coverage, dating back to his battle with Craig Lamar.

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