The standout newcomer from KOTD's "Blackout 6" last week was Detroit emcee Shotti P, who has been rising through the ranks of GZ Battles in Toronto with a steady grind and consistent performances. His mainstage debut against Skelly caught a lot of people's attention, including that of producer Alchemist:
@marvwon Shotti P snapped
— Alchemist Type Beat (@Alchemist) February 24, 2016
We asked Shotti to take part in our "20 Questions" series that is profiling new talent in the scene.
Who are you?
I'm Shotti P, aka GZ Jackie Robinson, aka #TheFuture, aka Mr. Shove Me N. Lose lol.
How old are you?
28 years young in this bitch.
Why do you live where you live?
I represent Detroit all day!! I was born and raised here, a real product of my environment. I am Detroit and Detroit is me.
How long have you been battling/rapping?
I been battling for about 3-4 years but I've been rapping for a really long time. The first serious track I ever made was around the time Lil' Wayne dropped "Lights Out." So yeah, a long ass time.
What made you start?
My lil bro (Visou$) got me into battling on some Eminem/Future shit. It started off a lil rocky, I can admit that but I never doubted myself. What I did was watch ALOT of battles, hit the lab, put the right ingredients in my style, and a monster was born. Hi, I'm Shotti P.?
How would you describe your style in three words "I.....kill....everything." That's the approach and the mind state I'm in, every battle.
What makes you different from other battle rappers?
I literally have no ego, which is rare in this culture. Yeah, I talk my shit here and there but I'm a humble dude by nature. When it come to actually battling, I try to stand out by being myself, thinking outside the box, being crowd friendly and original. Sounds like a lot but it gets easier every time I hop in the ring.
What’s your best battle?
Shotti P. Vs. Michael Ice on Bar Wars. It's the first time Gully saw me battle live and his reactions are priceless lol. It's also the battle that got me my first Ground Zero against Tony Ranks (Scandalis). The first step on my KOTD journey.
What was your worst?
My worst battle was my very first battle in Detroit against a guy named Scholar. It was a one-off — I spit about 12 bars and went blank smh. At that point in time, I didn't even know HOW to prep for a battle. Losing when you know you're better fucking sucks, excuse my French. I can't even describe the feeling, it's horrible. But I'm glad I took my lumps early, those days are over. I feel sorry for whoever is in my path.
What did you learn from them?
I learned from my first battle that preparation can be the difference between being dope or being ass juice lol. The Michael Ice battle showed me what happens when you're 100% prepared and you impress the right people.
What’s surprised you the most since you started battling?
I'm surprised by all the love that the fans show, by all the vets who quote my bars. Alchemist even mentioned me in a tweet. Shit is mind blowing to me. I predicted everything else. I knew if I stayed consistent, I could really make some noise. Now is when the fun begins, I have no idea what's next.
What’s your favorite battle of all time?
Maaaaan ... that's a tough question. It's been too many classics for me to just pick one. Off the top of my head, one of my favorite battles is Ill Will vs. Bigg K. It's so much fire in that one. Cal vs. Lux ... JC/Chilla ... I can kinda go on forever.
Who’s in your current Top 5?
1. JC
2. Charlie Clips
3. Rum Nitty
4. Chilla Jones
5. Gjonaj
I'll put this five against any five on the planet. 5-0 ... no debating.
Which battle rapper annoys you?
Ok Chris, I see you trying to start some shit lol. But if I'm keeping it a buck ... it gotta be K-Shine. He's the loudest, ugliest nigga in any room. Except when he's with DNA, then he just the loudest lol. But seriously, I think he's trash and I'd destroy that lil guy.
Who would you battle if you could choose anyone?
Rum Nitty. Talk about a fucking challenge! I respect Nitty so much, his pen is official. The man is pure flames, I'd have to REALLY be on my shit if that ever goes down.
What’s the biggest problem in battle rap?
I don't know, I'm kinda in love with battle rap at the moment, I can't see her flaws lol. I can really only speak for myself and my journey has been smooth. But if I had to complain about something, I would say I was tired of seeing these same "top tier" guys.
How would you fix it?
Get some new faces from new places. Toss 'em to the wolves, see who can make it out.
What do you do when you’re not battling?
Sell crack ... lol naw I'm joking but unlike a lot of battlers, I have an actual job. Sucks up most of my time, but besides that I ain't getting into nothing major, just a couple blunts, some vagina and NBA2k lol.
What music are you listening to these days?
Today's music sounds different to me, so I listen to the classics: Blueprint, Recession, Carter 2, a bunch of mixtapes and shit from that era. Been listening to a lot of local Detroit artist like YT. If you reading this you should look him up. That boy is sick on wax.
How do you want to be remembered?
It may be a little too early to think about my legacy. I only have nine battles on cam, but in a perfect world, I'd be remembered as one of the greatest. Certified legend. At the least I'll be the guy that beat your favorite rappers. Only time will tell.
Check out all of our Shotti P coverage.
Cover image by Zach Macphoto for KOTD.
Who would you want to see Shotti against next? Let us know in the comments below.
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