Standing out from the pack of up-and-coming battle rappers in 2016 is not an easy task. To catch people's attention you need an extreme personality, or a painted face, or, as in Texas emcee Random's case, a flashy jacket. But once you grab a viewer's attention, you need to keep it by saying something worth hearing, and luckily Random has got bars so good even Rum Nitty is yelling "YOOO" from the crowd.
He also has a nice buzz after GZ Battles’ inaugural event in Arizona in March. He competed against Kidd W.I.T.E. in a well-regarded clash that upped his profile and has several in the scene wanting to see more from him. Not bad for a guy who'd only had three on-cam battles (all on New Mexico's UBR league) before.
He's also a talented artist, and you may have previously seen his work in our piece on The Collected Thoughts Of Carter Deems.
We reached out so you could get to know Random better ahead of his battle with Lu Cipher at UBR's "Static" in New Mexico on April 16. (Also on the card: Avenu vs. Ness Lee, Chef Trez vs. Tru Tones and Jonny Storm vs. Troy Brown.)
Who are you?
Hi, my name is Random.
How old are you?
25, quarter-century man.
Why do you live where you live?
I'm a nomad and I live in El Paso, Texas.
How long have you been battling/rapping?
Freestyling for 15 years, writing battles since February 2015.
What made you start?
I lived in Burtonsville, Maryland when I was 10 and at school kids introduced me to rapping and battling to get through class. I've had a battle mentality since.
How did you get your battle rap name?
The government has kept me listed as Random Bruce Cushing since birth. Underneath that I'm Ali Uza.
How would you describe your style in three words?
What you'd expect.
What makes you different from other battle rappers?
Girls like my battles.
What’s your best battle?
Vs. Tru Tones. It was an energy vortex we were all swept up in.
What was your worst?
vs. Nine. I tried aggression and a personal third and it didn't connect with the crowd as I wanted.
What did you learn from them?
Good: To trust my sense of self.
Bad: Aggression is not my strength.
Neutral: Just because you can flip, doesn't mean you should.
What’s surprised you the most since you started battling?
This is reality TV.
What’s your favorite battle of all time?
Justice vs. The Saurus.
Who’s in your current Top 5?
Favorites: Daylyt, The Saurus, Big T, Calicoe, Harry Baker.
Hardest to beat: Daylyt, Hollow, Clips (boooo), Bigg K, Carter Deems.
Which battle rapper annoys you? (and why?)
Fresco. He's very self-assured about a very toxic mindset.
Also MyVerse is like a pseudo-villain from a Disney high-school movie where the main character just moved from Connecticut to Florida and on their first day gets intimidated by the rough-seeming B-boy crew that breaks outside the cafeteria like "this our spot punk," "You ain't got no moves white girl [or boy]." But then they earn mutual respect later at the big dance down when they discover it's ok to just be themselves.
Who would you battle if you could choose anyone?
Danny Myers. I just want to bar out of my mind and GRAAAAAHNNNAHHH!!!! Or Ogmios.
What’s the biggest problem in battle rap?
Battle rap is perfect. Due to the nature of everyone gossiping and sharing personal information there's a great system of self-regulation in place.
How would you fix it?
Oh but if I have to pick something the West Coast needs to keep focusing on talent development. And book me, please.
What do you do when you’re not battling?
I am a professional freelance illustrator and super serious burrito enthusiast, so pretty much whatever furthers my personal growth.
How do you want to be remembered?
As someone who did some things others did not.
Cover image by Cameron Davison.
See all our coverage on Random, or more 20 Questions interviews by following the tags below.
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