20 Questions With Eddy I.

Get to know the 19 year old Staten Island emcee.

Despite having only battled for a bit over a year, Eddy I. has already established himself as one of the more naturally talented up-and-comers in the battle culture. Getting his start in the now defunct Beastmode NY, he built his name into being one of the top battlers on that platform, and when league boss Lexx Luthor purchased iBattle, Eddy gravitated over and became one of the top emcees on that platform as well. With his buzz increasing with every outing, Eddy has solidified himself as one of the names to watch, and a potential star in the making.

Get to know him a bit better with our 20 Questions interview:

Who are you?
Eddy I. Salsa. Salsa Picante. Eddy iBattle. Eddy Scott Infante.

How old are you?

Gonna be 20 years old in September. (That's my way of avoiding saying I'm still a teenager.)

Why do you live where you live?
Well, I was born in Brooklyn and only spent like a year or two out there. We've lived in Staten Island for as long as I can remember. Shit, I'm one of the few that actually love living on the island. As far as "why", well I don't really have much of choice right now haha.

How long have you been battling/rapping?
Well, I've been rapping since I knew how to talk haha. The whole battle rap thing JUST started last year. Made a year this past January, I think.

What made you start?
Yo actually I met this nigga Lexx when I JUST turned 16. I was at an open mic (KILLIN' IT, YA KNOW) and he jumped in the cypher with me. SMASHED IT. So this was my first time in the hip hop scene in Staten Island so I'm tryna get as many new contacts as possible and network and shit. Next day the guy hits me up and was like "yo you ever think about battling" I gave the swiftest no I've ever given lmaoo but after like 2 years I finally jumped into it and ever since then he's been like my older brother guiding me through it all. I appreciate that dude, for real. That's family. Also, I needed something to help me build up some sort of self-confidence. Still working on it haha I'll letcha know if anything changes.

How did you get your battle rap name?
I'm boring lmao it's just my name. Eddy Infante.

How would you describe your style in three words?
Shit, idk.
Energetic, Witty, and Balanced?

What makes you different from other battle rappers?
I feel like it's more of a personal thing rather than a rapping thing. I like interacting with people and I'm just a clown all the time. I'm 100% the weirdest nigga at a battle rap event. Fact. Also I just wanna spread positivity. Regardless of what I say or do in my battles I'm nice to everyone I encounter. I don't do egos.

What’s your best battle? (and why?)
Shit, man. I'm hella critical on my performances. My best one so far might be when I battled Lev Corso. Shout out to THAT nigga btw. That's the homie. (Close runner up might be vs Bangz or vs Captain Live)

What was your worst? (and why?)

My first battle vs Hype. Sheesh. It was a short notice one rounder but daaaamn I hated it. Lmao I had some gems there though so it's worth the watch if y'all tryna laugh for a sec.

What did you learn from them?
I should always try and outdo my past performance.

What’s surprised you the most since you started battling?

The amount of support I've gotten so far. Bro, I've made the most friends through battle rap than anything else I've ever done. The love I've been getting has been hella overwhelming. I don't wanna let anyone down, you feel?

Eddy I vs. Conflix

What’s your favorite battle of all time?
It's a 3-way tie between Dizaster/DNA, Illmac/Bigg K, and now Ave/Rum Nitty

Who’s in your current Top 5?
This list always changes for me but imma just go off top.

Twork, Mike P, Dunsh, Ryda, and Rum Nitty

Those are the first names that pop into my head. Don't crucify me.

Which battle rapper annoys you? (and why?)

Eh. No one really.

Who would you battle if you could choose anyone?

Pass. I get the comparisons a lot. Shit that'd be fire at GVG2. Hopefully in time they fuck with the kid.

What’s the biggest problem in battle rap?
Niggas that just collect checks. People look forward to your battle cause it's promoted to be a spectacle, but then you spit some half-assed trash and completely let everyone down. #ActuallyTry2017

How would you fix it?
Imma just keep trying to surpass my last performance. I wanna be able to 1up myself every chance I can. Putting the effort in because if someone's gonna try and sleep on me, they're gonna have a long night.

What do you do when you’re not battling?
I make music. Music is my primary thing. I play hella video games. I skate. Random shit, you know?

How do you want to be remembered?
I actually don't know how to answer that one just yet. Hopefully one of the best to do it? Shit, if they fuck with me enough I might go snatch that chain. That's something to think about when I'm done.

What's your favorite Eddy I performance? Let us know in the comments below.

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