FilmOn is delving into the battle rap game with street rapper Lush One’s Fresh Coast Media Group. FilmOn is promising to do for battle rap what the UFC did for MMA with a new partnership between Filmon Networks and Fresh Coast Media Group.
The channel promises to be “raw, visceral and dedicated to building a massive audience for what has been an incredibly creative, but in recent years underground, part of the hip hop scene.” Street rapper Lush One has partnered with FilmOn’s Alki David to produce pay-per-view events, content, and high stakes challenges around battle rapping adn will use FilmOn’s Battlecam platform to give the fans a place to give their live opinions. The battles will be streamed throughout the U.S. and around the world through FilmOn.com and FilmOn’s on-air channels in the U.S. and U.K.
“There’s nothing grittier or more real than battle rapping–It’s how all of hip hop began on the streets really,” said David. “The stuff that’s out there now is for lightweights. MTV’s ‘TotalSlaughter’ allows Viacom to neutralize Eminem and has no street cred. It’s a joke, and has nothing to do with the raw experience we’ll deliver with Lush One’s crew and an uncensored forum for the top talents in the genre.”
“This partnership allows us to take everything to a greater level of professionalism and to have deeper pockets behind the budgets and everything,” said Lush One, the rapper and entrepreneur who has led the creation of a distinct brand of West Coast independent hip hop that’s synonymous with his company Fresh Coast Media. “It’s just on a higher level. Our artists battle against the mainstream music industry in the same way Alki has the entertainment industry. They’re renegades for truth and innovation…This is the time. It’s going down right now.”
The first pay-per-view rap battle will air on FilmOn’s new Ether TV platform early Dec. 2014. David said the events will pay homage to the history of battle rapping. “Our events will honor the epic face offs from the golden age of hip hop,” he said. “And future generations will be reciting the names of the winners of our battles. No holds barred. No weak tea watered down by a 90-year old Chairman of the Board with a catheter, holding Eminem’s hand and deciding what’s get said or not.”
Many rappers are already scheduled to appear on Battle Rap, such as:
“Rappers who will appear on Battle Rap include Dizaster (arguably the biggest in the genre), Daylyt (also huge), Cali Smoove (the hot up-and-comer who will be seen soon in the feature film about NWA). Laylaw (who wrote Tupac Shakur’s last songs), and Lil Eazy (son of Eazy-E),” states the press release. “In addition to Lush One, artists who rose to prominence with Fresh Coast who will appear include: Conceited (star of ‘MTV’s WIld ‘n Out’ with Nick Cannon), Dumbfoundhead (the Korean-American rap star with huge YouTube following), 360 (the multi-platinum artist who is the biggest rapper in Australia), Shotty Horroh (who is working with legendary EDM producer Deadmau5 of Jay-Z’s Roc Nation), and Hollow Da Don, Murda Mook, Illmaculate and many others who have proved themselves on the streets and at Fresh Coast’s live events, including on its earlier productions with the site King of the Dot. Co-hosts of past Fresh Coast shows have included Drake (who is a huge supporter), Wu-Tang Clan, and many more. NBA stars and other celebrities will make guest appearances on Battle Rap.”
