At Boston’s University this pass Friday, the ‘Battle Of The Lyricists’ took place.
At the event students battle with each other in a series of contests and attracted people from all backgrounds.
The winner of the competition was Paul Yi, a sophomore student of Arts and Science. Before going on stage, he said he wasnt nervous.
“I watch a lot of YouTube [videos] and follow a lot of battles … It’s not necessarily who’s the best rapper, or best technically, or has the best flow, but it’s really how you work the audience. It comes down to the punch lines and how clever you are.”
Yi also praised the universality of Hip-Hop
“I’m from the suburbs. Honestly, my parents don’t even know that I rap … It’s a great testament of how universal hip-hop is, and how many different types of people it can reach regardless of where you’re from, regardless of your background and regardless of your ethnicity.”
Rachel Richmond, the coordinator of Student Activities felt the competition was a resounding success
“To actually know that there is a committed and excited fan base that loves hip-hop in its true form, there’s nothing better than knowing that they came out to support us … hop is a really underserved genre, especially on campus.”
