MC battles the new stand-up comedy?

By REBECCA BARRY

In a small, dark Auckland nightclub a crowd cheers on an unpredictable and humiliating fight, grinning and hollering at the on-stage scuffle. But this duel has a weapon of an unlikely kind: poetry.

"You try to be black but you're whiter than chalk, man, you can't even talk, man, why don't you run home to your mother in South Auckland?" threatens a contender in the Auckland MC Battle for Supremacy.

Tomorrow night the national battle will expose New Zealand's quickest, smartest and wittiest freestyle MC (a rapper who makes it up on the spot) in what organiser Justin Cunningham calls "lyrical chess".

Previous winners include Mareko, of the South Auckland hip-hop collective Deceptikonz, and Imon Star, of acclaimed bands Rhombus and Nuvonesia.

Cunningham, a Christchurch-born MC known as Word Perfect, started organised battles in New Zealand three years ago so he could compete in them himself. Now, he says they have developed into a forum that encourages and promotes the art of rhyme.

"It's not really about finding winners, it's about elevating skills," he says. A lot of people don't understand freestyling. They think it's just a gimmick.

Like a verbally abusive theatresports, an MC battle is a challenge between two freestyle MCs who alternate on the mic over a hip-hop beat. The idea is to prove the opponent inferior by lyrically pouncing on as many of their flaws as possible.

Whereas mainstream MCs such as Busta Rhyme and Xzibit write their rhymes, the thrill of the battle is in its conflict, humour, showmanship and risque spontaneity.

"You've got to come prepared, to be mentally agile and you've got to be able to react quickly," says Cunningham. "A big part of battling is listening. Eventually your opponent will say something you think is bull. Then you've got to prove that to the crowd."

"A lot of people can rhyme but they have no rhythm," adds Con Psy, (real name David Dallas), a 22-year-old computer science graduate who took out the Auckland Battle for Supremacy despite it being his first time on stage. "If you ride the beat properly it makes it easier for the audience to understand."

Like any confrontation, things can get heated. The mantra "If you don't have anything nice to say ... " certainly doesn't apply.

"You've got to latch on to anything you see," he continues. "They might have a big nose, a high voice, wack clothes or they might remind you of a rapper who sucks. You can't hold back. At the same time, you've got to make sure you're not doing anything stupid, because if you look nervous or you're holding your hands a funny way, if they're smart they'll notice and use it against you."

Despite the name-calling, physical fights have never broken out at local battle events.

"I make sure everybody shakes hands before they get off stage," says Cunningham. "I'm not having anybody disrespect my event or the efforts of another person because they got their emotions hurt. If you can't handle being ridiculed, don't battle."

The battle scene evolved from hip-hop's conception in the 1970s in the Bronx, New York. As rap gained popularity, MCs began to challenge one another and from this new form of entertainment came American superstar MCs such as Supernatural and Juice. During an interview in the upcoming independent doco The Art of Rhyme, Supernatural confides he honed his craft by forging a close relationship with his dictionary.

These days, it's a film by a certain global rap star attracting new punters to MC battles.

"A lot of people appreciated 8 Mile and they want to see it live," says Cunningham. "The general interest and understanding is bigger."

Unlike rap that can be recorded and sold, battling is a difficult realm in which to make money as it relies on crowds and corporate sponsors.

Cunningham believes it has a chance to thrive here as it does in the States, where big battles are staged to sign new talent. "If a professional battle circuit was arranged not just in Auckland and New Zealand but the South Pacific and the Commonwealth, there'd be bigger sponsorship, more endorsements and more money. Battle MCs would be able to forge careers out of their art."

In the meantime, Con Psy is busy producing hip-hop tracks with friend DJ 41-35, one of which was released to radio station 95bFM last week.

Cunningham is a mentor for the New Zealand Music Industry Commission and visits schools to teach the battle MCs of tomorrow to rap.

"We play rhyming games like Drop a Topic, where you explore a word in as many different terms as you can," he says, focusing on a nearby wall before rattling off an impromptu dialogue. "I'm gonna poster things on the internet, I'm gonna poster things on the wall ...

"At first the kids are nervous and giggly but before long they can see how much fun rhyming can be."

Children and hip-hop fans aren't the only ones who find rhyming entertaining.

"You can take anyone to an MC battle," says Con Psy. "If you see someone trip up, half the time you don't help them, you sit back and laugh at them. People go to see an MC battle for the same reason they go to see stand-up comedy. Insulting people is always going to be funny."

Performance

* What: The New Zealand MC Battle for Supremacy

* Where: Club 4:20, 373 Karangahape Rd, Auckland.

* When: Tomorrow night