Over the course of five installments, Battle Basics – put on by promoter Recordpushers Entertainment and Red Tide's label Peripheral Records – has become one of the state's biggest freestyle rap competitions, and regularly draws contestants from all over the Southeast to vie for cash (this time it's $300 for first place), gift certificates and bragging rights. But it's not just about the entrants; Battle Basics can be an enthralling experience for spectators, be they diehard hip-hop fans or just tension junkies. Plus, this week's episode might be the last time you see defending champ MaddIllz, a sick Orlando MC who won Battle Basics 2 and 5, as well as a dozen other battles all over the region. MaddIllz is in the Marine Reserves, and he just got the papers telling him he's shipping out for Iraq in a couple of months.
Battle Basics 6, Friday, April 29, Orpheum, Ybor City. 9 p.m., $7 ($5 to compete).
This article appears in Apr 27 – May 3, 2005.
