Rap battles raise local voices, boosting lives one bar at a time.
Although shootings are down in Philadelphia by nearly 40% from last summer, including kids under 18, that’s hardly a comfort for the 90 underage victims so far this year. The toll includes two 16 year olds in Olney just this August, one who lost his life and the other left critically injured. While Philly’s gun control efforts are constantly blocked by GOP legislators in Harrisburg, at-risk communities pioneer their own unique solutions. “Philly Got Barz” and “How Dope Are You?” are two local initiatives that take on the city’s culture of gun violence with music and creative energy.
Rap battles have been a thing since the dawn of hip-hop, when they started as informal face-offs where MC’s showcased their lyrical skills, rhythm, and flow to win over audiences of their peers. It’s a test of wit, wordplay, and delivery, where each artist tries to outshine the other with originality, humor, and style, often improvising off the cuff. On city streets today, rap battles remain a key outlet for local talent to rise. These exciting contests also bring pride and healing to hurting neighborhoods.
HOW DOPE ARE YOU?
In West Philadelphia, “How Dope Are You?” is a monthly Open Mic with $1,000 in prize money on the line, awarded to the evening’s favorite rap and spoken word performers. There are only three rules: no violence, no n-word, no cursing. Acts must be radio-ready, as winners score promotions and exposure on PQRadio1 who sponsors the event with Blackwell Culture Alliance (a community-based nonprofit).
Hosted by Philly activist and radio personality Sajda “Purple” Blackwell, this popular event has been growing since 2021, spreading love and celebrating homegrown talent. Purple is “very intentional” about promoting positive music, and thrilled to see contestants stepping up to the challenge. “Uplifting music isn’t corny,” she said in a recent Inquirer interview, “There are artists out there who can make a good living without bragging about killing anybody.”
Free to enter and open to all, How Dope Are You? is also free to attend – about a hundred people usually come out to cheer the artists on. There’s a hot meal served, and before the show there’s a healing circle, where anyone who wants to express themselves can feel safe and welcome to do so. After that, things get turnt up! 🙌📢✨“The performances that you will see here are dope, and these artists are on fire!” 🔥🔥🔥 The best part is, How Dope Are You? has changed lives by inspiring hope, empowerment, and ultimately better choices.
PHILLY GOT BARS
“Philly Got Barz” is a younger, fiercer rap battle that challenges performers across the city in an annual throwdown for cash and music industry contacts. The brainchild of Lawanda Horton-Sauter, former hip hop artist and founder of Mission Incorporated, the grassroots nonprofit that has produced this event since its inception in 2022.
“This year is really special,” she told us – a collective success. Despite funding losses, she and her team rallied supporters to present the most exciting Philly Got Barz yet, with a $4000 grand prize and a lineup of surprise celebrity guests. Eighteen contestants have been chosen from a large pool of applicants who submitted demos this summer; on Saturday, September 7th, they’ll face off to a sold-out house in a Kensington boxing ring. “Because we’re all fighters! And we’re promoting healthy competition in the streets of Philadelphia!” 🥊🏆💰
While Lawanda considered choosing a theme or forbidding certain words or topics, she ultimately decided to trust artists to express themselves authentically. “I’ve always known the power of hip-hop, including its potential as a catalyst of violence,” she told Germantown InfoHub in 2022, “But what if we use the very thing that we thought was causing violence to change the situation in our neighborhood?”
Lawanda encourages contestants to express their truth, whatever it is. “They’re telling stories of having lost people. They’re telling stories of their challenges on the street.” More importantly, crafting relatable rhymes requires focus and reflection — this is time well-spent engaged in a safe activity.
Indeed, rap battles like Philly Got Barz and How Dope Are You? both offer powerful pushback on gun culture by offering opportunities to be seen, heard, and recognized. They’re trusted, accessible platforms for local talent to shift personal narratives of fear, blame and trauma into celebrations of love, strength, and resilience that raise up the whole community. What starts with a song literally ends up saving lives.
Keep the rhymes coming! A big round of applause for the organizers, performers, and supporters building bridges of hope and harmony with every verse. 🎤🎶👏👏👏
HOW DOPE ARE YOU?
Last Wednesday of every month (Sept 25th)
260 S. 51st St, Holy Apostle Campus
Sign up: 6 – 7PM, dinner served
We pay artists to make non-violent music on purpose! Hosted by Purple Queen and @BlackwellCultureAlliance. Security is solid! Come early for a solutions-based community meeting at 5:30pm.
PHILLY GOT BARZ
Saturday September 7 (5 – 8 pm)
365 Fitness & Boxing Club | 1855 N. 5th St
Thanks to support from @MissionIncDevelopment’s sponsors and volunteers, and also funding from the city’s Office of Violence Prevention, the Philadelphia Activities Fund, and LaSalle University.
⭐ 2024 LINE-UP ⭐ @primetimexprimo | @frandaddysp | @stbasil215| @k9ngsosaa| @gambitdamayor | @ka1ne6lack00| @dashmanodb| @smoothvsladen | @ralphy.oss | @mac.boy215 | @hmo_prezzy | @mickiijay | @ladysparkz_daboss | @mavpromo0 | @santos_lb4rmusic | @honcho4hundo | @uptopgeo | @playoffkev22
👆 Check out these IG pages to meet the talented local artists competing for cash and connections this year.
ℹ️✔️ Follow the source links in this article for more information about these impactful events. Thoughts? Questions? Please leave them in the comments below.
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💖💖💖!!! Thank you for all you do!