Eminem and Shady Records affiliated hip hop collective Slaughterhouse (Royce da 5’9″, Joe Budden, Joell Ortiz, and Crooked I) have announced the first event for their highly-anticipated “UFC of rap battle leagues,” appropriately titled, Total Slaughter.
Total Slaughter, produced by Shady Films (of Detroit’s “Burn Rubber” web series), will document the training, preparation, and execution of lyrical competition with a reality show similar to UFC’s “The Ultimate Fighter.” Eight emcees will compete to secure the spot as opening act for a legendary rematch between rap battle royalty: Murda Mook vs Loaded Lux.
The art form known as rap “battling” has been primarily dictated by underground organizations, independent artists, and YouTube showcases, unseen by much of mainstream culture. Total Slaughter hopes to reanimate the competitive hip hop tradition by placing it into the national spotlight.
Rolling Stone has reported that Total Slaughter’s first battle will be hosted July 12 at Hammerstein Ballroom in New York. Confirmed participants of Total Slaughter include: Arsonal, Aye Verb, Big T, Daylyt, Dizaster, Marvwon, Math Hoffa, and Cortez. Eminem will not participate.
“I’m a passionate battle fan, so this is something I’ve always thought about doing,” Eminem told Rolling Stone. “I came up battling at the same time I was making records and learning my way around the studio. It’s a little bit different in terms of the kinds of tools you need, but the competitiveness is the same. The times I didn’t win gave me just as much light in the past as when I did. It’s all about your performance.”
Watch the Total Slaughter trailer below: