Despite what some detractors might suggest, Drake has long championed the bars. Aside from earning a reputation as a top-tier lyricist, Drizzy has been an ardent supporter of the battle rap scene, having previously held it down with a co-hosting appearance at Flatline in 2011, as well as another hosting gig at Blackout in 2013. Hell, he’s even engaged in a few rap battles in his own time, with tilts against Meek Mill and Pusha T lining his resume.
This weekend, Drizzy will once again hold it down for battle rap culture with an appearance at URL’s upcoming NOME XI, or Night Of Main Events XI, which is set to take place on Saturday, June 12, 2021 at 6 pm EST. The night will feature ten battles: Geechi Gotti vs. Rum Nitty (UM3 Finals), Ave vs. Jey the Nitewing, Danny Myers vs. Real Sikh, JC vs. Fonz, Mike P vs. Lu Castro, Loso vs. Jerry Wess, B Dot vs. DNA, Tay Roc vs. Chilla Jones, T-Rex vs. Eazy the Block Captain, and T-Top vs. Swamp.
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As for Drake’s involvement, the 6ix God is set to take the stage to reward the UM3 winner with a one hundred thousand dollar prize. Speaking on the event, URL founder Smack White opened up about the rise of battle rap into a multi-million dollar industry — crediting Drizzy as having played a pivotal role. “Through our partnership with Caffeine and the friendship with Drake, URL has elevated the sport of battle rap,” White explains, in an official press release. “In one year, we shifted the conversation about battle rap from being a backyard-sport that one catches occasionally on YouTube — to a multi-million dollar industry, seen for free in an unprecedented number of homes.”
Should you be interested in checking it out, the event will be available to watch at Caffeine’s official channel right here. Be sure to check out the hype-inducing trailer below, and sound off with your predictions of who will walk away victorious in the epic night of battles.
WATCH: NOME XI FULL TRAILER| URLTV