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Paras Griffin/Getty ImagesBattle rap is coming to a streaming platform near you thanks to rapper Drake and a partnership with Caffeine.
On Tuesday, the battle rap fan announced the partnership will make battle raps more accessible to fans and lovers of the rap battle scene, starting with bringing the world’s most respected battle rap league, Ultimate Rap League to the streaming platform. The “multi-year” partnership will offer Drake his own channel on the platform, according to The Verge.
“Excited to announce this major step forward!! I managed to get @urltv and @caffeine linked up with the objective of making battle rap easier to access in you home or on your mobile device and it’s FREE to watch battles once you sign up,” Drake tweeted. “Greatness Simplified.”
Once upon a time, the closest you would come to hearing battle raps and freestyles from the hottest rappers was on BET’s Rap City: Tha Basement. The show originally aired in 1989. TV personality Big Tigger took over the show after its tenth season, introducing the basement booth where you’d see iconic artists like Busta Rhymes, Jadakiss, Lil Wayne and a belly of other artists spit an exclusive, freestyle verse, never heard before.
Freestyle Fridays was a popular segment on the hit video countdown show 106 & Park. Blind Fury and Jin were two of the many aspiring rappers who got the opportunity to go back and forth freestyling in front of three celebrity judges, introducing them to a worldwide audience.
Former NBA player Kenneth “The Manimal” Faried also announced his own show Unleashing The Manimal, that will stream on the platform on Wednesdays and Sundays from 3-6 PM PST.
Excited to announce this major step forward!! I managed to get @urltv and @caffeine linked up with the objective of making battle rap easier to access in you home or on your mobile device and it’s FREE to watch battles once you sign up. Greatness Simplified. pic.twitter.com/0XqosqiN1Q
— Drizzy (@Drake) February 11, 2020
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