There is no greater tandem of battle rap kingpins than Toronto visionary Organik and his American King of the Dot counterpart, Lush One. Both operate the same company, but from different sides of the border. Each is a former battle emcee that took the initiative to start their own rap leagues, and both quickly became familiar faces to fans as the primary hosts of their respective leagues.
When Grind Time faltered in the early to mid 2010’s, Lush One officially joined forces with Organik at King of the Dot. This pairing of battle rap heavyweights brought the KOTD brand to a new level of respectability and, more importantly, would help bring the league down south into the much larger American market.
One common challenge faced by battle leagues is how to transition their product to a larger or more mainstream market. Nick Cannon’s Wild ‘n Out and movies like 8 Mile have exposed tons of new people to rap battles—and there’s been pay-per-view events—but we’ve been waiting for a battle rap league to really breakout in the mainstream. King of the Dot, which has taken advantage of the last two years of pandemic lockdowns, has laid down an un-official blueprint to do just that, and recently launched its first official season of rap battles on Twitch titled appropriately as, Season 1.
Over the last few months, KOTD created a regional roster of rappers which would compete in fully judged battles utilizing a point system which would determine who would proceed to the playoff rounds, just like an organized sports league such as the NBA or the NHL. Unlike some other sports organizations, there is a much larger prize at stake for the individual winner being the grand prize of $100K which is life changing money for any battle rapper in the game right now. It’s akin to Poker leagues going mainstream, aligning with Sports TV networks, and presenting tournaments with huge prizes on networks like ESPN (especially The Ocho).
Along with bringing a major return to the judged battle format and integrating it back into the game seamlessly, Twitch viewers get to witness the judgements live in real-time. It’s unlike anything seen before in the rap battle space since KOTD has also incorporated live fan votes into the mix: Twitch subscribers get to participate in the judging process which just brings the game to another level.
Give major credit to King of the Dot for making great use of their time during this exasperating COIVD-19 pandemic. COVID has largely prevented the league from hosting crucial large, flagship events which had huge attendance numbers prior to the start of 2020. The types of events that keep a league like KOTD in business. It’s been there ability to adapt which has allowed them to continue to prosper. Not only did KOTD survive the pandemic, but they will be coming out of it even stronger.
We recently had the opportunity to catch up with Organik and Lush One for an exclusive interview to discuss Season 1 and all-things KOTD. Enjoy the Q&A with Lush One and Organik below!
KOTD’s Season 1 (#KOTDS1) will back in action on March 5, 2022 including semi-final playoff action featuring Bill Collector, Mackk Myron, Pass and Shotti P, as well as a title match between Real Deal and Saynt.
Q&A: Organik & Lush One
HipHopCanada: What’s up Organik and Lush One? How has 2022 been treating y’all so far?
Lush One: It’s been non-stop, it’s been 2021 on steroids but been hitting the ground running. First off, I’d like to say it’s an honor to be featured on this platform. I’ve always been rocking with HipHopCanada and to be one of the rare Americans to be featured on the site, it’s really dope. Canada is my home away from home and I fuck with all the cities from Vancouver to Calgary, and all the cities in between, I fuck with heavy, it’s lit. The year so far has been non-stop action and it feels great and blessed to do what I love and support my family off the hip-hop culture and continue pushing the battle rap movement.
HipHopCanada: Glad to have you here! The quarter final event for the KOTD Season 1 tournament was crazy and really exceeded expectations. How do you feel the first season has turned out so far?
LO: The whole undertaking of a battle rap season in this capacity… You’re talking 48 rappers and it’s not as if anyone can sign up—you’re talking about top tier elite talent from each region. It’s been incredible. Battle rap culture has had a trend over the past few years of not having judgements so [we] introduced a judging system. We have the IJC which is the ‘Independent Judging Commission’ which handles all judgements. Bringing back a high accountability environment with timed rounds (meaning any slip ups could have costly effects) and a 100K prize at the end. It was very ambitious and it presented a lot of challenges, but I know at the end of the day when people sit back and look at what we did as a whole I know it’s gonna look hella dope.
HipHopCanada: How long has the idea of an organized season with a point system been in the works and why was it finally implemented last year in 2021?
Organik: That’s a great question. It’s something we always wanted to make happen but it was just we didn’t know how to financially and logistically. We had to take some deep dives and it all started with the Grand Prix. Once we built the skeleton of the GP, we had step one completed and the rest we worked at as a team to bang it out on paper and bring it to life. We worked as a team to creatively push the idea forward and pick everyone’s brains to put things together and problem solve. It was never close to reality until we finished the Grand Prix. Then we realized the a full season was such a cool concept and then our ideas started to become reality. All the members of our team contributed and made it come to life. I can’t even believe we are here as I remember sitting thinking, “wow, we have 28 weeks of battles before the playoffs.” So, it has been very anxiety-inducing having all of that on your plate thinking of the possibilities of things that could go wrong. To answer your question, it was probably about eight or nine months since we had the idea before it came to fruition and for it to become reality based. The Season 1 program was made to increase the excitement and build more characters—and also to create new ecosystems around the rappers themselves.
LO: There had been conversations about it for a long time but, like I said, battle rap had kinda veered away from judged battles so the prospect of doing not only judged battles but an entire tournament style season was totally innovative and outside of the box. Battle rap has always been on the cutting edge of technology and we ended up locking in a deal through Organik and Charles with Twitch and we thought about what we could do to take advantage of this new platform. Last year, we did the single elimination 50k Grand Prix tournament. It was successful and we could have replicated it again but we thought what could we do that was bigger and better and that is when the concept of a full season came about.
HipHopCanada: Do you see the seasonal format continuing into the future in some form even after the pandemic blows over and becomes a thing of the past?
LO: I think you’re gonna see it a lot more. KOTD have been the innovators, knocking down doors. We were the first out the gate to do shit like this but I expect to see it a lot more in multiple different capacities. It’s a really big undertaking so I recommend to any platforms that try it that you think out all the variables as there will be a lot of different circumstances that pop up that you won’t be expecting. Once the pandemic clears up, we plan on streamlining this and will continue to replicate this into the future and make it an annual thing. The idea wasn’t just to do it once, we’re looking forward to continuing this.
HipHopCanada: I personally have been watching all of the Grand Prix and Season 1 battles on Twitch and I must say the judging system really helps to bring a high level of suspense and controversy to the battles. It’s something the battle game has been missing for sometime now. How important are tournaments and judging to battling and do you think it’s something that is here to stay for at least King of the Dot?
LO: I think it’s really important as it brings a layer of accountability; rappers can’t just get by on their popularity. If there are two artists in a battle the bigger artist will bring a bigger echo chamber of their fans which can sway the consensus of the battle on who won regardless if there was someone who choked a few times, for example. Doing this increases the overall quality of the battles as it relies more on skill level than anything. I have posted a lot of battles on my social media this year from different platforms and the skill level has been unrivaled to KOTD Season 1. The $100K prize provides another incentive for rappers as it’s life changing money for people as we’re talking six figures. It’s hard to equate an entire season off just three battles which is why we implemented our point system. Every round becomes a battle for itself as a stumble can affect your entire season and cost you a playoff berth. But, I must say, the 100K prize made even me want to dust off my old stuff as I have done a lot worse things for a lot less money.
O: Yeah, I think it’s super important as it rewards people for their skill set. Right now in battle rap, people are rewarded more for their aura and character so this is a format where people can put their skills first. So, I think that it is a very important thing for battle rap. I don’t feel like it’s “too safe” without tournaments and judging because people are still putting their reputation on the line every time they hit the stage and perform. But I would say without judgements it’s just less risky.
HipHopCanada: In terms of judged battles, there will always be controversial decisions made and Season 1 has not been any different. Would you say that we are starting to see a trend that more newer battle rappers that have lyrical styles similar to “street rappers” are getting more decisions in their favor compared to the older “Grind Time style” veteran emcees?
LO: I think like hip-hop culture itself, battle rap is evolving and changing with the times. So what is perceived in an older era as being dope might no longer be thought as dope as time progresses. One thing that will always be considered dope is overall lyrical ability. One thing that has existed in hip-hop culture overall is creating a moment which is something that supersedes the environment and takes over the entire room. When I see hip-hip history—going back to Busy Bee facing Kool Mo D in the 80s, to Skribble Jam and Fight Klub in the 90s and 2000s, to Smack DVD to Jump Off TV—having all those larger life moments is something that will never change. Which is something we have been seeing on the KOTD Season 1 with all the different styles of rappers that have killed it across the board and have created these moments. So, I don’t think it is a specific style, I don’t think it’s street rap over the comedic Grind Time approach, it’s just creating moments and that is what is creating these moments which transcends the judgment itself. We are really in an era right now where the street rap style is the more popular style but I feel like some people have a misconception that KOTD is the comedy league or the alternative league. But the cornerstone of KOTD to me is the diversity and originality. At the end of the day, the only thing that matters is that who is pushing boundaries and who is being original. But, does the average fan now gravitate to the street style? Absolutely.
O: Another thing is that fans now know what to expect out of some of the popular battlers so sometimes they might come off a bit underwhelming if they have heard a particular rapper too often. For example, a Dizaster performance on a 7 or 8 out of 10 is still better than 98% rappers out there when they are at their best. When Diz is only at 6 or 7 people act like he’s falling off but he’s still better than most rappers out there at that moment so I feel like something like that plays a factor as well. All battle rappers have their own pool of fans so it really goes both ways as the other side will be upset depending on who wins. It’s the beauty of battle rap as the judging really makes it interesting.
HipHopCanada: Previous to the emergence of leagues like KOTD and URL, the biggest battle events such as Skribble Jam and the World Rap Championships were highly competitive and tournament based leagues. Why do you think that the “win or go home” style battle rap competitions seemed to fade away when battle rap made its way into the mainstream?
LO: Rappers started getting larger payments and a lot of people were coming into the KOTD battle game from other non-judged battle rap leagues. Our style popularized the modern landscape of battle rap and those other battlers started stepping into that space and they were not willing to because their reputation was on the line and it was important for them to remain “undefeated.” We’re all from that tournament style era of battle rap, myself, Orgainik, TheSaurus, Illmac, etc and we have all taken our losses and it’s not abnormal at all. The best battler is going to lose several times. Also, people began to lose faith in judged battles because back in Grind Time sometimes there were drunk rappers judging the battles. It’s why the KOTD team implemented a new point system for Season 1 with a fan vote to bring some additional validity to it. Another reason is related to marketing, in terms of the way the YouTube videos are uploaded with the titles and descriptions. We don’t put the final results in the title of the video as who would bother watching it if they already knew the result? All of this created a perfect storm for people to stay fuck judged battles. Do you agree with that Organik?
O: For sure, even before then with the older tournaments like Skribble Jam where the losers went home. Freestyling has its limits and back then it was new and it was fresh. But then after a while, it started getting a bit redundant with the lines and people slowly started to pre-write their lines and then it slowly transitioned. It was like an acoustic guitar being turned into an electric. It was the progression of battle rap. It was something that changed the trajectory of battle rap as it was a huge shift in the culture and really took it to new heights. If you tried to follow the early days of battle rap with the Skribble Jam tournaments, it was really a struggle to follow the scene and to follow people as characters. But Lush really hit it on the head with why battling had slowly moved away from judging.
HipHopCanada: Does KOTD plan to rotate between the Grand Prix tournaments and running the seasonal format?
O: Ideally, we would like to keep the seasons rolling. I think we built a good system and want to see it come to life and see what kind of dent it can make on battle rap in a couple years. The first year was great, even though it was a pilot project for us, but I would love to see it keep rolling out. And I’m sure we will still be able to do the Grand Prix on the side as we don’t want to abandon that idea.
LO: I just had an anxiety attack… naw just joking.
HipHopCanada: Not that we expect you guys to make any announcements now but generally speaking do you think 2022 is the year that we finally see a KOTD event back in Canada with live attendance?
O: That’s really gonna be up to Mr. Doug Ford, the premier of Ontario, to make that decision. We were really gunning for it. We wanted to try for something in February but then Omicron came around and changed the plans for everything.
LO: I can’t wait, there is nothing more that we want then to do that. It’s the cornerstone of the ‘King of the Dot experience’ which is live events. We need that back and I’m not just saying KOTD, I am saying the game of battle rap needs it in general.
HipHopCanada: What are some of the goals for King of the Dot for 2022?
LO: I think further cementing KOTD as a permanent fixture as a powerhouse in battle rap. As the audience increases, we can’t rest on the laurels of our past accomplishments. Our next move is our best move, so whatever we’ve done is cool and that is the foundation of what we have going moving forward. But, we need to continue to wake all these new fans game up and let them know this is the paradigm of battle rap. This is where the most exciting events are and this is where the highest level of competition is. To further cement KOTD into the subconscious mind of the battle rapper viewer out there. That is really the ambition for us.
O: We have a lot of business and personal goals this year but other than Season 1, we just want to keep the league going and keep the opportunities going for the artists. We want to help as many people as we can and put on as many artists as possible. Also, we want to keep the line pushing for everyone putting in the groundwork to make it all happen.
HipHopCanada: We know Organik has recently started a new business venture with Ghost Drops which has been successful so far. How will the potential success of Ghost Drops impact King of the Dot?
O: In positive ways. I think it’s a blend of two cultures that really work well together so I think it is a great fit. It’s not a bad thing at all and we have to abide by the Canadian laws and regulations so that’s what we plan on doing. We are on the OCS for all the retailers as of today so we are looking to get the product in as many dispensaries as possible.
[For more information about Ghost Drops, visit the official website.]
HipHopCanada: One of KOTD’s biggest competitors has been URL which has put on few large live events last year in 2021 including NOME. Has there been any pressure to bring back large live battle events at all to compete with other leagues?
LO: At the end of the day, live events are where we came from and it’s cool that other battle leagues like URL are signing big deals and really raising the bar for us to jump over and then setting it up again. We have been playing this game of leap frog with each other for over a decade plus which makes it exciting and brings in an element of competition. We got love for all the other leagues like URL and RBE but we are all in our own lanes. But I would be lying if I didn’t say I’m watching what all the other leagues are doing and using it as a source of inspiration for us at KOTD and do the best we possibly can.
O: I think our small room private events we have been having are to keep within the COVID laws as the restrictions are not uniform across all the states at this point. We don’t want to have certain events which are in areas that are allowed to have a large attendance but then we have an event in another state that isn’t allowed to do that. We are keeping it consistent across the board for the season in terms of attendance. We planned this with COVID in mind and that it is a fluid situation that has been constantly changing over the past two years or so. Doing our season is covering our own lane and doing something different that no one is doing, we gotta make the creative concept different and something everyone can look forward to so that is the end goal.
HipHopCanada: How does KOTD plan to try to preserve the Canadian element in battle rap in which it came from as we see more and more events taking place in the USA more often?
O: Right now, it’s such a difficult time due to COVID-19 and the way the government has been handling it. A lot of the time for me, and I’m sure everyone else in Canada, it feels like groundhog day as everyday we wake up its like it’s the same day but with something different happening. The second that we are able to we plan on bringing Canadian battle rap back and we want to preserve it by putting these artists on our platform that we are building even over on the American side and hoping they can transition. We are really just taking this time to build the brand internationally which we can’t do here. Once we’re able to, we will be putting the Canadian artists back in line and bring it back to the area that we stomped our feet in all these years. After it’s all said and done, there will be a bigger overall demographic for KOTD and we’re looking forward to getting the international travel happening again and getting the international battlers back into Canada for events. Toronto has been the breeding ground for battle rap for over the past 10 years and it was the place to be, so we are looking forward to bringing it back to that. Everything takes time and COVID is real and it’s out of our hands so we have been working on solutions to keep it active and find things to do in the meantime. Canada is our heart and soul, so we will never abandon that fully. Now we just gotta wait until the laws loosen and for everything to open up again. We have so many good plans for Canada once we get going again, we gotta get back and make it fun again by building the community and involving all the great pages out there like HipHopCanada. KOTD was also a great battle hub for the world but also a great networking hub for music in general as everyone came here to see each other face to face and just be involved with the culture.
HipHopCanada: Big thanks to Organik and Lush One for joining us today to give us an update on King of the Dot and the first official Season of battle rap on the platform. Is there anything else you guys would like to say to all the fans?
O: Appreciate y’all tuning in for as long as y’all have, we’re still going. A lot more dope shit to be made. Thanks a lot!
LO: The fans and the supporters are the blood that courses through the veins, without y’all this doesn’t mean shit. If you’re listening or reading this right now don’t think that you can’t be the next star like Dizaster, Arsonal or Pat Stay. You are all still potentially out there right now so don’t hesitate. The movement doesn’t exist if it doesn’t continue to grow and expand. Be about your bars, come with that shit, and put your mother fuckin’ money where your mouth piece is at.
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To tune into Season 1, be sure to subscribe to the official KOTD channel on Twitch. For more information on King of the Dot, Organik or Lush One, be sure to follow them all on Instagram @KOTDTV, @OrgainikHipHop and @LushOneca for future updates and news.
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Written by Kyle McNeil for HipHopCanada
