Sway's Universe Held Annual'Doomsday Cypher' With Pete Rock, Big K.R.I.T & More
These group of hungry emcees brought their bars out.
Back in the 90s, charismatic hip-hop journalist Sway Calloway--along with King Tech--fed the culture highly lyrically emcees through their popular hip-hop program The Wake Up Show. Fast-forward to 2017, the now dread-less Sway continues to expose lyrically adept and unfiltered rappers to the public.
On Friday (Dec. 16), Sway's Universe, Sirius XM's Shade 45 and Sway's co-hosts Heather B and the lovely Tracy G held the 5th annual Doomsday Cypher, where gifted emcees gathered in the name of hip-hop to showcase their mic skills.
“This is a celebration and not a competition," Sway said before witty rhyme slingers Taylor Bennett, Babs Bunny, R-Mean, Mickey Factz, Ren Thomas, Lyric Jones, Token, Don Flamingo, Axel Leon and Don Mykel graced the stage.
Held at Youtube studios inside Manhattan’s Chelsea Market, rapper/producer Big K.R.I.T. and the legendary DJ Pete Rock provided the instrumentals for the hungry “Hyenas" (Sway voice) to show and prove. The audience was also treated to a performance by The LOX, who just released their third studio album, Filthy America...It's Beautiful (Roc Nation). The Yonkers trio performed their latest singles "Don't Cry," and "What Else You Need to Know."
VIBE braved NYC’s disrespectful 28-degree temperature to get a glimpse of hip-hop in one of its purest forms; clever, disrespectful, exciting and cliff-hanging wordplay.
Don Flamingo
New Orleans native Don Flamingo’s drops his fair share of battle raps. But he’s more inclined to roll through reality raps about the harsh reality of growing in the poverty-ridden inner city of the Big Easy. Along with his struggle raps, Flamingo drops gems that can guide 9-5 worker as well as trap boys.
Memorable Doomsday Line: Born bastared/still made it happen/I hopped skipped past jail and made it rapping/I slid right past deaths door to make paper/And hopped the fence and didn't wake the neighbors/I jumped right in this old bucket on the road to riches/
Soundcloud: Don Flamingo
Twitter: @Flamingo_XOXO
Alex Leon
The Bronx native Axel Leon grew up with fellow Bronx native Fred The Godson, who told Sway how insane Axel Leon's wordplay is. The Puert Rican-American made proved Godson's words to be true. Back in August, Leon bodied a freestyle on Sway's Universe.
In additon to being an intriging, determined and creative emcee, Axel shows pontential to be an effective songwriter. His stories of pain and rising from the mud on his mixtape, The Black Hole, are universal and show traces of strong storytelling.
Memorable Doomsday Line: Axel spit a verse where he counted backward from one-hundred to one while delivering hard-hitting and witty lines.
Soundcloud: Axel Leon
Twitter: @ImAxelLeon
Babs Bunny
Babs Bunny, the petite flame thrower first caught our attention as a member of Da Band on MTV's Making Da Band. The Broooklyn native has been quiett since leaving Puff Daddy's MDB, but she's defintely been busy. Back in 2009, Babs created the Queen of the Ring, an entertainment company for women that also serves as a battle rap competition for women. QOTR is a spin-off of King of the Ring. Bab's Queen of the Ring has nearly 176,000 subcribers.
She's also been in the studio. Before talking her shit over a Big K.R.I.T. instrumental, Babs Bunny announced that she has an album dropping in 2017. The fearless emcee's most recent slight work includes the braggadocio "#FYM" 3D Na' Tee and the vicious "Murder She Wrote (Remix)" featuring Shawnna and Gangsta Boo.
Memorable Doomsday Line: "Where the bars still matter over ass and titties."
Soundcloud: Babs Bunny
Twitter: @brooklynbabs
Don Mykel
Harlem own Don Mykel first appeared on our radar with his technical and lyrical “Rebirth,” a song from his 2015 mixtape of the same name. The 22-year-old spitter has built an extensive cataloug by releasing several well received mixtapes, and has become a regular at Team Backpack, hip-hop competition. Mykel's flow is intense, fierce, intellectually moving and spiritually motivated. With a dilligent work ethnic, skillful wordplay and a buzzing reputation within the music industry, Don Mykel is paying dues and earned his spot to wax poetically at Doomsday Cypher.
Memorable Doomsday Line: See this God Level poetry with every quote from me/My hottest lines set the spot on fire/heatwaves like Tidal the open sea/this that one bite from the Apple music/
Soundcloud: Don Mykel
Twitter: @_DonMykel
Ren Thomas
The New Jersey native Don't Be Mad, with Skrewtape, and his upcoming effort I Been Nice, which includes production from Pete Rock, Ren Thomas has also built a relationship with Sirius XM DJ Lord Sear. It was Sear who put Sway on the Thomas' wordplay. Ren's sixteens and swag are unapologetic and unmannered--like NYC's 90's Golden Era. For those who fiend sooty hip-hop, Ren Thomas has the fix you need.
Memorable Doomsday Line: I’m Christ/dissing me/is like believing in Darwin.”
Soundcloud: Ren Thomas (Official)
Twitter: @RenThomasMusic
R-Mean
R-Mean holds a PhD pharamcy, but hip-hop is his passion. So the college graduate can't stop and won't stop rapping. The highly lyrically Armenian has worked with the likes of The Game and Joe Budden. R-Mean has also been in cyphers with Vince Staples, Emilo Rojas and Casey Veggies, among others. R-Mean is die-hard hip-hop head. His verses are all about lyrically slaughering his oppoents. Mean's latest mixtape, Nas and Em, is an ode to his favoritie emcees Nas and Eminem.
Memorable Doomsday Line: Fuck a Xanny/ I give you bars with medicine—
Soundcloud: R-Mean
Twitter: @rmean
Mickey Factz
Bronx native Mickey Factz is well-known among hip-hop circles and is respected by veteran emcees such as Styles P, CyHi the Prynce, Smoke DZA, Phonte, among others. Factz, who recently released his album, The Achievement: circa '82 (Soulspazm/W.A.R.Media), has a knack for deliverling enocourgaing, and morally grounded raps mixed with sagacious content.
Memorable Doomsday Line: Looking at the planet all skeptic/Y'all tryna vote trump in/You can't be that desperate/And mumble rap popular?/That's so reckless/Crazy how I seen crazier things happen off Netflix
Soundcloud: Mickey Factz
Twitter: @MickeyFactz
Lyric Jones
Lyric Jones: Coming off tour with Rah Digga, a tour that Lyric Jones put together after she quit her day job, Lyric Jones graced Doomsday looking to carve out her lane among the male dominated sport. The drum player and former music major at Boston's Berkley College of Music has worked with the likes of Rah Digga, Esperanza Spalding as well as the late Phife Dawg.
Memorable Doomsday Lines: Walter Cronkite flow/And that’s the way it is/Don type Jones/Ken Burns with it/Jazzy spit liquidity/On some documenting history
Soundcloud: Lyric Jones
Twitter: @LyricJones
Taylor Bennett
He may be Chance the Rapper’s baby brother, but budding rapper Taylor Bennett isn't riding on the fame of his big bro. The 19-year-old Bennett is creating his own lane. And, it's paying off, too. Coming off the release of his debut project, Broad Shoulders, the congenial emcee was invited to the 2017 Doomsday Cypher to show and prove. And the Chi-City native did both--the only rapper to actually freestyle off the top of the head.
Memorable Doomsday line: “I stand on two/10 fingers/that’s 10 fingers of death..”
Soundcloud: Taylor Bennett
Twitter: @_TaylorBennett
Token
The kid is only 17-years-old. And son can spit. After gaining traction by uploading a music video for "No More Sucka MCs (Pickman Park)," a lyrical exercise that showcased Token's versatility, bidding wordplay and intense determination, the hungry emcee has earned, and continues to earn, a faithful fansbase. Then after an insane six-minute freestyle on Sway's Sway in the Morning back in April, where Token's heartfelt freestyle made Tracy G shed a tear or two, followed by an appearance at the 2016 BET Cypher back in October, The Massachusett-bred earned a spot on Hopsin’s Savageville European tour in early 2016, only get to invited to 2016 Doomsday Cypher to show and prove.
Memorable Doomsday line: “Leave your head spiked on some Bart Simpson shit.”
Soundcloud: Token
Twitter: @tokenhiphop
