Iron Solomon ( @IronSolomon ) And The Business Of Battle Rap

The first time battle rap champion Iron Solomon participated in a lyrical prize fight, he didn’t even know there was verbal warfare on his schedule.
Just 18 years old, Solomon was a finalist at End of the Weak’s MC Challenge, a sort of hip-hop decathlon. Contestants compete in five categories (Beat Juggling, Written, Ciphers, A Cappella and Freestyle) with the aim of proving their superiority over a field of competitors.
The contest is more nuanced than the head-to-head battles that would later turn Solomon into an underground legend, but it quickly turned into one when the judges pronounced him the winner. The runner-up, a far more experienced rapper called Immortal Technique, didn’t agree with the results—and promptly challenged Solomon to another round.

“He went first and it turned into a battle,” recalls Solomon. “I was scared shitless because he was a beast, and still is. But somehow, I pulled out the win. That was the spark that set me off, and made me realize how successful I could be.”

Catch the rest of the interview at Forbes


Check out the battle between Tech and Iron Solomom below.