Some of the finest rappers in Kentucky came to drop some bars on the Arts Place on Thursday night.                                      

Drop the Mic, an annual rap battle, brought six rappers together from around campus and the state to have the rap showdown of the semester.

“I always just want to have fun with my performance,” rapper Everett Parker (E Minor) said. “Win or lose—people see it as losing but really if we got to this point we are all winners.”

Rappers from the community submitted a 30-second video that showcased their talent. The top six rappers were chosen for the official rap battle, said Destiny Witherspoon, a host of the event.

The rap battle had three rounds; in the first, each competitor had an easy beat and a 30-second time period. Then there was a 30-second redemption round for contestants who lost the previous round.

“I want people to take away from the performance that I’m intelligent and that I have punchline after punchline,” rapper Mike Rich said.

The winners of each round were decided by the intensity of the crowd’s applause. Whoever the crowd liked most were moved to the next round.

“My favorite part of tonight was the community and showing support of the rappers,” freshman Tamia Walker said.

The second round was a 45-second-long challenging round that had a more complex beat. The final round was one minute long with the top two contestants rapping completely a cappella.

“My process of writing my raps depends on the beat,” rap battle winner Slime Fake said. “I usually look up a beat and let the beat talk to me.”

The event was a partnership between The Elite List, the Black Student Union and the Association of Black Journalists and was sponsored by the MLK Center and Creative Weighs Culture.

“We are trying to bridge the gap between UK and the greater Lexington community to showcase the talent we have here in the city and in the state,” said Witherspoon, president of The Elite List. “I hope people can see how creative the art of rap really is in hopes of bringing a sense of community along with an appreciation for the culture.”