“The secret to being nice is being nice” – Secondhand Sam

Freestyle battling has long been a staple of Hip-Hop culture; giving props to your opponents, however, has not. But that’s exactly what Jessie Sponberg – aka Ozone – has planned for Saturday the 14th… In the name of charity, of course.

From the rap-themed Food Wars event to his now-defunct Donate Your Chalupa program, Sponberg has put together countless events to help Portlanders in need. The holiday-themed Efrything Drive – now in it’s 4th year – aims to collect any and everything that could be donated to the homeless, but more than anything, they look to collect gently used blankets, coats, and other warm clothing. Donations are distributed through the Downtown Chapel on NW 4th and Burnside.

FF1Last year, the Fight Church TV host added a new element to his already successful drive: A rap battle where only compliments are allowed… And none of that pre-written stuff goes. In a hysterically epic battle last year, well known MC Luck One took home a nifty trophy and the title of Mr. Nice Guy. This year the reigning champ is out of town, leaving the lane wide open for a cast of competitors that includes Epp (of TxE), Sole Pro, Dru Manchu (of Bad Habitat), Al One (of Sandpeople) and last year’s runner up, Mighty Misc (of Monster’s Ink), who gave the following tongue-in-cheek advice to any newcomers:

“So you wanna be nice? Easy. Your goal should be making your opponent smile as often and as wide as humanly possible. Ignore the crowd, they’re a bunch of assholes. The guy or gal you’re “battling” is your friend, and everybody wants to make their friends feel special. So compliment their furry boots, their mediocre rhymes, and their missing teeth. Maybe, just maybe, you’ll be able to set aside that bulging rapper ego and pretend for 30 seconds that you might not be the greatest to touch the mic.”

We Out Here Magazine is proud to sponsor a fun event for a great cause and will be donating prizes for the runner up. Hope to see you out!

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