MC Olympics

MC Olympics is an olympic-style competition featuring the best young emcees in the Bay Area. Through a series of rounds, we get familiar with each MC’s skill level (on the mic, moving the crowd, freestyling and flow). Each year we search for an MC Olympics Champion and ask: are YOU the one?

Far Left: MC Olympics Champion: Mai’saan
Left to Right: 2017 MC Olympics finalists Bruce Almighty, J-Walt, Syllepsis, and Mai’saan

The qualifying round of the 2017 MC Olympics was an electrifying and spirited gathering on the opening night of the 20th Annual Brave New Voices International Youth Poetry Festival. 25 hungry young emcees took the stage in rapid succession spitting their hottest 16-bar verses. The top 8 scoring rappers from that round moved on to be challenged by the Wheel of Freestyle. A game show style wheel with trivial categories was spun, and each emcee had to try their hand at incorporating the topic or theme into their improvised rhymes. Emerging from the talented pool of emcees from around the country (and one emcee from the Netherlands) were four finalists: Kofi Dadzie (Boston), Mailo the Civilian (Atlanta), Kyla Spears (Memphis/ Nashville) and June (Chicago).

The four finalists showcased original songs at the Yerba Buena Gardens Festival on the Global is Local Stage on Saturday, July 22nd. Based on their ability to move the crowd as measured by a decibel meter, a champion was crowned. After riveting performances by each emcee and a special guest feature set by Bay Area MC Olympic champion Mai’saan, the winner was announced. The initial crowd responses were so uproariously close that measurements had to be taken twice. In the end, Chicago’s own June took home first place honors.

National MC Olympics

The 2017 MC Olympics Champion will move on to compete at the National MC Olympics at the 20th Annual Brave New Voices Festival July 19-22, 2017 in the Bay Area, CA.

Digital MC Workshop

Need inspiration? Take a digital workshop designed exclusively for aspiring emcees.

 

Practice at our Under-21 Open Mics

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