Just spoke with Trent Manwill, aka T-G’sus, a local rapper who’s been steadily advancing through the March Mayhem freestyle competition on BET’s “106 & Park.” Manwill, who lives in North Garden, traveled to New York in August where he says he auditioned by battling 250 contestants. He got a call back over the summer, found out he’d been accepted to compete on the show. After his first successful appearance on Friday, he’s advanced to the “wild card” phase on March 12, where he’ll have to battle another two contestants—all in his quest to win $500,000 and a recording contract, he says.
Unfortunately, I can’t embed the video, but it’s definitely worth watching. For my money, Round One was over when he told his opponent that he was going to, “tie you to the back of the bike from Purple Rain.” Round two ended when he said, “I’m a nice guy, I’ll pay for your funeral.”
Manwill says he honed his skills traveling to different towns, and battling "the so-called best" freestyler in town. But since he moved to the area a year and a half ago, he hasn’t had the chance to practice. "It’s kind of difficult to host battles anywhere, since it’s got a bad stigma around it. I’ve seen the same thing around college towns everywhere," like Murfreesboro, in his native Tennessee.
“But we’re trying to have some drama-free battles going on.”
Whatever happens (the eight-seat competition will end on April 3) Manwill says, it’s worth the trip, “getting a chance to get on TV, getting the face time, getting the chance to make connections.”
“Win or lose, I’m going to keep doing my thing. But I’m definitely coming to win.”