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Eminem’s Total Slaughter battle rap league will debut July 12 at the Hammerstein Ballroom in New York City.
Slim Shady told RollingStone.com, “I’m a passionate battle fan, so this is something I’ve always thought about doing. I came up battling at the same time I was making records and learning my way around the studio.” He added, “It’s a little bit different in terms of the kinds of tools you need, but the competitiveness is the same. The times I didn’t win gave me just as much light in the past as when I did. It’s all about your performance.”
Total Slaughter is modeled after the Ultimate Fighting Championship, and the first live show will be preceded by the four-part reality series Road to Total Slaughter airing on WatchLOUD.com. The program will star the members of Slaughterhouse — Joe Budden, Royce da 5’9”, Crooked I and Joell Ortiz. There will also be eight additional combatants: Math Hoffa, Arsonal, Dizaster, Daylyt, Big T, Marvwon, Aye Verb, and Cortez. The two finalists will serve as the undercard for the main event: a rematch between Murda Mook and Loaded Lux whose 2003 battle is still being debated. “Once the Internet started making it surge, Mook and Lux is probably the highest viewed battle from that time,” says Royce. “And to this day it’s still up in the air.”
Tickets to Total Slaughter will go on sale May 16 through Ticketmaster, with a limited number of discounted tickets available through pre-sale from May 2 through May 9.
Copyright 2014 ABC News Radio
