Published 2007-09-13T00:00:00Z”/>

Amber Morley

“Yo, check it!” These were popular words Friday night when freestyle rappers from all over came to the Crux Artist Collective’s first ever hip-hop battle.

“This is the first time that we have ever put on this type of event,” said Ty Gorton, studio member and co-director at the Crux. “Hopefully we are going to be able to put this on once every two months.”

Gorton said that the Crux is calling the battle “The Crux Groove” because it sounds more peaceful than it would be to call it a battle.

Mazi Noble, MC for the battle, also made that message clear by announcing, “There isn’t any room for real beef in the Crux Groove. We are all here just to have fun so we can do this again.”

Before the groove had even begun, an impromptu breakdancing battle and freestyle rap session took the floor as DJ Filthie Rich and DJ Split D spun mixes of old and new hip-hop setting the mood for the crowd.

There were seven rappers showcased at the beginning of the groove, allowing the crowd to vote constants off “Apollo style” in what Noble calls “the hip-hop judicial system.”

After a short freestyle by each performer, the crowd narrowed it down to four: “Ty the not,” “Hot Sauce 10,” ” Da Mighty V.O.N.” and Mark Franklin.

“When I’m on my mike they say I’m like an exhibit,” said Franklin in one of his first raps of the night.

Franklin is a 23-year-old Chico State graduate from East Palo Alto and was one of the first people up on stage.

“I started when I was 10 or so,” Franklin said. “It started when I was listening to Tupac. I was writing poetry and my cousin was doing some freestyle. He taught me how to make beats to my poetry and then I started performing.”

Franklin never writes down any of his raps before he performs.

“I just go off the top of my head,” he said. “(Otherwise) I get self-conscious about what I am saying and if the crowd is getting it. I just try to stay on track.”

Franklin and “Da Mighty V.O.N.” were both eliminated in the second round, leaving “Hot Sauce 10” and “Ty the not” to battle it out in the final round.

After a tie-breaking battle, “Hot Sauce 10” won.

“Hot Sauce 10,” whose real name is Austin, is a 25-year-old Chico State student from San Jose.

“The first time that I freestyled in front of a crowd I was 17. It was in San Jose at the Cactus Club,” he said.

This was the first time that “Hot Sauce 10” had performed in front of a crowd since then, with the exception of a few parties.

“Hot Sauce 10” said that he gets his inspiration from every artist from Picasso to Bob Dylan, and that he believes being nervous on stage is the worst thing for someone who is going to freestyle.

“It’s best to be as clear headed as possible when you are performing and be your best in the first few seconds. That’s why they call it flowing, because it flows.”

Amber Morley can be reached at <a href= “mailto:[email protected]”>[email protected]</a>