Eminem Announced Total Slaughter Battle Rap Event & Reality Series

Back in January, Jack Thriller broke the news that Eminem was working on a new reality show centered around battle rap. Today, we found out Em had something much bigger in store. In association with Shady Films and WatchLOUD, Eminem has announced Total Slaughter I, the debut live event for his new battle league. The event, which will take place on July 12 at the Hammerstein Ballroom in New York City, is highlighted by a showdown between Joe Budden and Hollow The Don, as well as rematch of a classic battle between Murda Mook and Loaded Lux. Building up to the event, Total Slaughter will be airing a reality series, set to feature appearances from all four members of Slaughterhouse,  in which a group of eight emcees will compete to earn a slot in one of the event’s undercard battles. While many may believe the days of battle rap are behind us, Paul Rosenberg points out that the UFC was able to help resurrect the popularity of MMA in a very similar way. Watch the official trailer above, and read quotes from Eminem and Rosenberg on Total Slaughter below.

Eminem on Total Slaughter:
“I’m a passionate battle fan, so this is something I’ve always thought about doing,” adds Eminem, whose Shady Films is co-producing the event. “I came up battling at the same time I was making records and learning my way around the studio. 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.”

Paul Rosenberg on Total Slaughter:
“What we look at this opportunity as, is a way to do for battle rapping what UFC did for MMA, that’s really the model we’re basing it on. It’s this great thing that a lot of people love, but it’s very splintered, and it’s very niche, and it’s not really brought into the right production levels that it can or should be.”