The same competitive drive that propels rappers to make a splash in Hip Hop was alive and well, Thursday, June 23, in Hollywood when HipHopDX – along with Twitch and Capcom — put on the #NextLevel Street Fighter V Tournament powered by Amp Energy.
Professional recording artists Slim Jximmi of Rae Sremmurd, Trinidad James, Futuristic, Murs, Safaree, Lil Fizz, Siya and DJNina9, squared off against professional gamers K-Brad, Nick Tanella, Chris Tatarian, Julio Fuentes, Chris Gonzales, Brentt Franks and GooTecks. To even the odds, each rapper was paired with a pro player in the double elimination that had both sides quite frankly, talking shit.
Watch live video from HipHopDX on www.twitch.tv
In the end, there only can be one winner and Team Futuristic (boosted by Chris Tatarian) took home the grand prize: the official Amp Energy trophy and a pair of one-of-a-kind Necalli edition Playstation 4 consoles.
The event was held at the Rostrum Records office (the independent powerhouse that brought the world Wiz Khalifa, Mac Miller, Mod Son and more) in Hollywood and guests enjoyed a complimentary open bar stocked with Hennessy, Luc Belaire Rare Rose, Purple Haze liqueur, Dama Tequila (who whipped up special concoctions with Amp exclusively for the event) and Pabst Blue Ribbon while feasting on Los Angeles-based food truck Son Of A Bun.
Big shout out to Amp Energy, Bloody Gaming, Capcom, King Ice, Son of a Bun, Sparx Case and Twitch for making the event such a success.
Below are select photos from the #NextLevel event:
All Photos by @JAYSNPROLIFIQ
Setting the Scene
Futuristic and Safaree Square Off
Trinidad James and Lil Fizz Warm Up
Chris Tatarian vs. Safaree
Don Benjamin Getting Some Pointers From K-Brad
Murs Is Here To Help, Too
Don Benjamin Got the Hang of It
It’s All For Fun
Food!
Unboxing the Grand Prize
Winners Interview
Congratulations to Futuristic and Chris Tatarian!
