Dale Denton Attracts The Most Peculiar People In Battle Rap

Dale Denton aka Evan Roberts is an acapella battle rapper. He has performed on platforms like Smoked Out, I-Battle, GZ Battles, and Beast Mode. Dale Denton has a relatable backstory for how he got into hip hop. He said, “I was probably like eight. I used to go to the boys and girls club downtown. Me and my brother would go there all the time and I just remember listening to a lot of shit I shouldn’t have been listening to at the time. A lot of Eminem which is cliche. But yeah when I was really young I kind of grew up in a shady part of town. Went to the boys and girls club a lot. Used to hang out with older kids. They had like a teen club room and I’d sneak in there and they’d be listening to music.”

Acapella Battle Rap

The path towards acapella battle rap came a bit later on. The intrigue was there right away and Denton kept getting more immersed into the culture as time went on. He stated, “I have a buddy who actually did a couple of battles in Beast Mode and he had two battles in I Battle. There used to be some leagues online. So they’d give you an opponent, you’d record a three-minute verse, send it to them, they’d splice it real shitty together and you’ve got a little battle. I actually started a league myself just to get a live battle.”

Thought Denton was having fun dipping his toe into the online battles, it would play a big role in networking. Meeting key people whilst online battles would lead to later opportunities to battle for a live audience. Denton said, “When it comes to that online shit, that’s how I got hooked up with Lexx Luthor actually. I was in maybe the semi-finals and then this guy no-showed an online battle. I thought it was a really good verse of mine and for some reason messaged Lexx. Only person I sent a message to.”

Luthor watched an online battle of his and that’s when Lexx gave him a plate shortly thereafter. This lit the proverbial fuse and Denton began to carve out his niche on the scene. He has had some cool opportunities so far including the chance to perform at SXSW. As a big fan of indie music, this was an experience Denton seemed to revel in. He quipped, “It was awesome, man. Austin is an awesome city. The venue is amazing. It was on top of a roof, it had a little stage, and lights. The whole weekend was really dope. I am a big indie music fan.”

For a guy who linked up with his long-time girlfriend via asking her to an Arctic Monkeys show, it had to have been thrilling to perform at, what has historically been, such a great showcase for indie music.

The Overall Methodology of Dale Denton

It’s hard for Denton to pick a clear favorite among the indie music acts he quite enjoys. Arctic Monkeys and Modest Mouse are close to favorite status but Glass Animals have a good placement in the rankings too. These are a few examples of artists that play in the background as Dale preps in seclusion for battles.

He said, “If I see something and I think of a concept, I’ll write it down. But when I have an opponent I’ll think of some name flips and stuff. Usually, before I start writing for an opponent, I’ll always have leftover ideas. Like probably a hundred. But try to come up with a good fifteen to twenty new concepts before I even go into the writing process and then just kind of go from there. I usually know what my better punches are going to be. So I try to keep them spaced out.”

Denton continued, “I’ll think of ideas anywhere but when I’m writing I usually am alone in my room. Most of the time just chilling. I’ll have some indie music playing quietly sometimes. Always have to have the fan on. Have to have that light noise. Some days a hot sixteen will come out. Some days, two bars will come out.”

Denton always seems to be working towards that next goal and tries not to rest on any perceived laurels. Dale Denton said, “I think if you’re not being honest with yourself, you’re not going to get better. You’re just gonna keep doing what you’re doing and just getting by. If you’re not analyzing yourself and just think you’re perfect a hundred percent of the time, I don’t know what you’re trying to do.”

Beer Pong, English Teachers, and Indoor Soccer Injuries

When he’s not spitting bars, Dale Denton is busy being beer pong champs of Smitty’s house with Luke Nukem. Dale has also dabbled in other art forms ie/ painting portraits of his dog. Denton’s artistic expressions have drawn out some intriguing characters in the past. In fact, a former high school English teacher came out to a battle of his to impart some wisdom. Dale Denton said, “He did talk to me about it. He had messaged me. He actually gave me advice in telling me to stray back from the street stuff and be more of what people think I am. But he thought it was cool.”

In telling this story, Dale Denton also revealed to me his past as an amateur wrestler and the MMA career that could have been. Denton said, “He was also my wrestling coach too. I wrestled in high school. I went to semi-state and I lost to the kid in the first round who ended up winning the state. I’ve always loved wrestling. I did for a while after wrestling think about getting into MMA but it just never came to fruition.”

Denton was immersed in the shoot style approach but he, like many other young lads, was a big pro wrestling fan back in the day. Bret Hart was his dude but he found other interests as time went on. So his knowledge of the modern crop of talent is not there. He was also an indoor soccer aficionado until regular calf injuries forced him to retire.

Denton has had a myriad of strange interactions with battle rappers like Hemp Tha Don, Hindu Rock, and Robo. In summation, Denton said “I don’t know why I attract some of the most peculiar people in battle rap that just dislike me with a passion.”