By Breeana Draper

Journalism and Mass Communications student, Patrick Battle, is a talented rapper from Rocky Mount, North Carolina.

In high school, Patrick participated in the jazz band and he was a part of the marching band drumline. Although he did well as a drummer, he discovered his talent for rapping. However, it was not until Battle entered his sophomore year of college that he felt he was talented and improving his skills as a rap artist.

He used to go by the name Young Legit in high school, but as he got older, Patrick felt like the name did not fit him anymore. When Patrick joined the Word Sector of Couture Productions, he grew even more in his artistry. He said, “I learned to be more creative, thinking outside of the box, and how to be confident in my craft.” He began to take rap music more seriously than he did before and decided it was time for a new name.

Close friend and spoken word poet, Prodigy, gave him the name Ares. In Greek mythology Ares is the god of war. Prodigy gave Patrick this name because of his aggressive rapping style. After they decided on a new name, Patrick came up with a concept for it based on the art of war. “Rap is art to me, and I feel like art is war, and I’m at war with my art every day trying to learn it and master it.”

Patrick says that his music stems from reality, love, and innovation. As Ares, he said his rap style is articulate, powerful, and he tries to create an impact. When working on a project, he finds the beat first then writes to it. “I try to pick up an energy from it and see how I feel when I hear it and that really kind of forms the skeleton of the track.” He also said that when working on a project he tries to figure out what sound he wants to go with because he wants it to be consistent.

“I love punchlines,” said Battle. He looks up to Lil Wayne and Cassidy when it comes to metaphors and said that J. Cole is one of his favorite artists. After developing a love for neo-soul music Patrick enjoys listening to Erykah Badu and Jill Scott.

As far as projects go, Patrick has a mixtape called The Tipoff consisting of eight tracks. To first time listeners, he said they should listen to “Timeout” and “How I feel.” His next project will be an EP titled “Bass.” “One of my favorite components in rap music is 808’s and bass. It brings that excitement to me,” explained Patrick.

His music is available on SoundCloud, and he also promotes his music through social media platforms.

SoundCloud: Ares252

Instagram: waytoolegit14

Twitter: waytoolegit14