Since its birth and nurturing period, hip-hop culture has served as an alternative path to the lifestyle that awaited youngsters in the Bronx - and New York's early heroin and gang-dominated era in the mid '70s.  For the founding generation, hip-hop became a powerful outlet for the type of expression that was suppressed in the classroom and preyed upon in the street.

This is why the time-tested art of the MC battle is still necessary.  The need for the alternative still lingers (and not subtly either).

Leave it to a real OG like SP aka Slo Poke to deliver a necessary solution to the problem of wack MCs and general stagnation in the 25360 hip-hop communities.  With his newly launched monthly battle series, "Go Hard or Go Home," held at Olympia's Royal Lounge, SP has created a venue for rappers and MCs to sharpen their game and stack some change at the same time - $500 for the monthly winner to be exact.  Go Hard or Go Home is a re-launch of battles SP held last year, and typically they go down the first Thursday - except this month, when Go Hard falls on the second Thursday of April.

Enough cannot be said about the microphone fiend himself - an Olympia hip-hop pioneer and nationally recognized artist (see Source Magazine's "Unsigned Hype" section, January 2008). Having achieved critical acclaim with his album and mixtape releases, and a veteran of the battle circuit in the '90s and '00s, SP's resume is impeccable and respectable; in other words, he's someone you should know. 

In the culture of hip-hop your reputation can conquer others or kill your career.  Go Hard lends credibility and a stage for rappers and MCs to build a name.  Recently, I chopped the game with SP about Go Hard, why he does it - and why you should care.

"When I started rappin' - you had to battle," laughs SP, saying it wasn't an option.  "(Battling) is one of the missing ingredients in hip-hop. It keeps cats sharp and on their toes - It's how we spar." 

"Today status is more important than talent. You can be blackballed out of the game," explains SP. 

He illustrates: "I think Canibus mollywopped LL Cool J in their battle, but LL's status overpowered."

Go Hard or Go Home - with its A-list judges - aims to eliminate the politics and emphasize lyricism, SP says. The monthly event's creator also says the plan is to highlight the time-tested pastime of personal attacks. 

"(Personal attacks) do it for me," laughs SP.  "When they are done well, they address real life." 

However, as we all know, with the super-sensitive hip-hoppers of today things can get touchy - and the rules of battling should be clear. 

"Absolutely no touching," says SP.  "Battles don't permit tipping somebody's hat off - none of that. That's disrespectful." 

Crowd participation is key for any good hip-hop show, but especially for battles. 

"I'm expecting a great turnout; we had people from Tacoma, Olympia, Lakewood, Portland, Lewis County, Lacey and all over show up (last time), and a lot of the well-known rappers didn't get into it," says SP, going on to say those well-known rappers later regretted the decision.

"This (battle) will be different."

Tonight's Go Hard or Go Home will feature last month's defending champion, Portland representative and Evergreen State College student Misc, along with opening performances by Afrok, 2.0 (Legacy Jones and Young Tac) and resident spinmaster DJ Travisty.

[The Royal Lounge, "Go Hard or Go Home" MC Battle featuring Misc, Afrok, 2.0, DJ Travisty, Thursday, April 8, 9 p.m., $5, 311 Capitol Way N., Olympia, 360.705.0760]