Straight out of Highland Park comes Ysabel Jurado, aka Lil’ Yazzy, in yet another freestyle battle with Kevin de León, aka Mix Master Sir Leon. The winner takes the crown of becoming the ultimate ruler over CD14, which encompasses all or in part of Downtown, Boyle Heights, Eagle Rock, Highland Park, El Sereno, Garvanza, Glassell Park, Lincoln Heights, and Monterey Hills.
The solid 24k gold crown, chain and medallion are decorated with gems and hand-carved skyscrapers, sports arenas, tents, and a traffic jam and was previously held by former gangster Rapper, LL Jose, whose self-incriminating lyrics landed him in a Federal Correction Facility for the next twelve years.
This is not the first heated matchup between Lil Yazzy and Mix Master Sir León, who reps Boyle Heights. The two have had fierce lyrical battles before.
“I’m from Highland Park; get to know me,” raps Lil Yazzy, while Sir León takes his turn bragging about his street life in vain cleaning up homelessness, advocating for public safety, and throwing the biggest parties ever.
Dancing to his own beat, ever since that scandalous leaked mix tape two years ago almost cost him his recording contract, Sir León is known for his fast, mumble rap style and is making a name for himself in the rap game by simply repeating the hook in every tune: “Ain’t no party like a Sir León party, cuz a Sir León Party don’t stop.”
Photo courtesy Kevin De Leon
Mix Master Sir León, has proven he doesn’t need anyone except his friends in Sacramento, his fans and recently joined hype-men that include Latino political groups, the entire low rider movement, and La Opinion.
Lil Yazzy, standing at five feet and a half, has proven she won’t back down from hecklers who troll her social media accounts on the daily, Sir León or the Police.
She’s backed by her posse leading with the LA Times editorial staff, city council members, tenants right advocates, county supervisors, worker’s unions, and single mothers in the rap game everywhere.
When Lil Yazzy takes the stage, there’s no telling what she’s gonna freestyle in her battle against Sir León. Whether it’s about the time she first discovered string lights on Spring (there aren’t any) or coming up with words that rhyme with “racist,” she’s typically using her time to call out injustice and socking it to THE MAN.
In trouble with the Law
In a recent interview on a zoom call with a local college campus, when one of Sir León’s tour managers, asked about how she feels about police reform, Lil Yazzy creativity sampled two iconic rap versus into one line, “F*ck the Police, that’s how I see them…. They rally round a family with a pocket full of shells.”
Shocking yes, but detrimental to her campaign… probably not, and quite possibly adding an entirely new fan base of gangstahs, thugs and smuggalahs, for dropping that bar.
Photo Courtesy Ysabel Jurado
However, Lil Yazzy is now facing backlash from Sir León fans, law enforcement and many who mistook her verses to mean getting rid of law enforcement entirely versus holding accountability over the police budget,, which far exceeds any other tax payer monies allocated to any other agencies in the city. Instead of cowering away from the idea, Lil Yazzy doubled down on the lyric and kept it pushing.
Photo courtesy LA City Controller
Recently, the LAPD joined in the rap cipher with a bit of lyrical mastery of their own, using an African American voiceover actor (mimicking the style of the Allstate commercials) to produce their own rap video calling out Lil Yazzy for what they deem as anti-cop rhetoric.
Video courtesy LAPD
Who will win this thrilling rap battle and take home the crown… ? Only time will tell. Here’s a list of voting places in downtown Los Angeles where the fans will ultimately make the decision on which one of these talented rappers will emerge victorious – City District 14
