Battle rapper Jin hasn’t battled in over 17 years, but in honor of late Canadian battle rhymer, Pat Stay, the former BET phenomenon dusted off his lyrics for one more round. Where is 106 & Park’s ‘Freestyle Friday’ Champ Jin now?!
The competition went down at King Of The Dot Entertainment’s ‘Stay Forever’ weekend in Toronto on February 25 and 26, 2023. KOTD returned to the city for the first time in five years in an effort to raise money for the Stay family and to honor Pat’s life.
While Jin went up against fellow battle rapper Illmac, other big names on the lineup included Hollow Da Don, Charlie Clips, Rone, Dumbfoundead, and more.
Jin commemorated the event by posting a photo to his Instagram account with the caption: Battling again after a 17 year absence was not on my bingo card for 2023. And yet here we are. This was for Pat Stay. But in some serendipitous way, I can literally hear Pat saying to me right now, “This was also for you Jin. Now stop getting all watery eyed like a little girl as you type this.” 🥲Thank you @kotdtv @organikhiphop @ninobless for pulling this all together. Thank you @illmactv for bringing the class, skill and energy we needed to make this special for the people. Thank you @iamcarolcay for holding down the fort and your tireless efforts that went into making sure this could happen for me. Thank you to all my battle rap peers and family who continue to push this thing we love and cherish forward, while preserving the essence of it. Thank you to each person that approached me with the gleam in their eyes, expressing what my contribution to battle rap and presence in their youth means to them. Lastly, thank you @patstay_902 for reminding me “Bro, you’re Jin!!!” #StayForever #LongLivePatStay #BattleRapChangedMyLife #SeeYallin17Years
Where Is 106 & Park’s ‘Freestyle Friday’ Champ Jin Now?
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While wearing a hoodie dedicated to Stay, Jin also dropped a freestyle from his car.
Pat Stay was fatally stabbed at The Yacht Club Social in Halifax on the morning of September 4, 2022. 31-year-old Adam Drake was arrested days later on charges of first-degree murder.
As the investigation got underway, police suggested Stay’s murder wasn’t a random act of violence. A preliminary inquiry was scheduled for September after Drake appeared in Halifax provincial court by telephone from the Northeast Nova Scotia Correctional Facility in Pictou County. The hearing will determine if there is sufficient evidence for Drake to proceed to a jury trial in Nova Scotia Supreme Court.
Jin Au-Yeung was born June 4, 1982, and is known professionally as a rapper, songwriter, actor, and comedian of Chinese descent. Jin is notable for being the first Asian American solo rapper to be signed to a major record label in the United States. Shortly after moving to Queens NY from Miami FL in 2001, Jin began increasing his participation in rap battles with his peers in the area.
Jin’s big break came in 2002 when the BET program 106 & Park began inviting local rappers to compete in a segment that came to be known as “Freestyle Friday”. Unlike other competitors, Jin occasionally spoke Cantonese in his freestyle verses. After winning seven battles in a row, he was inducted into the Freestyle Friday Hall of Fame. On the night of the ceremony, he announced he had signed a deal with the Ruff Ryders Entertainment record label.
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