Five young rappers will go head to head next month for the chance to perform on BET’s 106 & Park live video countdown show.Jeremiah (Lil Quan) Steede, Jahroy (Dakidd-Classic) Richards, Cire Bean, Kami Bean-Caines and Paul (Eminence) DeShield are all contestants in the Island’s second Can You Rip It event.They will have a battle of words Saturday, December 1, at the Berkeley Institute in front of a panel of judges including Askia Fountain from Atlanta-based Timeless Music Management and Rian Williams, who has produced tracks for artists like rapper 50 Cent. Last year’s guest judge was the rapper, Tyga.The Royal Gazette photographer Glenn Tucker, entertainer Lamont Robinson, talent manager Jodi Lewis and CEO of Black Rose Entertainment Neville C Darrell will also weigh in on the performances.Each contestant will be judged on their performance of two original songs.The winner will go on to perform with other budding entertainers on 106 & Park’s Wild-Out Wednesday segment.The local contestants have spent the past few months in rigorous weekly training sessions with Jonathan Talbot designed to boost their confidence and communication skills and get them ready for the international entertainment scene.The event partner is Brotherhood/Sisterhood of Bermuda, a charity that aims to empower young people ages 11 to 18 by giving them the tools and support to navigate life’s obstacles and realise their full potential.The Royal Gazette sat down with all five semi-finalists to find out how they got their start with rap and their ambitions for the future.What’s clear is they all believe they have the chops to rip the mic and take home the top prize next weekend. Read on to find out why.Jeremiah (Lil Quan) SteedeRapping has always been an outlet for him to get out his frustrations and feelings.He started rapping in middle school at age 14 after being taught by a friend and said he’s been hooked ever since.“I used to have anger problems and rapping would help me,” he said.“I would just rap in my room and talk about how I felt at the moment.”Now 16, the CedarBridge Academy student said he entered the Can You Rip It 2 competition “as a joke” to see how far he could get.He was shocked to make it to the final competition and now hopes to take it as far as he can go. “I want to be the next me, but bigger than artists like Lil Wayne,” he said.“I see myself travelling the world and hope to take my group Underground Records too.”If he hadn’t found rapping as an outlet, the teenager said he might still have trouble expressing himself.He described himself as more of a writer than a freestyle artist, but is also an avid track runner.He said: “I have what it takes to win. For running, I use the expression ‘If you are not first, you’re last’ and I believe that no-one is better than you until they prove it.“I am just going to be the most cocky guy out, that will probably scare the other guys.”He said he was most inspired by artist Meek Millz, from Philadelphia, who grew up in the “backgrounds of the Bronx”.“Everyone told him he wasn’t going to make it and he started off on the streets freestyling and that’s when he got signed to [Miami-based rapper Rick Ross’] Maybach Music Group.“People told me before I wasn’t going to make it for other things, but I proved them wrong when I made it through with track and went to the Carifta Games.”Jahroy (Dakidd-Classic) RichardsIf you remember a time when hip hop was about conscious lyrics, rather than fancy studio beats then Jahroy might be your rapper of choice.The 16-year-old said he entered the competition “to bring the classic feeling of hip hop back”.He started freestyle rapping five years ago, but started seriously honing his craft recently.He said: “There was a time I went to Chewstick and they had this workshop and passed the mic around. I just said anything and it felt really good, so I got into it even more.”After finishing the day at home school, he would just rap for fun with friends, but said “it wasn’t nothing too serious”.These days Jahroy is hoping to one day make a career from it and is confident that the competition could be the first major stepping stone in his path.“I think I have the energy and charisma, character and love for it to win,” he said. “What I like most about rapping is that you can tell a story or paint a picture and let your mind go off.”He said he looked up to artists like J Cole, A Tribe Called Quest, Heavy D, Jay Z and Tupac, but was also a fan of local artists like Kase, Amari, R? ddla and Haz.Jahroy said the most rewarding part of rapping was hearing someone repeat some of your lyrics.After taking part in a developing artist programme in Atlanta this summer with Playlist Management, he got to record a song called ‘Misfits’ which has played on local radio stations.He said it was a great feeling hearing someone rapping some of the lines to the son one day.That tune in particular describes how Jahroy used to feel — out of place and in need of somewhere to belong.“I don’t know a lot of people, just a few people, and rapping gave me something to talk about and do instead of feeling sorry for yourself.“Then I showed people and they liked it and dug it. I kind of had a feeling like I made it.”He said he hopes to share his music with scores of other people, because it tells the tale of who he is and is hopefully something people can have fun with.Cire BeanCire is the youngest contestant in the upcoming Can You Rip It contest, but he’s confident it might actually work to his advantage.The Berkeley Institute student said: “Even though I am the youngest I want to show that the younger generation has a lot of talent bundled up and it just needs to be released.“Being that I am 14, I can still do great things. So when they see my age and lyrical ability I hope they will be happily impressed because they will also see I have room to grow. I am not at my peak yet.”The teenager said he entered the competition because he thought it would be a great opportunity, “a door opener” and way to show everyone his budding skills.He started rapping when he was seven, with his best friend at West End Primary School. Then while in a poetry class in Primary Five, his teacher noticed his lyrical content went much deeper than many of the other students.His shining moment came when he took part in a middle school talent show called Sandys Idol. He was nervous, but couldn’t back out after a friend had signed him up.“I just started to rap to an instrumental version of Drake’s ‘Forever’ and I ended up winning that M2 Talent Show. Ever since that the principal would ask me to come up for certain events and perform.”He took part in Chewstick’s Youth Open Mic event, known as TWIGS, and also took the stage at his school’s Yes Day Fair. “I would call that my big debut because a lot of people were there.“I was the first person and in those cases I am always the youngest person for some strange reason.“The crowd was initially about 20 people and then people heard me and came over and it was a large crowd by the end. That’s when the buzz started,” he said.Though he loves music, his parents try to keep him grounded considering the slim chances of making it big in the entertainment realm.He would like to be a recording engineer or producer when he grows up, but will likely always continue rapping as well.He encourages young people to be driven when reaching for their goals and aim high.“The main thing I put forward to everyone is to dream big because if you dream big your range of success has no limits. If you only have in your mind to be an engineer or something that’s all you will get, if you dream small you are limiting yourself.”Kami (Cami Cam)– Bean-CainesAs a child, Kami always had her sights on a career in performing and acting.“I used to have imaginary friends and that is who used to be my audience,” she said.After deciding to take her music seriously last year, the budding talent has started performing in front of live people.She told The Royal Gazette: “It wasn’t rapping at first, it was just basically singing. I started off wanting to be a singer but when I didn’t have the voice I thought ‘I love music. Why not try rap’.”The 20-year-old realised she had a knack for it and now writes rhymes about the hurt and drama from relationships and the upside of life, like happiness and her love of fashion.She takes inspiration from singers like Lauren Hill, Janet Jackson and Madonna and said rappers like Eve, Nicki Minaj and Lil’ Kim are her favourites.Being the only female in the competition doesn’t scare her, in fact she said it might help her stand out.“But to a certain extent it feels like it’s a lot of pressure because the judges are expecting me to operate on a level that is keeping up with the guys, who are hard core guy rappers.“That is what they are used to seeing,” she said.Kami said the biggest challenge with rapping was coming up with great punch lines, but she has been devoting much of her free time to honing her craft.She said: “I wake up every day and think about music. It’s my life. I don’t know what else I would do besides hospitality management and acting.”When she is not rapping, she is a front desk agent at The Reefs.Her ultimate dream is to make it to the Grammy Awards and she said: “I see myself as a pop icon of the world, as an idol.“I want to also make Bermuda glass jewellery and have my own lip make-up line as well.”Paul (Eminence) DeShieldPaul learned about the Can You Rip It event with little time to prepare for the audition.“I heard about it at 4.40pm on the day of the auditions and it finished at 5pm,” the Bermuda Institute student said. However, the gamble paid off as he heads to the finals next month.Paul has been rapping for about three years after a friend, Cainon Ming, showed him a computer game for recording music.The two would mess around with it for hours after school and eventually the teenager fell in love with rapping.“I would do it everyday in my room, just freestyling and then it got more serious,” he said. “I got more passionate about it and as time progressed I noticed I was getting better and writing down lyrics.”He felt the competition would be a great opportunity to showcase his skills and entered “just to see what happened”.“I wasn’t sure if I was going to make it, but I did what I had to do so I knew there would be a great chance I would be in the top five.”His lyrics are usually motivational and he sometimes writes about the importance of having dreams and doing whatever possible to go after them.“I want my music to show people that no matter what people say to you, you can always do it,” he said.“Success for me is getting more people to hear what I have to say and getting my message across to the masses. I want to reach and teach and to get people thinking,” he said.Paul said he wasn’t really nervous about performing at the upcoming event, but admitted he was preparing as much as possible.The teenager is also trying to keep things in perspective and said: “My parents are also supportive and tell me to do my best.“They also tell me to have a balance and not to forget about my school. One of my academic goals is to become a marine biologist because I have always loved the water.”He has equally passionate about music, having played the drums since he was four.All in all, he feels like he has a good chance of taking home the top prize in the upcoming event.“I believe it’s all about how you execute it. You have to plan and see it in your mind and that’s how it comes to play.“I want to be one step ahead of everyone and be sure of what I am saying and make sure it comes from the heart, so that what you are saying is what you are living.“That way what the people see on stage is what they see off and it’s a well-rounded performance.”