Hennessy Artistry VS Class: PDSTRN emerges Season VIII Winner

With over a thousand entries from across the country, live auditions in Owerri, Abuja and Lagos, rigorous elimination processes and fierce rap battles, the eighth season of the Hennessy Artistry VS class has come to a glowing end with PDSTRN as the champion of the VS Class 2022.

Born Bennett Obeya, PDSTRN (pronounced Pedestrian) is a rapper, singer and songwriter on the rise in the world of hip hop and afrobeats. Born in Lagos and raised in Canada, PDSTRN adopts a unique approach to his career by infusing delicate topics such as addiction, heartbreak, vulnerability and raw emotions in his music.

PDSTRN, who represents the “Never stop Never settle” spirit of Hennessy, is a returning contestant to the VS Class. He started this VS class journey at the Lagos auditions where he competed with over a thousand MCs from across the country for a spot in the class. Going up against Precious Dozi, Teddy, Fozter, Thello, Erena Blaq, Zez, King Jahvid, he earned his crown in a stimulating final battle with Barelyanyhook.

The faceoff between PDSTRN and Barelyanyhook for the title in the final round had both rappers tapping deeper into their creativity. It was evidently a hard call for the judges to make, as both talents gave a worthy final battle. PDSTRN could barely contain his excitement at his win, saying, “I’m so elated and grateful to be in this position right now. Shout out to Hennessy, it’s so crazy what they are doing for the culture and I hope they continue to do it till the end of time”.

Deeply rooted in urban culture, Hennessy reaffirms its commitment to discovering and incubating talented and budding Hip Hop stars with the Hennessy Artistry VS Class platform. All episodes of the Hennessy Artistry VS Class Season VIII 2022 are available on HennessyNigeria’s YouTube and on Trace Naija Channel.