PDSTRN wins Hennessy Artistry rap contest

Shortly after trending across social media for his own reply to a viral diss track from another rapper, DND, Bennett Obeya, professionally known as PDSTRN (pronounced Pedestrian), has solidified his image as Nigeria’s next rap superstar by becoming the winner of the just-concluded Hennessy Artistry VS Class contest. 

Now in its eight edition, the contest saw over a thousand emerging rappers duel across Owerri, Abuja and Lagos, is one of the few platforms that spotlights the Nigerian rap community. 

The Canadian-bred rapper, PDSTRN, soared among the myriad of co-participants with his intimate storytelling and sleek rap flows. The rapper had already grown a cult-community who admired the unique vulnerability and intimacy that coloured his music. 

According to Hennessy, “PDSTRN, who represents the ‘Never stop Never settle’ spirit of the brand, 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, who could barely contain his excitement at his win, told Weekend Beats, “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.