Lord Of The Mics, the colossal grime platform founded and led by Jammer and Ratty, is making its return for a massive eighth season. Over the years there have been some monumental clashes and warm-up sessions that have changed the face of the grime scene in ways you couldn’t imagine. In fact, LOTM can trace its history before grime even had a name. Those iconic clashes are embedded into the minds of any true grime fan. Kano vs. Wiley, Skepta vs. Devilman, Footsie vs. Scratchy, P Money vs. Big H… and the eighth edition looks like it’ll be just as heated and just as game-changing.

Ahead of the official release, we’ve teamed up with the LOTM team to exclusively premiere the batch of Hype Sessions. If, somehow, you’re not entirely familiar with the institution that is the Lord Of The Mics warm-up sessions, each clash is preceded by a quick filmed freestyle of each MC, which basically gives them all an opportunity to rile up their opponents and stoke the flames of competition in the hopes their opponent will get too heated and make a mistake.

TRENCH will be premiering all eighteen Hype Sessions in the build-up to the full release of Lord Of The Mics 8. Today, we’re profiling rival spitters Dialect and Jafro.

Clashing is in Dialect’s blood. He’s been a mainstay in the Leeds clashing scene for years and is one of the most experienced and respected MCs to ever take part in Don’t Flop—in fact, his debut clash against Double L in 2012 stands as the second highest Don’t Flop battle of all time. That experience was rewarded in 2016 when he was chosen to head up Leeds’ team against London in the Red Bull Grime-A-Side, only narrowly missing out against an all-star team that included AJ Tracey, PK and Saint P. Wearing his Leeds accent proudly, he’s a hero in his home town; let’s see if he can bring that status down south for a decisive win. Let’s not forget this isn’t his first Lord Of The Mics either. Offering some words to his opponent, Dialect said: “YOU asked for a ‘challenge’—be careful what you wish for.”

Another Grime-A-Side veteran, this time repping Leicester, Jafro’s appearance there and his impressive stack of freestyles for every platform going have turned heads up and down the country. Aside from his proven track record in freestyles and clashes, Jafro’s other strength is his versatility. His Peace, Lust & Sauce EP, with Maniscooler and Lowpass Luke last year, was a critically acclaimed five-tracker that showcased his ability to switch up his flows for a wide range of instrumentals. Regardless of track record, being safe in the knowledge that you can handle every possible beat the DJ can throw at you is a huge asset. When asked what his Hype Session (featuring fellow LC spitters C Dash and Kay P) had in store, Jafro remained tight-lipped, simply saying “this hasn’t been done on LOTM before.”