MC Battle
Denzel Curry, TiaCorine and Key Nyata bring The Scythe to Red Bull Spiral
Denzel Curry, TiaCorine and Key Nyata, put their creative chemistry in the spotlight for Red Bull’s one-take freestyle challenge, leaning on Hip-Hop principles to move the culture forward.
The best rap collectives unite like-minded talents into one movement, balancing skill with personality and swagger. Wu-Tang Clan mastered lyricism and world building. Three 6 Mafia perfected a definitive style and flow. Now The Scythe is here to carry the torch, prove iron sharpens iron and as declared at the end of their freestyle, “ready to decapitate everybody in this bi**h a** rap game.”
Announced across the social media accounts of each member in January 2026, the multi-regional supergroup released its debut project Strictly 4 The Scythe, on March 6. From the newly-formed unit, which also includes FERG and Bktharula, TiaCorine, Key Nyata and Denzel Curry enter the studio for their moment on Red Bull Spiral, challenged with the completion of a quotable cypher and a chance to slice any slither of doubt any naysayer may conjure about their invigorating passion for Hip-Hop.
Watch Key Neyata, TiaCorine, and Denzel Curry erupt on the Red Bull Spiral below:
“It's fiery,” described Key Nyata on what goes down in The Scythe. “It's like a volcano of energy, just fire all over the place. Denzel is real goofy and Tia matches his energy and Bk is off doing some crazy shit and I'm just kind in the eye of the storm. I'm a part of the tornado, but I'm in the eye. I'm the calmest part.”
From TiaCorine’s point of view, there’s endless coffee, colorful anime on screens, multiple food orders and most importantly, honest collaboration.
“We're all in the room expressing our artistic ideas,” shared the North Carolina representative. “We're bouncing off each other and they'll be like, ‘Go in the studio.’ It's just a bunch of chaos. It's like a frat house in there. It's fun.”
Key Neyata, Denzel Curry, and TiaCorine erupt on Red Bull Spiral
© Koury Angelo
Denzel Curry also confirmed, “I mean, aside from creative it's just pure comedy. Everybody just in their own right is just kind of funny. Everybody's pretty much cool. All of us get along with each other. All of us joke around with each other. We don't take too many ideas too seriously. We like to have fun and whatnot. But when it does get down to the nitty gritty and we need to show up and we need to show out, everybody's on point.”
A bustling, early morning shoot day filled with lights, cameras, and content created the perfect setting to transform the genuine camaraderie shared among TiaCorine, Curry and Nyata into a one-take cypher. The spirit of excitement and pride engulfed any presence of jitters or anxiety once the pens came out to play. In fact, all three rappers shared an eagerness to flex on the mic.
“It feels so good,” beamed TiaCorine on the vibrant air that filled the room. “It's just natural, it's free, it's funny, it's silly. It’s why I feel less nervous with them. They support me… It feels like just being with your siblings when you come home for Thanksgiving. Everybody's just all the family's together. That's how it feels.”
“I'm just looking forward to just doing the Spiral with two of my friends,” later detailed Curry ahead of the trio’s moment center stage, referencing past Red Bull Spiral moments from Joey Bada$$, Ab-Soul, Pusha T, and Big Sean. “I just have a feeling like we're going to go in there and we're going to kill it. We’re going to really nail it.”
A contagious, creative intensity flowed between the musicians as they each prepared their slickest bars. In their approach to the freestyle challenge, Curry, Nyata and TiaCorine all stood on Hip-Hop principles set by the genre’s esteemed veterans when brainstorming after hearing the in-house produced instrumental.
Denzel Curry
© Koury Angleo
TiaCorine
© Koury Angleo
Key Nyata
© Koury Angleo
“My definition of a freestyle is the same definition that Big Daddy Kane gave us, which is a rap that's free of style, free form rap,” clarified Key. The Seattle-bred artist continued, “It can be written, be off the top or whatever, but a freestyle is a rap written free of form.”
His sentiments were echoed by his bandmate.
“A freestyle is a verse free of style. That's what a freestyle is,” declared Denzel as he labeled off the dome rhymes as critical thinking. “It's just a verse free of style. There's no specific subject. There’s no specific topic. Now, if you want a specific topic that's on the album, if you just want a verse where you're just barring up and saying some wild shit, that's a free verse. No matter if it's written or it's off the dome, you can do both, but call it for what it is.”
Armed with notepads full of ideas, lunch table sharpened quick-wit, and the free reign to rhyme about any and everything, the bar was set. With musical influences spread everywhere from the legendary Blues pianist Joe Willie “Pinetop” Perkins and English teachers who encouraged writing to Wiz Khalifa, Lil Wayne, and Mac Dre, the speakers echoed unique flows from each thread of the close-knit group.
While this variety in sound established each member’s ingenuity, together they moved as one. Although never afraid to hop on any track with the best of the best, TiaCorine, Nyata, and Curry respect the battle-aspect present in rap however, they also recognize the importance of carrying Hip-Hop forward through collaboration. “I think I like healthy, fun competition. I think that's what it's about. It's always been rap beefs,” expressed TiaCorine.
The art of being an artist and rapping is you use your bars to combat with each other and not actual violence. I think it's a fun, healthy competition.
“Y’'all got to learn from each other in some way that makes sense,” theorized Curry. If you look at a show like Samurai Champloo, one of my favorite animes. One of them was a complete criminal that just did whatever and one of them was actually traditionally trained as a samurai and by the end of the whole season they picked up techniques from each other. One became looser and the other one became more strategic. So collaboration, yes, I do want to see further collaboration with the lyrical community as well.”
This yin and yang reflection was on full display as the camera swept full circle, capturing three rappers immersed in their element.
TiaCorine kicked things off with her familiar “yeah” adlib and immediately locked in. With her eyes focused on the singular camera lens, she passed it off to Nyata who made it clear he’s a “crash out that’s really just cosplaying a rap guy.”
Curry brought the team across home plate, after TiaCorine signaled him to “walk ‘em down.” With his signature rapid, aggressive flow, he dropped stinging references on everything from the Kama Sutra to Pootie Tang.