A Sankofa Concepts Original Battle Mode...

How It Works...

At first glance, Seis Grados looks like a DJ competition. In reality, it's a creative challenge that rewards musical knowledge, storytelling, and the ability to connect songs in ways that surprise and inspire.

Every mix is built around six logical Degrees of Separation—the connections that lead naturally from one song to the next.

Those connections might be based on a shared producer, featured artist, sample, city, musical era, genre, songwriter, cultural influence, or countless other relationships.

The only real requirement is that every transition has a purpose.

There is no prescribed path. No required genre. No required ending.

Every DJ begins by choosing a starting song, then has up to 6 minutes and 30 seconds to create a musical journey that reflects their creativity, technical ability, and understanding of music.

When your mix is complete, you'll submit it to MC BATTLE and identify the six Degrees that connect your journey in the notes section provided. Judges—and eventually fans—won't simply evaluate how well you mixed the records.

They'll discover why each transition makes sense.

Because in Seis Grados, the destination is only part of the story.

Why the name 'Seis Grados?'

Hip-hop has always been about connection.

Long before streaming services, playlists, and social media, DJs were connecting neighborhoods, cultures, and generations one record at a time. Every transition told a story, every breakbeat built a bridge, and every party became a place where music brought people together.

The name Seis Grados—Spanish for Six Degrees—is our tribute to the deep and enduring influence of the Latino community on hip-hop culture.

From the Bronx, where pioneers like DJ Charlie Chase and DJ Disco Wiz helped shape the earliest days of hip-hop alongside Black innovators, to Los Angeles, where Latino DJs became fixtures in clubs, parties, radio, and community events, their influence has helped define the sound and spirit of the culture for generations.

DJ DISCO WIZ,
mighty force crew

DJ CHARLIE CHASE,
COLD CRUSH BROTHERS

JOHNNY "J",
legendary tupac shakur producer

More Than a Name

Growing up in Los Angeles, it was impossible to separate great DJ culture from the Latino community.

They weren't guests in hip-hop—they were innovators, collaborators, and creators whose fingerprints remain on the culture today.

The influence extends beyond DJing. Mexican-American producer Johnny "J" helped craft many of 2Pac's most iconic records, proving once again that hip-hop has always grown stronger through collaboration across communities.

That's why we chose the name Seis Grados.

It represents more than six musical connections.

It represents the connections between people, cultures, histories, and ideas that continue to move hip-hop forward.

Because every great mix tells a story.

And every great story begins with a connection.

Every Great Mix Has a Reason

A great DJ doesn't just move from one song to another—they create a journey that feels intentional.

That's what Seis Grados is all about.

Think of every transition as a conversation between records.

One song might lead to the next because they share the same producer...
Another because it samples the previous record...

Another because it comes from the same city, era, genre, or musical movement.

The possibilities are nearly endless.

There is no one correct path through Seis Grados!

Two DJs can begin with the exact same opening song and finish in completely different places, each telling a compelling story through their own musical perspective.

That's what makes this challenge unique. You're not being judged on whether you picked the "right" songs. You're being judged on how creatively you connect them, how seamlessly you mix them, and how effectively you bring your audience along for the ride.

Every transition should make listeners think: "I never would have made that connection... but now it makes perfect sense." In Seis Grados, the destination matters—but the journey is where great DJs separate themselves from the rest.