Swollen Members MC Mad Child to Enter KOTD Rap Battle

After taking a break from the battle circuit for years, rapper Mad Child of veteran Canadian underground act Swollen Members has announced that he will be competing in one of the world's biggest MC battles this summer.

The Vancouver-based rapper has revealed that he will be competing for the championship title in the third annual KOTD World Domination Rap Battle in Toronto, Canada, on Aug. 5, where he will face off against popular battle rapper Dirtbag Dan.

"For the last eight months, my main focus has been to become the best emcee I can be," Mad Child explained. "Battling truly exemplifies the spirit of hip-hop just like beatboxing, DJing or graffiti art. I can't think of a better way to challenge myself than to step into today's battle arena and compete against some of the best talent from all over the world at this year's World Domination event."

The nasal-voiced MC, who went public about his addiction to prescription pills in 2009, and was recently refused entry into the United States for his alleged Hells Angels-affiliations, went on to say that he put his reputation as a recording artist at stake to compete for the title.

"The last time I competed in a battle was when I was inducted into the Rock Steady Crew and in order to embrace that side of myself, I felt it was important to really immerse myself in the culture of hip-hop," Mad Child continued. "When I agreed to participate in World Domination Rap Battle, they told me they could make my match just a promotional battle, but I told them I wanted this to be a judged competition like any other real battle."

The KOTD World Domination Rap Battle takes place on Aug. 5 at XS Nightclub in Toronto, Canada. It is one of the biggest events of its kind, featuring contestants from all over the world, including the United Kingdom, Philippines and Australia.

Mad Child's solo debut, 'Dope Sick,' will be released on Aug. 2, three days before the event.