Joey Batts Assists With Helping The Marathon Continue In Connecticut

Local Connecticut graffiti artist Corey Payne paid tribute to slain rapper Nipsey Hussle by creating an immaculate looking mural of the Grammy-nominated artist in Hartford Connecticut’s Heaven Skate Park, and Nipsey Hussle fans and the Hartford community embraced the creative artwork. Sadly on Saturday, April 29, a teenager who apparently was in need of attention thought it was a good idea to deface the mural.

The Connecticut teen identified as Kaitlyn Renee, spray painted the mural and drew cherries and obscene objects on the artwork. She proceeded to take selfies in front of the vandalized tribute. People were on the scene recording as Renee executed the disrespectful act, and videos of the defacing were posted on social media.

The images enraged fans of Nipsey Hussle, and Kaitlynn Renee quickly became a recipient of death threats. Since the threats started pouring in, it appears Renee has deleted her social media accounts.

Hartford high school teacher and rapper Joey Batts couldn’t get the images of the mural being defaced out of his head. The next day he decided to go to the art store and buy some paint. He used the paint to restore the mural.  

Celebrity/Entertainment Journalist Vince D’Writer had the pleasure of interviewing rapper Joey Batts.

Vince: How did you find out about the defacing of the Nipsey Hussle mural?

Joey: One of my homies posted it on Facebook. I thought it was a prank at first. I didn’t think it was real.

Vince: How did you feel when you realized it wasn’t a prank and the vandalism actually happened?

Joey: When I saw the video of her posing with it and what she was saying, I knew she did it for attention. My first immediate emotions were that I was mad and enraged that a person would attack something that took Corey so long to paint. She did it to get five minutes of fame.

Vince: What motivated you to take the initiative and repair the damage done to the mural?

Joey: There was a lot of attention on the mural. I just wanted to set an example for our community in Hartford. Nipsey supporters cared about it, hip hop supporters cared about it, and graffiti heads cared about it. I didn’t want her to get any more publicity for what she did.

Vince: Describe the Joey Batts swagher?

Joey: I always made music for people that wanted more out of rap as far as being lyrical. I guess my swagher is college educated, inner city.

Vince: Are you originally from Connecticut?

 Joey: No, no, I’m originally from New York. I came to Connecticut to attend college in 2000, and I’ve been here ever since.

Vince: How long have you been an artist?

Joey: I did cyphers and freestyles in junior high, but the first time I hit the stage and actually made money was 2001. 

Vince: Who are some of your musical inspirations?

Joey: Biggie, Big Pun, Wu Tang, and The Roots.

Vince: What is unique about your music? 

Joey: When I was touring I performed with a band, drums, rhythm section, and bass guitar. This strategy separated me from everybody else that was just rockin’ with a DJ or rockin’ with their beats on a iPod. 

Vince: Any events you have coming up you want to share with us?

Joey: Every December I do an event called ‘Hip Hop For The Homeless’. I’ve been doing it for the past five years.

Joey Batts is a lyrical rapper who is passionate about his music and his community. Hip Hop For The Homeless has its own individual Facebook page. It’s an event in which Connecticut hip hop artists come together to perform with the common goal of raising money for a great cause. You can also follow Batts on IG at @rapjoeybatts.