DreTL’s Journey To Win On Rap’s Biggest Stage Reveals What It Takes To Be A Superstar Emcee

In the premiere episode of “Rhythm + Flow”’s second season, contestant DreTL is patiently waiting backstage to audition for the chance to become the show’s next rap superstar when he picks up the phone to call his cousin, Joel. He says he was expecting a call from his mother to help steady his nerves before he took the stage, but “they said the phone was off at the prison or something.”

The 22-year-old rapper and Georgia State University student was just a kid when SWAT teams raided his house for drugs and arrested his mom. She’s been incarcerated ever since. The only way the two communicate throughout the season is by periodic phone calls, one of which becomes the highlight of DreTL’s final performance on the show. It almost didn’t make the cut after a studio spat with mentors Hitmaka (multi-platinum producer) and Theron Thomas (Grammy-winning songwriter). But DreTL was adamant about telling his own story, uncut.

The strategy proved successful. DreTL was crowned Season 2’s winner, earning him a $250,000 grand prize and “Rhythm + Flow” bragging rights.

Season 2 is full of contestants who come from rough backgrounds or who battled the odds well before trying out for “Rhythm + Flow.” None shy away from sharing their unfiltered truths onstage, in their music or even on candid camera.

That’s the foundation upon which “Rhythm + Flow” rests and what sets it apart from the average music-competition reality show. It’s raw — not only because it’s all about hip-hop, but because it doesn’t waste time appealing to audiences with cookie-cutter music and personalities, like predecessors like “American Idol,” “The Voice” and others.

“You get to see behind the scenes on this one,” three-time Grammy-winning rapper Ludacris told HuffPost. “I don’t see other music competition shows showing that.”

The hip-hop legend is one of three main celebrity judges on “Rhythm + Flow” Season 2, alongside Latto and DJ Khaled. This time, a new group of young, hungry rappers emerged to battle it out for a quarter-million dollars and a chance to become a huge rap star, as ambitious as that may sound. And viewers got a front-row seat.

According to Ludacris, “Rhythm + Flow” distinguishes itself by “breaking the third and fourth wall” and giving audiences a chance to see everything that happens throughout the competition, whether that’s spirited discussions between the judges, tensions brewing among cast members or the inner/outer turmoil some contestants struggle with.

“There were some conversations that were kind of crazy,” Ludacris explained, “but we were just being honest, and it was when the cameras were supposed to be cut, but they’re not. That’s what’s different about [the show].”

Latto, who won her own rap competition series, Lifetime’s “The Rap Game,” nearly a decade ago, agrees that “Rhythm + Flow” is pretty different from other shows in the music reality show genre.

“First of all, we ain’t win no quarter mil [on ‘The Rap Game’], I’m going to tell you that right now,” she laughed, adding that her Netflix series feels like “a more authentic experience” for aspiring rap artists looking to break into the music industry.

“Not taking anything away from my process, definitely grateful,” she continued, “but I think this one was just a little more hands-on.”

“Rhythm + Flow” leaned more toward that approach in Season 2 by only pursuing talent with star quality. Out of hundreds who auditioned earlier this year, only 22 artists nationwide were hand-picked to kick off the competition. Even fewer continued after the first elimination round — and the judges say choosing them was no easy task.

“Listen, it was very difficult,” Ludacris said of whittling the competition down to just four finalists (DreTL, Jay Taj, Detroit Diamond and Sura Ali) before the finale.

“If you’d have seen some of the interrogation rooms that we went into and were yelling out of, we had to close the door,” he added. “It was very respectful, but it was [also] very passionate and argumentative about who should stay.”

Throughout the season, contestants participated in a series of high-stakes challenges — gritty cyphers, cutthroat rap battles, recording debut singles and collaborating with notable R&B acts — to test the strength of their skills and gauge their appetite for hip-hop stardom.

Along the way, they received coaching and mentorship from some of the biggest names in rap, like Eminem, Remy Ma, Busta Rhymes, Big Sean, GloRilla and many more. Even Season 1 winner D Smoke appeared to offer the cast some guidance. Such easy access to honest, firsthand advice made the entire “Rhythm + Flow” experience worthwhile for contestants like DreTL.

“It helped me grow as an artist so much,” the rapper said. “I feel like it expedited my learning process by years because you’re on the show, and the stuff that you experience within a few months is what some people will experience over the span of their whole career.”

He continues: “You’re meeting all of these iconic, legendary people that you saw on TV or listened to their music your whole life, and they’re literally giving you advice day after day, week after week, saving you time. Being able to learn it and hear from them, I think it’s priceless.”

The fact that “Rhythm + Flow” airs on a global streaming platform like Netflix is similarly significant. Instant exposure to potential fans worldwide has already increased the social following and media coverage of several cast members looking to grow their fanbases.

“Something I said throughout the show was everybody won because they got the platform for the world to hear and see them,” DJ Khaled explained. “So even the person that didn’t win might be your favorite. That’s what’s so great about the show, because [either way] they got something to add to their story. … That’s how I look at it. It was a blessing.”

Each rapper who appeared on “Rhythm + Flow” Season 2 walked away from the show with something new on their résumé. However, only one person was crowned the ultimate winner: DreTL.

The Atlanta native made a splash during his first audition and fought through every round of the competition, all while juggling schoolwork and his chance to get a big break. The rapper’s journey was by no means perfect. That may be why some viewers were outraged to see him come out victorious against runner-up Taj, who seemed to consistently outperform his peers throughout the season, per the judges’ praise. Still, in the end, DJ Khaled said DreTL “definitely deserved” to win.

“He put in the work,” he said, “and what I liked about him was I learned something new every time I got to see him perform or heard his story. I thought it was just incredible. And he stood out to me. I liked his swag, the way he was talking and I felt where he was from.”

Latto, who advocated for DreTL throughout the season, echoed the same sentiment. “I was very confident in the winner. I feel like he fits this new age. I could see these new kids listening to him; I’ll listen to him myself.”

The judges said DreTL embodied everything they were looking for in a winner: confidence, talent, passion, charm, and most of all, indisputable star quality. That remarkable combination left a lasting impression.

“It’s crazy because we all had expectations after seeing each artist for the first time, and for me, DreTL continued to exceed my expectations,” Ludacris said. “Where he may have fallen short in certain areas, he more than made up for it in passion and heart and energy that was undeniable for us in the room. … That’s what it came down to.”

This is just the beginning for DreTL. “Rhythm + Flow” gave the hopeful rapper a platform to share his story and prove that he potentially has what it takes to thrive in the rap game. “So, congratulations,” DJ Khaled said, “but now you’ve got to put in that work.”

Past contestants on “Rhythm + Flow,” like Season 1 winner D Smoke, have continued to reap the benefits. After earning the stamp of approval from previous judges T.I., Cardi B and Chance the Rapper, the former schoolteacher has earned three Grammy nominations, two of which were for his 2020 debut studio album, “Black Habits.”

It’s too early to tell if Season 2 winner DreTL will follow a similar trajectory. He said not much has changed in his life since he won. We spoke weeks before the final episodes aired to the public on Dec. 4, but he anticipates a shift will come soon, as his profile continues to rise.

As for what he has planned next, “I definitely just want to keep creating art that I love.”

“I don’t really have specific goals in mind other than creating art, whether that be in film or music because I love both,” DreTL added. “I just want to be a light for people. So I’m going to say, I hope people keep tuning in to me, the person [and artist], even after the show.”

After two seasons, it remains to be seen if “Rhythm + Flow” will generate the same storied music successes that other competition shows have in prior decades. A question that’s lingered since the tail-end of the 2010s is whether TV shows can still discover new talent.

Right now, “Rhythm + Flow” mostly shows the not-so-glamorous but oh-so-rewarding side of the rapper grind. But if it continues, it could carve out a new lane in reality TV for hip-hop.

“I hope people get to see what it takes,” Ludacris said, of rapping. “Everybody thinks this is so easy and that it’s not hard work that goes into this. But I’m hoping that people learn how resilient you have to be to get through so many challenges in order to make it.”

After all, the ebbs and flows of this rhyming game are what make the journey great.

All episodes of “Rhythm + Flow” Season 2 are streaming now on Netflix.