Dartmouth native Pat Stay is already known as one of the best battle rappers in the world. And now he's doing everything in his power to get to Hollywood.

This weekend, Stay will be one of the main events of King of The Dot, a Toronto-headquartered battle rapping competition that attracts the best rappers from Canada, the U.S., South Africa, Australia and the U.K.

Stay is a three-time champion of King of The Dot — the same event that Drake skipped the Grammys for two years ago.

And Stay, 30, is translating that success into a Hollywood movie career. He's been working with music video director Joseph Kahn (who has worked with Taylor Swift, U2 and many others) on Kahn's upcoming feature film, Bodied, about the battle rap subculture.

International fame

Battle rap is a form of verbal boxing, with rappers squaring off in front of a crowd. Stay knocks his opponents out with punchlines and jabs at their insecurities, all to entertain the audience during three rounds.

Stay's videos have racked up 14 million views online and he travels around the world, earning as much as $10,000 for a gig. But he says his life could have turned out very differently if he hadn't put his creativity toward something positive while growing up in North Dartmouth.

"I'd be in trouble," Stay said, adding he's lucky he found battle rap.

"I made a decision to go a hundred per cent full-force with everything I'm doing."

After this weekend's King of The Dot, Stay is heading to Atlanta in October for the A3C Festival and then to England in November for a battle. Stay has already spoke with managers in Hollywood who he says are working on getting him back.

"For the next year, you'll be hearing a lot more about me."