Lloyd Mathis (born November 10, 1977), better known by his stage name E. Ness, is an American rapper and battle MC from Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. His primary claims to fame are starring on Diddy’s MTV reality show Making the Band 2 from 2002 to 2004, being signed to Bad Boy Records, and having songwriting credits on the song “Diddy Rock” off Diddy’s 2006 album Press Play.
In 2002, while he was on Making the Band 2, Ness was known for having an intense on-camera a cappella rap battle with fellow Da Band member Jae Millz. Their battle ended up being one of the more prominent examples of a cappella battle rap in mainstream media at the time. E. Ness later returned to his battle rap roots in 2010, and has kept crowds entertained with his stage presence, writing ability, and fast-paced flows unique to the Philly rap scene. Since 2010, he has competed on some of the biggest platforms in the battle rap culture, including King of the Dot, URL, Rare Breed Entertainment, Don’t Flop, Gates of the Garden, and Grind Time Now.
E. Ness’s complete list of battles can be found here.
