Pat Stay
Born
Patrick Wayne Stay

February 18, 1986
Dartmouth, Nova Scotia, Canada
DiedSeptember 4, 2022(2022-09-04) (aged 36)
Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada
Occupations
  • Battle rapper
  • hip hop artist
Years active2007–2022

Patrick Wayne "Pat" Stay (February 18, 1986 – September 4, 2022) was a Canadian battle rapper and hip hop artist from Dartmouth, Nova Scotia, also known as the Sucka-Free Boss.

Biography

Early life and beginnings

Patrick Wayne Stay was born on February 18, 1986, to Wayne Stay and Greta Grant (née Stiner). He attended Dartmouth High School.[1]

Career

Stay's battle rap debut came in 2007 against Critical in the now-defunct Elements League, a league in Nova Scotia where he battled against local up-and-coming rappers.[2][3]

He began his career in the King of the Dot league in Toronto at 23 years old, making his debut in 2009.[4] At the title match at King of the Dot's World Domination 4 in 2013, he defeated battle rapper Arcane to claim the championship.[5] He defended his KOTD chain in title matches against Dizaster,[6] Daylyt,[7] Charron,[8] and Illmaculate.[9]

In 2015, fellow Canadian Drake opted out of the 57th Annual Grammy Awards to host and judge a battle rap event in Toronto, where Stay competed against Charron.[10][11]

Stay expanded his influence into international battle leagues and ultimately achieved recognition in the prominent battle rap platform, the Ultimate Rap League. He was involved in over 40 battles and headlined events in 4 countries.[12] His career includes battles with Arsonal,[13] DNA,[14] Hollow Da Don,[15] and Tay Roc,[16] among others.

In the summer of 2016, Stay was cast in the film Bodied, which was co-produced by Eminem and released in 2017.[17]

On September 2, 2022, just two days before his death, Stay released a diss track towards rapper the Game titled "Warm Up" along with a music video on his YouTube channel.[18]

Personal life and death

Stay was the father of two children.[19]

On September 4, 2022, Stay died at age 36 after being fatally stabbed at a Halifax, Nova Scotia nightclub.[19] Tributes flowed in from the battle rap community, as well as from Drake and Eminem.[20] The suspect, Adam Drake, was arrested several days after the incident. Drake was convicted of second-degree murder in June 2025 and sentenced to life in prison.[21]

References

  1. ^ "Patrick Wayne Stay | Arbor Memorial". arbormemorial.ca. Retrieved May 11, 2024.
  2. ^ "TEL 02 Critical vs Pat Stay pt 1 | YouTube". youtube.com. February 20, 2009. Retrieved May 11, 2024.
  3. ^ "8 Essential Moments From Legendary Battle Rapper Pat Stay". complex.com. Retrieved May 11, 2024.
  4. ^ "KOTD - Rap Battle - Pat Stay vs Bartone". youtube.com. May 8, 2009. Retrieved May 11, 2024.
  5. ^ "KOTD - Rap Battle - Arcane vs Pat Stay (Title Match) #WD4". youtube.com. September 8, 2013. Retrieved May 11, 2024.
  6. ^ "KOTD - Rap Battle - Pat Stay vs Dizaster (Title Match) #Blackout4". youtube.com. February 17, 2014. Retrieved May 11, 2024.
  7. ^ "KOTD - Rap Battle - Pat Stay vs Daylyt (Title Match) #Flatline3". youtube.com. December 15, 2014. Retrieved May 11, 2024.
  8. ^ "KOTD - Rap Battle - Pat Stay vs Charron (Title Match) #Blackout5". youtube.com. March 3, 2015. Retrieved May 11, 2024.
  9. ^ "KOTD - Rap Battle - Pat Stay vs Illmaculate (Title Match) #WD5". youtube.com. September 14, 2015. Retrieved May 11, 2024.
  10. ^ "'Pat Stay wins rap battle put on by hip-hop heavyweight Drake". cbc.ca. Retrieved May 11, 2024.
  11. ^ "'Hometown hero' Pat Stay branches out from battle rap". signalhfx.ca. Retrieved May 11, 2024.
  12. ^ "Pat Stay Changed Battle Rap Forever". letstalkbattlerap.com. September 8, 2022. Retrieved May 11, 2024.
  13. ^ "KOTD - Rap Battle - Arsonal vs Pat Stay". youtube.com. March 13, 2011. Retrieved May 11, 2024.
  14. ^ "PAT STAY VS DNA UDUBB HS2 HIGHSTAKES 2". youtube.com. March 28, 2017. Retrieved May 11, 2024.
  15. ^ "KOTD - Rap Battle - Hollow Da Don vs Pat Stay #MASS2". youtube.com. May 23, 2016. Retrieved May 11, 2024.
  16. ^ "TAY ROC VS PAT STAY SMACK RAP BATTLE #URLTV". youtube.com. March 4, 2019. Retrieved May 11, 2024.
  17. ^ "Dartmouth rapper featured in Eminem-backed movie". signalhfx.ca. Retrieved May 11, 2024.
  18. ^ PatStayTV (September 2, 2022). The Game DISS - Pat Stay feat. Kaleb Simmonds - Warm Up. Retrieved February 22, 2025 – via YouTube.
  19. ^ a b "Pat Stay, acclaimed Canadian battle rapper, fatally stabbed". cnn.com. September 5, 2022. Retrieved May 11, 2024.
  20. ^ "Rapper Pat Stay's family "shocked," heartwarmed after weekend benefit event raises $200K". thecoast.ca. March 2023. Retrieved May 11, 2024.
  21. ^ "Adam Drake guilty of murder in fatal stabbing of battle rapper Pat Stay". CBC News. June 18, 2025. Retrieved January 6, 2026.