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Arkano performs during Red Bull Batalla de los Gallos Pre-World Final in Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic on December 9, 2020© Red Bull Batalla

The world’s largest Spanish-speaking rap battle is back, and you are invited

A platform for young MCs to train, perform, and improve their improvisation and rapping skills


Shirley Gomez
Senior Writer
JUNE 30, 2021 1:45 PM EDT

Our next Spanish-speaking rap superstar could come out from the Red Bull Batalla, the world’s largest Spanish freestyle rap battle. This international competition unites Latin American and Spanish artists since 2005 and has also served as a platform for young MCs to train, perform, and improve their improvisation and rapping skills.

The beauty of this improvised rap scene is that although it is deeply connected to hip hop and its improvisation styles of traditional folk troubadours, it has evolved into a style utterly distinct from the rhyming speech originated in the Bronx borough of New York City in the 1970s.

Venue of the Spanish National Final of the Red Bull Batalla de los Gallos in Barcelona, Spain on July 13th 2019.© Red Bull Batalla
Venue of the Spanish National Final of the Red Bull Batalla de los Gallos in Barcelona, Spain on July 13th 2019.

Thirty-six of the country’s most dynamic lyricists have been selected to battle it out in this year’s competition, following a record-breaking 2020 season, in which Red Bull Batalla chose the latest batch of top Spanish-freestyle MCs from every pocket of the U.S.

Fan favorites, such as OG Frases from Miami, Boss and Chester from Los Angeles, plus new talent, will have the chance to compete to take the Batalla 2021 crown, the biggest prize in Spanish-speaking freestyle rap. Each MC submitted a freestyle video flexing their lyrical skills during the application phase in April.

Aczino participates in Red Bull Batalla de Los Gallos World Final in Mexico City, December 3 2017© Red Bull Batalla
Aczino participates in Red Bull Batalla de Los Gallos World Final in Mexico City, December 3, 2017

In addition to these up-and-coming hip-hop stars, the top three finalists from the 2020 competition— Yartzi, last year’s U.S. Champion from Puerto Rico, El Dilema, a 2020 finalist from New York, and Jordi, who ranked third in 2020—are all invited to return directly to the U.S. finals.

The event will be held during the anniversary season, and the U.S. Finals will take place in Los Angeles, CA, on September 18, ahead of the Batalla World Finals. However, the Qualifier Phase will begin on August 12th. Here the 36 ferocious freestyle competitors face-to-face in battles captured in Austin, Los Angeles, Miami, and New York.

A special panel of judges, including former Batalla competitors Tito Yang, who was the first MC to represent Puerto Rico in a Red Bull Batalla International Final; Kim MC, Venezuela’s only female contestant to ever to win a National Championship; and two-time Latin Grammy-nominated Cuban rapper, El B, will review these battles during a live event on the official Red Bull Batalla Twitch channel at 4 pm PST / 7 pm EST: https://www.twitch.tv/redbullbatalla.

The 13 finalists who emerge from Red Bull Batalla Twitch Day victorious will compete with the three returning finalists from 2020 for the U.S. Red Bull Batalla Championship on September 18 in Los Angeles. During the competition, 16 will become one as the 2021 U.S. Red Bull Batalla Champion is crowned.

But that’s not all! Following the U.S. National Final, the respective champions from over ten countries, including the U.S., Mexico, Spain, and Colombia, will square off for the Red Bull Batalla World Final – where only one contestant can be crowned the 2021 Red Bull Batalla World Champion.

Complete List of Qualifiers & Returning Finalist

Stick celebrates after winning the Red Bull Batalla de los Gallos National Finals in Lima, Peru on November 7, 2020.© Red Bull Batalla
Stick celebrates after winning the Red Bull Batalla de los Gallos National Finals in Lima, Peru on November 7, 2020.
  1. Adonys: New York, NY IG: @adonys_ys
  2. Animal: Miami, FL IG: @animalFL
  3. Boss: Los Angeles, CA IG: @bossmtc
  4. Chester: San Diego, CA IG: @clapchester
  5. Cuban: McAllen, TX IG: @cuban.mc
  6. Eckonn: Orlando, FL IG: @eckonn
  7. El Dilema: New York, NY IG: @el_dilema
  8. El Poeta: Phoenix, AZ IG: @pots.poeta
  9. Faby: Lewisville, TX IG: @faby.mg01
  10. Freites: Orlando, FL IG: @freites_hc
  11. G.I.O.: Houston, TX IG: @gio.vsc
  12. Heavy Bars: Miami, FL IG: @heavybarsoficial
  13. J Luna: Las Cruces, NM IG: IG: @jluna.nm
  14. Jahn Alenó: Ponce, PR IG: @jahnaleno
  15. JAYCO: Yonkers, NY IG: @yosoyjco_official
  16. Jordi: Austin, TX IG: @jordi.esparza
  17. Kcique: Miami, FL IG: @kcique24
  18. Klaze: Miami, FL IG: @klaze_sr
  19. Levi Kun: Miami, FL IG: @chelsea_kun_
  20. LinkOne: Puerto Rico IG: @link_one
  21. Luis Alenó: Ponce, PR IG: @luisaleno
  22. Magimbri: San Antonio, TX IG: @juanpablort27
  23. Maluque: Oxnard, CA IG: @lemaluque
  24. MAU: West New York, NY IG: @Mau_d1az
  25. McBetho: Irving, TX IG: @mcbetho
  26. Nico B: Miami, FL IG: @nicob.official
  27. OG Frases: Miami, FL IG: @ogfrases
  28. OneR: Tamarac, FL IG: @onerodriguez
  29. Pazy: Miami, FL IG: @pazyy
  30. Pharaon: Las Vegas, NV IG: @pharaon_lv
  31. Pich1to: Miami, FL IG: @pich1to
  32. PIWIE: Puerto Rico IG: @diegopiwinskii
  33. Reverse: Orlando, FL IG: @reverse_mc7
  34. RuRa: Las Vegas IG: @rura.mc
  35. Snow: Denver, CO IG: @snowqlq_
  36. Stu: Los Angeles, CA IG: @stu.mentendes
  37. Yartzi: Puerto Rico IG: @yartzirial
  38. Zazo Wan: Dallas, TX IG: @kush.hashman
  39. Zeu: North Bergen, NJ IG: @eduzeu