2021 Red Bull Batalla USA Final Champion, Reverse, and USA Top 16 Finalist, Cuban
Credit: Red Bull Content Pool
The largest Spanish-language freestyle rap competition in the world, Red Bull Batalla, announces the next phase of its exciting 2022 USA Season. Following a global application phase where over 7,000 aspiring and established MCs from around the world submitted 60-second freestyle video applications via the Red Bull Batalla App, nine participating countries have selected their official competitors for the 2022 Batalla season. In the USA, the top 32 applicants have been identified to move forward in the next phase of this year’s American leg of the global competition, going head-to-head at qualifying events in Dallas on July 16th and in Los Angeles on July 30th.
Along with announcing details, dates, and venues for the two USA Qualifier events, Red Bull Batalla is also thrilled to announce that the USA Finals will take place in Miami on October 8th to solidify who will represent the USA on the world’s stage at the Red Bull Batalla World Final this December in Mexico City.
This Year’s USA Competitors
On the heels of the 2021 Red Bull Batalla World Final at the historic Quinta Vergara Amphitheater in Vina del Mar, Chile, Red Bull Batalla has unveiled the 2022 class of USA competitors, who were handpicked by a rich panel of expert judges. Some familiar faces selected for the top 32 include El Dilema, Jayco and OG Frases, who competed in the USA Finals in 2021. Every season, a handful of newcomers make a name for themselves on the Red Bull Batalla stage and this year is no different with rookies like Mykah, the first-ever female USA MC, who is looking to send shockwaves through the Red Bull Batalla circuit.
In addition to the 2022 qualifiers, the top three finalists from the 2021 USA Final are invited to return and will head directly to compete in the USA Finals in Miami in October: Reverse, the defending USA Champion, runner-up McBetho, and third-ranked Eckonn.
The Qualifier Phase – Dallas & Los Angeles
The top 32 MC qualifiers will have the opportunity to showcase their lyrical talents at one of two USA regional qualifier cyphers this summer in Dallas on July 16th or in Los Angeles on July 30th. During both bracket-style events, the Qualifier Phase will match some of the most dynamic Spanish-language lyricists the USA has to offer against each other, where they’ll go bar-for-bar, in hopes of advancing to the National Final in Miami and ultimately advance to represent the country on the world’s biggest stage for Spanish-language freestyle rap, the Red Bull Batalla World Final.
- July 16th: Red Bull Batalla USA Dallas Qualifier:
- Location – Club VIVO @ 3PM CDT
- Judges – Yartzi, Cacha, and Santana
- Host – Fluffy
- July 30th: Red Bull Batalla USA Los Angeles Qualifier:
- Location – The Levitt Pavilion in McArthur Park @ 6PM PST
- Judges – Yartzi, Cacha, and Moises
- Host – Racsó White Lion and Lui-gii Zomber
The two Qualifier battles will be judged by notable figures in the Spanish-language freestyle world, including Red Bull Batalla royalty and former two-time Red Bull Batalla National Champion of the United States, Yartzi, as well as Cacha, the legendary Argentinian freestyler who’s considered by many the king of the ‘Double Tempo’ style, who recently launched his musical career with hit singles like “Me Volvi Loco.”
USA Final – October 8th in Miami
The 13 finalists who advance from the qualifier phase will go on to Miami to compete with the three returning finalists from 2021 – Reverse, McBetho and Eckonn – at the U.S. Red Bull Batalla Championship in Miami. The national finalists will compete for the U.S. crown and a chance to advance and represent the country at the World Final in December.
World Final – December in Mexico City
Following the USA Finals, respective champions from all of the Red Bull Batalla regions – 9 countries including the USA, Mexico, Spain and Colombia – will square off for the Red Bull Batalla World Final in Mexico City, where only one MC can be crowned the 2022 Red Bull Batalla World Champion. Stay tuned and get excited for more details on timing and the precise location.
To go inside Red Bull Batalla’s historic 2021 Season, fans anywhere can gear up to cheer on their favorites by watching Red Bull Batalla: Reencuentro, the new documentary film that recaps the 2021 World Final and the historic double win by Mexico’s Aczino. Watch here as the world’s best Spanish-speaking freestyle rappers prepare to compete in front of a live audience for the first time in years, since the start of the pandemic.
To learn more about all the 2022 U.S. competitors, head to the Red Bull Batalla website or the Red Bull Batalla channel on YouTube.
Full List of Qualifiers Set to Compete in Red Bull Batalla’s 2022 U.S. Season
- RuRA // Las Vegas, NV
- MAGIMBRI // San Antonio, TX
- $PIT0NE // Los Angeles, CA
- STEVE // Los Angeles, CA
- JAHN ALENÓ // Ponce, Puerto Rico
- MYKAH // San Diego, CA
- EL DILEMA // New York City, NY
- SNOW QLQ // Denver, CO
- ZEMOST // Miami, FL
- MACÍAS // Colorado Springs, CO
- PEDRO FIT // New Jersey, NJ
- WARI // Providence, RI
- OUTLAW // San Juan, Puerto Rico
- LA EMINENCIA // New York Mills, NY
- NICO B // Miami, FL
- TEZZER // Miami, FL
- LINK ONE // Caguas, Puerto Rico
- LUIS ALENÓ // Ponce, Puerto Rico
- WHITE CARACAS // Houston, TX
- MONTGOMERY // El Paso, TX
- MICKY RINCON // San Antonio, TX
- PAILOT // Durant, OK
- ADONYS // New York City, NY
- ADONYSX // New York, NY
- OG FRASES // Miami, FL
- JAYCO // New York City, NY
- EL POETA // Phoenix, AZ
- BOSS // Los Angeles, CA
- JUNDER N // Tampa, FL
- EL DOMI // Orlanda, FL
- HEAVY // Miami Beach, FL
- CHESTER // San Diego, CA
Since 2005, Red Bull Batalla has provided a platform for the best hip-hop improvisers in the Spanish-speaking world to connect, develop, and compete. This Red Bull-founded project has risen to become the world’s biggest international freestyle battle competition, uniting Spanish speakers across the globe. After going virtual due to the pandemic, Red Bull Batalla’s 2020 World Final was the most-watched live music event of the year. The roots of this improvised rap scene are as deeply connected to hip-hop as they are to the improvisation styles of traditional folk troubadours. With the
competition, Red Bull Batalla gives an opportunity for young MCs to train, perform, and improve their improvisation and lyrical skills.
The 2021 Red Bull Batalla competition, hosted at the historic La Quinta Vergara in Viña Del Mar, Chile last December, was won by Mexico’s Aczino, who became the competition’s first-ever double World Champion. For the USA, the region’s National Final winner – 20-year-old MC, Reverse, from West Palm Beach – advanced to the International stage as one of 16 MCs competing for the crown. To relive 2021 highlights, visit Red Bull TV Batalla or watch the new documentary film, Red Bull Batalla: Reencuentro.
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© 2022, Seth "Digital Crates" Barmash. All rights reserved.
