This year kicked off the 15th anniversary season of Red Bull Batalla. Earlier this year, 36 of America’s hottest Spanish freestylers went head-to-head for their chance to take the crown. Showcasing wit, flow, and versatility, Red Bull Batalla judges chose the top 16 competitors to move on to the U.S Finals. Taking place on September 18th in Los Angeles, the last one standing will move on to the World Finals later this year.
Since 2005, Red Bull Batalla has provided a platform for Spanish artists to connect, grow, and compete. While artists have the opportunity to evolve, the performance stage also gives the competitors a chance to share the cultural roots of Spanish Latin America, and Spain. Viewers will be able to see how influential hip-hop has been to Spanish-speaking countries. Competitors like El Dilema and Adonys will put on for the Dominican Republic, while Eckonn will represent Venezuela. Regardless of where they are from, each finalist is taking the culture of hip-hop and making it their own.
Not to be taken lightly, these competitors have been training and preparing for this moment. The top three finalists from last year’s competition – Yartzi, El Dilema, and Jordi – will be invited back to the U.S Finals for another shot to win. Hailing from Puerto Rico, Yartzi was last year’s U.S National winner and is gearing up to hopefully take the crown again. “After you win a couple of times, you train less. But this time, I’m doing the opposite.” With hungry competitors like El Dilema and Jordi, the champ will definitely have to stay on his toes. Packed with talent, the freestyle roster will present a lot of diverse style and skill to viewers.
Following the U.S Nationals, freestylers from over 10 countries including U.S, Mexico, Spain, and Colombia, will compete for the Red Bull Batalla World Final. Set to start on December 11th, the virtually-led competition will determine who the true champion is. Ahead of the World Finals, viewers can expect high-energy performances on Saturday 18th at 4 pm PT/7 pm ET on Red Bull TV via redbullbatalla.com.
