Red Bull Batalla USA National Final

Red Bull Batalla, the world’s largest Spanish-language freestyle competition, is excited to announce details for the upcoming U.S. National Final taking place Saturday, October 12 in Miami. Tickets for the event are on sale now at redbull.com/batallausa.

16 of the top freestylers from across the country will take center stage at the sprawling Factory Town Miami for a highly anticipated event that will challenge their lyricism, speed, creativity and stage presence in head-to-head knockout rounds until only one MC remains. The winner that clinches the title of 2024 National Champion will advance to the world’s largest stage for freestyle rap at the Red Bull Batalla International Final hosted in Madrid, Spain this November.

All the action will be judged by a panel of freestyle experts including Venezuelan legend and 6x Latin Grammy nominated artist, Akapellah, alongside 2x Red Bull Batalla National Champion Reverse, Snow QLQ, Dilemaand more to be announced. The event will be hosted by Racso White Lion with beats by resident DJ Cesar.

The 2024 Red Bull Batalla season kicked-off with a global application phase that saw nearly 8,000 entries, followed by U.S. qualifier competitions in San Antonio and Brooklyn, the latter being Red Bull Batalla’s first-ever titled event in the Empire State.

All eyes now shift to Magic City and October 12th as the biggest night in the U.S. for freestyle battle rap. Florida has been a long-simmering hotbed of talent and the freestyle rap scene is now on fire. For the past three years, the Red Bull Batalla U.S. championship trophy has been won by a resident of the state with the groundbreaking wins of Oner and the reigning champ Reverse who, after his win last year, became a Red Bull Batalla U.S. double champion, a feat previously only held by Puerto Rican MC, Yartzi.

As it stands with the U.S. qualifier events behind us, only 11 of the 16 competitor slots are filled for the Miami National Final. Confirmed MCs thus far include last year’s National Final runner-up, Zazowan, Miami’s own Colombian firespitter Nico B, lyrical powerhouse and New York City regional champion AdonYS, Mexican veteran Jordi and more. Ensuring that the top MCs from every pocket of the country have a chance at the national title, to fill the remaining six slots, Red Bull Batalla in conjunction with local freestyle leagues, will host a series of regional cups in Los Angeles on 8/3 (La Liga De La Calle), Houston on 8/10 (Liga Masacure), Miami on 8/31 (Miami Freestyle League) and Chicago also on 8/31 (Midwest Freestyle & Lexico Battles) before a Ultimo Cupo battle on 9/14 in Atlanta to confirm the elusive last MC spot.

To learn more about the season, follow @RedBullBatalla and the respective local leagues for more details. For a list of currently confirmed MCs please see below.

After Miami comes the Red Bull Batalla International Final which goes down this fall in Madrid. Set to be another epic showdown, tickets for the event sold out only one week after the host city was announced. Stay tuned for more details and get ready to cheer along for the world’s best as they chase the ultimate freestyle rap crown.

EVENT INFORMATION: RED BULL BATALLA US NATIONAL FINAL
Please see below for details on ticketing, competitors, judges and participating talent:
WHEN: Saturday, October 12 | Event starts at 8pm ET
WHERE: Factory Town | 4800 NW 37th Ave, Miami, FL 33142
TICKETS: redbull.com/batallausa

JUDGES:
• Akapellah – Venezuelan freestyle royalty and 6x Latin Grammy nominated artist

• Akapellah is Venezuelan rapper with more than 12 years of success and 6 Latin Grammys nominations, making him one of the most prominent figures in Latin Hip-Hop. From rapping in the streets of Venezuela to sold out shows around the globe, Akapellah also helped found O.B.G Nation, which is one of the most important independent labels throughout the Latin rap scene.

• Reverse – Red Bull Batalla U.S. double champion

• Marcos Daniel Acosta, better known as Reverse, is a Cuban-born MC residing in West Palm Beach, Florida. Reverse’s name was inspired by the anime show, One Piece, and his talent was discovered by accident, after rapping after a soccer match to the surprise of his friends. He didn’t make the cut to compete when he first applied for Red Bull Batalla in 2020, but he used it as fuel to ultimately return and won the U.S. National Final crown in 2021 and 2023.

• Snow QLQ – Key organizer of the Colorado Freestyle League

• Hector Garcia, better known as Snow Qlq, hails from Rubio, Tachira, Venezuela. Currently based in Denver, he plays a pivotal role in managing the Colorado Freestyle League. Snow Qlq has been a contender in past Red Bull Batalla USA events, and also served as a judge for the NYC regional qualifier in July.

• Dilema – Red Bull Batalla USA veteran and organizer of NYC freestyle league, Dioses de La City

• Originally from the Dominican Republic, “El Dilema” began his career before relocating to New York City. A prominent figure throughout the east coast freestyle rap scene, he gained recognition for his powerful lyrical style and influential presence. In 2020, he achieved second place in the Red Bull Batalla USA National Final, solidifying his status as a rising star in the American freestyle circuit.

HOST:

• Racso White Lion – Official host of the 2024 Red Bull Batalla USA season and creator of the Indigo Freestyle League based in Orlando, Florida

EVENT DJ:
• DJ Cesar – Miami-based DJ known for fueling the beats for the most notable South Florida freestyle battles including the Miami Freestyle League and Indigo Freestyle League in Orlando.

COMPETITORS:
• Nico B (Miami, FL)
• Zazowan (Arlington, TX)
• AdonysX (Miami, FL)
• JORDI (Austin, TX)
• CUBAN (McAllen, TX)
• BOSS (Los Angeles, CA)
• Yenky One (Highland, UT)
• AdonYS (New York, NY)
• Metricoh Flowster (New York, NY)
• RAIIDEN (New York, NY)
• FREITES (Orlando, FL)
• LOS ANGELES REGIONAL CUP WINNER
• HOUSTON REGIONAL CUP WINNER
• MIAMI REGIONAL CUP WINNER
• CHICAGO REGIONAL CUP WINNER
• ÚLTIMO CUPO WINNER

To relive all battle action from this season’s USA Qualifier events on-demand, please visit Red Bull Batalla onTwitch, YouTube and Facebook.

ABOUT RED BULL BATALLA

Red Bull Batalla is a global freestyle rap competition that, since 2005, has provided a platform for the best hip hop improvisors in the Spanish-speaking world to connect, develop and compete. Within the last few years, the Red Bull founded project has become the world’s biggest international freestyle battle competition, uniting Spanish speaking Latin America and Spain. 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. It has evolved into a style completely distinct from that of hip hop in North America. With Batalla, Red Bull gives an opportunity for young MCs to train, perform and improve their improvisation and rapping skills.