I Went To My First Spanish Freestyle Rap Competition In Miami — Here’s What It Was Like

Red Bull invited me to Miami to attend their Spanish-language freestyle competition: Batalla. While there at the US National Final, we sat down with freestylers El Poeta, Macías, Adonys, and Jordi and asked them for a quick freestyle based on their favorite food dish.

1.Franciso Javier Alberto Macías has been rapping since the age of nine! Fast forward some years, he has since won beatboxing competitions and most recently placed second at Red Bull Batalla's 2022 LA qualifier. Macías currently resides in Colorado Springs, CO.

Here's a line from his freestyle:

Watch his full tacos al-pastor-inspired freestyle here:

Off camera, it was awesome to learn that not only was Macías expecting a baby, but he is also a full-time youth pastor.

Watch MACIAS battle ONER here:

2.Jordi was born in the US, but later moved to Torreón, Mexico when he was two. Now back in the US, he resides in Eagle Lake, Texas — he recently won the Dallas Regional Cup!

Watch his full tacos de gorditas-inspired freestyle here:

I recall Jordi pacing back and forth before his sit-down with me. I noticed him practicing his hand gestures as he freestyled amongst himself as he waited.

Watch JORDIE battle REVERSE here:

3.Miguel Adonys Gomera was born in the Dominican Republic and later raised in Long Island, NY. Adonys discovered Red Bull Batalla at the age of 13 but has been passionate about the arts for as long as he can remember. It wasn't until 2021 that he first applied to Red Bull Batalla, where he then went on to make it to the top sixteen.

Of all the MCs I met the weekend of Batalla, there was an energy to Adonys unlike no one else. He had a calmness to him that you'd be surprised, sat a hard-working educated man with a vocabulary likely larger than yours and mine.

Watch his meat, beans, and rice-inspired freestyle here:

Watch ADONYS battle MC BETHO here:

4.Born in Mexico but now residing in Phoenix, AZ, Victor Fabian Lopez Leon, otherwise known as El Poeta, has been rapping since the age of 16! Known for his gritty, powerful voice and brutal choice of words, the MC recently won the 2022 Dallas qualifier.

El Poeta!! Dude, the experience of being on a party bus driving through Miami as this man freestyled for all of us to hear will NEVER leave my mind. His voice, his hunger to be his best self, his politeness...love you, bro!

Hear him conclude our series of sit-downs with this fire outro.

Watch EL POETA battle PAILOT here:

At the end of their interviews, the boys stuck around for an impromptu freestyle...again about food! Plus, Macías killed it with the beatboxing skills.

Sadly, our boys didn't win the competition but out of all the 16 Spanish-language freestylers that competed at Red Bull Batalla's US National Final, 19-year-old Florida resident, OneR, came out on top. It was a night of electrifying energy and stiff competition amongst the 1,000-plus attendees of the event.

“I’ve been a fan of Red Bull Batalla since I was 13 years old. I was an alternate at the LA Qualifier and here I am. I think I got this far because I stayed hyper-focused on the goal to win and never gave up. I’m just happy to represent Florida and the USA.” —OneR

With OneR's victory, Red Bull Batalla now enters World Final territory. December 10, in Mexico City, will be the conclusion to the long journey of the nine champions representing Colombia, Peru, Spain, Mexico, and Argentina.

To learn more about all the action from the 2022 USA National Final and to see what’s next for the 2022 season...

head to the Red Bull Batalla website or follow along on Twitter, TikTok, Instagram and Facebook.