If there has been an artistic or athletic discipline that unites Spanish-speaking countries in the last couple years, it is undoubtedly freestyle.

Improvised bars between rappers featured in two major leagues (Red Bull and FMS) has become a sport and an artistic discipline that has seen hundreds of new followers thanks to the internet. 

The popularity has reached the point of its most-recent final being number one on YouTube's trending page throughout the weekend with more than 10 million viewers.

Despite the verbal abuse, the apparent lack of respect and quarrels evident on the stage, the reality is that all of the young Latino artists that take part are united by the fact that they are the first to create a new lifestyle that could define the spectacle of the 21st century.  

It also brings together such global interests as competition between countries, rap as a communication tool, and the media campaigns of major sporting competitions. But if one line speaks to the early days of freestyle, it was Skone's in quarterfinals against Acertijo: 

"Try to live twenty in a house that has been built for four,” he said.

That's the reality of the many questions that surrounded this year's international competition, which could certify the future or demise of new competitions.

Without the usual stadiums full of fans that injected energy into competition, it was left to the performers.

However, imitating the NBA's bubble, and renewing itself with a virtual stage that recreated virtual landscapes around the contestants, the move has confirmed that the streaming format is great for the youth of all Latin countries, with more than 10 million tuning into the finals over the past weekend. 

There were also more internal reasons for the high expectations. The national supporters of different contestants were especially attentive to their representatives from Spain, Mexico, Puerto Rico, Peru, Uruguay, Costa Rica, Colombia, Chile, Ecuador, Argentina, Bolivia and the Dominican Republic — where the final was held.

Going in there were many racing for their second world title: Aczino (Mexico), Skone (Spain) and Bnet (Spain). 

In flip-flops, Bnet faced Colombian, Valles-T, in a rivalry that is already legendary, but was defeated in the quarterfinals by the great surprise of the competition, Éxodo Lirical. He took part in the competition from home and invited everyone not to underestimate the new contestants.

Aczino and Skone faced each other in a hard fight of styles and freestyle schools, but the jury was inclined towards the Spaniard

Tensions seemed to shift the focus throughout the day from the big names to the surprises of the day as they faced each other in the quarterfinals. 

In addition to Éxodo Lírico, who defeated a legend, there was Rapder from Mexico, who garnered a more respect with each rhyme. '

In a surprising final that pitted Rapder against the favorite, Skone, the virtual scene transported both to the desert and a frozen world. Both the brutal, bloody "beef" that was both a generational challenge and a battle between fame and the underground..

Rapder, alias Eder Ernesto Lozano Arias (1995), managed to win this year's belt, showing the jury's support of the urban school. He started freestyling in the Guadalajara area (Mexico) and has been competing internationally since 2016. With his victory, he becomes the third Mexican freestyler to win the international competition. Be on the lookout for further expansion from this blossoming mix of sport and art.