Freestyle Skateboard Battles: The Underground Scene of Rap on Wheels

What it is and context: when skate and rap become one

Imagine this: a hip-hop beat echoes against the concrete of a skatepark. A guy on a board starts rolling, gains speed, and just as he's in the air doing a kickflip, he drops a sharp rhyme that leaves everyone speechless. That's not a YouTube video from ten years ago. That's what's happening right now in Medellín.

Freestyle skateboard battles —or "skate rap battles," as they're called in other countries— are the rawest fusion of two urban cultures that have always walked together but rarely mixed this way. While traditional freestyle battles are done standing, in front of a microphone, here the MCs must master two skills at once: keeping the flow while executing tricks on a board. If you fall, the rhyme is lost. If you lose the beat, the trick doesn't count. It's a duel of coordination, endurance, and above all, street credibility.

This scene was born in the working-class neighborhoods of eastern and northeastern Medellín: Aranjuez, Manrique, Popular. Where the asphalt is more broken than perfect, and where kids grow up among graffiti, skateboarding, and hip-hop. There's no single founder or exact date, but the veterans of the movement recall that around 2018, at Parque de los Hippies (on Cra 24 with Calle 42), the first attempts began to appear: a couple of skaters challenging each other to rhyme while doing an ollie over a bench. By 2021, the thing had its own name: Ruedas y Rimas, the collective that now organizes most of these underground battles.

Today, in April 2026, the scene is more alive than ever. It's no longer just a neighborhood rumor. There are fixed dates, access codes, and even small sponsors starting to put up money for prizes. If you're a tourist and want to see something that doesn't appear in travel guides, this is exactly what you're looking for.

Event details: how the battles on wheels work

The map of skateparks where rhymes roll

Not just any skatepark will do. The underground rap-on-wheels scene has its own temples. Here's the map of key spots in Medellín, with their unwritten access codes:

• Skatepark de la 45 (Aranjuez): The most traditional. Battles here are on Saturdays every two weeks, but the exact time is shared on Instagram. The code: look for the account @ruedas_yr and check the highlighted stories with a stopwatch. If you see a post with a chessboard, there's an event that night.
• Parque de los Deseos (Estación Universidad): The most central and easiest to reach. Battles here are more "pop-up" style: they appear without warning, last two hours, and form around the concrete ramp next to the open-air theater. Wednesday afternoons usually have movement, but there's no fixed rule.
• Skatepark de Belén (Unidad Deportiva de Belén): This is where the more technical skaters go. The ramp is bigger and the floor is smoother, allowing for more complex tricks. Battles here are on Sundays every three weeks, and the access code is to bring something to share: from a soda to a joint. If you show up empty-handed, you won't be let into the circle.
• Cancha de la Independencia (Barrio Triste, near the stadium): The most underground spot of all. There's no ramp, just an abandoned basketball court and a long rail they use for grinding. Battles here are unpredictable. They happen when someone posts a video on TikTok with the hashtag #RuedasYRimas and says "today at 8."

Unwritten rules: what no one will tell you

This isn't Red Bull Batalla. There are no judges with scorecards or professional microphones. Here, the rules are set by the street, and if you don't know them, you'll look bad. These are the most important ones:

• No tricks that damage the floor: No dragging the board hard against the concrete to make noise. That's considered disrespectful to the space and to the other skaters who take care of it.
• The beat is set by whoever has the board on the ground: If you're rhyming, the DJ (who is almost always someone with a portable speaker and a cell phone) follows you. But if you fall, the beat stops automatically. No second chances.
• Insults must be creative: In traditional freestyle, anything goes. Here too, but with an extra twist: the insult has to rhyme with the name of the trick you're doing. For example, if you do a "heelflip," your rhyme must include that word. If you don't, the crowd boos you.
• No repeating tricks: If you already did an ollie in the first round, you can't do it again. You have to vary. The scene is small and everyone knows each other, so trying to cheat will cost you your reputation.
• The winner stays in the circle: There are no back-and-forth eliminations. The winner of each round stays and faces the next challenger. The one who accumulates the most winning rounds in the night takes the prize: from 50,000 COP to a new board donated by a local shop.

Profiles of 3 MC-skateboarders who dominate the scene

1. "El Gordo" (Camilo Rojas, 24 years old, Aranjuez)

He's the most veteran in the circuit. He started skateboarding at 12 and rhyming at 16, but it wasn't until 2020 that he combined the two. His specialty is switch flips while dropping double-entendre rhymes about life in the neighborhood. Once, in a battle at Skatepark de la 45, he did a kickflip 360 and while in the air, he dropped an 8-syllable rhyme that left his opponent speechless. The video has over 200,000 views on TikTok. He says his secret trick is practicing with his eyes closed: "If you can rhyme without looking at the board, you can rhyme doing any trick."

2. "La Negra" (Valentina Mosquera, 21 years old, Belén)

One of the few women competing in the scene, and possibly the most technical of all. She got into skateboarding at 14 after watching a video of Sky Brown, and got into freestyle by chance: a friend challenged her to rhyme while doing a boardslide, and she not only did it but won. Her strength is rail grinds combined with rhymes of social criticism. She talks about gentrification, how tourists are changing Medellín, and the lack of spaces for urban sports. She is the only one who has won the annual Parque de los Deseos battle two consecutive times.

3. "Chino" (Andrés Cardona, 19 years old, Manrique)

The youngest and the most aggressive on the mic. His style is pure battle rap: fast rhymes, direct attacks, and a flow that recalls early Eminem. But on the board, he's the opposite: slow, calculating, obsessed with precision. His favorite trick is the nollie heel flip, which he combines with rhymes about video games and pop culture. He's the only one who has managed to rhyme while doing a manual (riding on two wheels) for over 10 seconds. He says his inspiration is watching Red Bull Batalla videos and trying to imagine what those same MCs would look like on a board.

Prices and how to get tickets

Here comes the most important part: these battles are free. There are no tickets, no presale, no guest list. Entry is free, but with conditions. Since they are underground events that take place in public spaces, there is no fixed price. However, if you want to participate as a competitor, there is a golden rule: you must bring your own board. Boards are not lent or rented. If you show up without a board, you can watch, but you can't rhyme.

For tourists who just want to go and watch, no problem. But the scene is closed and people are wary of strangers. If you show up with an attitude of "look, this is exotic," you'll get dirty looks. If you show up with respect and a desire to understand the culture, you'll be welcomed. A tip: bring something to share. A beer, a bag of chips, whatever. That opens doors faster than any introduction.

Prizes for winners vary. In smaller battles, the prize is symbolic: 50,000 COP or a t-shirt from a local skate shop. In larger battles, like the one organized every December at the

How to get there

Skatepark La 70

This skatepark is a classic in Medellín. Located in the La 70 area, it's a meeting point for many local skaters. The facilities are spacious and allow for various maneuvers. Plus, the energy of the place rises on weekends when spontaneous battles take place.

Insider Tip: Visit during the afternoon to enjoy a more relaxed atmosphere and the chance to see the best freestylers in action. Bring your own snacks, as food options are limited in the park.

Skatepark El Poblado

Located in the El Poblado neighborhood, this skatepark is more modern and attracts a wide variety of skaters. It has well-designed ramps and obstacles, ideal for practicing both freestyle and technical tricks. Events and competitions that attract freestyle rappers are often organized here.

Insider Tip: Connect with the local community through their social media to find out about special events and jam sessions. The park is usually busier in the afternoons, so go early if you prefer a quieter space.

Tips for attendees

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