Freestyle rapping is a demanding art: improvising rhymes, punchlines, and comebacks on the spot, often under intense pressure. Now imagine doing it for more than eleven hours straight, facing 250 opponents in 200 battles, and losing only three times.
That is exactly what 24-year-old Spanish MC Gazir accomplished on 7 November in his hometown of Gijón, setting a Guinness World Record for the most freestyle rap battles completed in under 12 hours. The event, titled Red Bull Gazir Contra Todos, saw him battle a who's who of Spanish and Latin American freestylers, finishing with a record time of 11 hours, 23 minutes and 14 seconds.
Gazir, born Gabriel Sánchez Poyal, is not just a rapper; he is also a physics student at the University of Oviedo. Speaking to Euronews Culture four days after the feat, his voice still hoarse, he described the challenge as the biggest of his life. “Every part of my body, my mind and even my soul was involved to make this possible,” he said.
Training like an athlete
Freestyle rap is often seen as a purely mental exercise, but Gazir approached it with the discipline of a professional athlete. In the two months leading up to the event, he followed a rigorous schedule with a personal trainer, nutritionist, psychologist, and vocal coaches. “My routine became like the routine of an athlete,” he explained.
He ate specially tailored meals at precise times, hit the gym, and spent hours honing his improvisation skills. Some days he trained with other rappers, using their insults as fuel; other days he practiced alone, rapping about household objects or random topics he found online. But the most critical part of his preparation was vocal training.
Freestyle battles are loud, high-energy exchanges that look like shouting matches. Gazir worked with coaches to improve his breathing and projection, ensuring he could sustain his intensity for hours without damaging his vocal cords. The effort paid off: during the record attempt, he had just 20 seconds between battles and a four-minute break after every 40, barely enough time to catch his breath or eat a snack.
He fueled himself with water, isotonic drinks, mashed bananas, and a few Red Bulls. According to his fitness ring, he burned around 3,000 calories during the marathon.
No limits to the imagination
Physical preparation alone couldn't guarantee fresh rhymes. “I didn’t plan anything,” Gazir said. “In freestyle, you have to improvise all the time.” Each battle consisted of four-bar verses, with six turns per rapper. Every insult or pun gave him something to work with, provided he could craft a comeback before his next turn.
“Maybe your voice has a limit, maybe your legs have a limit,” he reflected. “But if you are with the flow, with the energy of each battle, each bar, each moment, the imagination has no limits.”
Gazir won his first 115 battles before falling to Babi in the 116th, more than six hours in. He later lost to Skone and Bnet, both former world champions, but finished strong with a victory over Mexico's Aczino, a three-time winner of Red Bull Batalla, the world championship of Spanish-language freestyle rap.
The turnout of 250 competitors underscores the growth of freestyling in Spain and Latin America. Gazir, who has earned a living as a freestyler since age 17, says the Spanish scene is now “mature,” with professional leagues and international tournaments. He has no plans to retire to a studio, though his physics courses offer a welcome distraction. “Sometimes it’s useful to disconnect from your routine,” he said.
He is already eyeing his next challenge, one that might be even harder: learning to freestyle in English. “It’s really difficult, but it will be a good challenge,” he admitted. “I will be making freestyle in English soon.”
