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MIDVALE — As a kid growing up in the Dominican Republic, Luis Llenky Mateo first got introduced to rapping, and it stuck.
Some kids play sports; others, like Mateo, rap.
"On the basketball court, in the street, the 'hood. You know, the Caribbean is different," said Mateo, whose stage name is Yenky One.
He was crowned the Red Bull Batalla National Champion in Spanish-language freestyle rapping for the Caribbean nation in 2016 and took fourth in the international finals in Mexico in 2017. Now, as a transplant to Utah, he'll compete against 15 others on Saturday in Miami in the 2024 Spanish-language U.S. championship, sponsored by the energy drink company. The winner moves on to the Red Bull Batalla International Final for 2024, to be held in Madrid, Spain, on Nov. 30.
Mateo feels confident going into Saturday night's competition but doesn't want to be overconfident given the abilities of his competitors. Either way, involvement in freestyle rapping — which pits two rappers against each other on a stage with a team of judges looking on — is also about the creativity it requires.
"That free expression we feel," he said, noting the "passion and love" he feels for rapping.
For sure, competitive rapping isn't about getting rich — not at this level, at least. He came to Utah to be with his American wife — they live in Midvale — and he has a day job cleaning windows. "There's no money," he laughed.
In Utah, he'll freestyle rap in public places, like parks, he said, and dreams of boosting the profile of the activity in Utah. The other competitors in the U.S. finals all come from more populated states with higher concentrations of Latinos and rappers — Florida, Texas, California, New York and Illinois.
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Voces de Utah
Looking for more news from Utah's Latino community? Visit our Voces de Utah section for more stories, events and features."With independent leagues all over the U.S., Yenky has his eyes set on creating a league in (Salt Lake City) and helping put the Utah Spanish-language rap scene on the national map," said Juan Balbuena, who's helping handle communications for the Red Bull tournament. Denver and Las Vegas, Balbuena said, have established rap scenes.
In Saturday's competition, two rappers at a time will face off. They'll compete in different rounds with varying themes, thus requiring them to be on their toes and to think quick. That's second nature, though, for Mateo.
"He says sometimes it's so spontaneous that it comes out, and he doesn't even think about it," Balbuena said.
Winners will move on for continuing rounds in Saturday's competition until just one, the new Spanish-language U.S. champion, remains.
