El capital simbólico presente en las batallas de Freestyle en Quito

Abstract

The freestyle, 'free' or 'battle of cocks' is a skill that rappers must fluidly express what they feel through improvisation with a background track. For this reason, this group considers it a symbol of expression and an art that has been little visible due to lack of information and knowledge. Hip-Hop emerged in the 70s and was born as a symbol of protest against the American system. Since then, stigmas and stereotypes have been present, labeling them negatively and excluding them from society for identifying themselves as rappers. Within the freestyle battles they use any type of speeches that are not so accepted due to the managed and explicit language that has created a discriminatory bias towards people who are dedicated to improvising, the speeches are a fundamental part of transmitting an idea according to what they feel and in turn, a resource to win a battle. In the same way, freestyle is a way they have to tell situations, life stories, show feelings, among others. On the other hand, the symbolic capital and constant body movement is elementary because it forms part of their essence and identity as rappers.