Grand Beatbox Battle

Grand Beatbox Battle
	2019 GBB Poster
Status	Active
Genre	Tournament
Date(s)	October 22, 2021
Ends	October 24, 2021
Frequency	Annually
Venue	EXPO XXI (2021)
Location(s)	Warsaw, Poland (2019-present); Basel, Switzerland
Years active	12 years
Inaugurated	2009
Founder	Andreas "Pepouni" Fraefel; Kilian "Kilaa" So[1]; Claudio "Ciaccolo" Rudin;
Most recent	29 March 2020
Attendance	~2,000 (2020)
Area	Worldwide
Activity	Beatboxing
Organised by	Swissbeatbox
People	Scott Jackson (MC)
Website	grandbeatboxbattle.ch

The Grand Beatbox Battle (commonly abbreviated GBB) is an annual international beatboxing competition hosted by Swissbeatbox. Along with the triennial Beatbox Battle World Championship, it is considered one of the pre-eminent beatboxing events. The competition holds multiple tournaments for different forms and categories of beatboxing which include: Solo (or Showcase), Loopstation, Tag Team, Tag Team Loopstation, and Crew.

The event follows a traditional tournament format, where competitors take turns performing on a stage, and a panel of judges vote on the winner. To qualify for the tournament portion, beatboxers from around the world must submit "wildcards" online for an invitation, as well as pass an "elimination" round.[2]

History

The Grand Beatbox Battle (originally abbreviated as GBB) was first held in Switzerland in 2009 by Swissbeatbox, a beatbox organization with a YouTube channel run by Andreas “Pepouni” Fraefel. In 2011 the event became international.[3]

The event is streamed live on YouTube and edited versions of the battles and eliminations are uploaded periodically after the event. In addition to battles, the Swissbeatbox YouTube channel showcases beatboxing talent from around the world.[4]

Fraefel announced that the 2020 edition would be postponed from April to August,[5] and then from August to December.[6] The edition for 2020 was officially cancelled and postponed to an unknown date after concerns about the COVID-19 pandemic.

Format

Wildcards and Eliminations

In order to be invited to the GBB to compete, beatboxers must record a video of themselves performing an unedited beatbox routine and submit it to Swissbeatbox for judging. Anyone can submit a wildcard, but there are a limited number of spots in the "elimination" round. Usually, the two finalists (or 4, including semi-finalists in the Solo category) are automatically qualified for the next year's event.[7]

Alternatively, competitors can win other beatboxing competitions for an invitation. Some examples are the Grand Beatbox Battle 7 to Smoke, the Asia Beatbox Championships, and the Great North Battle.

During the first phase of the event, each beatboxer participates in an “Elimination” round, where they perform a routine without an opponent. The panel of judges then decide whom to place in the top 8 to compete tournament-style for the GBB champion title.[8]

Judges

The judges for the battles are usually past winners of the GBB or another beatboxing competition, or esteemed individuals within the beatbox community. There are usually an odd number of judges to minimize tie battles. Judges will frequently perform “showcases” to entertain during the event and showcase their beatboxing ability.

Solo

The most traditional of the beatbox battles, a Solo battle follows the formula of a battle rap, where each competitor takes two turns beatboxing. The judges will then vote on who moves on to the next round.

Loopstation

A Loopstation Battle is a type of battle where a beatboxer uses the Boss RC-505, along with other hardware, to loop and add effects and add other modifications to their beatboxing to create music.

Tag Team

A Tag Team battle is when two beatboxers from the same country perform a routine at the same time, against another Tag Team.

Tag Team Loopstation and Crew

In 2020, Swissbeatbox announced a new Tag Team Loopstation category, a combination of Tag Team and Loopstation, where two beatboxers use two loopstations at the same time. They also announced Crew battles, where teams of 3-6 beatboxers battle on stage.

7 to Smoke

After the GBB is held, a smaller series of battles called a "7toSmoke" is held, where eight beatboxers repeatedly battle, taking one turn each. The first beatboxer to win seven rounds is declared the winner and sometimes given a guaranteed spot in the elimination round of the next year's GBB.[9]

Categories

Solo (Showcase)

Venue / helds	Champion	Runners-Up	Knockout Rounds	Participants	Judges
2009
BCScene Center Basel, Switzerland	Marzel	Knackeboul			ZeDe ROE Ciaccolo Camero Stella Hampi
2010
BCScene Center Basel, Switzerland	Marzel	BeatBrenning			Beelow Camero Stella & Hampi ROE Chocolococolo Knackeboul
2011
Kaserne Rossstall Basel, Switzerland	SkilleR	KRNFX	Top 4 - Babeli Top 4 - BeatBrenning	Duke Andi Pasco Philos Koqa A-Damn Caruso Hobbit Larry Dee-Jo Lee-On Slizzer Danubio Keumart BRA DaiBeat Uruz YasSon Luca Thorer HeartGrey Stammboum	ZeDe Lytos Beelow Camero NeXor DoubleBox
2012
Kaserne Rossstall Basel, Switzerland	Ball-Zee	SkilleR	Top 4 - Mc Zani Top 4 - KRNFX Top 8 - Scott Jackson Top 8 - Babeli Top 8 - Dharni Top 8 - Ibarra	Migu Mysterio Rookiie Dee-Jo K. Wayne Hobbit Two.H Beat-Quest Refko Pasco Cagla D-9 Koqa Funkaztek Monkie Denis the Menace Big Ben YasSon Lee-On Keumart	ZeDe Beelow K.I.M. Steff la Cheffe
2013
Kaserne Basel, Switzerland	Dharni	Alem	3rd - Two.H 4th - K.I.M	Robeat Keumart Primitiv Beat Rhino Babeli Tatsuya Döme Sh0h YasSon	Ball-Zee Beelow BMG Vahtang ZeDe
2014
Kaserne Basel, Switzerland	Dharni	Two.H	3rd - K.I.M. 4th - Alexinho	Markooz Wawad B-Art Sid FX HeartGrey Jimix Funkaztek	Reeps One Beelow Babeli Skiller Alem Phil Merk
2015
Sommercasino Basel, Switzerland	Gene Shinozaki	Efaybee	3rd - Jayton 4th - Babeli	K.I.M. Alexinho Pash Timmeh Kenny Urban B-Art Slyyku Funkaztek Denis the Menace	Beelow Faya Braz Alem Dharni ZeDe Ball-Zee
2016
Volkshaus Basel, Switzerland	Kenny Urban	NaPoM	3rd - Gene Shinozaki 4th - Babeli	Gene Shinozaki Efaybee Jayton Bloomer Beat Rhino Cosmin Bataco Arthur Henry Kaila Mullady Funkaztek Zhang Ze	Beelow Mando ZeDe Alem Skiller Reeps One
2017
Voltahalle Basel, Switzerland	NaPoM	2nd - Hiss 3rd - Alexinho 4th - Trung Bao	Top 8 - Two.H Top 8 - Slizzer Top 8 - Efaybee Top 8 - Jayton	Kenny Urban Babeli Thorsen BMG B-Art HeartGrey Chris Celiz Zhang Ze	Alem Beatness Wawad Gene Shinozaki ZeDe
2018
Volkshaus Basel, Switzerland	Codfish	2nd - D-low 3rd - Hiss 4th - Bataco	Top 8 - Piratheeban Top 8 - Trung Bao Top 8 - H-Has Top 8 - Show-Go	Bigman Rythmind Chris Celiz Helium Ish FootBoxG Villain Ah Xin Piratheeban	Kenny Urban NaPoM Zhang Ze Alexinho ZeDe KRNFX
2019
Club Stodola Warsaw, Poland	D-low	2nd - Tomazacre 3rd - B-Art 4th - Codfish	Top 8 - MB14 Top 8 - Colaps Top 8 - River Top 8 - Zekka	Bataco Show-Go Trung Bao FootBoxG Elisii Cloud Audical H-Has	Reeps One Dharni Skiller Pe4enkata ZeDe
2020
Online	Zer0	2nd - Vocodah 3rd - NaPoM 4th - Cloud	Top 8 - H-Has Top 8 - Pacmax Top 8 - Remix Top 8 - Dudz	Piratheeban Mr. Androide Mighty Pingpong Po Antilt Hiss Balistix River	Dharni Skiller Chris Celiz K.I.M. Reeps One
2021
EXPO XXI Warsaw, Poland	TBD	TBD	TBD	TBD	Skiller Zhang Ze Alexinho NaPoM Reeps One