Bigg K has been crowned 2023 battle rap Champion of the Year by Jay Blac’s annual panel following one of the closest contests in the history of the platform. 

The Norfolk, Virginia native’s victory, determined by a panel of six judges and a fan survey, finally shut down the myth that the title is a “URL award” eligible only to MCs who do most of their work on the Ultimate Rap League. In 2023, Bigg K battled on multiple leagues, excluding URL, and had his most impactful showings in Rare Breed Entertainment’s Blue Room. 

2023 also saw a historic achievement for the women of battle rap. For the first time ever, three ladies earned Top. 20 placements after showing out in impressive performances against noteworthy opponents throughout the year.   

Bigg K triumphed in a tightly contested race, which saw him surpass Nu Jerzey Twork to take the top spot. He won the judges over by three to two, with the deciding vote going to the fans. According to Jay Blac, the decision went down to the wire, with just five fan votes separating the two frontrunners. 

“Extremely grateful for every person that voted for me,” Bigg K wrote on social media following his win. “And a slow death to every person who didn’t want me to win….The belt goes to Norfolk, where it belongs!” 

Performance of the Year

Bigg K and Nu Jerzey Twork also scored highly among fans who voted in AllHipHop’s 2023 Battle Rap Superlatives, although our readers ranked them in reverse order. Twork took first place in the Male Battler of the Year and co-ed Fan Favorite categories, with Bigg K placing second in both instances.  

Twork didn’t walk away empty-handed on the Champion panel that aired Tuesday (February 13). He won the 2023 Performance of the Year award for his battle against Harlem veteran Murda Mook, which ranked third in AllHipHop’s Battle of the Year list.  

St. Louis icon Hitman Holla earned a special award for his illustrious career. The Wild N’ Out star was named Champion’s inaugural Executive Gold Vanguard for his contributions to battle rap. 

AllHipHop readers’ Female Battle Rapper of the Year placed just outside the Top.10 COTY rankings, coming in at No. 11. Ms. Hustle and Coffee Brown, who ranked second and third in our list also earned spots in the COTY Top. 20, taking No. 12 and No. 16, respectively.

Rookie of the Year  

Maryland rapper and AllHipHop’s No. 1 Breakout Rapper of 2023, Yunus, won Champion’s Rookie of the Year title. Our readers also agreed on several other categories. 

Upset Win of the Year went to Jerry Wess for his resounding victory over DNA, and Hitman Holla vs. Ill Will won the 2023 Battle of the Year title. 

A. Ward’s “Glock 40” rebuttal against Aye Verb won Champion’s Moment of the Year and was named our No. 1 Haymaker in 2023. Three-time former COTY Geechi Gotti placed at No. 4 in the overall list. Additionally, he won Champion’s Round of the Year for his viral third round against Eazy the Block Captain.  

Check out Champion’s Top. 20 to 3 of 2023 below and watch the livestream at the end of the page.