There are few things more satisfying in Hip-Hop than a killer verse. It’s why Kendrick Lamar shook up the Internet for 3 weeks (an eternity these days) with his Control verse…and then again with his BET Cypher. We’ve assembled a collection of the best freestyles (mostly “writtens”) of 2013. Check out the videos. BARS!

Dizzy Wright, Angel Haze & Logic – 2013 XXL Freshman Freestyle (April)

This unlikely collective had three diverse styles, with a collective hunger showcasing why they’re names to remember after the 2-0-1-3:

Big K.R.I.T. – BET Backroom Freestyle (May)

Krizzle’s versatility continues to dazzle:

Large Professor – Combat Jack Show Freestyle (May)

Released as a compilation (with Killer Mike, Talib Kweli, and Joey Bada$$) late in the year, this May appearance on Combat Jack showed the kind of Extra P free-for-all that Stretch & Bob-listening Heads remember:

Astro – BET Backroom Freestyle (May)

Astro has a track record for using his charisma and sincerity to grab viewers on screen. This springtime appearance is no exception:

Rain – BET Backroom Freestyle (June)

South Carolina’s Rain remains strong, and showcases an assortment of styles with each look he gets:

Camp Lo – Toca Tuesday Freestyle (August)

Geechie Suede and Sonny Cheeba enjoyed what felt like their best year since the Profile Records days. In properly teaming with Pete Rock for 80 Blocks From Tiffany’s, Heads were lovin’ the throwback vibes and fly-guy slang from this veteran tandem:

Astro – ShowOff Radio Freestyle (August)

Astro made every look count. Check out this radio spot on Statik Selektah’s Shade 45 show:

Rittz – BET Backroom Freestyle (August)

Strange Music’s new artist and Yelawolf’s longtime homie tells his story with so much sincerity. One of ’13’s breakout new artists bodied the booth in this one:

Childish Gambino – Sway In The Morning Freestyle (October)

One of the Internet’s most viewed verses of the last two years won over many a non-believers that were skeptical of Donald Glover’s skills. However, Childish Gambino has a purist’s approach to mic-control.

Lantana – Sway In The Morning Freestyle (October)

Cincinnati’s next artist made people run to their search engines to hear more after he destroyed the mic and had Sway gasping for air (starts at 16:02):

Slaughterhouse – BET Cypher (October)

Original freestyle fury quartet Slaughterhouse shows that the Voltron unit of Crooked I, Royce Da 5’9, Joell Ortiz and Joe Budden has stayed sharp as ever in their five years together:

TDE – BET Cypher (October)

The follow-up shot heard ’round the world, as 2012’s dominant crew seemingly wouldn’t get off the mountain a year later:

Vic Mensa – BET Backroom Freestyle (October)

One of ’13’s breakthrough artists made heartfelt, structured tunes on his tape, but then used freestyle spots to show that he’s got bars in vast abundance:

Eminem & Slaughterhouse – BET Backroom Freestyle (November)

Eminem joined the ‘House on this one, making it extremely hard to claim, with any certainty, who had the best batch of bars:

Related: Suge Knight & Snoop Hanging Out?? Yeah, 2013 Was a Crazy Year For Hip-Hop. Here’s a Photo Recap (Food For Thought)