The results of the Red Bull 2012 Emsee battle are in. Local battle rapper Dirtbag Dan was one of eight rappers to compete for the title of best freestyle rapper in the country on Tuesday after winning the previous round in Southern California a year ago. He unfortunately did not win, and went out in the first round against Hostyle (who went on to be the runner up.) The winner this year was Philadelphia rapper, Mic Stew, a relatively new name in battle rap.

“It was weird as hell, but a good time nonetheless,” Dan says. “It was still a magical night. In the end, random no-name homie took it by using a line about his own mother who was in the front row, along with 30 or 40 of his homies. At the end of the day, I’m still DBD and they’re still them. I can live with that.”

The finals had been delayed for almost a year, presumably so they could lock down Eminem, who had been advertised as the main judge for the competition. But Eminem was a no-show. No explanation was given for his absence. It’s unclear at this point if the competition will still air on G4 as a six-part mini-series. With Eminem no longer part of the finals, doubts are high.

The grand prize for winning this year’s Red Bull competition, according to Red Bull’s website is, “a trip to LA to record at Red Bull Studio with a headlining producer of their choice.” Unfortunately, for everyone in San Jose, that person is not Dirtbag Dan, but not to worry, he never dwells on the past for very long.

“God bless everyone in the ZAE for supporting,” he says. “On to the next one.”

Almost a year ago, local rap-battler Dirtbag Dan, competed in the Red Bull battle rap semi-finals in Southern California and won. He was told that not only would he be moving on the finals in Atlanta, where Eminem would be the deciding judge, but the battles would be televised as a mini-series on the G4 Network.

He waited and waited to get word on when the finals would be taped, but it kept getting pushed back. Finally, a week ago, he got the phone call. The finals will be shot on May 29th. What hasn’t been made clear is when the show will air.

“I feel like I’m in Mission Impossible and the phone is going to explode when I hang up,” Dan says. “All I know is I got to get to Atlanta and battle on the 29th. I’m sure they’re tell us what they plan to do with the footage when we get there.”

VIDEO: Dirtbag Dan wins at the semi-finals in Southern California.

Whether this competition will air on G4 or an entirely different network is unclear at this point, but this upcoming battle could be a big deal for Dan. Despite having already battled in many different competitions, including the widely popular online Grind Time league, a rap battle on TV could put him into the homes of mainstream America. Dan is already one of the biggest (and most polarizing) names in the exploding online battle scene. This just seems like the next logical step.

Dan’s dedication and hard work to battle rapping have helped make him a recognizable face on Youtube. In that time he has never once stopped making music. The release of the Self Help Tapes last year showed that even as he was busy refining his dick jokes, he was maturing as a musician, offering some of his most serious, heartfelt songs to date. His collaboration with local singer Anya in particular is a gem. The song, “Alive,” is just an honest expression of how much he loves his wife. For a battle-rapper with a tough reputation to uphold, showing his vulnerability may be one of the bravest things he’s yet done.

MORE INFO: Read the 2011 Metro Newspaper cover story on Dirtbag Dan.