Loud.com announced the second group of semi-finalists in their $100,000 on-line rap competition today. With six of the nine semi-final spots now filled, the next ten weeks will be the final opportunity members have this year to earn a chance at the money and a deal from SRC Records.
Grabbing first place and $25,000 for his efforts, North Cak emcee Drop won over the judges with a smooth, charismatic flow and an impressive following on the site. Coming in second and earning $15,000 was South Carolina's Dirty Rap. Hailing from the Boston-area and taking the $10,000 third place prize was The Franchise King. All three noted that they maximized the interactive features on Loud.com and used other outside web sources to increase their exposure.
"I had mad people helping me out this time around," Franchise said. "I won a round in the first ten weeks but didn't get picked. This time, though, we pounded the site even harder and it worked out. To be here, you have to love the culture first, with the music as an extension of that. But you also need to realize it's a job, too. If somebody asked you if you wanted to get paid to write raps, what would you say, you know? This is how it happens."
The Loud.com and SRC Records A&R Department review all submissions, and music from the narrowed pool of weekly winners goes through SRC's top brass before a decision is made. Coupled with the payout of $50,000 for each semi-final round (in addition to the grand-prize winner's $100,000 purse), the entire process speaks to the level of commitment put forward from everyone involved with the site, be it the high-profile producers, the execs in the building, or the unsigned emcees that make the site function. Co-chairman of Loud.com and hip hop pioneer Steve Rifkind commended the contestants on their efforts. As head of SRC Records, he will be the man guiding the career of the ultimate winner.
"We had some incredible submissions this round, and these are the top three that emerged," Rifkind said. "There was a lot of debate because the voting in-house was so close, and we're happy about that. It is a great example of commitment on both ends and, more important, it shows the direction Loud.com is moving. This is a community-first site and we expect it to produce top-notch talent. This is an exciting time for everyone."
All three winners were featured in exclusive interviews on their respective hometown urban radio stations this past week. The Franchise King was in-studio on WJMN JAM'N 94.5 in Boston at 3pm Monday, Dirty Rap visited KTTB Hot 103.9 in Columbia at 1pm Tuesday and Drop chopped it up on WQOK K97.5 in Raleigh at 12pm Wednesday. Loud.com is currently featuring print interviews with the latest semi-finalists.
Source: HipHopDefined
Grabbing first place and $25,000 for his efforts, North Cak emcee Drop won over the judges with a smooth, charismatic flow and an impressive following on the site. Coming in second and earning $15,000 was South Carolina's Dirty Rap. Hailing from the Boston-area and taking the $10,000 third place prize was The Franchise King. All three noted that they maximized the interactive features on Loud.com and used other outside web sources to increase their exposure.
"I had mad people helping me out this time around," Franchise said. "I won a round in the first ten weeks but didn't get picked. This time, though, we pounded the site even harder and it worked out. To be here, you have to love the culture first, with the music as an extension of that. But you also need to realize it's a job, too. If somebody asked you if you wanted to get paid to write raps, what would you say, you know? This is how it happens."
The Loud.com and SRC Records A&R Department review all submissions, and music from the narrowed pool of weekly winners goes through SRC's top brass before a decision is made. Coupled with the payout of $50,000 for each semi-final round (in addition to the grand-prize winner's $100,000 purse), the entire process speaks to the level of commitment put forward from everyone involved with the site, be it the high-profile producers, the execs in the building, or the unsigned emcees that make the site function. Co-chairman of Loud.com and hip hop pioneer Steve Rifkind commended the contestants on their efforts. As head of SRC Records, he will be the man guiding the career of the ultimate winner.
"We had some incredible submissions this round, and these are the top three that emerged," Rifkind said. "There was a lot of debate because the voting in-house was so close, and we're happy about that. It is a great example of commitment on both ends and, more important, it shows the direction Loud.com is moving. This is a community-first site and we expect it to produce top-notch talent. This is an exciting time for everyone."
All three winners were featured in exclusive interviews on their respective hometown urban radio stations this past week. The Franchise King was in-studio on WJMN JAM'N 94.5 in Boston at 3pm Monday, Dirty Rap visited KTTB Hot 103.9 in Columbia at 1pm Tuesday and Drop chopped it up on WQOK K97.5 in Raleigh at 12pm Wednesday. Loud.com is currently featuring print interviews with the latest semi-finalists.
Source: HipHopDefined