The 10 finalists have been selected and now it’s the people’s turn to choose hip hop’s next big breakthrough emcee, as the ‘Scion: Next Up’ contest gets in full flow.
The first-round of competition attracted an unexpected 950 uploads and mail-in entries, from which Scion’s panel of judges (noted music producer Just Blaze, radio mixshow host Eric Cubiche, and music executive Bryan Leach) have singled out an impressive group of rap talents, representing diverse backgrounds and sub-genres. All have been honing their skillz on a grass roots level for several years via in-club battles, beat production and self-released recordings. Finalists include RA the Rugged Man, Fresh, Junk Science, Sly, 3rd Deggree, Eddie Meeks, Fokissed, Island, Livin Proof, and GeeQue.
Like Scion’s other promotions, such as its “Free Up Your Mix” DJ contest, this competition builds upon the company’s support of the creative community, helping artists that might have fallen under the industry radar gain national exposure. Voting ends on Fri., September 17th 11:59pm EST, after which the lucky winner (who’ll get a fully-produced professional video and the opportunity to perform at Scion-sponsored events) will be announced.
“This is one of the few opportunities for aspiring artists from all over to have their music listened to and judged by the people who are actually doing it, without it being hokey or turned into some dramatized ploy for ratings,” Just Blaze recently told allhiphop.com about the promotion. “If it’s hot, it’s hot, and if it’s not…Next.”
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Visit www.scionnextup.com to learn more about the contest and get familiar with the contestants. Listen to their entries, read their bios and choose your favorite rapper.
