STEVE RIFKIND AND LOUD.COM ANNOUNCE $100,000 RAPPER WINNERS AND $15,000 PRODUCER WINNER
New York, NY (February 5, 2009) – After seven months of intense competition, SRC Records CEO Steve Rifkind and Loud.com have formally announced the winners of Loud.com's $100,000 Rapper Challenge and their $15,000 Producer Challenge. Underground mainstay Kaze from North Carolina and Philadelphia upstart LF Daze split the grand prize for the Rapper Challenge, each getting record deals with SRC Records, while luminous producer J Cardim took home the grand prize and three-song deal for the Producers.
Both contests were run concurrently, but operated as separate entities. Each contest featured 10 rounds, with a single round consisting of one week for submissions and one week for voting. Thousands of rappers and producers went head-to-head for the 10 Finalist positions available in each contest, and the competition was heavy throughout. Once the Rapper and Producer contest each had their 10 Finalists, challenges were set before them to determine who wanted the grand prize more. Tasks for rappers ranged from creating a song and video to throwing a show, while Producers were faced with software and remix challenges. And even as the contest was going on, collaborations and communication were happening organically between other users of the site.
"We want people to feel like they can succeed at Loud.com ," CEO Joe Safina, said. "We are a site where people can come to have fun, to network, to get opinions and promote themselves, to gather ideas and information. We’re backed by a major label and Steve Rifkind, and we’re doing good things. This is the place for upcoming artists to be, and we’re seeing a successful new business model for the music industry emerge while we’re doing it."
With the site continuing to evolve on both the technology and editorial fronts, Safina and Rifkind expect the site’s community to continue working together and support each other’s efforts, using the tools in front of them. The groundswell effect served Loud Records incredibly well during the 90’s, and that approach hasn’t changed with the latest digital incarnation.
" Loud.com is the only place on the web where independent artists can find major label support," Safina said. "Congratulations to our winners and everyone that participated. The industry will certainly see what we’re bringing to the table in 2009."
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LOUD.COM, backed by Steve Rifkind and SRC Records, is an on-line, social hip-hop community that features exclusive video interviews, industry-related Q&A’s, insightful articles and exclusive blogs, and is the biggest sponsor of competitions for unsigned artists and producers on the web. Registration is open to everyone. Users have the ability to upload their own music and videos or download professional beats from Hip Hop’s hottest producers (placements with 50 Cent, Mary J. Blige, Kanye West, Busta Rhymes, Lil Jon and many more) and use an on-line recording studio to compete for $100,000 and a record deal during contest times with SRC Records (Akon, David Banner, Asher Roth, Shontelle, Melanie Fiona). LOUD.COM has also featured a Producer contest, which gave away $15,000 and a three-song production deal. Past winners and associates of Loud.com have worked and made connections with Ski Beats, Matthew Santos, Psycho Les, Quran Goodman, Lil Wayne and many others. Log on and get involved now!
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