By Chris Richburg
North Carolina-based beat maker 9th Wonder, Pete Rock and DJ Babu are among the producers contributing beats for the Wake Up Show/urSession.com 100K Battle.
The event will feature up and coming rappers who will choose from 28 beats to rhyme over, after creating an artist profile on urSession.com.
Participants, who record their best song on the beats they select, can upload no more than three songs to their profiles.
In addition to 9th Wonder, Pete Rock and Babu, the 100K Battle will feature beats from DJ Muggs, Rick Rock, DJ Khalil, Alchemist, DJ Q-Bert, Evidence, DJ Revolution, Amplive, the Avila Brothers, Boom-Batt Productions, Bosko, Fingzazz, Focus, Jake One, Sid Roams, THX, Vitamin D, Wyldfyer and the late J Dilla. Uploaded songs are voted on and heard by urSession non-artist members.
The artist with the most votes will receive $5,000 as well as a round-trip ticket to Los Angeles to appear on the Wake Up Show.
Created by Wake Show DJ Tech, the 100K Battle sprang from an encounter between Tech and a caller who wanted to know what the radio personality could do for those trying to break into the music business.
"I wanted to make sure there was a sound from everybody," Tech said. "I would call up Pete and say ‘Yo Pete, give me old school.’ I would call up the Avila Brothers and be like ‘Give me a party single.’ Focus: ‘Give me grimy.’ Khalil: ‘Give me orchestral.’ In other words, I organized it to make sure that all the beats don’t sound the same, so I don’t get that complaint – ‘Man, I can’t rap to this s**t!’"
For Tech’s fellow Wake Up show host Sway, additional inspiration for the 100K battle centered on a desire to adjust to consolidation from major record labels, as well as a narrowing playlist from radio stations.
"They don’t have access to Grammy award-winning, well-respected, proven producers like all these different guys that we got to donate their beats," Sway stated. "We can give you access as an artist to music that can make you competitive with artists who already have that kind of access for free. You just gotta be able to write the song, and if you got what it takes then you’ll get that break."
For more information visit www.ursession.com.