Essence
Magazine and the Berklee College of Music are looking for Hip-Hop’s next generation
of stars through their first ever Hip-Hop Songwriting Contest.
Students from
ages 15-18 who are unsigned can submit their music until Feb. 28. Entries will
be judged based on cleverness and innovativeness of lyrics, as well as melody
and composition.
"This contest
will give new Hip-Hop talent the opportunity to develop their voices and style
through music education," said Essence Editor-in-Chief Angela Burt-Murray.
"We’re hoping to expose new voices in Hip-Hop that otherwise might not
have been heard."
Five winners will
be selected by a celebrity panel of judges, including MC Lyte, DJ Jazzy Joyce,
and ?uestlove of The Roots. Also judging talent will be Berklee professor Pat
Pattison, assistant professor Michael Hamilton, Berklee graduate Michael "Raydar"
Ellis and Berklee songwriting major Anjulie "Starz" Gonzalez.
Selected Grand
Prize winners will be admitted into the 2006 Berklee Five-Week Summer Performance
Program, which educates students in all aspects of performance, music theory,
music technology, music business and songwriting. Tuition and room-and-board
is included (valued at $5, 925).
One second place
winner will receive a tuition-only scholarship ($3,595), and two runners-up
will receive an online music course at Berkleemusic.com (valued between $595
and $1,250).
For complete contest
rules and an entry form, visit www.essence.com/takebackthemusic or www.berklee.edu.
