New
York City’s Apollo Theater will be the site of the 10th Annual Mixtape Awards
scheduled for Dec. 7, the Jus Muzik Group announced Thursday (September 29).In
addition to celebrating its 10th year of honoring the best in the mixtape game,
this year’s event will also be used to celebrate the life and memory of founder
Orpheus "Justo" Faison.A
15-year promotions and marketing veteran who championed the cause of mixtape DJs,
Faison died in a tragic car accident in Virginia in May 2005–two months after
last year’s Mixtape Awards, which were held at B.B. King’s in Times Square.Justo’s
legacy has been continued by two of his closest friends on behalf of his son Vaughn:
producer Tyrone "Tytanic" Hendricks, who co-founded the Jus Muzik Group
with Faison, and Reagan Sommer McCoy, who now serves as the company’s Chief Operating
Officer.Both
agree that the decision to continue the tradition of the Mixtape Awards was easy,
as he had always been clear about his vision. "Every
year Justo planned for the next award show," said McCoy. "It wasn’t
like he thought it was just gonna end one day. He wanted it to get bigger, to
build more exposure for DJs on a global level."This
year’s awards will expand to include at least three new categories–Best Canadian
DJ, Best Reggaeton DJ and Best International DJ–to reflect the growth and diversity
of today’s mixtape market.The
ceremony will be sponsored in part by MixUnit.com,
the Sandbox Group, Sirius Satellite Radio, Rap City and Shaw Originals.Since
Justo’s death, many throughout the Hip-Hop community have voiced their concern
for his son and support of the movement he created. Yet,
according to McCoy, that has not necessarily translated into organizational or
financial support for the Awards."All
these people claimed they had Justo’s back," she says, frustrated, "and
a lot of them ain’t did s**t!" As
a result, the Mixtape Awards were delayed by months from their originally projected
Summer 2006 date.Over
the summer, DJ Wiz Hoffa, one of Justo’s Mixtape All-stars, sent a call to arms
to all DJs stating, "I see all these DJs getting record contracts, TV shows,
endorsements, etc. [who haven’t shown any support.] Justo did a lot to raise the
status of how DJs were viewed within the industry," he added. "A lot
of you [DJs] owe him half your careers!"Still,
McCoy said she feels that everything is working out exactly as it should. "I
didn’t want the 10th anniversary [event] to be rushed or half-assed," she
stated. "I know exactly what Justo wanted, and that’s what I’m gonna give
him: a 10th Anniversary to remember!"Those
interested in sponsoring or performing at the 10th Annual Mixtape Awards can obtain
details and pricing information at themixtapeawardsonline.com.
Nominations, which opened in May of this year, can still be submitted online.