Red Bull Big Tune Pushes Newcomers of Hip Hop

Red Bull knows how to position its brand, I left Red Bull Big Tune last night feeling really great about hip hop and Red Bull's efforts. Red Bull is real f'n cool. The night started out with introductions by producers from Philly, Detroit, Oakland, Seattle, Chicago, D.C. and L.A. Each producer then had an opponent to battle and the diverse crowd of hip hop heads was the only judge. The energy was real, the music was bumping and the scenery at the Highline Ballroom was nothing short of magnificent. Digable Planets stepped to the stage performing the hit "Rebirth of Slick (Cool Like Dat)." DJ Alchemist also did his thing on the turn tables delivering that oh so heavy sound. And last but of course not least was Ghostface who came on with mad energy giving us some Wu Tang classics like "Cream."

The two finalists of the competition were C-Sick and Frank Dukes. C-Sick won the competition thanks to the crowd's firm response and support. C-Sick at only 17 years of age will now have the opportunity to work with Common at Red Bull Recording Studios. While C-Sick took the title because of his heavy, hard-hitting beats, I feel that Frank Dukes remains a strong contender because of his unique artistic abilities. For more photos check out my Flickr page and visit Red Bull Big Tune for additional information.