Hip-hop competition gives aspiring artists time in spotlight

The High Noon Saloon played host to Get Your Buzz Up Monday night. 

Get Your Buzz Up is a competition-based organization dedicated to giving striving hip-hop artists the opportunity to perform on stage. After paying an entrance fee, each emcee is allowed to showcase his or her talent in front of a panel of judges who decide on a winner. The prize for first place generally includes a variety of interviews with hip-hop blog sites, a promotional package, free merchandise and an all-expenses-paid trip to perform in another city. 

The best part of this type of competition is anyone can enter. On the other hand, the worst part of this type of competition is anyone can enter. The event was mainly characterized by flashes of real local talent amid countless sets of underdeveloped, under-prepared lip-synching competitors. That being said, the best acts were very talented and have a lot of potential. 

Producer DJ Pain 1 was a monster opener. He took the tables for the first hour and demonstrated what a nationally touring DJ sounds like. His mixes of Jay-Z and Kanye West’s “N***as in Paris,” Waka Flocka’s “I Don’t Really Care” and Young Jeezy’s “Ballin’” had the crowd ready to go by the time the competition started. 

ShaH [sic] Evans, the owner of Get Your Buzz Up, did a great job hosting the event. As he introduced the first emcee, everyone at the event was alive and kicking. However, the excitement took a dive after seeing the first few acts. The first artist put on a performance that left the crowd speechless after he left the stage, and not in a good way. The following few emcees took the rest of the remaining energy out of the crowd. It also didn’t help that the man running the soundboard had no idea what he was doing. 

Then Mic The Prophet took the stage. The Rockford, Ill., emcee laid out a chillingly cold flow over a Halloween-esque instrumental. He took the show to the next level with his well-prepared grimy verses assisted by an on-cue back-up vocalist. 

Soon after, the Madison based group 3rd Dimension took to the mic. It was more of a party on stage than anything. Throughout the entire song all four members of 3rd Dimension were jumping around the stage hyping the crowd. By the end of their performance, they had everyone yelling out the chorus of their song “Let’s Eat!” 

Tre Money was next up. His record “Wake Up” had the whole building rocking for the next five minutes with music inspired by the tragic loss of a close friend. For many in the crowd it was an emotional experience. 

As the competition neared its close and the featured acts prepared to take the stage, it was already clear who the winner was. The three judges then deliberated among themselves as C Dill, Cash Moody, Tef Man and Michael Medall entertained the audience. The panel’s final decision gave Madison’s Tre Money the victory and exclusive prize package. 

Many of the competing emcees didn’t have their lyrics memorized, rapped over fully produced records with no space for vocals or simply couldn’t hold a beat at all. However, Madison hip-hop is growing at an extremely fast rate, and this type of event is integral for its advancement. 

Although there were only a handful of artists with unique style, flow and stage presence, the Get Your Buzz Up competition featured a wide spectrum of hip-hop. Emcees from a diversity of backgrounds used conscious, new school, trap and many other styles to provide an ever-changing atmosphere.

Edit 02/13/13: Corrected spelling of Waka Flocka