This Is Hip Hop Remix Contest Part II: Week 1

Once again it’s on! That’s right people, we’re back with another remix contest. So get your beats ready; this one’s gonna be a hell of a ride!

Since the end of the last contest and the announcement that we’d be doing this again, a lot of you have been wondering how we’re gonna switch it up while keeping the contest fresh. We’ll we have a few tricks up our sleeves. First and foremost, allow me to introduce the theme for the next 12 weeks. It’s simple… the 90s. That’s right, we’re taking over the whole decade. We thought about limiting the contest to one year, but their just ain’t an abundance of acapellas to chose from. So we’re gonna try to hit every year from the 90s and then some.

Before we get into the rules, I want to introduce you to the judge’s panel. Oh, I didn’t mention that? That’s right, we’re doing away with the polls for this contest and leaving the outcome to a panel of 5 judge. We’ll keep the poll out there so the readers can be heard and, who knows, they may play a part in the judges decision.

Here they are…

The Judge’s Panel

100dBs - DJ/producer out of New York City. You may know him from the album he put out last summer with emcee Ryan O’Neil, called The Adventures of The One Hand Bandit and The Slum Computer Wizard. 100dBs brings with him his expertise behind the boards and behind the turntables. When he’s not in the studio, he’s DJing at local clubs in NYC. Check out our Producer Spotlight on 100dBs and his own website for more information.

MIDIMarc - Producer/MC out of South Carolina. MIDIMarc has been active around here for quite some time. He put out one of the best American Gangster remix albums last year, American Beatmaker and recently worked with Spectac to remix one of his joints on our exclusive leak of The Corner of Spec & 9th. Very versatile in his beats, MIDIMarc brings the best of the South to the table. Check out our Producer Spotlight on MIDIMarc or his MySpace for more information.

Speek Greene – DJ/Producer out of Pheonix, AZ. Speek has probably been in this game longer than some of you have been born. He has toured with Little Brother and 9th Wonder, Ceasar Comanche, and was previously the official DJ for Jaz-O. Still DJing, he has been concentrating more on producing and is currently putting the finishing touches on his album coming out this summer. He has also worked with Kev Brown, Trav Williams and a bunch of other cats I know I’m forgetting. Check Speek out his MySpace for more info.

Ivan - Hip-Hop Blogger out of Los Angeles, CA. Ivan is the creator/author of the popular hip hop blog, Hip-Hop Is Read. Ivan and I have worked together on some of these great sample sets that you all love. He has an ear for music and a love for hip hop that runs deep. Ivan is also known to make a beat or two, so he knows a little about producing as well. With an ear for good music, don’t expect him to be an easy judge. Check Ivan out over at Hip-Hop Is Read.

Kevin - Hip-Hop Blogger out of Miami, FL. Yup, that’s me. Of course I’m gonna be on the judge’s panel… it’s my contest! Anyway, you know who I am… hip hop listener for 25 years, part-time DJ… I love the beats! What more can I say?

The Rules

We’re gonna keep things simple and similar to the previous contest. So if you participated in the last one, you pretty much know the drill. Make sure you read the detail those, cuz entry days and times have changed. If you’re new, read below. And just so you know, there is no registration process. If you miss one week, you can hop in on the next. Hop in at anytime. All you have to do is leave your remix in the comments.

So here’s the deal… for 12 weeks, we’re gonna hold a weekly contest… 12 weeks/12 mixes. The way it’ll work is every Sunday I will provide the song to be remixed for the week. There will be 2 links… the acapella and the song in it’s original version (for reference). You will have one week to complete your remix. Entries will be taken until 3:00pm Eastern Daylight Time the following Sunday. For those of you overseas, make sure to get your clocks right. Once all remix entries have been accepted, the judges will take the next week to listen and comment on those remixes. At the end of each week, I’ll post up the judges’ comments, their picks, and the winner for the week. At the end of the 12 weeks, I’ll put together a compilation album of all the winners for each week, similar to what we did with the first contest. Sound good? Once again there are no prizes. The prize is inclusion on the compilation album and exposure on this site. I got nothing else to offer.

To submit your entry: Upload your remix in mp3 format to one of your favorite file sharing locations (ie, Rapidshare, MediaFire, MegaUpload, ZShare, etc) and leave a comment in this post with your name and your link. Some readers have requested the contestants use ZShare. So if you can, upload to ZShare. DO NOT email me any links… they will be ignored. This process is to make it easier for me so I don’t have to post everyone’s links. Also, DO NOT put your links in the CBOX. The production is open ended (for now), meaning there are no stipulations. But pay attention each week. I do plan on throwing a curve every now and then. I may give you all a sample to flip in your remix or I may give you a pool of songs to chose from that you have to use in your beat. The possibilities are endless, but for now we’re just gonna give you an acapella to work with.

This Week’s Track

For the first week of the 90s, we’re kicking things off in 1997 with Rakim‘s first solo single off his album The 18th Letter, “Guess Who’s Back”. I thought the title was appropriate for bringing back the remix contest. Originally produced by DJ Clark Kent, this track samples the popular Bob James song “Shamboozie”, as well as P.E.’s “Bring Tha Noize”. Download the acapella and album version below and good luck!

The cut-off to submit your remix is
Sunday, June 8, 2008 @ 3:00pm EDT.

• Guess Who’s Back (Acapella)
• Guess Who’s Back (Album Version)