Hip-Hop and R&B enthusiasts filled Terminal West on Tuesday, April 5 in Atlanta, GA. The music rights organization, Broadcast Music, Inc. (BMI), hosted its annual BMI Urban Showcase. This year’s event was a eclectic mixture of familiar sounds and emerging new talent. “Empire” star Bre-Z served as host for the showcase, while R&B singer Jacquees, Elhae, and rap duo Earth Gang hit the stage with unforgettable performances. Super Producers Drumma Boy and Zaytoven squared off in “The Ultimate Battle of Catalogs.” The two also surprised the crowd with special performances by Pastor Troy, B.o.B, OJ Da Juiceman, and Young Dolph. Pastor Troy was also honored for his contributions to the music industry with BMI’s Legends of ATL Award. Earlier in the day, STACKS Magazine intern Alex Ro had the opportunity to chat with several of the BMI talent. One of our favorites, Drumma Boy, opened up about about discovering artists and qualities that impress him. “Sometimes you can be impressed by a follower. You hear a song from them and be like “that song wack.” You don’t vibe with that song. But then you go to these people [artists] back yard – to these peoples’ hometown – and see the impact they got on a culture. That will open your eyes and show you like a different culture behind that particular individual,” says Drumma Boy. As a producer who has worked with artists such as Jeezy, August Alsina, 8Ball & MJG, and so on, Drumma Boy understands the importance of being selective. “Seeing artists is one thing, but believing in artists is a whole other thing. And, producing for artists is a completely separate thing. They are three different things that you merge into one. Seeing somebody first you got to like…respect what they got going on. I got to like the music I hear. You know, see something that make me want to work with them.” The Memphis native’s affiliation with BMI has played an intricate part in his longstanding career as a music producer. In fact, he mentioned that he’s building a new catalog as Drumma Boy Fresh under BMI. For more information on BMI, visit www.bmi.com. In case you missed it, check out a few photos from the BMI Urban Showcase… Photo credit: Prince Williams/ATLPics.net/BMI One Response
