National Battle Ensues Among Up-And-Coming Hip Hop Producers

-Red Bull Big Tune Regional Qualifiers End and Top 12 producers Advance to Finals in Seattle on November 1

Brooklyn, NY - (September 14, 2007) - Brooklyn-based nightclub Southpaw is known for showcasing premier musical talent such as the outspoken KRS-One, Prefuse 73, and TV on the Radio but last night a crowd of 500 packed the club to see the Northeast's freshest up-and-coming Hip Hop producers engage in a heated battle known as Red Bull Big Tune.

"Big Tune was one of the dopest shows I've been a part of in a long time," said DJ Maseo Plug 3 of De La Soul who performed a head-bobbing closing set at last night's event. The excitement and energy in the room was electric. It was a truly inspiring event."

Also supporting the Brooklyn Red Bull Big Tune battle was featured producer Hi-Tek and special guest performer Sean Price.

WHERE'S THE BEAT? Started in Seattle in 2005 as a partnership between event producers Vitamin D and Jonathan Moore, Big Tune was created as a way to showcase the musical talents of emerging and established producers in a fresh and forward thinking way. The spirit of the Jamaican Reggae/Dancehall culture, where battles such as this occurred nightly and were commonly referred to as "clashes" is the inspiration behind Big Tune.

This year was the first time the battle went national with competitions hosted in San Francisco, Los Angeles, Houston, Chicago, Seattle and New York. At each stop, hundred's of producers applied for 12 coveted battle spots. The head-to-head competition format is simple. Each producer is given one minute to throw down their illest beat. They go blow for blow for 2 rounds. What makes Red Bull Big Tune truly unique is the integral role the crowd plays in determining who advances and who goes home. Only the producers that elicit the largest response from the audience will make it to the next round. The last person standing will be the one with the big tune.

Last night was the final qualifying event to determine who would represent New York in the Red Bull Big Tune National Finals taking place on November 1 at Neumos in Seattle. The night began with twelve producers who brought heat with their beats, despite having various levels of experience. For some, this was their first battle. For others, it was a means to showcase years of grinding out raucous beats. After several rounds of contentious clashes, seasoned beat maker Marco Polo and up-and-coming producer Algorythm were the last producers standing. That was until Algorythm threw down a "boom bap" that reverberated through the crowd and got everybody shouting, throwing up fists and ultimately naming him the crowd favorite and champion of Red Bull Big Tune -New York. At this stage of the competition, there is room for two at the top. Both Algorythm and Marco Polo will advance to the National Finals to go up against the first and second place producers from the other 5 qualifying events.

ON AN AMERICAN TOUR WITH A BEAT IN MY HAND Since April, 2006, Red Bull Big Tune has toured San Francisco, Los Angeles, Houston, Chicago, Seattle and New York in search of talented music producers and the next Big Tune. On November 1, Algorythm and Marco Polo will represent New York against Babu (World Famous Beat Junkies) and Swiff D from Los Angeles; Cambo and Beat Rock from San Francisco; The Are and Joe Traxx from Houston; Tall Black Guy and Rio from Chicago; and Sabzi and Brainstorm from Seattle.

To learn more about the battles and to listen to tracks from Red Bull Big Tune producers, visit http://www.redbullbigtune.com. For press inquiries, contact nyla.hassell@us.redbull.com or sarah.chambliss@us.redbull.com.