After being shut down for almost two years, the infamous Blaze battle will be returning to television this summer. On July 9, 16 hungry rappers will get the chance to battle each other at the Hammerstein Ballroom in New York, to become this year’s crowned winner. In 1998, the now defunct hip-hop magazine Blaze, established a forum for unsigned rappers all over the world to compete in a lyrical contest. The first and only televised Blaze competition aired on HBO in November 2000.
Many of the winners of the Blaze Battle contest have signed major record deals since competing on the show, including E-Dubb, who signed to MCA, Bathgate, who signed a nice deal with Virgin and Shells, who can be found rhyming on J Records. To gain access to this year’s contest, Raymond O’Neal Jr. and is company are looking for rappers who have gained a buzz on the street through mixtapes and performances. For those hopeful rappers who have yet to gain street creditability, O’Neal is also excepting one to three minute videotapes. If you are interested in participating in this contest, email Raymond O’Neal at roneal@nuamericaagency.com
The contest, titled RBF/Blaze Battle—The Takeover will air on Urban In Demand on August 24.
