Head to Head

Last night's Red Bull Big Tune competition drew a modest crowd of hip-hop enthusiasts ready to watch twelve Chicago producers battle it out. Bragging rights and the chance to compete for the national title in Seattle on October 18 were at stake as producers played their original beats on Metro's stage. As the night progressed, the audience were entertained by the producers' beats reverberating through the room, a performance by producer Black Milk and rapper Charli2na and a DJ spinning between battles. Whether it was operatic trills, trumpets, "Zebras chasing a lion shit", or old school soul samples, the crowd bobbed their heads in appreciation, creating a new sound with their enthusiastic cries of "Oh!" Some of the producers stood behind their table, nodding their heads, while others were true showmen: dancing, posing for pictures and video tape, checking their Sidekicks, and miming the instruments sampled in their beats.

In the end, it came down to Tall Black Guy - who wowed the crowd with his material, inability to stay clothed, and enthusiastic dancing - and Rio whose chill, composed attitude could be heard in his incredible beats. Both won the opportunity to travel to Seattle in October after beating out ten other producers that evening. But who had Chicago's Big Tune? The audience were hard pressed to determine a definite winner: Tall Black Guy and Rio went into the producer equivalent of overtime by performing one more beat with TBG coming out victorious.

That's whats up.


- Anthonia