The iStandard Producer’s Showcase recently hit tinsel town on its popular award tour to find, aid, assist, and showcase new producers while giving them an opportunity to have their sonic designs critiqued by music industry taste makers. While the panel of judges included Dirty Swift of MIDI Mafia (50 Cent, Justin Bieber, Fantasia, etc), Jeff Vaughn (A&R at Atlantic Records / Director of A&R at Artist Publishing Group), and Otha “Vakseen” Davis III (A&R at Slip-N-Slide Records / CEO of Vakseen LLC), the competing producers showcased a vast array of styles that ranged from hardcore hip-hop, dub-step, to pop.
As always, iStandard Co-Founder, J. Hatch served as the Master of Ceremonies for the event while fellow Co-Founder, Thrill Collins served as the director of the one’s and two’s for the evening. The Dragon Fly on Santa Monica Blvd played host to this years showcase and was a welcomed changed from last years venue. With classic hip-hop music blasting through the speakers, a few cocktails providing a sophisticated level of intoxication, and a room full of aspiring producers, songwriters, and industry heavyweights, the scene was set for a healthy competition.
Although this is a competition, iStandard sets the standard by making sure everyone knows that everyone is a superstar and deserves to be treated as such. With that attitude, the energy in the room resonated with positivity, love, and honest feedback and makes the environment highly conducive to networking. And who better to network with than Da Internz, who were in attendance to drop a few jewels on an audience as they both emphasized the importance os staying humble yet confident, building relationships, and investing in your craft. The entire night seemed to be more about providing words of wisdom rather than the music itself. Of course you heard the judges give the typical critiques to the producers like, “Enhance your sounds, work on your mixing, and work on making beats that songwriters can write,” but there was a heavy focus on building relationships which most of us know is one of the most vital elements to having success in the music industry.
One person that may be on his way to success is Marcus Jay, the pop-based producer that earned the most points over the course of the two-day competition. Marcus took home the victory in a very close competition that featured producers from all over the world, including to young gentlemen from Korea. Marcus was the winner of Native Instruments MASCHINE MIKRO, 1 OF 3 Products from Focusrite Novation (Impulse 25 controller Keyboard, Scarlett 8i6 (USB), or Saffire Pro 14 (Firewire), IK Multimedia iOS Products Valued at Over $1000 - iRig Microphone, AmpliTube iRig, iKlip, iRig MIDI, iRig Mix, plus their renowned plug-ins SampleTron, SampleMoog, and T-Racks 3 Deluxe, BKE’s BTVSOLO by Dallas Austin, Indamixx Pro Portable Studio, 101 Distribution Professional Set-Up – $499.95 Value (Click “Pro” Tab), iZotope’s The T-Pain Effect, a Soul II Sole T-Shirt / Hat from Time Bomb Clothing, a Lifetime Subscription to iStandardProducers.com, promotional gear from Monster Energy, and more.
While Marcus Jay may have been the announced winner, everyone in that room was a winner because of the amazing opportunities to network with like-minded people who all have a very similar vision. With that being said, iStandard definitely sets the standard when it comes to providing young producers and songwriters the opportunity to connect, build, and grow.
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In a world where conglomerates run the radio airwaves and velvet ropes keep the “have nots” in their “proper” place away from the “haves,” we are beat over the head with a Top 4o music culture that embodies repetition, fast money, and 2 minutes of fame for those that fight so hard to be a part of what has become the norm. For these reasons, the LA club scene tends to be a chaotic mess of pretentiousness, fictitious lifestyles, & well lets face it, fake DJ’s that hide behind their Serato and spins their favorite radio stations’ playlist.
Well, that nostalgic feeling can be found generally once a month at Vikter Duplaix’s, KissNGrind party. This is the place where LA’s sophisticated urban socialites come funky fresh dressed to impress and ready to PARTY! Each month the KissNGrind features a different world-renowned DJ like Biz Markie, Quest Love, and many more. If you don’t know, now you know that Mr. Duplaix always holds it down but at the last KissNGrind party, DJ Kid Capri started his set with a 30 minute slow-jam session that had the ladies “Weak in the Knees” and the fellas trying to “Bump N Grind.”
