It has to be surreal going from making beats in your grandma’s basement one year to working with hip-hop mainstay Nas the next. But C-Sick, the winner of the Red Bull Big Tune 2008 beat battle, doesn’t come off as nervous about being a part of this landmark collaboration. Instead, I see this 18-year-old newcomer as quietly confident and eager, not wanting to draw attention to his own anticipation.
Humbleness is underrated in hip-hop. Despite what some say, ego does not automatically equal talent and 18-year-old rookie producer C-Sick is proof that even the most quiet hip-hopper can capture a crowd.
Watching the then 17-year-old beatsmith face off with the competition at the 2008 Red Bull Big Tune Chicago battle, C-Sick was clearly not only one of the youngest in the competition, but he was also one of the most reserved. Still, as the skinny kid from Chicago’s South Side modestly shuffled his arms along to his own bouncy beats, the audience responded loudly and I knew he was on the verge of doing big things.
When I got word that C-Sick won the Red Bull Big Tune Finals at the Highline Ballroom In New York, it was good to know that East Coast heads embraced the emerging Midwest producer. Earlier this year I caught up with him via e-mail to talk about his victory and he told me, “Since I was the representative of Chicago as well as the runner-up Rob Bates, I had to put my best into it and show the public that Chicago has a lot of talent.”
Since holding it down for Chicago last Fall at the finals, C-Sick didn’t try to jump right into the industry and I commend him for that. Still finishing up his senior year of high school, he has no problem keeping things low-key while continuing to collect samples and knock out beats on his Toshiba laptop. And when he has time, he keeps his ear to the rap game. “Not a lot of people heard about me, but I did still keep in contact with many record labels,” he says.
Coming up to April, with school coming to a close, and young C-Sick finds himself in L.A. working with Nas as part of his Red Bull Big Tune prize. After two years of quietly building his skills, I have a feeling this is just the beginning for the burgeoning beat maker.
You can catch up with C-Sick at www.myspace.com/csickmusik
Words by Max Herman, photo by Robert Downs/Red Bull Photofiles
On this energized summer night 12 men enter and only 1 man would emerge as Red Bull Big Tune Denver’s producer finalist, as the nation’s premier music producer battle made its second stop along its third national tour. Over 700 crazed onlookers packed Beta nightclub to listen and shake a stanky leg as Denver native “Boon Doc” beat up the competition to claim his seed for the National Red Bull Big Tune Championship in Atlanta in October.
Veteran producer Vitamin D and Jake One got the spinning started as Exile and Black Milk, entertained the crowd between battles. Jonathan Moore, one of the co-founders w/Vitamin D, emceed and helped contain the heard of cats. As the couple of intense hours of competition progressed, I quickly learned to appreciate how sick a beat competition between some of the best producer talent can truly sound.
The next stop on the Red Bull Big Tune tour is Chicago, where twelve more eager participants will take the stage on July 13th to crown the “Windy City” beatsmith, who just might have the next big tune. Other regional battles will be hosted in Houston, Seattle, Long Beach, Detroit and Minneapolis. The top two producers from each city will square-off in October 2009 at the Red Bull Big Tune National Championship in New York City. The winner of the National Championship wins the opportunity to collaborate with a recording artist of his/her choice in the prestigious Red Bull Recording Studios in Santa Monica, CA. Last year’s Red Bull Big Tune National Champion had the opportunity record with hip-hop star, Nas.
I arrived in Denver truthfully unaware of what exactly my assignment was. All I knew I was to shoot a beat-producer competition upon my arrival I was directed to Red Bull Big Tune co-founders Jonathan Moore & Vitamin D and was able to get the skinny on what was about to get down: (note: this was recorded as a video interview. But after further review, I suck at shooting video and will spare you the motion sickness.)
BET and Red Bull have teamed up to give viewers front row and backstage access to the nations premiere music producer battle Red Bull Big Tune. During the 2008 U.S. championship clash, 16 producers from 8 cities battled head-to-head in front of a live audience in New York City to win respect, votes and ultimately to claim the title of Red Bull Big Tune Champion.
In this head-to-head competition, there will only be ONE producer left standing – the one with the big tune. You wont want to miss how it all unfolds. Special appearances by Alchemist, Digable Planets, DJ Premiere, Sha Money XL and Young Buck.
Tune in for the Finals, May 21st at 7:30 P.M. ET/PT on BET
