Grammy Award-Winner T-Pain to Find the Next Hip-Hop Star

OurStage, a music discovery destination providing professional opportunities for up-and-coming talent, and Grammy Award-winning artist T-Pain today announced they will join forces to discover the next hip-hop or R&B star. Artists can submit their music at http://www.ourstage.com/go/tpain beginning today for a chance to record a single with T-Pain that will be distributed through his online label, Nappy Boy Digital.

“Thanks to the Internet, this is a new day and age for artists hoping to be heard,” says T-Pain. “That’s what inspired me to form Nappy Boy Digital. This is a label designed to break down barriers and introduce new voices to the masses. I’m looking forward to working with OurStage to find an exciting new artist and take him or her to the next level.”

“We are thrilled to work with an accomplished artist like T-Pain. It continues to be our priority to work with top-notch artists and production companies who graciously offer insight and professional opportunities to OurStage artists,” said Ben Campbell, CEO, OurStage. “We strive to further enhance the value of OurStage through key partnerships that are mutually beneficial to both our artists and industry professionals.”

To enter, artists must download T-Pain’s “Everybody Else” on OurStage, listen to the first 30 seconds and then complete the song with their own lyrics. In addition to the winning song being posted on T-Pain’s Web site, the winner will receive a one-track recording contract with Nappy Boy Digital, with the option to extend. In addition, all entries ranked in the Channel’s Top 10 will be featured on Radio One affiliate stations in December. T-Pain will play top entries and announce the winner on-air.

T-Pain, who was recently lauded with Songwriter of the Year and Producer of the Year honors at the BMI Urban Awards, is currently gearing up for the November 11th release of his highly anticipated new album THR33 RINGZ. The much-buzzed-about disc features collaborations with artists such as Lil Wayne, Chris Brown, Ludacris, T.I., Kanye West, Akon, Diddy, Mary J. Blige, and Ciara, among others. As recently pointed by Billboard, over the course of the past two years, T-Pain has enjoyed 27 top 10 songs collectively on the Billboard Hot 100 and Hot R&B/Hip Hop Songs charts. His success story continues with “Can’t Believe It,” the lead single from THR33 RINGZ, which has sold more than a half-million digital copies in only nine weeks.

OurStage recently launched an iPhone app called OurStage Radio. The company also recently released Sort 4 judging and Partyline, two new social tools that further connect artists, fans and industry professionals. Through relationships with Live Nation, AOL Music, Noise Pop, Bonnaroo, Bumbershoot, CMJ and more, OurStage has awarded more than 75 slots to popular OurStage acts at major national music festivals and numerous mentoring sessions with top recording artists such as John Legend and G. Love. In addition, the company is enjoying major success with its jobs Marketplace, through which OurStage artists have secured gigs opening for Maroon 5, Counting Crows, Matt Nathanson and more.

SOURCE OurStage, Inc.

PICTURED: T-Pain onstage during the 2008 BET Hip-Hop Awards at The Boisfeuillet Jones Atlanta Civic Center on October 18, 2008 in Atlanta, Georgia.

(Photo by Rick Diamond/Getty Images for BET)