Kwanza Hall, Councilor of District 2—the heart of Atlanta, opened up the showcase acknowledging his stunning wife, Natalie Hall and outlining his duties on the Atlanta City Council. Hall proceeded to announce that the people present are "the future of the industry[...and] anything that the city of Atlanta can do to help you, you can count on me and Mayor Reed."
The host, a 2-year IMC veteran employee, Elle transitioned to an introduction of the judge panel who included A&R and Creative Director at Rock City, Jamar; founder and CEO of Mizay Entertainment (and popularly known as hip hop artist’s Waka Flocka's mother), Debra Antney; Associate Director of Writer/Publisher Relations of SESAC, Greggory Smith; and co-founder/CEO of Aphilliates, DJ Trendsetta Sense. Following their opening remarks was a brief interview with last year's winning participant, Kamal 'Speakerkiller' Gillespie. Sporting a backpack as if he was ready for spontaneous world travel, Gillespie reflected on his London experience and with great excitement he concluded with, "I got a chance to meet a lot of people. A&R's, DJs, Executives[...]"–an insurmountable number of people. Of course Gillespie was asked, "what advice would [he] share to the starry eyed faces of IMC 2014 ATL?" Gillespie responded with wise instructions as he advised the audience to build a reliable team and "know what you're doing when pursuing your musical goal."
Succeeding Gillespie's account, the first of contestant was brought to the stage. Each producer presented three tracks that embraced an international appeal and awaited for the judges' personalized assessments. The judges, giving disclaimers that they had no intent of malice, dished out individual constructive criticism and valuable advice. Jamar of Rock City, suggested to remain true to self, "stop trying" and "find your own lane" when honing in your sound. Debra Antney, provided comedic relief with her jovial New York personality, but sincerely spoke on the difficulties of being a female in a male driven industry. After the seven competing producers audibly displayed their tracks, the hosts tallied the judges notations and announced the winner. They called all the contestants to the stage and dubbed producer Josiah the title-holder as IMC 2014 Producer Showcase prizewinner. Hailing from London, Josiah's music shifted the audience's energy and had everyone's head bobbing to his dynamic beats. DJ Trendsetta Sense assured him he "has a prosperous career ahead of him in the near future" while Jamar and Debra playfully fought over him.
The event concluded with a humble speech from Josiah, where he dedicated his award to his father who recently passed away.
Check back at idOmusiconline.com for more recaps on the International Music Conference.