THE MC. THE PLATFORM. THE CULTURE. The GARDEN. tHE CYPHER.
MC: master of ceremonies who focus and moves the crowd through skills, lyrical ability, subject matter, originality, and presence.
Platform: an opportunity to voice one's views or initiate action
Culture: Hip-Hop
Garden: New Jersey, a rich well-cultivated region
Cypher: a circle of MCs competitively exchanging bars, showcasing your ability to rap, and showcasing every attribute you have as a MC.
AWARDS
Who Got BARS? Champion
- Tidal Discovery Song Feature
- Rapfest Breaking Artists Showcase Performance
- "That NJish" feature with DJ Drewski (Hot 97), Julie Aly (The Rapfest), and Marisa Mendez (In Flex We Trust)
- Team Suvas Clothing Goodie Bag
What Happened To The Jersey MC?
Jersey was essential in building the foundation of Hip-Hop and shaping the identity of hip-hop to the mainstream. We have had a diverse roster of MCs with different styles starting in the 70's' with Sugar Hill Gang, and late 80's into the 90's with Queen Latifah, Fugees, Naughty By Nature, Lords Of The Underground, Poor Righteous Teachers, Redman, Double XX Posse, and so much more. But after the early 2000's after Joe Budden and Ransom there has been a void in Hip-Hop coming from the Garden State.
We know these calibers of MCs still exist in the Garden State, but just does not have a platform to tell their story, showcase their lyrical ability, and make their presence felt.
NCAA Tournament for MCs
Who Got BARS? is entering our sixth season, and our inaugural season in the Garden State. The cypher competition has been dubbed the "NCAA Tournament For MCs" due to it's four round/ four week duration to name one MC champion. This competition challenges the MC's durability to have consistent captivating stage presence, lyrical showmanship, and authentic flow.
This platform is for the MCs to tell their story.
We are looking for the Best Artist with Raw Skills coming straight from the Garden.
