Rick Ross, Ace Hood and Sean Garrett were the headlining acts at BMI’s 14th Annual Unsigned Urban Showcase. Held at The Buckhead Theater in Atlanta, the event provided an opportunity for new artists to showcase their talent in front of the industry’s leading tastemakers, media outlets and deejays.
DJ Drama served as the host for the showcase, which featured Chase N. Cashe, FKI, Jus Nice, & Saunders Sermons. Chase N. Cashe were named the winners of the showcase.
BMI also presented Deyvne Stephens with the Legends of ATL Award for his contributions as a community and music leader in Atlanta.
Comedian Lil Duval hosted the second half of the event, which kicked off with a performance by Sean Garrett. Most of the crowd appeared lethargic as the singer-songwriter sang several of his new songs and No. 1 hits recorded by artists such as Beyoncé and Usher.
Ace Hood brought a bit of energy to the crowd with his performance of “Hustle Hard”; Alley Boy was accompanied by nearly 40 members of his crew on stage during his short set; and Travis Porter received a decent response from the crowd as they rapped “Get Naked” and “Make It Rain.”
But Atlanta native Pastor Troy proved to be the crowd’s favorite opening act as they rapped nearly every word to his past hits, “No Mo Play in GA” and “Vice Versa.”
Rick Ross made his way to the stage shortly after midnight and opened with his most recent radio hit, “9 Piece.” He also performed “John,” “Aston Martin Music” and “MC Hammer.” After thanking the crowd, BMI and giving words of encouragement to new artists, he closed with his hit, “B.M.F.” –amir shaw
See Blogger Tami’s story on this event for more details and photos.
