Master P Looking For America's Next Hip Hop Stars

06/03/2006 2:00 PM, Yahoo! Music
Billy Johnson Jr

Hip-hop needs an American Idol, and Master P has a plan.


The hip-hop mogul is developing his own reality talent show, America’s Next Hip Hop Stars, that will give up and coming rappers from across the country a chance to compete for a recording contract and $50,000.


Twelve solo and six group finalists will perform their favorite hip-hop songs or original material and will be critiqued by a panel of celebrity judges. At the end of each show, viewers will have an opportunity to vote via phone or online for their favorite performers. The contestants with the least amount of votes will be eliminated. In the final round, the solo artist and group with the highest number of votes will be crowned America’s Next Hip Hop Stars. Both winners will receive a recording contract and $50,000.


Even though Sean "Diddy" Combs and Missy Elliott have found success with their televised reality talent searches, America’s Next Hip-Hop Stars would be the first televised hip-hop show to allow America to help select the winner.


America's Next Hip Hop Stars will show a positive side of the genre says the rapper who calls himself the Jim McMahon of hip-hop. "I want to do it because hip-hop is the key to our culture," his says. "Hip-hop is the way out for our kids, and this is the way to show the world what our culture is really about."


While many corporations such as Reebok and Nike use hip-hop to market their products, Master P says the art form still does not get the props it deserves. "Why isn't mainstream praising hip-hop like it should?" Master P asks.


Master P, who will host the show, has already lined up an impressive list of celebrity judges, including Romeo, Snoop Dogg, Paul Wall, and former BET VJ Marie "Free" Wright. The show will also include a guest radio DJ each week and a performance from a top rap act.


Master P is contemplating whether to launch the program on cable, network television or pay-per-view. He is preparing to start a talent search for rap and reggaeton artists that will pass through 12 cities, six major and six small. "These will be country towns that people never went to," Master P says of the latter. Interested artists can receive sign up information from Master P’s website, http://guttarmusic.com/.


To kick off the show, Master P will host a Set It Off concert featuring performances from hip-hop stars. The proceeds will benefit Team Rescue One (www.teamrescueone.com), his organization that supports victims of Hurricane Katrina and fighting the Aids epidemic in Africa.


The New Orleans native who financed his own independent movies, also executive produced one of Nickelodeon’s most successful television sitcoms, The Romeo Show. Additionally, he was recently voted one of the most popular stars on the ABC network reality series Dancing With The Stars. As an icon for entrepreneurship, he is responsible for selling more than 75 million records, and has launched P.Miller clothing, footwear, jewelry and custom rims.

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