User-generated content site Bolt Media Thursday unveiled a competition for hopeful hip-hop artists. The winner of the contest, "Voice on Blast," will perform at the Hip Hop Theater Festival next
month, and audition for a spot on Russell Simmons' Def Poetry Jam.
To enter, Bolt members must submit video, audio, or written pieces to the site, where the entries are then rated
by other Bolt members. The director of the hip-hop festival, Clyde Valentin, will then look at the top 10. The performer deemed to be most creative will receive a spot in the New York City hip-hop
festival, which will take place from June 15 to 24.
Venus Ferrer, Bolt Media director of corporate marketing, said the contest enables consumers who enthusiastically create their own media to
graduate to a bigger platform. "With Bolt, we always say an audience of one is still an audience. With this contest, we're going to help them get to the next level," she said.
The contest is
hosted on a Bolt profile page, which users can add to their friends'[ lists and link from their profiles. The page carries run-of-site ads.
Bolt will promote the profile on its front page, and
the New York City weekly paper The Village Voice will also promote Bolt's contest, as well as the festival itself. TheaterMania.com, which is providing online ticketing for the event, is also
promoting Bolt's contest.