Individuals at participating Departments of Corrections will submit original lyrics for consideration, Lecrae to select winner for song production and distribution
DALLAS, TX, August 17, 2021 — Aventiv, a technology company providing communication services and free educational and re-entry resources to correctional facilities, announced its inaugural “Original Hip-Hop Track Contest” open to individuals who are incarcerated in select State Department of Corrections facilities. Contestants will write original lyrics and a song title to one of three beats produced by hip-hop Record Producer, Zaytoven. All applicable entries will be read and assessed by students enrolled at The Morris Brown College Department of Music, a historically Black university located in downtown Atlanta. The students will select the top 25 finalists, and Grammy Award winning artist, Lecrae, will select the winner whose song will be recorded, mastered and publicly released.
“There are very few opportunities that give those locked up a sense of hope, and even fewer that encourage and recognize the level of musical talent that sits in our prison system – this contest does both, which is why I’m proud to be involved,” said Lecrae, who is also known for his social justice and faith-based activism. “Our brothers and sisters in the incarcerated community are often forgotten, but with this project I believe that Aventiv is committed to amplifying their voices in a bold and innovative way. I know I’ll be amazed by the submissions and create an incredible moment for one individual with the production and mass distribution of the winning track.”
Aventiv is working with select DOCs who agreed to participate on implementing this first-of-its kind contest, which will be open to all incarcerated individuals serving time in those states. The contest rules are simple: the lyrics must be original, positive, without any curse words, violence, or gang references and the track must be under 4 minutes in length. Record Producer Zaytoven produced three beats to the contest for participants to set their lyrics to. Three students led by Dr. Bernard Short from The Morris Brown College Department of Music will select the top 25 lyrics from all the entries submitted. Lecrae, in partnership with Reach Records, will then select one winner, produce the winning track onsite at the winner’s facility, master the song, before distributing it for free to all incarcerated individuals who have access to music services provided by Aventiv. The general public will also be able to access the song via streaming services such as Spotify, Apple Music, YouTube, Amazon and more. Any revenue made through streaming services will be donated to a 501c3 charity providing rehabilitative support for the corrections community in the winning state.
“Aventiv is uniquely positioned to bring a contest of this scale to the corrections community, so we were elated when Lecrae and Morris Brown College agreed to partner with us to shine a spotlight on the creative talents of the incarcerated, and make one individual’s music dream come true,” said Dave Abel, President and CEO of Aventiv Technologies. “Music has a powerful impact on our mindsets and daily lives. One of the goals of this campaign is to ignite creativity and passion among participants, and we hope it’s a life changing experience for the winner.”
This campaign is an example of Aventiv Technologies’ further investment in the incarcerated community and encouraging individuals to explore and celebrate their musical talents. Participating locations and DOCs for this contest include California (California Institute for Women; California Substance Abuse Treatment Facility at Corcoran; Central California Women’s Facility; High Desert State Prison and Kern Valley State Prison), Idaho, Minnesota, New Jersey, New York State Department of Corrections and Community Supervision, North Dakota and the Dakota Women’s Correctional Rehab Center, and Washington. The campaign winner will be announced on October 19, 2021, and the winning track will be unveiled for distribution by the end of November 2021. More details and deadlines on entering the contest, along with the official announcement, dates for the finalists and winner, can be found here: https://bit.ly/2VLNETh