Winner of the June Breakout Contest Announced

We are proud to announce the first winner of The Breakout Contest…. without further delay, please give it up yall (drum roll please….) for: LYRYCYST

The song: Go Get ‘Em
The Album: Revolution
[audio:Breakout=Lyrycyst=Go_Get_Em.mp3]

Bio: Lyrycyst, born Steven Cooper on the outskirts of Kansas City, Missouri, knows all about overcoming life’s obstacles. Steven was raised by his 15 year old single mother. After having two more children, his mother found herself trapped in an abusive marriage which eventually escalated out of control, often leaving the kids to watch the violence in disbelief. After leaving the relationship, the family was forced on the run, living out of hotel rooms, safe houses and even their family vehicle, as the ex-husband searched to find them. With an eighth grade education and very little money to put food on the table, Lyrycyst’s mother was forced to become a strip-dancer to pay the bills. The party atmosphere quickly led to a drug addiction, which continually grew to a $2,000 a week habit and sent the rest of the family on a downward spiral of depression, violence and heartbreak.

However, the road to recovery for the entire family would soon be in sight thanks to one of Lyrycyst’s old classmates and former party buddies, who stepped out on a limb and invited him to church. After hearing the name of Jesus for the very first time, 18 year old Steven Cooper made a commitment to follow what he had heard and in one year saw his entire family radically changed as he helped each one of them make the same decision. It was during this time that Lyrycyst dove head first into his passion for music and watched as his dreams unfolded before his eyes.

“I had a lot of friends in high school – black guys who were really into the hip-hop scene. They always used to work on hiphop music and criticized me because I was white. Eventually one of them dared me to write a rap song as a joke. But instead of joking, I decided to honestly try my hand at it. I was really trying to prove them wrong and change their stereotypes. It shouldn’t have to do with color or race. If I write good music, if I make good music and if I have a message behind it then my race shouldn’t matter. My friends were all shocked when I finally performed the rap I had wrote. In fact, they were so impressed with the lyrics that I was nicknamed “the lyricist” from that day forward.”

After more than 6 years of work and plenty of trials, Lyrycyst has taken that ‘dare’ all the way to a full time career, uprooting his life and his wife to tour the States. “I have been doing this full time for the past three years actually. And it has been rough. Don’t let it fool you, it’s not all glitz and glamour. The Christian music industry is a hard industry to be in. But it’s worth it. The response I see, the impact I know, I can honestly say that everyday I am trying my hardest to make the most of it and make an impact on other people’s lives. That’s a thing that other people are so concerned with: getting financially wealthy first and then doing it. Well, that doesn’t ever really happen; you can never get enough, you constantly want more. Many don’t realize that the most valuable thing this industry can give you is influence, and the chance to be a role model that impacts people’s lives. We make our sacrifices but, to me, it doesn’t feel like sacrificing, this is what I was born to do.”

As previously mentioned, Lyrycyst will be provided with a package that includes:

• Premier promotional package courtesy of Holy Culture, LLC (http://www.http://www.http://http://www.holyculture.net)
• Artist Development Consultation (three 30minSessions) courtesy of 90K Watts
• Indie Design Package (Single Cover, Promotional Banners, etc.) courtesy of Ink Candy Design Group
• Three beats for FREE from www.excluvisechristianbeats.com
• Banner placement on Holy Culture web properties
• Single will be added to a National Compilation CD courtesy of UnderGround Blaze Records
• Digital Distribution Deal for the Single courtesy of UnderGround Blaze Records

We want to thank our sponsors for their support: UnderGround Blaze Records, 90K Watts, Ink Candy Design Group, Exclusive Christian Beats, Holy Culture Radio Network and affiliate DJ networks Kingdom Affiliates and Higher Ground DJ International Pool.