In honor of Black history month, AT&T and Blackberry teamed up to develop ‘Elevate Young Black Voices’, an online talent search that allowed ambitious singers to submit a video entry of an ‘original song that is inspiring and motivational to the African-American community’. The four chosen winners received a two hour private mentoring session with the Voice’s coach CeeLo Green and Goodie Mob. It’s been 14 years since Goodie Mob released their last studio album and ‘Age Against The Machine’ is scheduled to be released on August 27. Last week during AT&T BlackBerry Q10 Launch event, the four winners showcased their individual talents and teamed up with Goodie Mob to reprise CeeLo infectious hit ‘F*** You’ aka ‘Forget You’.
Elevate Winners:
Justice Ami from Palmdale, Calif.
Kno’Bodie, from Inglewood, Calif.
Rahkua, from Jackson, Miss.
Eveready, from Kansas City, Mo.
This star studded Orange carpet event had many celebrities: Vivica A. Fox from Kill Bill, Marques Houston from Sister Sisters and You Got Served Model Phoebe Price Joey Adams from Chasing Amy fame Kate Mansi, and Ari Zucker from Days of our Lives.
Our good friends, Chuong Nguyen and Meredith Red also attended the AT&T BlackBerry Q10 launch event. Chuong recorded the Flash Mob Orange carpet video featuring: Cassie Scerbo, Josie Loren, Brittny Sugarman, Todrick Hall, Kane Silver, Sarah Blades, Jennie Thompson, and Jyson Tucker.
Head over to www.att.com/voices to see the winning video entries.
Below is the official press release:
LOS ANGELES, June 19, 2013 — CeeLo Green and Goodie Mob, the legendary Southern
rap group made up of CeeLo, Big Gipp, Khujo & T-Mo, reunited to announce the winners of
the “Elevate Young Black Voices” online talent contest in Los Angeles on Tuesday night. The
contest gave four talented singers the opportunity to win a two-hour private mentoring session,
and perform live with the group during the finale concert at Hollywood nightclub, Playhouse, in
front of friends, celebrities, and VIP guests. In honor of June’s Black Music Month, AT&T and
BlackBerry collaborated to develop the contest that encouraged aspiring solo artists to upload a
video of an original song that is inspiring and motivational to the African-American community to www.att.com/voices.
The four rising stars received an exclusive VIP experience from their mentoring session to
the performance venue. CeeLo Green and Goodie Mob mentored the winners at a popular
Los Angeles studio, The Boom Boom Room, to prepare them for their debut performance
as “Elevate Young Black Voices” winners. The four aspiring solo artists, Justice Ami from
Palmdale, Calif.; Kno’Bodie, from Inglewood, Calif.; Rahkua, from Jackson, Miss.; and
Eveready, from Kansas City, Mo.; showcased their talent individually, and then joined the stage
with Goodie Mob to perform CeeLo’s hit song, “Forget You.”
“Goodie Mob is one of the most eclectic groups in Hip Hop,” says Matt Teshera, Sr. Diversity
Marketing Manager – West Region, AT&T. “With their recent reunion, CeeLo Green’s nationally
recognized experience as a mentor and the innovative personalities of both brands, a
collaboration fit perfectly for Black Music Month.”
“We’re passionate about inspiring and encouraging people to pursue their ambitions, and we’re
thrilled to see this program come into fruition,” says Adrian Faull, Vice-President, Channel
Marketing, BlackBerry.
“It’s an amazing feeling to help develop an artist, and we had a chance to work with four
extremely talented people. I have had the unique opportunity to find and cultivate talent
throughout my career, and I am proud that with my Goodie Mob brothers by my side, we are in
a position to work with AT&T and BlackBerry to help ‘Elevate Young Black Voices’ through this
contest,” said CeeLo Green.
You can view the star four’s winning videos at www.att.com/voices.
Goodie Mob’s new album “Age Against the Machine” is scheduled for release on August 27
and will be the group’s first album together in 14 years.
