Rolling Loud has officially closed the books on their Got Bars? competition, which has finally concluded after an eight-month run on their Twitch channel. On May 21st, the final three went head to head in front of a panel of judges -- EMPIRE's COO Nima Etminan, EMPIRE A&Rs Bobby Fisher and Mark Buol, and Rolling Loud Co-Founder Tariq Cherif -- before one winner was ultimately decided.
Taking the crown was Brooklyn emcee Dupree G.O.D, who secured himself a distribution deal with EMPIRE, a paid slot at a future Rolling Loud Festival, sponsorship support from Monster Energy, and the backing of Miami radio channel 99 Jamz.
“I came into this competition with something to prove, not only to myself but to everyone around," stated Dupree, after taking home the big victory. This win is a precious moment and opportunity that I will not take for granted. Thank you Rolling Loud, Monster, and EMPIRE records.”
Cherif, the co-founder of Rolling Loud, also shared a few words about Dupree in a press release. "Rolling Loud has always been committed to supporting up-and-coming artists, it's part of our DNA," he states. "They're vital to keeping the culture alive and well, which is why we started Got Bars. We searched far and wide for rappers that have what it takes to make it in today’s musical landscape, and we believe our judges found a gem in Dupree G.O.D. He's a wildly entertaining MC with star potential who stands a real chance to make it in this game. We're really excited to see where he goes from here!”
A New Yorker through and through, Dupree draws influence from different generations of Big Apple artistry, with Nas being his favorite rapper and Pro Era's Powers Pleasant holding it down as his favorite producer. Don't be surprised to see more from Dupree G.O.D. in the near future, especially now that he's got EMPIRE backing him.
You can check out the finale to Got Bars? below.
WATCH: Rolling Loud Presents Got Bars? Finale