“Coldest” MC PyInfamous Rocks The Mic At ESSENCE® Music Fest

posted in: OurStage Updates

PyInfamous, The nation’s Coldest MC, Grand Prize winner of the Coors Light Search for The Coldest Competition,  recently rocked the mic at ESSENCE® Music Festival in New Orleans, LA.

While he was there, Py got the opportunity to do what he does best— represent the South, his home state of Mississippi, and dope hip-hop music in front of a crowd of fans and celebs alike. Combine all that with a little face time with hip-hop’s elite, and you’ve got one hell of a Grand Prize experience.

We couldn’t resist the urge to hit up Py for more details, so we recently caught up with him to get the low down on that event and more.

Aside from wowing OurStage fans and Coors judges alike, what exactly makes PyInfamous The Coldest MC? We’ll leave that explanation to the man himself:

I think the fact that I keep my music true to my reality and the reality that a lot of people are facing. That’s what a lot of music lacks. By combining substance with skill, I think I’ve been able to touch a certain part of people that a lot of the hip hop that is made now misses.

Throughout the final phase of the competition, it became obvious that Py’s lyrical skills weren’t the only thing helping him rack up votes. The MC rallied his fans the best way he knew how — creatively, filming sketches, drawing comics, and more. We asked him about his promotional master plan:

What we tried to do was develop some innovative, nontraditional methods to engage fans. We wanted to use social media but in a different manner, and the ultimate goal, and one I think we achieved, was to turn the contest over to the fans who then felt they had the power to pull out a win for hip-hop, for the South and for the state of Mississippi.

At the core of these efforts was the drive to land a performance at ESSENCE® Music Festival in New Orleans, an experience that placed PyInfamous in front of festival crowds. His verdict:

DJ Young Venom and I worked hard to piece together the dopest ten-minute set in history, and I think we accomplished that. Plus I was able to bring out Kerry Thomas, who sang the hook on “Bliss,” which definitely took the performance to another level. The crowd was live, and I had a chance to connect with some of them after the show. We took some pictures and gave away some promotional CDs. It’s always a good feeling to rock for people then connect with them directly to hear what they thought about the show.

And what about the movers and the shakers of today’s hip-hop business:

I ran into quite a few folks in New Orleans. I had a chance to chat with Pharrell for a second after the show, and we kicked it with PacDiv in the green room before and after our performances. I hung out with Bryan-Michael Cox on Saturday night backstage at Essence. I was back there with Macy Gray, Pusha T, Carl Anthony Payne II [Cole on Martin; Cockroach on The Cosby Show], Kevin Liles, Elton Brand [Philadelphia 76ers], Shay Haley from N.E.R.D., and a couple of other celebrities and pseudo-celebrities.

It’s clear that his hard work and dedication paid off, landing him the Coldest MC crown, a performance at ESSENCE® Music Festival, and more. A surreal experience at the least, we asked Py to sum up the competition for us:

The entire experience was phenomenal. From the first show in Atlanta to the final event at the ESSENCE® Music Festival in New Orleans, I was proud to represent my state, proud to represent the South, and proud to represent dope hip-hop music. The best part was being able to connect with fans in different markets and from different places who felt the music and who have been in contact via social media networks. I do think OurStage does a good job at making sure artists never forget that the fan is the most important person in music. We make our music for the fans, and it is ultimately the fan who proliferates our sound through various communication vehicles, especially or underground or independent hip-hop artists.

And now for some love for the fans from the Coldest MC:

It’s imperative that I shout [-out] everyone who voted in each round of the Coors Light Search for the Coldest contest and a special shout-out to everyone who voted in the final round. Big ups to Coors Light, Sheldon, Steve and the MillerCoors staff. Thank you to Bridgette and Jim at CommonGround, Silvia Cordy (my new second mom), and Tasha at GMR. Shouts to everyone at OurStage —Alex, Martin and the rest of the crew. Another round of congrats to OMG, Billa Camp, and Eclectic Approach. Shouts to Pharrell, Shay, Chad and Pac Div. And a huge thank you to my homies Mitch Green, Kerry Thomas, DJ Young Venom, Sam Katz and Kim Lynn. I know I missed quite a few folks, but thanks to all of y’all too!