This Is The Shot Serious Artists Have Been Waiting For.

One program built around what the industry actually rewards now — talent, business, and community. $50,000 cash. $300K in career acceleration. Enrollment closes August 30.

Enroll Now

The Problem

The Industry Stopped Developing Artists.

Labels wait for you to blow up on your own — then swoop in. Streaming pays $0.003 per play. The gatekeepers are invisible. Going viral doesn't pay rent. If you're waiting for the industry to come find you, it's not coming.

📉

Streaming Pays Nothing

1 million streams = $3,000. A single music video shoot costs more than that. You've done the math. The platforms aren't built to pay artists — they're built to keep listeners.

🔒

The Door Is Closed

Labels don't develop talent anymore. They sign audiences. You can't talk to an A&R without a manager. You can't get a manager without traction. You can't get traction without a budget.

📱

You're On Rented Land

A post blows up. Then silence. The algorithm decides who gets seen, when, and for how long. You've built your career on a platform that can change the rules overnight — and has.

📋

The Business Is A Black Box

Publishing splits. Sync licensing. Performance royalties. The money exists — but without a team or a label, most artists sign away things they didn't know they owned.

What You Become

You Don't Just Enroll. You Come Out Different.

By the time this is over, you'll have performed in front of real audiences across 8 cities, gone through real industry evaluation, built a real fanbase, and proven — to yourself first — that you can run this like a business. Win or lose, you leave with infrastructure. That's the point.

How It Works

5 Phases. 12 Challenges. Real Stakes.

The Rise is built around three pillars — Talent, Business, and Community. Each phase tests all three. By the end, the artists still standing aren't the most talented. They're the most prepared.

Phase 01

Sign-Up + Qualification

Every enrolled artist is invited to a live Zoom interview with industry executives, then receives four qualification tasks across creativity, business readiness, and community engagement. Performance in both determines advancement.

Phase 02

Artist Hub + Mentorship

Artists who advance get access to the private Artist Hub — weekly mentoring sessions, the Rise/Artist Desk app, resources, and ongoing tasks to build audience, structure, revenue, and momentum.

Phase 03

Live Events + Advanced Execution

Advanced tasks, special LIVE streaming events, top-level mentoring, and the pop-up music series and 8-city bus tour. Stage presence, audience engagement, and execution evaluated in real time.

Phase 04

Industry Access + Final Evaluation

Final high-level tasks, strategic Zoom sessions with industry executives, branding and distribution discussions, and final presentations to the industry panel. Highest scorers advance to Phase 5.

Phase 05

The Execution Finale

The final 8 artists go to New York City for live performances, exclusive industry meetings, and final evaluations. Winner takes home $50,000 cash and the full $300,000 career acceleration package.

The Artist Hub

Everything You Need.
In One Place.

From the day you're accepted, you get access to the private Artist Hub — your operations center for the entire program.

🎯

Live Challenge Drops

12 challenges across talent, business, and community — released throughout the program. Real briefs, real deadlines.

📊

Live Scoring & Leaderboard

See exactly where you stand at every stage. Scores broken down by pillar so you know what to sharpen.

🎓

Workshops & Masterclasses

Industry-led sessions on publishing, royalties, live revenue, marketing systems, and brand partnerships.

🤝

Peer Community

Private community of the accepted cohort. The room you've been trying to get into your whole career — already inside.

📞

Direct Judge Feedback

Specific, scored feedback from working industry professionals. Not generic notes — what to fix and why.

📈

Career Toolkit

Templates, contracts, pitch decks, and the operating systems we use ourselves. Yours to keep. Forever.

The Prize

WIN THE PRIZE AND Build A Real Career.

The winner doesn't just walk away with cash. They walk away with a full launch infrastructure most independent artists never get access to.

Grand Prize

$50,000 Cash

Wired directly to the winner. No conditions on how you spend it. Use it to record, tour, hire, invest — whatever your next move requires.

Plus $250K Career Acceleration Package

Everything the winner needs to launch — itemized, real, and delivered by working industry partners.

Professional Recording Package

Studio time, engineering, mixing, and mastering at industry-standard facilities.

$30,000

Music Video Production

Full production package — director, crew, locations, post.

$50,000

Digital Marketing & Promotion

Multi-channel campaign — paid, organic, content, influencer.

$75,000

PR & Media Exposure

Press strategy, placements, and ongoing media campaign.

$40,000

Distribution & Playlist Support

Strategic distribution and editorial pitching across major DSPs.

$25,000

Artist Mentorship & Career Development

12 months of ongoing mentorship from working industry professionals — A&R, management, touring, brand.

$30,000

Total Package Value

$300,000

The Judges

Real Industry. Real Evaluation.

No celebrity panel theater. The judges scoring you are the same people who make signing, booking, and partnership decisions every day. Full panel reveal coming soon.

Bill Herndon

An entrepreneur, award-winning content producer, and creator development strategist with a career spanning entertainment, digital media, and technology. He has collaborated with Warner Music Group, Atlantic Records, VH1, and TikTok, and serves as CEO of ATRX Agency — an official TikTok LIVE partner agency — where he helps creators and artists grow audiences, monetize their platforms, and build long-term digital infrastructure.

Jason Jordan

A veteran music executive, A&R strategist, producer, and artist development mentor with more than 30 years of experience. He co-founded the influential Watermark Records before helping launch the retail music program for Urban Outfitters — a groundbreaking initiative that helped shape modern music marketing culture.

Joel T. Jordan

A creative technology entrepreneur, designer, and music industry strategist with more than 30 years of experience at the intersection of music, branding, publishing, and software innovation. After co-founding Watermark Records alongside his twin brother Jason Jordan, he developed youth-culture branding and creative campaigns for major companies including Sony, Disney, and legendary nightlife brands Twilo (NYC) and Womb (Tokyo).

Kurt Woodley

A legendary music executive, A&R strategist, and artist development mentor whose career helped shape the sound and culture of hip-hop and R&B during one of the most influential eras in music history. A longtime collaborator of the late Andre Harrell, Kurt was a key part of the Uptown Records movement — home to Mary J. Blige, Jodeci, Heavy D & the Boyz, Guy, and Father MC — and is credited as one of the A&R executives behind the development of both Mary J. Blige and Jodeci.

JoJo Brim

A cultural architect whose career spans three decades at powerhouses including Def Jam, LaFace, and 300 Entertainment, where he shaped the trajectories of artists ranging from Big Sean, Trey Songz, and Case to rising stars Niko Brim, Big Money Blitz, and Rosario Ray.

David Anthony

Known as "davidanthonymix" — is a Grammy-nominated producer, mix engineer, musician, technology entrepreneur, and Recording Academy / Grammy Board member with more than 30 years of experience spanning music production, artist development, engineering, and digital innovation. Born and raised on New York City's Upper West Side, he has worked across R&B, Hip-Hop, House, Dance, Pop, and Electronic music.

Masta Ace

A legendary hip-hop artist, producer, and storyteller widely regarded as one of the most influential lyricists in hip-hop history. First gaining recognition as a member of the iconic Juice Crew alongside Big Daddy Kane, Kool G Rap, and producer Marley Marl, he went on to build a critically acclaimed solo career spanning more than three decades.

Rich Ahee

A veteran music executive, executive producer, entrepreneur, and artist development strategist whose career spans artist management, music production, branding, and entertainment business development. Early in his career, Rich played a key role in helping launch legendary hip-hop duo Kid 'N Play — contributing to the business and development of one of hip-hop's first mainstream crossover acts during the golden era of rap and film culture.