The Judges have spoken - The LeBron 23-23 Top 23

Many thanks to Atlantic Records, CPB, & the Paul Wall camp for making your selections. These tracks will be judged personally by LeBron James, Paul Wall, & Al Fatz.

Thanks to everyone that participated in this phase of the contest. If you didn't make it this time, keep your eyes peeled on this blog, we have other promo opportunities for those not in the Top 23.

Below are the top 23 in no particular order.

RoneNeffect     Da_Juice
JayWade         Akron OH Fire
SYBLINZ         Lebron
cmoneyot        Lymon Shot
ETERNALLYBALLN  DAY AND NIGHT
JamesPrysock    Day On the Job
djcoolface      djcoolfaceflip
OBleek          LEBRON, LYMON, & LIME!
JJJonez         NDN STYLZ 4U
ETERNALLYBALLN  ETERNALLYBALLIN(2)
Maximillian23   King James  is Ballin
ThaProphet      SIMPLE FUNK
chrisdvc26      lemon lime final
Do1Reg          THE CROSS OVER
Keyz_Muzik      LeBrons' #1 Trax
Jules010        Return of The King (23)
DustinLowes     Lymon Invasion
GODofNYC        Don't Move
D-LO            Lethal Hits "Lebron Part 1"
arsan           L/L/L MIX
MaJEstik23      MYSPACE.COM/JE23
DJCHUNG         ULTRACHUNGMIX
BigChief317     Sensation

The Top 23 are Chosen

The judges each got their selections to me last night. I compiled the list around 1am, the agency pulled the mp3s from the Listen Lab 1hr ago, and I'm burning CDs of the Top 23 to have hand delivered to LeBron James on Sunday.

From there, it's up to LeBron, Paul Wall, & Al Fatz. They'll get the top 3 back to me from there. The top 3 get embedded into the TV commercial...Not just just the mix, but your name too.

The LeBron spot premieres during NBA All-Star 2007.

It's that simple...

I'll post the Top 23 later today. Stay tuned...

THE LIST

1 arsan       L/L/L MIX
2 dustyroad00 THE BEAST IS ALIVE
3 MaJEstik23 MYSPACE.COM/JE23
4 Jules010 Return of The King (23)
5 Rip_One MVP
6 HoggCorps super slapp
7 HitmanDDub Mission 23
8 ThaExek LBJ Commercial Mix
9 DustinLowes Lymon Invasion
10 GODofNYC Don't Move
11 RoneNeffect Da_Juice
12 AlfordAvenue cReePiN
13 SYBLINZ Lebron
14 27Saints From AL to OH
15 RoneNeffect Brains&Bron
16 txstateovmind LETSGETITBRON!
17 JayWade Akron OH Fire
18 RoneNeffect TongueHunt
19 DJCHUNG ULTRACHUNGMIX
20 b3davis VOTE FOR THIS ONE
21 MuzikPatrol Bron23
22 BigChief317 Sensation
23 Infinity1986 Infinity
24 OBleek       LEBRON, LYMON, & LIME!
25 1REIGNMAN KING 23
26 BEAT-MACHINE PLAY YOUR GAME
27 citiboi10 Vegas Presents
28 SivilSyko Lemon Shots In Lime Light
29 ThaProphet SIMPLE-N-SICK
30 NicNac        Lebron's Theme
31 ThaProphet SIMPLE FUNK
32 JJJonez NDN STYLZ 4U
33 chrisdvc26 lemon lime final
34 the_grouch Late night snak
35 ThaProphet LEBRON BOND
36 Rip123 Theme #23
37 D-HusseL UnDiscovered
38 D-LO       Lethal Hits "Lebron Part 1"
39 reprisalmusic supa sprite
40 Do1Reg       THE CROSS OVER
41 jaimep       VIRIN1
42 acewilliams Juice
43 cmoneyot Lymon Shot
44 DJSHINE1985 The  END
45 Keyz_Muzik LeBrons' #1 Trax
46 GODofNYC Don't Waste Great Taste
47 Keyz_Muzik Professionally done for King James
48 Slimdog Lebron Snapz
49 Keppen       BALLIN-myspace.com/KEPPEN2007
50 txstateovmind countryswagger
51 Milsapt KING JAMES CINEMA
52 Slimdog 2 to da 3
53 Slimdog Lebron Indie
54 russianceylon XKLUZIV
55 ETERNALLYBALLN DAY AND NIGHT
56 DJDJONES 1rst
57 CabV       green team go
58 BLAZINTRAX BLAZIN DA FIYAH
59 THEHEIR23 THE HEIR
60 PharmacistXris Project James
61 JamesPrysock Day On the Job
62 GODofNYC I G0t Thi$
63 BallinAllDay A KIng Iz Born
64 ETERNALLYBALLN ETERNALLYBALLIN
65 ETERNALLYBALLN MISCHEVIOUS
66 lildiddy2265 007-king_james
67 Slimdog James. Lebron James 0023
68 Cachirul Zapopan
69 24hRx        Kingdom Come
70 ETERNALLYBALLN Ultimate Crime
71 KaliforniaBoy Mission Impossible
72 bigmostl26 obey your thirst
73 Apino06 Caotic Confusion
74 dajenious 30seconds_LBJ
75 WarlordEnt The Takeover
76 marqell24 lesprite  mix
77 Maximillian23 King James  is Ballin
78 yomendou Lim-on It
79 6lu_J       Sublymonal2007
80 WikedWood Run Ya Mouth
81 maticulous Subliminal Hit
82 Zellis       Champion Music
83 tumorBoomer bottleJerk(finMix)
84 spa3       Lymon Bounce
85 ETERNALLYBALLN ETERNALLYBALLIN(2)
86 aznceltik Crazy!!! (Remix)
87 djcoolface djcoolfaceflip
88 infOKcmo Court Vision
89 Rip123       LeBron's Theme (Rip 1)
90 CCBEATS The TRUTH Arrives
91 TheRaynStorm Rayn'z LeBron Track
92 Akrons_Finest Akron's Finest
93 Scriibbes subliminal messages
94 Durojaiye Man Amongst Boys
95 MANNYMANMUSIC Purple Heart
96 prep-a-red prep-a-red jaun 1
97 Rick_Luv Operation_Thirst
98 aktr2000 RVJ
99 beatnoxxx KING JAMES SLAP
100 The8gent I'm a Winner

Congratulations and good luck in the next round...

Your friends at Sprite

The Top 100

We pulled the list of the Top 100 vote getters for the LeBron 23-23 contest. We had a call with the 5 judges yesterday (3 from Atlantic Records, 1 from our ad agency, and Paul Wall's manager - T. Farris). They are reviewing the mixes now and are going to have their favorites to me by Saturday.

I'll do the tabulations then get the top 23 over to LeBron, Paul Wall, and Al Fatz to make their decisions on the final 3.

I'll post the Top 100 list later tonight...I gotta go home now...mad tired.

- - - - - - -

On another tip, I've been reading a lot of the comments about getting mixes in late, reviewing everybody, etc. So I thought I'd respond with a few points from our POV.

1. This contest is about hustle - making a hit theme song for LeBron James. I know a lot of people out there with talent but weren't willing to put in the work necessary to promote themselves. Everyone has heard of selling mixtapes out of the trunk of your car. That's what this contest is. If you can't get people to vote for you, you probably can't get a hit song on the radio.

I've got a stack of CDs on my desk from producers, DJs, even mainstream artists looking to cash in - without putting any work in first....not a good look.

For the people that did get out and promote hard, you probably made the top 100.

2. There are legitimately some people that just heard about the promo late...I feel you. It's not always fair, but we have deadlines to get the music put into the TV commercial and ship it to TNT to air during NBA All-Star 2007. For ya'll, we have some other opportunities to get your beats out. Ones that we can't give to the Top 100 for legal reasons. On the low - we've been in negotiations for a TV show with a Entertainment Television network that starts with a "B".

3. Lastly, we can't listen to every submitted track. I'm too busy, Atlantic Records is too busy, LeBron James is wayyyy to busy trying to win a championship.

Like I said, I'll post the Top 100 list later tonight. Till then, enjoy the site. Enter codes to win stuff like ringtones, signed LBJ jerseys, etc...

This is it..The end of Phase 1 of LeBron 23-23

I'm not going to be long-winded tonight. It's two hours until submissions cut off for the first phase of the LeBron 23-23 contest. All the professional and amateur producers have had a chance to mix a beat and promote.

A big thanks to everyone that submitted music. We're definitely pleased with the variety and complexity of the tracks we're hearing. We're even impressed with how some of you have creatively promoted yourselves.

It's all been noticed. It gets talked about in the hallways of Coca-Cola and on conference calls with Paul Wall.

We're pulling the top 100 late tonight. Got a conference call tomorrow afternoon with the judges.

Thanks everyone...

3 Days to Go...Submit Your Mixes

Folks,

It's down to the wire for the LeBron 23-23 contest. If you've got a mix, and you want a chance to be heard by LeBron James, Paul Wall, Al Fatz, Atlantic Records - then submit your mix now.

Hit up your family - moms, pops, cousins that ain't really your cousins - anybody that can click a widget or enter a cap code on the site.

We've confirmed the judging panel for the top 100 mixes. It's high level marketing and A&R from Atlantic Records - I can't drop the names now cause I don't want ya'll beggin for a record deal - but we always roll big at Sprite. We've got Paul Wall's manager, T. Farris. We've got a couple cats from our ad agency - Crispin Porter + Bogusky. If ya'll don't know about getting T&R off of commercials, you need to go back and study - easiest money in the music game.

I'm serious about this competition. Step up your game up for it.

On another note, I see some cats are bootlegging my shoes on the Internet. B@$T@RDS!!! How are you gonna sell my shoes for $850 online!!! It took us 6 months to get those made...Some people are really willing to pay big bucks to be exclusive - when we have 10 pairs sitting in a closet here. LOL

Anyway, hit me up with any last minutes questions...

Admin

LeBron James on Rhythm

Quick post for tonite...Check out the latest LBJ video.

Check my Footwork & 10 Days to Go

Wassup folks,

First - I have to do a bit of bragging. Ya'll can check out the exclusive Sprite/LeBron Nikes sitting on my desk at work. I took some pics for ya'll to check em out.

Ya'll don't know how hard it was to get these made but we eventually got it done. We only had so many made - less than 200 and LeBron got 35 pairs off the top. I'll be real honest too - there's no way 165 pairs made it to our office - something fell off of a truck somewhere.



Anyway - I shipped them out last Thursday to some key radio DJs, mags, websites, celebs and the like. I only kept a few AND we haven't decided what to do with them yet.



Second - There's only 10 days left in the contest to submit your tracks. Make sure they're hot and you get out and promote. My ad agency likes some tracks. I like some others. Eventually, it's going to come down to LeBron, Paul Wall and Al Fatz.

LAST I gotta give props to the people that have been promoting like crazy. I don't know how some of ya'll got 1,000 plus votes but it has definitely been noticed. You've almost guaranteed that our folks at Atlantic Records are gonna hear your tracks. (That is unless someone outpromotes you in the next 10 days)

Plus - big ups to folks using MySpace to promote. I've personally checked out 10-15 profiles and have been cruising Technorati and Google blog search to find more.

it's late, i gotta go jump on my 360...peace

What it do baaaaaby!

I hope all of you up and coming producers are getting your beats together, and also promoting yourselves to earn your votes! Quiet as kept, me and my boy T Farris have been on the site secretly looking for hot new producers! And we definitely like what we are hearing. So keep it coming, and spread the word!!! I'm here in Houston Texas right now. I just got out of the studio with my boy PT. You know I'm live from the grid iron baaaaaby! I'm about to head to LA in the morning to get some work in the studio with my boy Skinhead Rob and Travis Barker. We got our new group Expensive Taste coming real soon! Right now we are putting the final finishing touches on this mixtape we are doing with my boy DJ Skee!!!!

Check out www.expensivetastemerch.com

On another note..... Maaaaaaaan you gotta check out my brand new bobble heads. They are CRAZZZZZY!!! That's right, I now have my very own PAULWALL BOBBLE HEAD! They're available RIGHT NOW!!!! Go to www.grillsbypaulwall.com right now and take a peep! You are gonna trip out when you see them, straight up!

Alright then, I'm about to Chunk The Deuce one time for my boy Lil Keke.
I'm outta here. Keep putting down that heat. And don't forget to spread
the word and get your votes!!!

Paulwall

Check out the 23:23 M.V.P. on NBA.com

The NBA has teamed up with Sprite to promote LeBron 23-23. Their site, http://www.nba.com/2323, allows you to mix some cool highlights of LeBron with tracks from the LeBron 23-23 Studio Mixer.

Here's where we need some help.

If you want to get some extra promotion for your tracks, leave a comment with your screen name and track name. We'll take some of your tracks and use them in the 23:23 M.V.P. It should be a nice opportunity to get your tracks heard...



get at me...

Words from Perion - beat maker for the LeBron 23-23 Studio Mixer

Sprite gave me a chance to shine and now you can too!

When i started making sounds for the Lebron23-23 mixer I wanted to create something different from the other mixers , recycled loops and sounds out there.

I wanted them to be fresh and brand new! I wanted anybody out there to sound close to a seasoned vet in beat making.

I'm from a small town called Pensacola,Fl. home of such greats like Emmit Smith, Roy Jones Jr. and Derrick Brooks so with that said I have always had the mind set of being on that roster. I have been producing for 18 years now , 8 professionally. I've worked with such artist like : ScarFace, Mystikal, Fiend,Mike Jones, Juvenile, Paul Wall, Al Fats, Roy Jones Jr. , Mr Magic, Trick Daddy, Plies, Loon, Wynter Gordon, Dave Hollister, and many more! Then there came Sprite!!! I was an under dog with dreams of being a Top Dog! I believe that nothing comes to a sleeper but a dream so I try to go get it when the opportunity comes and at most times you have to create opportunity! Sprite gave me an opportunity to be heard all around at one time! They gave me the chance to be apart of the up and coming beat makers out there waiting on their chance to be heard!

In 2006 I produced "Way I Be Leaning", the third single off Juvenile's album "Reality Check" and "Duck Down " on Trick Daddy's album "Back By Thug Demand" the (Best Buy Bonus CD) . I have songs I produced for 2007 releases with artist like Wynter Gordon, Paul Wall , GTM, Al Fatz and many more. For more info about me and some of the tracks I've produced or my managers (CO2 Entertainment), you can check me out at :
www.myspace.com/perion

I Obeyed My Thirst to aim high. I followed my dreams and got my chance to get heard and now you can also. If it is you dream to be a major beat maker or a big time producer , listen to your heart, follow the rhythm and go for it!! Always listen to your heart!

LeBron James on Music

Wassup. LeBron drops some knowledge in this video about what music he's listening too and what he likes...



On another note, we're noticing that some people have been on the grind more than others. If you want your mix to be heard by Paul Wall, Al Fatz & LeBron, then you gotta find a way to get some votes.

I'll let you guys know which tracks I'm listening to later today.

Enjoy the new LeBron vid...

LeBron 23-23 is back up

Thanks for your patience. LeBron 23-23 is back up and running. We've had a lot of submissions in just a couple of days and we're excited about all of them. Three people are going to get their track in the new LeBron TV spot when it premeires during NBA All-Star 2007. Your name and your beat, in the spot, during All-Star Saturday night and the NBA All-Star game, for the entire nation to see.

One of you, is going to get to go in the studio with Paul Wall & Al Fatz to help drop LeBron's theme song. Who knows how far it goes from there.

So, keep submitting tracks and make sure you promote yourself. Only the top go gettas will be heard by LeBron & company.

BTW - Check out the article in USA Today about the promo. It's short and sweet on page 3 of the Sports section.

USA TODAY article
http://www.usatoday.com/sports/columnist/mccarthy/2007-01-05-sports-television_x.htm

What's up folks? Ya'll are bananas--and we love it!!!!

Due to all of the love you're showing LeBron, and your interest in creating his theme song--our site has gone on a temporary hiatus, yep you brought the house down!--not to worry though--we'll be back up in no time to hear all the hotness that we know you're about to bring.

Til' then go grab a specially marked 20oz bottle of Sprite so that when we're back you can Twist that Cap, Build that mix and Get Famous.

OBEY!

Your folks at Sprite

LeBron James on Basketball

As part of the LeBron 23-23 campaign, Sprite sat down with the King to get his personal take on life, music, basketball, and everything in-between.

We'll release new videos from LeBron and his crew every few days to keep it fresh.

Enjoy mixing on the LeBron 23-23 studio mixer and get at us if you have any feedback...

Paul Wall speaks on LeBron 23-23

Yeeeeah baaaaaby. We had our annual Swisha House Christmas Party last night in Houston Texas @ Club Nexxt and it was once again off the chain! Thanks to all who came out and supported it! Big shouts out to my main man Lebron who is all over Sports Center, quite like I am all over this new Jaguar XKR that's about to come out next year......

Me myself? I am getting pretty excited about this tag team we got coming up in this studio. I'm ready yo lace the track and do my thing! My album is bangin, straight up! Its coming on April 3rd, and its called GET MONEY STAY TRUE! Be on the lookout! Also, just a friendly reminder to log on to www.grillsbypaulwall.com and check out the fly gear! There is no 401K for a hustler. You just work as long as you can, as often as you can, and as hard as you can..... Swisha House baaaaaby!

Lil Keke what it do homie, that boy got a Gangster Grills that's so serious.... Expensive Taste, I got it, how bout you? Say go ahead and check out www.expensivetastemerch.com its the real deal! Shouts out to +44, they got a album that is jammin! I just got some new tat's by my boy Mr Cartoon, check em out @ www.myspace.com/paulwall

Aight I'm out, holler at yall later!

> Paul Wall
> www.expensivetastemerch.com
> GET MONEY-STAY TRUE
> www.grillsbypaulwall.com

LeBron James & Sprite - The new Sublymonal TV Commercial

It's official:

LeBron 23-23 is under way. Check out the spot that you will be scoring LeBron James' theme song too.

The top 3 tracks will be revealed at 11:23 on Friday, February 16th during NBA All-Star 2007 at the LeBron James/Sprite All-Star party in Las Vegas.

Twist a cap, build a mix, get famous. OBEY

http://www.LeBron23-23.com

3 days and counting....
What's up folks

We're happy that you're going to be a part of our LeBron 23-23 family.

So you've got 3 days to watch LeBron do his thing and get a feel for what type of track best fits the chosen one.

Here's the scoop on the promo:

1. We need you to help create a theme song for LeBron James
2. All you have to do is get a cap code from a 20oz bottle of Sprite, enter the code on LeBron23-23.com, and use the studio mixer to score LeBron's new TV spot.
3. Promote your track on your social networking profile to get votes - the top vote getters get judged by LeBron James and our celebrity artists - Paul Wall & Al Fatz...
4. The top 3 tracks get premiered in the new Sprite/LeBron TV spot during NBA All-Star 2007. Ya'll vote on the best track and finally, the winner gets to in the studio with Paul Wall and Al Fatz to complete the song...

After Jan 1, keep checkin back here and you'll see how Paul Wall is feelin about this promotion (he's going into the studio with the winner to make LeBrons song, which will be one of the sickest tracks of '07) you'll get updates on how hot your mixes are and you'll get a behind the scenes sneak peak at LeBron's event that's gonna go down in Vegas during all star weekend.

So, in these next few days, your folks at Sprite want you to watch your boy LeBron, enjoy your Holiday and get ready for '07 Y'all, cause its gonna be off the hook.

Holla back and let us know what you're thinkin'

Wassup MySpace

Thanks for visiting the blog!!! We're getting excited about this campaign for 2 reasons...1. LeBron is the man and #2. We have a lot of cool people involved with this campaign. If you're interested in BBall or the music business, we're going to put u in hog heaven. We'll have posts from Grammy nominated artists, A&R reps, Ad Agency folks, and maybe even the King himself.

The website doesn't officially launch until the 1st of Jan, but we'll premeire exclusive LeBron interview footage and our new TV spot here first.

King James needs a theme song, and Sprite needs your help to create it.

Welcome to the LeBron 23-23 Blog

Wassup. We're officially kicking off the LeBron 23-23 blog. Not only is this blog dedicated to one of the greatest NBA players in the game today, LeBron James. This blog is also about a very cool campaign, starting on January 1st, 2007, from your good friends at Sprite.

A couple of upfront issues to address:

1. This isn't one of those fake corporate blogs that try to convince you to do something by lying to you, being deceptive, or ghost written by some junior copywriter, fresh out of art school at our ad agency. This blog is about being upfront, helpful, insightful, and potentially fun. Don't hate on my writing style or grammar either, it ain't my day job.

2. We're going to do our best to bring the best insight to you about the campaign, written from the people involved in it...unfiltered knowledge at its' finest.

3. Keep the comments clean. You can post pretty much anything you want as long as it's clean and hopefully constructive. Feedback is always good as long as it's constructive feedback. If it gets unruly, I'll start deleting comments.

With that out of the way, I'll get back to talking about the program, LeBron 23-23. It all started with a couple brand managers and our cool agent from the Left Coast brainstorming about how we could create the best LBJ program possible. After a couple of hours of procrastinating, bugging out, and blowing off meetings, we started to think about one of my favorite movies, "I'm Gonna Git You Sucka."

So, I start talking about how Slade tells Keenan Ivory that every hero has a theme song. Eventually, Keenan gets Boogie Down Productions to come up with his song at the end of the movie, "Jack of Spades." Well, there you have it, every hero has a theme song.

We want you to create LeBron's...