Hopewell News

The Hottest New Artist show and competition on WHAP 1340-AM is back for another round. At the end of last month, the top 10 winners of the first competition were named. "Word Man" from Akron, Ohio, was the winner out of 40 semi finalists.
Last year, the contest was open to hip hop, rap, r&b, inspirational and urban alternative music. This year, it is open to all genres, said Paul "Uncle P" Spencer, president of PDS Entertainment LLC and originator of the radio show.
The first competition garnered an unexpected following as nighttime atmospheric conditions and the Internet allowed for the show to be heard well beyond the intersection of Mesa Drive and River Road. The top 10 winners came from as far as California, Florida and New York state.
"We look forward to working with all artists," Spencer said. "We're hoping for more local artists."
Along with giving aspiring artists an outlet for their work, Hottest New Artist has created a community as well. As the show aired Feb. 4, fans and several of the finalists from the last contest called in and a local winner, Janae Caldwell, from Hopewell, had a brief interview and introduced several of the songs.
The newest contest began in late January and the deadline for submissions is June 15, said Jason "J-Boogie" Jones, one of the hosts. The contest is open to all U.S. citizens and military members worldwide.
As with last year's contest, finalists will receive a single song with limited artist promotion and the top winner will have an album produced
More information on the radio show and contest can be found at www.hottestnewartist.com or by calling (800) 886-9076 or e-maling info@hottestnewartist.com. The show can be heard on WHAP Thursdays at 8 p.m.