So says emerging hip-hop performer/writer/producer Ron Browz. Self-confidence is nothing new to the genre, of course, but Browz – born Rondell Turner in Harlem – has the track record to back it up. First gaining attention for the beat he created for “Ether,” Nas’ famous dis track aimed at Jay-Z, Browz has quickly become one of hip-hop’s go-to guys and, along with Jim Jones, has his name on the hit song “Pop Champagne.”

“It’s a beautiful thing,” Browz says regarding his move from behind the producer’s console to performing. “I’ve been working on it for so long. It’s been a lot of hard work. Some people might think it happened, like, overnight, but people who know me know that I’ve been grinding this out for a very long time.”

Browz’ first splash was made when he ran into local rap hero Big L in 1992 on a Harlem street and played him some beats he’d been working on. He ended up working on several records for the rapper, who was gunned down in 1999.

Reflecting on the tragedy, Browz says, “It hurt me and it hurt Harlem. I took a small break just to clear my head and to really see what I wanted to do. Then one day I said, ‘I’m just going to go hard with this music thing.’” Shortly after, he hooked up with Nas, and has rarely been idle since, working with DMX Ludacris, Jadakiss, and Busta Rhymes. The autotune-tinged “Pop Champagne” single, employing the same au courant device that’s being used by everyone from T.I. to Kanye West, will be followed by an album for Universal Motown.

“I know there’s some little Ron Browz out there that pays attention to me because I hear ‘em,” he says with pride. “A young producer came up to me once and said, ‘Yo Ron, I’m on your heels, man.’ I said, ‘You are? I’m glad I inspire you.’”

Noche Bohemia will take place at the Rumba Room (1000 Universal Studios Blvd., Ste. 208, Universal City, CA) and will feature:

Mariano Barba

Erika Vidrio

Javier Sanroman

Luz Rios

Javier Serna

Homero Vela Jr.

Two Catawba College students tied for second place: Maryland native Katie Bragg won for her song “Unbreakable,” and Texan Mason Jewett won for “Devil Sunday”; each received a $2,500 scholarship. There was also a tie for third place: Weber State University student Sean Bishop was awarded a $2,500 scholarship for the song “The Real Me,” and co-scribes Dusti Kemp and Jessica Drake were each awarded $1,250 scholarships for “Time to Miss You.”

The 2009 judges included Universal Music Publishing Sr. VP Jennifer Blakeman; Warner Chappell Director, Creative Peter Visvardis; Kobalt Music Publishing VP Sharon Tapper; and EMI Music Publishing Director, Creative Jake Ottmann. The preliminary judging panel included Samantha Cox and Charlie Feldman, both from BMI's New York-based Writer/Publisher Relations team. Thousands of students representing schools from every state participated.

Established by Yoko Ono in 1997 in conjunction with the BMI Foundation, the John Lennon Scholarships have been made possible through generous donations from Ono with matching funds from Gibson Musical Instruments. More than $225,000 has been awarded over the last 11 years to students from select colleges, universities and music schools, and from national submissions from the National Association of Music Education/MENC chapters.

The BMI Foundation, Inc. is a not-for-profit corporation founded in 1985 to support the creation, performance, and study of music through awards, scholarships, commissions and grants. Tax-deductible donations to the Foundation come primarily from songwriters, composers and publishers, BMI employees and members of the public with a special interest in music. Because both the Foundation staff and the distinguished members of the Advisory Panel serve without compensation, over 95% of all donations and income are used for charitable grants.

The Icon designation is given to BMI songwriters and artists who have had "a unique and indelible influence on generations of music makers." Kristofferson, who will be saluted with an all-star musical tribute that evening, joins an elite list of past honorees that includes country music stalwarts Willie Nelson, Merle Haggard, Dolly Parton, Whisperin' Bill Anderson, Charlie Daniels, Loretta Lynn and last year's honoree Hank Williams, Jr., along with multi-genre nobility like the Bee Gees, Isaac Hayes, Ray Davies, James Brown, Crosby, Stills & Nash, Steve Winwood and more.

As often as the monikers are interchanged, "poet" and "songwriter" are not necessarily synonymous—unless, of course, one is referring to Kris Kristofferson. With the penetration of a poet and the humbling grace of a troubadour, Kristofferson built a legendary career most recognized for its versatility, authenticity, and sheer brilliance. He has received 48 BMI Country and Pop Awards for his compositions including "Sunday Mornin' Comin' Down," "Why Me," "Me and Bobby McGee," "Lovin' Her Was Easier (Than Anything I'll Ever Do Again)," which was also the BMI Country Song of the Year in 1972, "Help Me Make It Through the Night," which garnered seven BMI Country and four BMI Pop Awards, and "For the Good Times," which won a BMI Country Award each consecutive year between 1971 and 1979 as well as five BMI Pop Awards between 1970 and 1974. Three Grammys line his shelves. He is a three-time BMI Country Songwriter of the Year, and eight of his compositions have generated substantially more than one million performances. While he wrote most of his masterpieces alone, his co-writers include giants Shel Silverstein, Marijohn Wilkin, and Fred Foster. He has starred in numerous films, including Lone Star, the Blade trilogy, Pat Garrett & Billy the Kid, A Star Is Born, for which he garnered the Golden Globe trophy for Best Motion Picture Actor, and Songwriter, for which he received an Oscar nomination for Original Song Score. Along with Willie Nelson, Waylon Jennings, and Johnny Cash, Kristofferson also formed the Highwaymen. He is a member of the Country Music Hall of Fame, Nashville Songwriters Hall of Fame, and Songwriters Hall of Fame, which also honored him with the prestigious Johnny Mercer Award in 2006. Recording now for New West Records, he will release a new album in September of this year. A Rhodes Scholar capable of choosing virtually any path, Kristofferson decided to write songs, and for that, purveyors and lovers of American music are eternally grateful.

Hosted by BMI President & CEO Del Bryant and Nashville Writer/Publisher VP Jody Williams, the 57th Annual Country Awards will recognize the songwriters and publishers of the top BMI country songs played on American radio and television during the previous year. In addition to the Icon presentation, BMI will bestow prestigious honors on the Country Songwriter of the Year, Country Publisher of the Year and Most Performed Country Song of the Year, also known as the Robert J. Burton Award.

Tonight, performances by:

Umbrella Tree

Happy Birthday Amy

Lemming Malloy

The Privates

Tallest Trees

Hotpipes

Heypenny

Shoot the Mountain

The evening also featured a competition to choose the winner of the BMI Foundation’s ninth annual Charlie Parker Jazz Composition Prize, given to the writer of the best new work composed in the BMI Jazz Composers Workshop. Composer Sara Jacovino won the competition for her composition “Mental Block,” and received a cash award along with a $3,000 commission to compose a new piece for the following year’s concert. Last year’s Manny Albam Commission winner, Jeff Fairbanks, premiered his commissioned work, “Mulberry Street.” The Commission is named in memory of the Workshop’s co-founder and longtime musical director.

The $3,000 BMI Foundation annual Charlie Parker Jazz Composition Prize was awarded to talented composer Sara Jacovino on June 26 at the BMI Jazz Composer Workshop Showcase Concert. Pictured at the concert are (l-r) bassist Rufus Reid; drummer Dennis Mackrel; composer Darcy J. Argue; showcase winner Sara Jacovino; BMI VP, Corporate Communications Robbin Ahrold; Workshop Music Director Jim McNeely; and Workshop Associate Director Mike Holober.

This year’s judges include Secret Society bandleader and composer Darcy J. Argue; noted jazz drummer and composer Dennis Mackrel; and premiere jazz bassist Rufus Reid.

The BMI/New York Jazz Orchestra.

The BMI Jazz Composers Workshop is led by internationally renowned composer Jim McNeely and offers a unique collaborative environment for professional jazz musicians with an emphasis on composition for the large jazz (big band) ensemble. The Workshop – a well-known forum for creative excellence – provides an environment where composers are free to explore new avenues in the creative process, while at the same time honing their skills. McNeely has performed with and written for Chet Baker, Stan Getz, Joe Henderson and the Carnegie Hall Jazz Band, among others; is a six-time Grammy Award nominee; and The New York Times has called his writing “exhilarating”. Pianist, composer-arranger, and educator Mike Holober serves as Associate Musical Director of the Workshop.

This is a FREE event, open to the public featuring skate demos, live music, local food vendors, airbrush tattoos, game booths, silent auction items and giveaways, and much more. Performers this year include: Jeffrey Steele, LoCash Cowboys, Ricky Young & Red White Blue, Pearl Heart, and more