The Tournament
The Vocalist/Producer Challenge (VPC) is a songwriting tournament organized in the nerdcore hip hop community to test the creativity and stamina of its competitors.
ABOUT THE VPC
5
Rounds
2
Roles
1
Crown
The Team
Each team in the VPC is made up of a single vocalist and a single producer, with roles remaining fixed throughout the duration of the competition.
The Rounds
The competition itself takes place over a series of rounds, each of which will feature a different challenge designed to test the inventiveness of both vocalists and producers.
The Verdict
Each submitted song will be evaluated and rated by our panel of judges and also uploaded to the VPC voting platform so that the adoring public can vote for their favorite song of each round.
The Crown
At the end of five rounds, the team with the highest cumulative score will be crowned the winners — and to the winners go the spoils: a crowdfunded cash prize, and the priceless bragging rights that accompany VPC victory.
Article II
Official Bout Contract
Schedule
- The Vocalist/Producer Challenge shall last 5 rounds.
- Each round is announced on a Saturday at 12:01 AM PST, runs 3 weeks, and ends on a Sunday at 12:01 AM PST.
- Each round is followed by a 1-week voting and judging period, running concurrent with the announcement of the following round.
- Each round will have a challenge for the producer AND a challenge for the vocalist.
Scoring
- Each round is judged by five judges.
- All judge scores are weighted equally and averaged to determine the final score for a team on each round.
- Scoring is based on ranked voting.
- All judge scoring is final.
- All 5 rounds are averaged to determine the final winners.
Article III
Frequently Asked Questions
Basics
05 EntriesWhat is the VPC?
The VPC is a competition in which one vocalist teams up with one producer, facing 5 structured challenges across the competition. Judges review tracks, providing positive and constructive feedback. Everyone — judges, participants, and audience — votes on tracks, until one team stands as the winner at the end of the fifth round.
Is there an entry fee?
No.
How long does the VPC last?
Five rounds. Each round where you craft your song is 3 weeks, and then there is 1 week of voting that overlaps the 1st week of the next round.
Are there lyrical or subject-matter restrictions?
No, unless specified within a round challenge. However, understand that you are submitting this track publicly — we reserve the right not to host any track containing hate speech, offensive subject matter, or similar content.
What if I have other questions? Where should I ask?
Email nerdcorevpc@gmail.com or drop into the #vpc-questions channel in our Discord.
Teams & Tracks
07 EntriesCan we have more than 2 team members?
No.
Can it be one member that produces AND raps?
No.
What about sample hooks?
Sample hooks are allowed.
Do those samples have to be cleared?
No, they do not. However, uncleared samples may affect your track’s ability to be hosted on streaming services or the VPC compilation album after the competition. Where possible, we recommend cleared samples — or keep your stems so we can rework tracks after the competition to meet streaming regulations.
So can the producer sing/rap on the hook?
Yes. As long as the lyrics/melody are developed by the vocalist, the producer can sing/rap on the hook — but there must be strong (50% or more) representation of the vocalist on the hook, unless otherwise stated in the round challenge.
Do all tracks have to have rapping in them?
No. As long as there is a single vocalist and a single producer, a track can be purely melodic singing if you like. It still has to meet the round’s challenge and track submission guidelines, and it will be judged in what is primarily considered a hip hop competition — but we LOVE to see other genre entries in the competition.
Can we do covers?
No, unless a round challenge explicitly requests cover songs.
Judging & Admin
06 EntriesAm I disqualified if I miss a round?
No. In fact, you are encouraged to keep participating till the end!
What if two teams have the same exact score?
A quick-fire 24-hour turnaround challenge is issued to the tied teams and then publicly scored. The winner of the tiebreaker is the round winner.
How long will it take for final-winner results to come in?
The same time the final Round 5 scores are released.
Will there be eliminations?
No.
Do I have to announce my team officially?
No. Your first round submission can be your team announcement. Just follow the track submission guidelines.
Are the judges or organizers getting paid for this?
No. The judges, administrators, and support teams are volunteering their time for this competition and are not eligible to compete or receive any compensation for their participation. Any sponsorship money, prizes, or gifts are invested in the promotion and rewards of the VPC event, websites, and social media.