Ludacris Teams With Magnum Condoms to Find Next Big Thing

PRINCETON, N.J.—Two of the biggest names in freestyle rap and condoms, Ludacris and the makers of Magnum condoms, are joining forces in a nationwide search for the best freestyle rap artists in the country. The second annual Magnum Live Large Project features rap competitions in four major cities (Detroit, San Francisco, Miami and New York) and an online voting competition on YouTube. Semi-finalists will be invited to appear on stage alongside Ludacris. At each city, local judges select the top three performers, and then videos of the winners will be posted to youtube.com/MAGNUMLiveLarge, where people can vote for the best rapper from each city. People who can't make it to the local events will also have the opportunity to compete for a spot on the Magnum Live Large League by uploading their own performance video to youtube.com/MAGNUMLiveLarge under the “Submit” tab. The leading vote getters will join the Magnum Live Large League. These winners will then have the opportunity to appear live on stage alongside Ludacris at a hip-hop concert May 29 at Spring Fest in Miami, one of the nation's biggest music events. Winners will also receive a $5,000 cash prize and a year's supply of Magnum condoms, the original gold standard. "In keeping with the true spirit of Magnum, we challenged ourselves to make this year's project bigger and better, expanding the scope to secure more of the 'voice of the people,'" said Jim Daniels, vice president of marketing for Magnum. "True to Magnum form, we've enhanced the competition to make the pool of entrants larger, the events larger, and the ultimate payout larger." For the second year in a row, Ludacris will be partnering with the Magnum Live Large Project. "Living Large is really the only way to live," said Grammy-winning artist Ludacris. "That's why I'm a part of this project for the second year.  I'm a huge supporter of the product, I live the life, and I love how Magnum is giving other people the chance to shine and represent the gold standard." The Magnum Live Large Project is part of an ongoing commitment from the makers of Trojan Brand Condoms to provide a variety of audiences with the tools they need to enjoy a sexually healthy lifestyle. For more information and contest rules, go to www.MAGNUMLiveLarge.com or www.YouTube.com/MAGNUMLiveLarge. Photography of Ludacris by Glenn Francis, PacificProDigital.com