Boston-based hip-hop duo Trouble City is the latest band to emerge from OurStage's stable of talented, unsigned bands, earning them an afternoon of songwriting with R&B artist John Legend as part of the company's ongoing "Artist Access" program.

Trouble City won the "Channel Prize" for hip-hop in September 2007, receiving the highest rank in OurStage's Hip Hop Channel, the sites most popular music genre. OurStage offered the once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to Trouble City (a duo comprised of Lorenzo "Renzo The Kid" Marshall, Jr., 24 from Waterbury, CT and Patrick "Pat-G" Gouch, also 24 from Hartford, CT) to work with one of their favorite artists. The humble group with infectious beats and a heart-wrenching backstory met with Grammy-winning artist John Legend and received his feedback on their tracks. The video is available here: www.ourstage.com/profile/alyssajh7/posts/1

"Connecting a band like Trouble City with an artist as influential as John Legend is precisely what OurStage aims to offer all rising talent on the site," said Ben Campbell, CEO of OurStage. "OurStage is the world's premier marketplace for independent music where artists, fans, & industry professionals all come together to: discover, judge, rank, enjoy and buy the best new music, as well as offer cash, real gigs, and career-launching opportunities to high-ranking artists."

As One of OurStage's signature programs, "Artist Access" was created to provide valuable development opportunities for emerging artists. The program is part of the larger mission at OurStage to bridge the gap between artists, their potential audience, and the music industry's talent seekers – a mission which also includes providing a neutral, trusted, game-free platform where fans can discover, share and vote on a wide array of content.

The Internet is opening up incredible opportunities for emerging artists," explains Campbell. "At OurStage, we let the fans decide. Winning acts are offered prizes such as live performances at festivals like Bonnaroo, Virgin Music, Bumbershoot, Starbucks Music Makers, SXSW, CMJ, and more. With Artist Access, we are taking that support to the next level for winning acts like Trouble City, by providing access to established artists who know what it takes to break through."

Artist Access Mentoring Program

Artist Access provides top-ranking OurStage artists with advice, mentoring and opportunities to work with well-known industry veterans. Musicians who have participated in the program since its launch in September 2007 include five-time Grammy winner John Legend, Devotchka, Tears for Fears, G. Love and Special Sauce, Ozomatli, and Soulive, as well as influential industry leaders like Scott Booker (manager of the Flaming Lips), Tim Palmer (Producer and Songwriter, who has mixed several tracks on U2's All that You Can't Leave Behind), Steve Rennie (Manager of Incubus), and Ted Jensen (chief mastering engineer at Sterling Sound, Grammy-award winner for mastering Norah Jones' multi-platinum album, Come Away With Me).

Film and TV industry leaders have also been actively involved in mentoring OurStage artists and offering sage advice on how to break into the bigger Hollywood scene. Past mentors include Matt Dentler (SXSW), John Cameron Mitchell (Hedwig and the Angry Inch), David J. Burke (Law & Order: SVU), Jonathan Dayton & Valerie Faris (Little Miss Sunshine), Marcos Siega (Dexter), Ryan Fleck & Anna Boden (Half Nelson), and Nick Goossen (Grandma's Boy).

In addition to providing one-on-one sessions for top-ranked acts, Artist Access offers advice and tips for all aspiring artists who visit OurStage.com from artists interviewed by OurStage's EJs (entertainment jockeys), which will appear regularly on OurStage at www.ourstage.com/artistaccess. Artists who have been interviewed on camera for OurStage include Blonde Redhead, Tapes and Tapes, Lupe Fiasco, Plain White Ts, Crystal Method, Kaki King, Rhyme Fest, Shout Out Out Out Out and many more. Future Artist Access Opportunities include mentor sessions with Arrested Development and opening performance slots with Kaki King.

About OurStage, Inc. (www.ourstage.com)

OurStage is the only purely democratic online competition where the fans decide who's the best in emerging music, film and video. The OurStage mission is to help talented artists achieve critical exposure by solving the greatest challenge on the Internet today: sorting quality content from the sea of mediocrity online. OurStage provides a neutral, trusted, game-free platform, in which the true judgment of the fans drives the best content to the top. Through its wealth of partner programs, including Bonnaroo, Virgin Festival, Bumbershoot, Paste, CMJ, PLUG Awards, Pops on the Edge Fest, Slamdance, Relix, Gen Art, Noise Pop, Videomaker, IFFBoston, and many others, OurStage offers worthy artists real opportunities to actually launch their careers.