Key Takeaways
- Cardo Got Wings and Ricci Riera are judging Loud & Clear, a nationwide beatmaking contest from Sound District Studios and Weedmaps, with submissions closing Nov. 10.
- The winner gets a Miami trip, a two-hour studio session with both producers, a hotel stay and VIP event access—a prize package worth approximately $3,500.
- U.S. residents 21 and older, excluding Tennessee and Rhode Island, can submit one original beat up to three minutes long, with no samples or AI-generated music.
Producers have until Tuesday to get their best beat in front of two hitmakers who've helped shape some of hip-hop's biggest records.
Cardo Got Wings and Ricci Riera are judging Loud & Clear, a nationwide producer search presented by Sound District Studios and powered by Weedmaps. The winner gets flown to Miami for a two-hour studio session with both of them.
"Y'all got one more week to go ahead and submit your best beat," Cardo said in an Instagram Reel posted Wednesday, Nov. 4. "Wishing y'all all the best of luck."
According to the post, entrants can submit one original beat up to three minutes long, with no samples or AI-generated music allowed. The contest is open to U.S. residents 21 and older, excluding Tennessee and Rhode Island, and closes Nov. 10. The prize also includes a hotel stay and VIP event access, with the full package valued at approximately $3,500.
Producers can enter through Sound District Studios' official Loud & Clear contest page. No purchase is necessary.
Cardo co-wrote Drake's "God's Plan," earning a Grammy for Best Rap Song, and produced Kendrick's explosive 2024 diss track "euphoria" and Travis Scott's "goosebumps." Riera's résumé includes Kendrick's "m.A.A.d city" and "ELEMENT.," Travis Scott's "sdp interlude" and Latto's "Blick Sum," which later received a remix featuring Playboi Carti.
The two also share a production credit on "GOD." from Kendrick's Pulitzer Prize-winning album DAMN.
Cardo's more recent credits include eight tracks on Carti's 2025 album MUSIC and the beats for the 2025 XXL Freshman cyphers. He earned a Producer of the Year nomination at the 2026 XXL Awards.
Riera, meanwhile, is the CEO of Sound District Studios, where the winning session will take place. His relationship with Weedmaps goes back years, from curating music for its 2017 Coachella party to its 2025 Miami Art Week event, which featured performances by Tokischa and Skillibeng.
For Cardo, giving lesser-known producers an opportunity to be heard is familiar territory. Back in 2020, he helped organize virtual beat battles that put aspiring talent in front of established artists, including Drake and 21 Savage.
"There's no American Idol for producers," he told Complex at the time. "I feel like this is a stepping stone."
