The annual Red Bull Big Tune beat battle is happening at the War Room this Friday (8/31).

For those not in the know, this competition is an opportunity for local hip-hop producers to show off their banging-est sh*t in head-to-head competitions, a format somewhat resembling Jamaican dubplate battles. The producers are pitted against each other March Madness bracket-style and the winner is determined by audience reaction.

Last year, Brainstorm won the local competition and went on to compete nationally in New York City. In ’07, Sabzi took the local crown. It’s fun to watch not just because the producers, in an effort to win over the crowd, totally act the fool onstage, but also because it’s a little mini-preview of beats that you might hear on record later. Go check it out and root for this guy (I’m biased, and I don’t care).