Nine up-and-coming musicians took the Kent Stage for the 4th Annual Ohio’s Got Talent competition Saturday, Sept. 13, hosted by Humble Heroz Productions. By the end of the night, only one would take home the crystal trophy, along with his or her own music video and song on iTunes. Justin Strongoli, CEO of Humble Heroz, said that there was one thing the contestants had to have before he’d let them on stage.

“You have to be quality,” Strongoli said.

Founding Humble Heroz four years ago with the main goal of promoting Ohio hip-hop artists, Strongoli said that his talent competition is a way to help cut through the noise created by the proliferation of social media sites like SoundCloud and Twitter. He said having a traditional show — with a panel of three judges and live, audience-based voting — gives musicians a chance to prove their worth as performers in an age when so much promotion is done via the Internet.

This year, Strongoli and his team of eight received about 300 submissions for his Kent Stage competition, many from the Akron and Kent areas, Cleveland, and some from New York. He’s had everything from dance crews to ukulele players send in their EPs and demos with hopes that they can show their worth on stage and potentially go home as trophy-winners. Narrowing down the 300 to only nine, he said, isn’t as difficult as one might think.

“It’s all about the people who take it seriously,” Strongoli said. “This is that kind of talent show. For those whom music is their life.”

Every year, Strongoli said he finds a “gem that rises to the top,” a performer he thinks deserves public recognition, a leg up from industry professionals. Last year, that was Akron hip-hop artist Swah Gotti — just “Swah” to his fans — who had his first video “The Kill” recorded and produced by Humble Heroz in May. Along with the annual Ohio’s Got Talent trophy, Swah also won himself a spot on the panel to judge this year’s new crop of talent.

“I won and now they got me as a judge,” he said. “But I love it, and I’m glad that they asked me to do it. There’s a lot of good talent here.”

Swah sat along with music personality Tropikana, host on Cleveland’s Z107.9, and music business professional Mr. Brown, dubbed “the No. 1 Manager in the Game,” to weigh in their thoughts on the night’s performance. M. Stacks, a Cleveland DJ, provided the tracks. Steffahn Rashaud, a senior communications major at Kent State, hosted the show — his second time — and warmed up the audience with the S girls, his hip-hop dance crew that shuffled to M. Stacks’s groove.

Although Strongoli’s company has a strong hip-hop backing, he ensured that there weren’t any limits on the contestants. From melodic indie pop to under-the-table hip-hop, OGT demonstrated that there were truly no limits other than the prereq of “quality.”

Hip-hop artist SHINE Roberts, from Rochester, came onstage in dark shades and a ruffled jean jacket, performing “0-100” from his EP “Black Summer.” Although Roberts wouldn’t make it to the final three, he was nevertheless grateful for being able to voice his music to his crowd.

“I’m glad you all came here to listen to a part of my life,” Roberts said before leaving the stage.

We also saw a “Monika”-like performance, according to Tropikana, by R&B singer Miss Tanya, one-of-her-kind among the nine that night. The 12-piece Cleveland Rap group Blazing Flame, lead by Big Squeeze, introduced a quick-paced, a la carte-like rap that might have confused some of the judges as they threw the mic around on stage. They wore T-shirts with their names on the back, so that helped the audience keep track of who was who.

By the second half of the show, Cleveland rap dominated the stage. MOB Music and rap duo ABMG — Phil Morgan and Gerald D — brought no-BS lines and hard drops, both artists with careers steadily rising in local circles. Tyson Colson, who goes by the stage name Twenty8, performed at a sizeable venue for the first time. Colson, who’s originally from Fairview Park, said that he didn’t want his career to start any other way.

“I felt that this show should be my first for some reason,” Colson said. 

Stepping up on stage with her black, shiny pumps was local musician and Kent State student Marina Strah, who silenced the crowd with her solo acoustic routine. Playing her single “Broken Record,” Strah received heartfelt applause, and garnered much more for her Kanye-Bill Withers mashup of “Ain’t No Sunshine” and “Heartless.” 

And the votes showed: Strah won the top spot at the end of the night — to her surprise.

“I was just doing this to have fun,” she said after the show. “That was my only expectation. I was totally surprised when they called my name.”

A senior applied communications major at Kent State, Strah said that she’s wanted to pursue music ever since her father, Rick Strah, taught her drums at the age of 11. Although Strah’s not certain what lies ahead after graduation, she said that she looks forward to pursuing music in a more professional manner, and owes it to Humble Heroz for nudging her closer in the mindset. Coming out with her first LP entitled “Broken Record” next year, Strah said she’s looking forward to what comes out of it. Having her dad’s group, the Cleveland-based Jukebox Heroes, as her backing band is just the cherry on top.

“I can’t tell you how great it is to have him and his band on the album with me,” she said. “I wouldn’t have wanted it any other way.”

Along with the OGT prize, Strah will be recording her first music video and will be invited back to next years’ Ohio’s Got Talent as a judge for upcoming talent. As for Strongoli, the annual search for local talent is worth the work put into making OGT what it is.

“Every now and then you’ll find a gem,” he said. “And that’s why we do it.”

Contact Mark Oprea at [email protected].