Music Nation is a self-described artist development company. In 2007, it attempted to gain publicity by holding an online music video competition in which the finalists would have a chance to sign recording contracts with Epic Records

Epic Records

Epic Records is an American record label, owned by Sony Music Entertainment. Though it was originally conceived as a jazz imprint, it has since expanded to represent various genres. L.A...

. Artists registering with Music Nation must submit their videos in one of three genres: pop, rock, or urban. Winners were to be showcased on Clear Channel

Clear Channel Communications

Clear Channel Communications, Inc. is an American media conglomerate company headquartered in San Antonio, Texas. It was founded in 1972 by Lowry Mays and Red McCombs, and was taken private by Bain Capital LLC and Thomas H. Lee Partners LP in a leveraged buyout in 2008...

's radio program Stripped. Their largest contest that had 2,500 entries (top 350 ranked) was "Slash's Ultimate Guitar Showdown" which was hosted and judged by Slash (musician)

Slash (musician)

Saul Hudson , known by his stage name Slash, is a British-American musician and songwriter. He is best known as the former lead guitarist of the American hard rock band Guns N' Roses, with whom he achieved worldwide success in the late 1980s and early 1990s. During his later years with Guns N'...

 from Guns n' Roses

Guns N' Roses

Guns N' Roses is an American hard rock band, formed in Hollywood, Los Angeles, California, in 1985. The band has released six studio albums, three EPs, and one live album...

 / Velvet Revolver

Velvet Revolver

Velvet Revolver is an American hard rock supergroup consisting of former Guns N' Roses members Slash, Duff McKagan, and Matt Sorum, alongside Dave Kushner formerly of punk band Wasted Youth. Stone Temple Pilots vocalist Scott Weiland was Velvet Revolver's lead singer from their formation until...

. The contest was won by New Jersey born Armenian guitarist Stephen Dadaian

Stephen Dadaian

Stephen Dadaian is an Armenian electric and classical guitarist from Cresskill, New Jersey. He is also a rock and hip hop producer. He attended Cresskill High School, where he graduated in 2005 and later graduated from The College of New Jersey in 2009...

. The grand prize included a guitar from Slash's rig and Marshall half-stack amplifier.