Curtison Jones wants to hear you rap. Monday, he is asking local talents to sync their voices to a beat for a little freestyle fun.

Jones found his voice six years ago at a house party in his then-hometown of Atlanta while he watched a group of people freestyling for a small audience in his back room. Initially, Jones was merely an onlooker – but it wasn’t long before he was inspired to try his hand at emceeing.

“I found myself in the circle,” Jones said. “It was easy for me and it was fun. I kind of surprised myself. Things came out that I didn’t even know were there.”

It was this experience, Jones said, that opened his eyes to the world of hip-hop and provided him with the creative outlet he had been hoping to find.

“I like art that makes me feel. I like music that moves me,” Jones said. “I always kind of felt like an artist but I didn’t really have any kind of art form so, naturally, I followed [rapping].”

Shortly after his first experience as an emcee, Jones began competing in – and winning – rap battles. He began to work with other artists and producers to hone his craft.

It wasn’t long before Jones decided to leave Atlanta for Athens, a city he had performed in and come to enjoy. Jones credits Athens’ inclusive and collaborative creative community as the catalyst he needed to transform his passion for hip-hop into a full-fledged career.

“People are always collaborating with one another. It’s just a nice network here,” Jones said. “There’s a lot of talent here.”

Since moving to Athens five years ago, Jones has performed not only as a solo artist – his stage name is Son 1 – but also in several other projects, including an indie-rock/hip-hop ensemble called The Renegadez. His current band is The Swank, formerly Son 1 and the Insurgents.

But for Jones, it all comes back to hip-hop, and on Aug. 24, he will be launching a competition called The Swaggerific 16 Contest that provides aspiring emcees with the opportunity to showcase their skills.

Entrants must go online and choose from the three beats posted on Jones’ Web site, then write a 16-bar verse to the beat. Participants then post a video of themselves rapping over their chosen beats. Winners will be selected by an open voting system, allowing the listeners to choose which emcee they like best.

The winner will receive a free three-song demo, clothing from the urban line Laced Out, and the opportunity to appear on Jones’ upcoming mix tape, due for release in October. Runners-up will have the opportunity to perform at the mixtape release show in October.

For Jones, launching this contest is a way to connect with local emcees and help kick-start their careers. He has an understanding of the difficulties artists face in making a name for themselves, especially in such a musically- saturated city as Athens.

“As a new artist, it’s really hard to get yourself out there and get your music out there,” Jones said. “[I want to] help other artists.”

And even though life as an aspiring musician is challenging, Jones said that the rewards are well worth the struggle.

“I’m doing this because I really … love to do this,” he said. “It really has worked out well. This is what I was meant to do.”