Ludacris, Magnum Condoms Search for Best Freestyle Artist

Ludacris is re-teaming with the makers of Magnum condoms to search for the nation's best freestyle artists. The second annual Magnum Live Large Project, which kicks off today, features an online voting competition via YouTube, and local competitions in Detroit and San Francisco, while later events will be held in Miami and New York.

Judges will choose three finalists in each city, the videos of the winners will be posted on YouTube, where voters can crown the best rappers of each city. Aspiring emcee's that are unable to make the live competitions will have the opportunity to upload their submissions via the video-sharing site. Semi-finalist will take the stage alongside Luda, at Miami's Spring Fest music festival on May 29. The winner of the competition will receive a year supply of Magnum condoms and $5,000 cash prize.

"Living Large is really the only way to live," Luda said in a statement. "That's why I'm a part of this project for the second year. I'm a huge supporter of the product. I live the life, and I love how Magnum is giving other people the chance to shine and represent the gold standard."

In maintaining their company's reputation for its product line of large contraceptives, Magnum, a division of Trojan condoms, sought to raise the bar with this year's competition. "We challenged ourselves to make this year's project bigger and better, expanding the scope to secure more of the 'voice of the people,'" said Jim Daniels, Vice President of Marketing for Magnum. "True to Magnum form, we've enhanced the competition to make the pool of entrants larger, the events larger, and the ultimate payout larger."