2014 McDonald's Flavor Battle National DJ Competition Ends in Tight Race for $10,000 Grand Prize

OAK BROOK, Ill., Feb. 26, 2014 /PRNewswire/ -- Last night, DJ R-Tistic took home the $10,000 grand prize and major bragging rights during the 2014 McDonald's Flavor Battle finale event. The Los Angeles native represented the Bacon Habanero Ranch Quarter Pounder* and used his best mix to beat out DJ Niena Drake of Chicago and DJ Erika B of Newport News, Va., during an in-studio finale that was broadcast online at 9 p.m. EST on FlavorBattle.com.

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"Winning McDonald's Flavor Battle is the greatest accomplishment I have made as a DJ thus far," says DJ R-Tistic. "I am thankful McDonald's gave all 12 DJs the opportunity to display our skills and go head-to-head for the title."

Bringing the flavor for a second year in a row, the legendary DJ Funkmaster Flex hosted the final showdown while celebrity judges DJ Clue, Just Blaze, Spinderella and 2013 Flavor Battle champion, DeeJay Element carefully critiqued and ultimately decided who would earn the 2014 crown. Judged on crowd appeal, mixing skills, technique and performance flow, each finalist worked hard to impress celebrity judges. TV personality and radio host, Sway Calloway of "Sway in the Morning", served as the social media correspondent encouraging viewers to share their thoughts as the show unfolded.

In its fifth year, the competition brought out some of the biggest up-and-coming DJs in the industry with 12 DJs hand-picked by McDonald's and Complex Media vying for the chance to win the grand prize. Three DJs, one each from the West Coast, Central region and East Coast, won over the hearts — and ears — of online voters with masterful mixes that helped them advance through three rounds of elimination. Spinning on the 1s and 2s, the final three competed during a pre-recorded broadcast and represented one of McDonald's Quarter Pounder burgers: Bacon Habanero Ranch Quarter Pounder (West), Deluxe Quarter Pounder (Central) and Bacon & Cheese Quarter Pounder (East).

"The excitement around the 2014 McDonald's Flavor Battle competition was strong," said Rob Jackson, McDonald's U.S. marketing director. "As a genre of music that resonates deeply among our millennial consumers, McDonald's celebrates this vital and growing art form. We are proud to offer the Flavor Battle program as a platform for DJs to showcase their skills in addition to connecting them with a national audience."

The broadcast will remain on FlavorBattle.com until March 30, 2014. To learn more about the program, please visit www.flavorbattle.com or www.365Black.com.

About McDonald's
McDonald's USA, LLC, is the leading foodservice provider in the United States offering a variety of wholesome foods made from quality ingredients to more than 26 million customers every day. Nearly 90 percent of McDonald's 14,000 U.S. restaurants are independently owned and operated by local businessmen and women. Customers can now log online for free at any of the 11,500 participating Wi-Fi enabled McDonald's U.S. restaurants. For more information, visit www.mcdonalds.com, www.365Black.com or follow us on Twitter (@McDonalds) and Facebook (Facebook.com/McDonalds) for updates on our business, promotions and menu items.

About Complex Media
Complex Media is the leading provider of style, entertainment, lifestyle and product content dedicated to young male tastemakers. The company launched in 2002 with Complex magazine, a men's style guide and lifestyle publication with a current circulation of 345,000. Complex Media expanded to include flagship web site Complex.com (www.complex.com), which attracts more than 2.2 million unique monthly visitors; as well as the Complex Media Network (www.complexmedianetwork.com), a network of 70+, 100% exclusive Web sites targeting men 18-34 which generates more than 420 million page views and attracts 37 million unique visitors per month.

McDonald's, 365Black and Quarter Pounder are trademarks of McDonald's Corporation and its affiliates.           

© 2014 McDonald's

SOURCE McDonald's