HEAR WHAT, WHERE AND WHY

"Plus, four years ago there weren't as many showcases as there are now. And the ones that I would go to were mainly just artists. My goal was —- and continues to be —- to maintain an audience that is one-third artists, one-third entertainment professionals and executives, and one-third media. So people can actually connect with the artists. . . . We started out [in July 2004] with about 300 people at Cafe 290. And though we've grown, I still want to maintain a community feel.

"That's one of the things I'm most proud of," Williams continues. "The fact that so many artists have come through and connected with people, had opportunities stem from the show. Like [duo] Rock City has been coming and performing at Almost Famous, even prior to getting their [record] deal. There's Willie Joe —- a Bay Area transplant who won the showcase in December 2005, and got Us Records' attention. And [rapper] B.O.B., who is an Almost Famous Artist of the Year, and is with Sho Nuff [Records]."

> The real bargain: The free forums start at 11 a.m. and will include a Groundbreaking Producers session featuring DJ Toomp (T.I., Kanye West); Mr. Collipark (Soulja Boy, Ying Yang Twins); Drumma Boi (Young Jeezy, Rick Ross), and Bangladesh (Ludacris, Lil Wayne).

And if that isn't enough Insider power, the forums conclude with a Music Mogul 101 with Kawan "K.P." Prather. He is the producer-turned-rapper-turned-A&R executive who had the foresight to sign Grammy-winning rapper-actor T.I. to his first record deal. These days he has Yelawolf (an Almost Famous alumni) and producer Malay on his Ghet-O-Vision imprint. (And a bit of Insider info —- his and Malay's work on John Legend's upcoming CD is, well, wow!)

> THE 411: The Almost Famous Four-Year Anniversary Forum and Award Show. 11 a.m. to 11 p.m. July 26. Georgia World Congress Center, 285 Andrew Young International Blvd. N.W., Atlanta. Red carpet starts at 6:30 p.m.; the show is at 9. Tickets ($25) are available on-site. www.almostfamousshow.com.

smurray@ajc.com