The Coca-Cola Company's Real Thing Records Collaborates with the EarSketch Team from Georgia Tech and Hip-Hop Duo EarthGang to Launch "The Real Thing Remix" Coding and Music Remix Competition

The Competition Will Run from September 16 to October 15 and is Open Exclusively to Atlanta's High School Students from Atlanta Public Schools and DeKalb County Schools

[Atlanta, GA – September 16, 2025] — The Coca-Cola Company’s Real Thing Records announced today the launch of “The Real Thing Remix: Real Code. Real Beats. Real Sound.” - a coding and music remix competition - in collaboration with the EarSketch team from Georgia Tech and Grammy® nominated Hip-Hop duo EarthGang. The competition will run from September 16, 2025, to October 15, 2025, and is open exclusively to Atlanta’s high school students from Atlanta Public Schools and DeKalb County Schools.

Image of EarthGang“This collaboration feels like a natural extension of what Coca-Cola's Real Thing Records was created to do, champion emerging voices and create new pathways for creative expression,” said Joshua Burke, The Coca-Cola Company’s Global Head of Music & Culture / Head of Real Thing Records. “With Coca-Cola’s headquarters in Atlanta, it made perfect sense to collaborate on this initiative that bridges artistry and technology while investing in the next generation of talent.”

As part of the competition, EarthGang has donated original sounds to the EarSketch library. Using the platform, students will code and remix these sounds to create their own original compositions. Through this challenge, students will explore who they are, what inspires them, and how they can express their authentic selves through beats to create the next real thing.

EarSketch is a free, online platform that teaches computer science through music remixing. Designed to resemble a professional digital audio workstation (DAW), EarSketch connects students’ passion for music with coding, making computer science more accessible and engaging.

“EarSketch has always focused on giving students a platform to express themselves through music as they simultaneously develop computing skills that will help them in any career they choose to pursue,” said Jason Freeman, EarSketch co-founder and Professor of Music at Georgia Tech. “We are thrilled to be collaborating with an iconic Atlanta brand and a legendary Atlanta music duo to bring this experience to students across the metro area.”

Students can submit their songs online and view the full submission requirements at https://tinyurl.com/RTRChallenge. Once the competition closes, a panel of judges from Georgia Tech and The Coca-Cola Company will evaluate eligible entries and select the grand prize winner - who will receive an exclusive experience for their class at World of Coca-Cola, along with a special surprise from EarthGang.

This initiative is about more than just a remix. It’s about showing students their voice matters, whether expressed through a line of a code or a line of lyrics. That’s why the competition carries the banner: “The Real Thing Remix: Real Code. Real Beats. Real Sound.”

Students must be at least 14 years of age to participate.

About EarthGang
Atlanta-born, Grammy-nominated, award-winning indie rap duo EarthGang, comprised of Olu AKA Johnny Venus and WowGr8 AKA DocturDot have been pushing the boundaries of hip-hop with their innovative albums, thought-provoking EPs, and masterful mixtapes well before signing to J. Cole’s Dreamville Records in 2017. The name EarthGang is rooted in a desire to have the whole world join them on a journey where music is used as a global vehicle to explore relatable themes of society and self; the conflict between tradition and modernity, religion and enlightenment—music and manhood. Their art experiments with classic & contemporary R&B, jazz, gospel, and funk sounds while their lyricism is influenced by deep societal themes ranging in topic from social justice, artificial intelligence, environmental conservation, posthumous art, mental health, and religion & spirituality. In 2019, their first studio album Mirrorland debuted at #22 on the US Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums Chart paving the way for GRAMMY nominations on "Down Bad" (Best Rap Performance) featuring J. Cole, JID, Bas, and Young Nudy, and "Collide" (Best R&B Song) with Tiana Major9 from the motion picture soundtrack for Queen & Slim, both racking up hundreds of millions of streams. Over the years EarthGang has collaborated with legendary artists including J. Cole, Mac Miller, T-Pain, Snoop Dogg, Young Thug, Future, Kehlani, Gorillaz, Wiz Khalifa, & CeeLo Green and they’ve performed across the world on major stages such as Coachella, The Soul Train Awards, Governors Ball, Something in the Water Festival, Lollapalooza, Dreamville Fest, and more. EarthGang has garnered a loyal fanbase boasting over 3M monthly listeners on Spotify and 155M+views on YouTube. Following the release of their EarthGang vs The Algorithm EPs, which featured thought-provoking music that explore complex themes of human creativity and artistic expression in today’s digital age on RIP Human Art (Sept 2023) & ROBOPHOBIA (Feb 2024), EarthGang will be releasing the final, full-length installment with "Perfect Fantasy" in October 2024.

EarthGang has also been praised for their commitment to community activism. Their nonprofit organization, the EarthGang Foundation, is committed to raising awareness towards combating environmental injustices through climate and environmental conservation, with local and global programs that empower individuals to create positive change in the world.

About Real Thing Records
The Coca-Cola Company’s Real Thing Records (RTR) is driven by artists and their fans. The Coca-Cola Company’s Real Thing Records is an investment in the future of music - building new pathways for artists around the world to thrive.

About The Coca-Cola Company
The Coca-Cola Company (NYSE: KO) is a total beverage company with products sold in more than 200 countries and territories. Our company’s purpose is to refresh the world and make a difference. We sell multiple billion-dollar brands across several beverage categories worldwide. Our portfolio of sparkling soft drink brands includes Coca-Cola, Sprite and Fanta. Our water, sports, coffee and tea brands include Dasani, smartwater, vitaminwater, Topo Chico, BODYARMOR, Powerade, Costa, Georgia, Fuze Tea, Gold Peak and Ayataka. Our juice, value-added dairy and plant-based beverage brands include Minute Maid, Simply, innocent, Del Valle, fairlife and AdeS. We’re constantly transforming our portfolio, from reducing sugar in our drinks to bringing innovative new products to market. We seek to positively impact people’s lives, communities and the planet through water replenishment, packaging recycling, sustainable sourcing practices and carbon emissions reductions across our value chain. Together with our bottling partners, we employ more than 700,000 people, helping bring economic opportunity to local communities worldwide. Learn more at www.coca-colacompany.com and follow us on InstagramFacebook and LinkedIn.

About EarSketch
EarSketch is a free online platform that teaches computer science through music remixing. Using Python or JavaScript, students compose and remix tracks from artists such as Alicia Keys, Pharrell, and Ciara across genres like hip hop, EDM, pop, R&B, country, and reggaeton. Designed to resemble a professional digital audio workstation (DAW), EarSketch connects students’ passion for music with coding, making computer science more accessible and engaging.

Developed at Georgia Tech in 2011 by Jason Freeman (School of Music) and Brian Magerko (School of Literature, Media, and Communication), EarSketch has grown into a global platform with over 1.6 million users in 155 countries. With its coding environment, 5,000+ audio loops, and curriculum resources, EarSketch helps educators engage students in computer science by connecting coding with creativity and music. Today, more than 4,000 educators integrate EarSketch into classrooms, camps, and after-school programs, inspiring the next generation of creators and innovators. Learn more at earsketch.gatech.edu.

Press Contacts
On behalf of The Coca-Cola Company 
Sunshine Sachs Morgan and Lylis
Email: coca-cola@ssmandl.com

On behalf of Georgia Tech/EarSketch
Joelle Walls
Email: jwalls37@gatech.edu