The ReggaeMania.com 2019 Tops Awards
Our 1st ever ReggaeMania.com 2019 Tops Awards spotlights the Artists, Songs, Sounds and Events that ran things in Jamaica + Canada in 2019.
Top International Clash Sounds of 2019
#3: SOUL SUPREME – TOP INTERNATIONAL CLASH SOUND 2019
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The most memorable accolade in the history of their sound is their 2016 destruction, annihilation, and locking off of King Addies at History Clash inside New York’s Amazura. Soul Supreme stars MC Jakes, and currently, Jakes has to be rated as one of the top MC’s in international sound clash. As a seasoned MC, Jakes is very entertaining, and will get the attention of his audience with his deployment of speech and antics. Jakes is funny, and he has interesting facial expressions when he carries on onstage. Compared to Jimmy Spliff, who has similarities with Jakes, Jakes is more aggressive, and has a somewhat elevated delivery and style. Soul Supreme, just like King Shine, will also clash anytime and anywhere, as long as the money is right.
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Says Polly Famous (One-A-Day), in comparing Jimmy Spliff to Jakes; ‘There is no comparison, Jimmy is not in Jakes league. Big up Jimmy, he’s a bad MC, but his style is different than Jakes. Jakes has it naturally, he’s just bad overall. When you mention Jakes style, you have to put him in a league with Firelinks, Trooper, Matterhorn, Panther. When a man have it, dem have it, him ting superior. Him a di real authentic meaning of a selector, the man that’s ruling right now. I give him that – the number one MC currently’.
Clash fans should also know that Jakes, aside from being a great war MC, is also a great juggling selector. Although sometimes criticized for speeches and arguments that don’t quite make sense, there’s another reason why Jakes has bragging rights.
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Says Skully (Mello Vibes Sound); ‘Jakes is the one who bus the ‘Old People Say’ Al Campbell song (Tune-in riddim). The tune has now become a ‘must play’ dub in the clash scene. Jakes made it go viral, everybody started playing it because of the way he introduced and premiered it at an Addies dance. I’m not saying he was the first to play it, or that he was the only one who had it, but his delivery made everybody go out and cut it. Now everybody plays that song…Style – Old people say – if you test Soul Supreme you might get gun down…’.
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Jakes and his Soul Supreme Sound continue to be in high demand by promoters around the world, and they earn 3rd place in our ReggaeMania ‘Tops’ Award for ‘Best International Clash Sound of 2019′.
#2: KING SHINE – TOP INTERNATIONAL CLASH SOUND 2019
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Our pollsters gave King Shine the runner up position for ‘2019 Top International Clash Sound‘. King Shinehas been around since the mid 90’s, and is originally based out of St. Thomas, Jamaica. A leg of the sound also exists in America. Meet Jimmy Spliff, a nasty dee-Jay/MC from New Jersey. When not playing sound, this current new generation MC has been described as a social media addict and genius, he doesn’t sleep, and will post online from morning till night.
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Jimmy Spliff is an entertainer, and he knows what he’s doing with his box. His King Shine Sound is always willing and ready to clash, as long as the money is right. A virtual one-man army, Jimmy Spliff is a solo-selector and MC who plays King Shine by himself, and does an excellent job doing it. In sound clash, his ability to win over a crowd with speech and performance, and gain new fans while doing it, is one of his greatest assets. On the mic, he’s no screamer and shouter, but when he speaks, people stay focused and listen, intrigued as to what King Shine has to say.
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King Shine‘s hi-light moment and their greatest publicity to date took place at US Rumble where, despite an admirable performance, they would exit from the clash after losing to Innocent Sound in Tune-fi-Tune. This meant no World Clash for King Shine, gone was this great opportunity to boost their sound and personal careers. Another big King Shine moment was the clash in which they were killed by the mighty King Addies. Ironically, they may have lost that clash, but the respect they got afterwards for fearlessly taking on the big, bad Addies, would make it all seem worth it. People were talking about that war for weeks after.
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King Shine has already been to Canada a few times, defeating Sniper Sound some time back in T.O. Their most recent appearance here happened at the Sudden Death sound clash (May 25th 2019-Toronto), where King Shine triumphed over Polly Famous and his One-A-Day Sound. Details of this amazing King Shine victory can be found in our ReggaeMania.com ‘Top Clashes in Toronto 2019’ article.
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King Shine can also take credit for helping to bus Jamaica’s top recording artist for 2019, Koffee – Jimmy Spliff was one of the first sound men to promote her music on dub plate in the dancehall and sound clash arenas worldwide. Standing behind Koffee as a young, new, skilled and promising uprising artist and showcasing her music in prime time, would help start the buzz and set the tempo for Koffee to be where she is now. I spoke to One-A-Day’s Polly Famous to see how he rates Jimmy Spliff and the King Shine Sound; Says Polly;
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‘Jimmy Spliff has great crowd control skills, he hold’s his own, and he has the ability to entertain. He doesn’t collapse under pressure and let pressure get to him. He’s not an aggressive selector, but he listens, keeps his cool, takes in the information, then counteracts with jokes and speech then music’.
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Congratulations to Jimmy Spliff and his King Shine Sound, voted runners up (#2) in our ReggaeMania.com Awards for ‘Top 2019 International Clash Sound‘.
#1: BASS ODYSSEY – TOP INTERNATIONAL CLASH SOUND 2019
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Bass Odyssey, to my knowledge, has not engaged in a major clash for 2019. Yet it is not baffling why they get the award for the ‘Top International Clash Sound of 2019’. I believe our pollsters voted them number one as a testament to the respect they get from their Sound System fraternity. This includes Canada, where over the years, Bass Odyssey are fan favorites, admired for their agelessness, timelessness, energy and consistency over the years.
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When it comes to witnessing a professional sound clash performance, Bass Odyssey brings the energy, and have put there stamp in the DNA of those who live inside the sound clash and dancehall juggling culture. Bass Odyssey is admired even more because they are one of the few old school Sounds who have not become extinct – they have successful transcended through time, still remain relevant, and continue to engage and expand their fan-base via social media.
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Bass Odyssey is right up there with Stone Love as one of Jamaica’s top sound systems, so popular, that they can play out every single night if they chose. Although hopeful that we will see them re-enter the international sound clash arena in 2020, I am not optimistic, as Bass Odyssey owner and management is unlikely to budge on a rumoured asking price of $12,000 U.S., if a promoter wants them to clash.
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Speaking as a promoter, I’m not sure what the sensibilities are behind this alleged asking price. Bass Odyssey, charging $12,000, could only be seen as an attempt to deliberately price themselves out of a fiscally crippling clash market where when all is said and done, the cost and obligation of purchasing war dubs almost always exceed the income gained from payment for promoters hiring them to clash. Bass Odyssey has such a rich clash history, and should not be blamed if they choosing to take a break from the clash scene, a break unlikely to last because it just doesn’t fit the nature of the beast!
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Their rich, extensive clash experience still makes Bass Odyssey, not bad jugglers themselves, one of the best oiled clash machines Jamaica has in reserve. Hopefully, it’s just a matter of time before we see them once again ruling the international clash scene, and warring almost every other week like they used to. While waiting, clash fans shouldn’t be complaining, and instead, should be saying congratulations to Bass Odyssey for all the work they’ve put into the international clash market blueprint.
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On that note, we say congratulations to the ‘best’ war sound ever-Bass Odyssey, winners of our ReggaeMania.com ‘Tops’ Award for ‘Top International Clash Sound of 2019’.