Star-studded crew mix dancehall and reggae for Kingston music battle triumph.
Do It For The Culture crew, led by Salaam Remi and Spragga Benz, have won the first ever Red Bull Culture Clash Jamaica in the competition that pits dancehall, reggae, hip-hop and soca against each other in rousing music battles. Here is all you need to know:
– Kingston, the capital of Jamaica, was the setting for the inaugural event which made sense as the home of reggae and dancehall, and birthplace of sound clashes.
– Crews had to open up with 15 minutes each in the first round as they dug deep into their dub boxes, then 12 minutes each in rounds two, three and four before a thrilling 10-minute decider and final tiebreaker.
– Among the talented, star-studded crews Romeich Entertainment, Riddimstream Platta, Strike Force and Do It For The Culture, the latter – stocked heavy with artists, producers and selectors with decades of experience combined, proved that youthful exuberance can only go so far when it comes to the crunch.
– Led by dancehall and movie star Spragga Benz, Billboard chart-topping producer Jah Snowcone, legendary selectors Jack Scorpio and Disco Neil and popular radio disc jockey DJ Bambino – Do It For The Culture rocked the house and lifted the winner’s trophy.
– They came out hard in the decider with dubs from reggae pioneer Jimmy Cliff (Many Rivers To Cross), Supa Cat, OMI and even R&B crooner Miguel (Adorn).
– New Yorker Salaam Remi, 47, said: “We were mixing songs and Airdropping stuff over emails. We had an idea and we kind of talked through it this morning – after recording for three or four weeks. The performances that happened, that wasn’t rehearsed at all.”
PHOTOS: Red Bull
