CONTINUE TO READ AS THE PICTURES LOAD, THEN SCROLL BACK TO SEE THEM! CLICK HERE FOR PLAIN TEXT (NO GRAPHICS) EDITION! . |
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REGGAE
UPDATE: Time to sit back, relax, and
get in gear with
JAMWORLD
and get up to date with some bits and pieces of news and views
from the biz!! Well the 1999 X-Mas season proved to be one of the most successful
for reggae related industries worldwide. Dances and sound clashes everywhere
were filled to capacity as
patro
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* MIXED CDS* STONE LOVE RENAISSANCE MIX BLESS DI YOUTHS SOCA FLASHBACK |
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1999 was a year of nuff changes in the business! Selectors
going solo was the hot thing, with Tony Matterhorn leading the pack -
dunning Antigua, mashing up FULLY LOADED
99, turning over
DELANO'S REVENGE,
and even making a gallant attempt at
WORLD CLASH 99. As Matterhorn
said to me after the World Clash - give him 2 more years to build his
foundation arsenal and
Even Ricky Trooper of Killamanjaro can now be booked independently of the sound, where he will bring dubs calling his name (Ricky Trooper). Of course he still has the backbone Tenor Saw, Nitty Gritty, and Super Cat dubs of the highest Mountain to rely on when in trouble. New York's own Steelie Bashment (formerly of Afrique) is trodding his own road as well, cutting dubs on foundation rhythms for a unique style of hardcore rub-a-dub juggling long missing from the New York City scene. He is destined to be the next selector in line to buss out of NYC since Matterhorn! Lenny (from Amplex) is another addition to this list that seems to be growing endlessly! |
Looking for Caribbean Intellectuals to read our stuff!! JAMWORLD MOVEMENTS MAGAZINE Real-life issues facing the Caribbean! Reggae News!! |
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But why does everyone feel that this is a new trend? Rodigan himself has been doing it solo for years (so has GT Taylor). And lets not forget that back in the 80s it was not uncommon for the prominent selectors to lend their services to different sound systems. |
Agree or disagree with what you're reading? VOICE OUT!!! |
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In 1999, clashes all but dominated the sound system industry, with the biggest being WORLD CLASH 99. Just about everyone (including traditional juggling sounds) found themselves amidst war at one point or another.
Veteran clash master Killamanjaro
had a year of mixed reviews. After starting out on a strong foot battling
it out with Katarac and their usual wars with Black Kat, Trooper found himself
in a precarious position in Q-Club in Queens, NYC when Matterhorn flipped
up on him! After mashing up their 36th Anniversary tour which took
them all the way to England, Jaro did well until they buck up on Mighty Crown
from Japan at WORLD CLASH
99 (put on by Irish & Chin Promotions - read
our
WORLD
CLASH SPECIAL REPORT).
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WORLD CLASH 99 Round By Round Analysis complete with RealAudio and Pictures! |
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Several sounds tried to buss out of the pack and make their name before the Millennium started!! The most notable of these were perhaps Katarac (Jamaica) and Little Rock (New Jersey). Katarac is by no means a new sound. Originating in Milwaukee and moving to Jamaica, they enlisted the aid of nephew and uncle team Hit Man and Quincy Jones and from there it was total clashment - touring the USA and Jamaica on a mission to make their name known. In one year Katarac has clashed Killamanjaro twice (in JA and at MORTAL CLASH in Bermuda), Bass Odyssey and Black Kat (WARLORDS ON RAMPAGE), Bass Odyssey and Poison Dart (CLASH OF THE WARLORDS), Bass Odyssey solo, Poison Dart solo, David Rodigan, King Addies, Earthruler & Soul Supreme (STAMPEDE 99), etc. They have also juggled alongside some of the top sounds in the biz, including Matterhorn. Their trek was not met without adversity, but for a "new sound" their attempts were very ambitious, and they should be given nuff credit for that! Little Rock spent the year flipping up on sounds including King Addies, Mighty Crown, LP & Earthruler, etc. None of these flip ups really amounted to any bonified clashes, but they are determined to make New Jersey on the map - watch out for them in 2000!
Did somebody say something about ADDIES!!! Well
this year for King Addies was a year of proving to the world that they
can survive without Matterhorn, and that they did! Addies won all of
their clashes this year, all with the help of new MC Winter Fresh (of
Turbo And what of the other NYC warheads.. Well Earthruler, Soul Supreme, LP, Stereo Sonic, First Class, and the rest were for the most part on the down low last year, doing mostly juggling gigs. Souls Supreme of course came back at year's end to clash King Addies.. Perhaps the rest are secretly arming their munition for some planned warfare in 2000! Menawhile Posion Dart & Chalice continue to hold down the Florida scene. |
* TAPES * STING 99 SADDLE TO THE EAST OVER LOADED TONY MATT & LYNX WET -WILD 99 WORLD CLASH 99 DELANO REVENGE ADDIES vs SOUL SUP. And Thousands More! |
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Perhaps the most consistent sound of 1999 was the
often under-rated but
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This
year Bass Odyssey not only pounded on all sounds that came in their way,
but also made a name for themselves in the juggling arena as well, playing
dances alongside the likes of Matterhorn and Adonai in Jamaica, and Chalice
in Florida! But everyone knows Bass Odyssey is a clash sound at heart,
and they did exactly that all year - among their opponents: Rodigan
in Brooklyn, Katarac in Jamaica, Black Kat in Washington DC - and all
of these dances they came out the victor. However their trend was cut short
in Washington DC when they went up against Mighty Crown and Coxsone
for the WORLD WAR CLASH
(Irish & Chin Promotions).
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* MOVIES * HARDER THEY COME DANCEHALL QUEEN SMILE ORANGE COUNTRY MAN |
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And speaking of Japanese - if anything, 1999 could
be called the Year of the Japanese, as Mighty Crown and Judgement of Japan
permeated the New York, Florida, Canada, and Jamaica dancehall scene, leaving
a path of destruction and sound burial
along Juggling dances this year seemed more and more like sound clashes (a trend again set by Matterhorn) as new selectors battled in out against seasoned veterans. The World Immortal Stone Love got offset by a small feud with Renaissance and Matterhorn around mid-year (and were absent from FULLY LOADED 99 to Matterhorn's disappointment). That quickly got cleared up, and they gained back momentum - running the bashment scene again by the end of the year. Billy Slaughter even took Rodigan to school at a friendly clash in Brooklyn, a favor Rodigan would return later in the year at Junior Jamroc's dance in Amazuru!!!!! Year to year sound Metromedia held its own well into the final hours of 1999 with chief selector Skyjuice recuperating from a trip to the hospital when he fainted in the middle of a dance.
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Renaissance continues to be the leader of innovative juggling and wicked
Reggae/Hip Hop/R&B remixes. Now that they have their own equipment
In 1999 Adonia - the Fifth
Element of Sound - saw themselves rolling with heavyweights like Stone Love
and Renaissance. But the most impressive thing about them is that they are
also rigged
In New York City Afrique, Libra Love, and Massive B continued to maintain the juggling scene. Natural Vibes (Big Up Danger) and Supa Doo (big up Terror & Renzi) are stepping up on the Round Robin scene with a strong following of patrons behind them! New York is still Matterhorn's backyard, but unfortunately he is so overbooked we rarely get to see him in his hometown! |
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Foundation sounds had a good year as well. David
Rodigan continues his mission to
sch
As for deejays and singers, its no question that
this year was the Fireman's year, as Capleton mash up the scene, coining
the phrase: "More Fire!" and taking it everywhere he went! He started
out the year on a personal mission to lick out against Beenie Man, but soon
turned those energies towards forwarding his own message of peace and Rasta
living!
As for hardcore deejays, well we all know its all about Bounty Killa with "Anytime" and "Look Into my Eyes" topping the charts. Baby Cham took 1999 by storm, touring hard with Bounty while creating a unique stage performance for himself that left audiences in awe everywhere he went.. This deejay is not only great on stage, but he's also lyrically potent when it comes to song writing (he wrote Bounty's "Wutliss Bwoy" sometime back). The Doctor had a good year as usual, and even entered the sound clash business when he cut a whole bunch of dubs (including a combination with himself and Bounty Killa) to clash Matterhorn at DELANO'S REVENGE 99. Year to year deejay sensations Spragga Benz and Merciless maintained, as did Monsta Shack and Scare Dem (although "Star Angel" has left Scare Dem in the name of Christianity). Terry Linen's remake of Whitney Houston's hit single "Your Love is My Love" boosted him to instant fame (although he's been out a while now), while Wayne Wonder, Shalom, and Singing Melody had an exceptionally good year as well. New group Ward 21 hit the scene with a bang while ARP maintained.. The "I Can't Believe Dis Song Still Hot" Award goes to Tanto Metro & Devonte's "Everyone Falls in Love Sometimes" (and the remix) which rocked the Hip Hop world and up till yesterday still gets regular rotation (airplay) on Hot 97 (NYC's premier Hip Hop radio Station)! This, despite the fact that the song came out in 1998. The "Where Are They Now?" Award goes to Zebra, who mashed up the place in late 1998 to early 1999, and by year's end all but disappeared!
1999 also marked a return to focusing on
the music itself - more specifically - the RHYTHM. Producers in
1999 made sure to brand their rhythms with names, something that had
faded And lets not forget the hot Soca tracks that ran 1999 and brought back soca to the dancehalls and clubs - including Faluma (Ding Ding), 25, Footsteps, Jump & Wine, Dogie, Hold up Yu Foot and Jump, Turn It Around, Man A Bad Man, Big Truck, Big Fat Fish, and the rest! Just about everyone jumped on the Soca Ban wagon, with Beenie Man and Mr. Vegas being two prominent reggae artists who recorded successful soca tunes! This year (2000) carnival tunes have already began to hit the airwaves, and they sound hot!!!
1999 was also a bittersweet year for reggae music,
as we lost some
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100s OF FOUNDATION TAPES STUR GAV BLACK SCORPIO EMPEROR FAITH KING JAMMYS KILLAMANJARO DOWNBEAT KING TUBBYS BLACK STAR COXSONE SAXON GEMINI JACK RUBY JAH LOVE THIRD WORLD YOUTHMAN P STEREO ONE METROMEDIA PAPA MOKE SILVER HAWK VIRGO etc. AND MUCH MORE FOR SALE & TRADE |
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As for new trends, well the new talk mashing up
the place in 1999 was "More
Baggy jeans with name brand shirts were hot this year although the new jeans suits popped up this summer and everybody had one by fall. Prints were also in. Tommy Hillfiger, Iceberg, Versace, Kani, and Guess were the hot names of 1999, as the people down a yard began to realize that Paco isn't considered name brand in the US! Leather and Suits (pants and jacket with no tie) made a slight comeback, but still keep the linen at the back of the closet though. The tight pants and tight shirt thing had to go, and by the end of summer everyone stop sporting it!! For women it was those same jeans suits again, and a comeback for impy skimpy wear and glossy skin tight jeans that looked panted on!!
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In 1999 people also began to realize that killing off each other while the politicians prospered was not the thing to do. Area dons Zekes and Dudas made peace, and when the "President" was taken into custody and held on charges - the whole of Downtown Kingston was under siege by the people until the area don was released! People got fed up with the deteriorating conditions in Jamaica, and further fueled by anthems from Bounty Killa and other deejays calling for social change, took to the streets on several occasions to express discontent with the way Jamaica was being run. The most notable of these was the gas riots that held the government at a stand still - making the 6 O' Clock News worldwide! The politicians had to bow to the people (but for how long?). Otherwise, Jamaica - like most if not all other Caribbean islands - is the greatest place to be, as long as you have the dollars and know how to flex and who to flex with!. In New York City an otherwise spectacular Labor Day Parade was punctuated abruptly by the death of some youngsters at the wheels of a tractor trailer pulling a float. Mrs. Clinton moved to town and Guilliani still on a mission to turn NYC into a police state! Canada's Caribana Parade got rained out but the fun did commence after the rain eased up about 4pm in the evening. World-wide everything was everything and we're all just glad we made through the Y2K BUG!! Happy New Years one and all from JAMWORLD MOVEMENTS ENTERPRISES and thanks for your support! Feel free to comment on or add to anything mentioned above on the JAMWORLD MESSAGE BOARD.
-Prince TuFFiE
All dances mentioned are available on cassette or CD at
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PROJECT JAMWORLD 2000 Stay Tuned...
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ns
came out to see the last of everything for the Millennium (bashment,
sound clash, etc)! STING 99 and
SADDLE TO THE EAST
were excellent this year with strong performances
by all artists..
RELOADED
99, Stone Love's 27th Anniversary Tour,
RASS BEER VIBES PLUS, WET N' WILD 3,
and the
Scare
Dem 2's Dance
were also pretty hot!!
WARLORDS ON A
RAMPAGE
(Black Kat, Bass
Odyssey,
Katarac), Killamanjaro
vs Bodyguard/No Limit, and Bass Odyssey vs Mighty
Crown (no show) were the highlights
clash-wise! Lets not forget the
King Addies vs
Soul Supreme clash which brought back some confidence
to King Addies fans! Look out for Tarzan from Washington D.C.'s
upcoming clash between Bass Odyssey and
King Addies 2-2000 (already booked) and Bass Odyssey vs Mighty
Crown (coming soon!)!
its
murder time!!!! Walking in Matterhorn's footsteps is the Fireman,
aka Fire Lynx, who - although still part of Bodyguard, decided to venture
independently! By years end Lynx (who was a hype man from long time) was
mashing up dances all over the island, teaming up with Matterhorn
(collectively know as "The Fire Squad") to take juggling
to a next level!
Jaro left the clash defeated, and since then Trooper
has been explaining to the world that he got cheated. When I spoke to Papa
Jaro (Mr. Harper - owner of Killamanjaro) after the dance, he said that things
definitely could have been done better in terms of the judging process. In
any event Jaro has not lost a clash since and still ends the year on a good
foot.
Phonics) who was brought in to pick
up where Matterhorn left off. Baby Face remains to be one of the wickedest
selectors in the business, and it didn't take long for him to acquaint Winter
Fresh with the styles and patterns of the Bill Board sound! The New
King Addies is on a rampage, and has consistently maintained when up against
the likes of Katarac and Soul Supreme in Brooklyn, Eternity (Virginia), Super
Gold, etc. Winter Fresh still has a way to go before he will truly be accepted,
but perhaps the real issue is for us as dancehall fans to accept the fact
that King Addies existed before Matterhorn, and will continue to exist without
him.
nevertheless
one of the greatest clash sounds ever - Black Kat!! How Panther and
Yunzie manages to kill sounds with their limited arsenal of dubs is beyond
me, but that they did!! Not only did Kat give Jaro a run for their money
in Florida, but Black Kat also walked all over some big sounds in the business
with a strong performance at
ROYAL RUMBLE
in Brooklyn, NY where they went up against Katarac and
Earthruler. Panther is one of the only true warlords in the business
- he never juggles! Even at Panther's
Birthday Bash he found it necessary
to flip up on Katarac, Exodus, Amplex, Killamanjaro, and the others.
Not to mention Killamanjaro's 36th
Anniversary in England where he turned trooper's celebration
into an all out war!
After some wicked juggling dances, they flew
to the UK for the GLOBAL CUP SOUND
SPLASH and met an unexpected fate at the hands of Judgement.
Nevertheless the Bad Bwoys from St. Ann rematched Judgement in Canada
and settled the score! Their absence at
WORLD CLASH
99 in Brooklyn (Irish & Chin Promotions) -
which was the fault of visa problems - had people wondering if they were
running from the Japanese, but when a rematch was booked in Brooklyn,
it was Crown who did a no-show due to problems with the promoter (watch
out for the rematch this year!). Any which way you look at it, Bass
Odyssey definitely has re-established themselves as clash sound that can
juggle as well - which is the most dangerous type of sound to mess
with!
the way! Crown was victorious at both the
WORLD FOUNDATION
CLASH and the
WORLD WAR CLASH this summer
(Irish & Chin Promotions) and rattled Brooklyn in an upset victory at
WORLD CLASH 99, where they
battled it out with Killamanjaro after Matterhorn politely stepped
out! From there they have been flying all over the place,
even mashing up juggling dances such as Stone Love's Anniversary in
Florida and a juggling fest with Matterhorn and Rodigan in Washington
DC over the Thanksgiving Holidays! Judgement (who came to Brooklyn in
Nov 98 to clash First Class and Earthruler) shocked the UK at the
GLOBAL CUP SOUND SPLASH and
have been doing damage in their own country - Japan!
(sound system and speakers), they have been doing some
heavy touring all over Jamaica, both as the featured sound and as a sound
system provider. I hear they have one of the cleanest sounding systems
in yard too! With strong performances
at
RASS BEER VIBES & BV
PLUS,
FULLY LOADED
99,
UPTOWN
OUTRAGE,
EXHALE
99,
HOT SPOT
99, and of course
DELANO'S REVENGE 99 (and
the list goes on), they enter 2000 as the reigning Remix & Refix
Masters!!
to clash as well, as displayed mid-year when Alaska tried to
flip up on them. Many say that it was actually them that got the biggest
forward at
FULLY LOADED
99. With the
return of Scorpion to the scene, they are definitely to be watched closely
in 2000.
ool young selectors on the art of cutting exclusive dubs -
clashing Bass Odyssey and Katarac and also teaching Stone Love a lesson in
Jamroc. Rodigan also flew to Jamaica to meet his match (age-wise)-
G.T. Taylor - in one of the wickedest clashes of the year!
Stur Gav continued their 3 The Hard Way Tour throughout much
of the year with Briggie, Josie, and Charlie mashing up dancehall with that
old time flava! Downbeat from New York (Bronx) was quite active this
year as well, putting on some wicked veteran dances!!
Cultural icons Luciano, Buju Banton, and Morgan's Heritage
dominated the culture scene as did Sizzla. Anthony B came through later in
the year!
The "Most
Improved Deejay of the Year" Award no doubt goes to Lexxus -
with his string of hits about sitting down in undiserables' "cyars" :), girls
ringing off his "celly", and if 10 girls breed dem a him do it! Other
newbies to hit the scene include Serial Kid, Mad Aju, Kiprich, Gabriel, Fargo,
songstress Crissy D, and Jack-A-Diamond!
away during
the mid 90s. But really and truly where do they get these names from?
Hot rhythms last year with really weird names included the Badda Badda,
Coochie, Headache, Street Sweeper, Head To Toe, Millennium Bug, Da Joint,
Curfew, Magnet, Bellias, and the list goes on!
of
the most influential talents in the business, including the Crown Prince
of reggae himself - Dennis Immanuel Brown; Jungo Lawes -
veteran reggae producer and owner/selector/deejay of the foundation
sound system Volcano Hi Fi; Michael Wallace - keyboard player for Third
World, and most recently Joe Higgs, a pioneer producer in the reggae industry.
Our condolences goes out to the families and friends of these (and other)
fallen heroes.
Fire!!"
- replacing "Work Wid It" that was running the scene earlier in the year.
The dance of the year was no doubt the "Jerry Springer" - made popular by
the confrontational and provocative TV show by the same name. The problem
is, no two people does the dance alike (which imitates a person fighting
- a theme present in all episodes of The Jerry Springer Show).
