JWR's WORLD CLASH 2000 MANIA!!!

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Irish & Chin's World Clash 2000 - Oct 6th - Amazura, Queens, NYC - $35 b/44 10pm

The world has been waiting all year for this, and now in just a few short days it will finally come to past: WORLD CLASH 2000.  This year the line-up features a sound that's old, a sound that's new, a sound that definitely deserves to be there, a sound that  many say has no right to be there, a sound that will win, and five sounds that must lose!  WORLD CLASH has always been controversial by its very nature, and this year proves to be no different.   The amount of drama  that happened leading up to this WORLD CLASH makes you wonder why Irish and Chin don't approach CBS or ABC about doing a mini-series or soap-opera.  Every sound has a bone to pick, and some are just there to cause pure havoc!  The following Tale of The Tape tells most of the Drama behind who's who in  WORLD CLASH 2000!  Click on the pictures to see a larger view! 

TALE OF THE TAPE

MIGHTY CROWN - The Returning World Clash 99 Champions

Call it nostalgia, call it luck, call it whatever you want.. The fact still remains that Mighty Crown soundly defeated Killamanjaro with Ricky Trooper (by a show of forwards) last year to become the reigning WORLD CLASH Champions!!! But contrary to what many might think, the road has not been easy for Sammy T, Simon, Koji, and Stiko, neither before nor after WORLD CLASH 1999.  Although the instant fame that came with winning WORLD CLASH 1999 has resulted in more visibility for the Japanese sound, many people still refuse to give them the respect that they feel they deserve, and to this day they are still seen by many as an outsider of the elite sound system clash clique - which includes the likes of: Bass Odyssey, Black Kat, Killamanjaro, etc!  Many people say that they are rightfully excluded because between WORLD CLASH 1999 and now, they have failed to accumulate enough victories to win the loyalty and approval of hardcore sound clash fans.  This can be contrasted with the months leading into WORLD CLASH 1999, where although they played less dates, they had already secured two major victories: Irish & Chin's FOUNDATION WORLD WAR 2000 (5/99) in Boston, against Sir Coxsone and Downbeat; and WORLD WAR 2000 (5/99) against Bass Odyssey and Sir Coxsone in Washington DC.  They were not as well known at the time, but those who knew of them were aware of these victories, and appreciated their presence at WORLD CLASH 1999. Mighty Crown's track record leading into WORLD CLASH 2000 is a bit less impressive.  Their appearances immediately following WORLD CLASH 1999 were mainly for juggling dances, with dates like THANKSGIVING JUGGLING (WASH 11-25-99); Stone Love 27th Anniversary (FLA 11-27-99); and  Mighty Crown l/s Poison Dart l/s Chalice (FLA 11-28-99).  During this very pivitol time for them (having just won WORLD CLASH 1999), they were at a crossroads to decide whether they should buss as a juggling sound or remain in the clash fraternity. By accepting the dates aforementioned, they seemed to favor juggling at the time (at a time when many thought they should have came off of WORLD CLASH 1999 clashing everything in sight).  At this point their ratings began to fluctuate.  It didn't help that they missed a key clash: Bass Odyssey (vs Mighty Crown) (BKLYN 12-4-99) causing many to think they are running from Odyssey; and walked out when Little Rock flipped up on them at: Mighty Crown l/s Little Rock (NJ 11-26-99).  In early 2000 Mighty Crown was determined to gain the respect of hardcore sound clash fans, but with  their inconsistent performances: WHERE WILL THE TROPHY GO (CONNECTICUT 3-18-00 - loss to Rodigan); DEATH IN DI ARENA (QUEENS 4-21-00 - defeated Rodigan); and most recently CHAMPIONS IN ACTION CLASH (QUEENS 7-21-00 - loss to Freddy & Killamanjaro) it remains to be seen whether they have earned the respect they so long have sought for.  So what would a victory at WORLD CLASH 2000 mean to Mighty Crown?   It would mean that a victory two years in a row - like it or love it - would finally afford them bragging rights to be held in the same esteem as our traditional warhead sounds.

KILLAMANJARO - Returns with a Vengeance, and a New Legacy

Killamanjaro returns to WORLD CLASH this year  representing Jamaica with a look, feel, and  mission very much different from last year's appearance!! Probably the most noticeable change is the departure of Ricky Trooper, leaving Killamanjaro in the hands of Freddy and Hype to uphold.  Ricky Trooper left the highest mountain to form his own sound - Sound Troopers.  According to him, he had taken Killamanjaro as high and as far as he possibly could, and now it was time to create and nurture something of his own. Before he left Killamanjaro, Trooper toured the world saying that Killamanjaro was robbed at WORLD CLASH 1999, and vowed to avenge this at WORLD CLASH 2000.  When he left Jaro, his zest to annihilate Mighty Crown did not die, and at one time he *was* booked to attend WORLD CLASH 2000 as Sound Troopers (which would mean he would confront his former sound, Killamanjaro).  Posters were printed that included him in the lineup,  but somewhere along the road he dropped out amidst controversy.   So where did Trooper's departure leave Killamanjaro?  Well Freddy have had to pick up the highest mountain on his back and carry it back to the top.  This has been by no means an easy task for Trooper's former apprentice, but many seem to forget that while Trooper was playing Killamanjaro, it was Freddy who was mixing (and at some points, selecting) the dubs.  In fact, there were times when Killamanjaro had to play abroad, and it was Freddy (with the help of Hype) who had to hold the fort down in Jamaica, which included at some points clashing sounds without the help or guidance of Trooper.  So in essence, Freddy and Hype are not new to Jaro, and in fact should be credited along with Ricky  Trooper for some of Killamanjaro's  past accomplishments.  How has the Year 2000 clash season treated Killamanjaro since Freddy took the torch?  Quite well actually!! Killamanjaro has secured wins in just about every clash entered into this year, including: Killamanjaro vs Jah Creation (JA 4-29-00);  Killamanjaro vs Katarac (JA 6-3-00); Killamanjaro vs Pieces (JA 7-6-00); and Killamanjaro vs Fire Links vs Katarac (JA 7-31-00). At CHAMPIONS IN ACTION CLASH (QUEENS 7-21-00), Freddy and Hype put all controversies surrounding their rumored previous *loss* to Mighty Crown (in Atlanta) to rest when they soundly defeated the Far East Rulers in New York City!! This, more than any other clash, awakened the world to the fact that Freddy and Hype are a force to be reckoned with.  But even more importantly, this victory symbolized that Killamanjaro can, and will survive in the absence of Trooper.  After all, it survived selectors Ansil, Jeremy Lee, and a host of deejays and singers. So at this point it seems most fans have decided to stick with the highest mountain, and they are giving Freddy (now chief selector) a fair chance to prove himself.  In examining Freddy in action, one can see remnants of Trooper himself in his mannerisms, aggressiveness, and even some of the speech he uses.  Having said that, one can also appreciate the new style in which he plays Killamanjaro, relying on *other* foundation tunes besides the "beat out" Jaro anthems Trooper has relied on over and over again to pull him through the rough times!   Killamanjaro holds the distinguished honor of being the only sound to be invited to all three of Irish & Chin's WORLD CLASHES, but what would a victory at WORLD CLASH 2000 mean for Killamanjaro?  It would mean that Killamanjaro was properly avenged for last year's loss, and it would also mean that Freddy and Hype are indeed worthy of their inheritance as the new chief shottas pon Jaro!  

BASS ODYSSEY  - Will the "no-shows" Steal the Show This Year?

When it comes to controversy, no sound can compete with the Bad Bwoys from St. Anns!! There "no-show" at WORLD CLASH 1999 last year was the single most talked about drama of the event barring Mighty Crown's victory.  At the delight of Killamanjaro and Matterhorn fans, and to the disappointment of hardcore Bass Odyssey heads, WORLD CLASH 1999 came to past without the presence of the "one rack sound" - whose official explanation of their absence was accredited to visa problems.  Following the event, many said that if Bass Odyssey had been at WORLD CLASH 1999, the result would have been very different.  This year we will see how true that is, since every sound that attended WORLD CLASH 1999 will return to WORLD CLASH 2000.  Bass Odyssey with head honcho Squingy, DJ Mark, Skinny, Duane, Worm, and Pablo spent the first half of this year doing what they do best, clashing and killing sounds.  However, their wins were punctuated by some crucial losses - all of which were controversial in nature.  This repeated "hill and gully" ride has earned them many adjectives among both supporters and protagonists alike, with the most popular pair in conflict being: "under-rated" versus "inconsistent"! Allow their track record to explain:  At CLASH OF THE WARLORDS (FLA 11-25-99) Bass Odyssey came out of the clash in top form, defeating Poison Dart and Katarac! Then in December 1999,  Bass Odyssey  was presented with an opportunity to redeem themselves from their absence at WORLD CLASH 1999, but at  Bass Odyssey (vs Mighty Crown) (BKLYN 12-4-99) Mighty Crown was a no-show (which brought up the question: Is Mighty Crown running?).  At King Addies vs Bass Odyssey (WASH DC 2-19-00) Bass Odyssey lost what many thought was an "easy clash", putting their viability as a top-notch clash sound on trial, while giving King Addies a well needed boost in status! At the rematch: SETTLEMENT OF ARGUMENTS (QUEENS 5-5-00) Bass Odyssey disgraced King Addies on home soil, but when Odyssey returned to New York for GLOBAL CUP CLASH USA  (BKLYN 5-27-00), many say Little Rock took the glory - another controversy in itself! Then they went  to WORLD CLASH @ ANTIGUA (ANTIGUA 6-17-00) and Matterhorn got the best of them!  When they had a chance to defend the defeat at WAR 2000 (QUEENS 8-11-00), Matterhorn again took the trophy in a Dub-Fi-Dub sudden death - amidst controversy!  However at  DANCEHALL WARFARE (FLA 9-3-00) these losses were avenged when Matterhorn was eliminated early out and Bass Odyssey went on to defeat the likes of Fire Links for the victory.  Since this year, Bass Odyssey has defeated King Addies, Jah Creation, Stonewall, Matterhorn, Fire Links, Black Kat, Katarac, and Warlord to name a few.  Having said that, they have also lost to Matterhorn (twice), King Addies, and arguably Little Rock. Despite their losses however, Bass Odyssey still has one of (if not the most) impressive clash records of this year, considering the amount of sounds clashed, the difficulty of the clashes, and the amount of victories secured.  It has been said that when Bass Odyssey is in a clash where it really matters, they always seem to choke  when it boils down to the nitty gritty (not showing at WORLD CLASH 1999, losing in Antigua to Matterhorn, losing again to Matterhorn in War 2000).  This year they will represent Jamaica in WORLD CLASH 2000 and answer  this characterization for all their fans, and their foes.  But what would a victory at this year's WORLD CLASH mean for Bass Odyssey?  It would mean that once and for all they will be unanimously named (if only for a minute) the Number One clash sound in the world - a title they have often had to allow to Killamanjaro, and settle for #2 or #3.      

TONY MATTERHORN  - Will his Foundation Tunes get him Through?

Like him, love him, or hate him if you will, but you can't deny the fact the the Mentally Ill Tony Matterhorn is on top of the world right now.  Not only is he one of the most sought after juggling selectors in the world, but he's also one of the hottest clash selectors as well.  To add to that, he is also one of the few (if not only) selectors in the business where a loss in a sound clash doesn't seem to affect him much (neither personally nor professionally). The Mentally "Aim To Kill" has long been a veteran of sound clashes (while playing on King Addies), but many were surprised at his return to the clash arena just over 2 years after him leaving King Addies to form the juggling sensation Matterhorn Movements!!! When King Addies could not be secured to represent the USA at last year's WORLD CLASH, a then "very young" (clash-wise) Matterhorn Movements with the Mental himself and apprentice Johnny Killa stepped to the plate to present America, and more specifically Brooklyn!! Representing New York for the second time this year at WORLD CLASH 2000, the cigarette toting (hence his name), Bounty Killa unleashing, Fully Loaded dunning Matterhorn seeks to go all the way this time, having dropped out of the Dub-Fi-Dub last year.  His parting words to fans at WORLD CLASH 1999: "... give me two more years to build my foundation tunes dub box!"  Well its been just about a year and it seems that Matterhorn has not only collected the foundation tunes he needs, but has also been quite successful at using them to dismantle some key rivals and secure some important victories.  When he wins, he seems to have one of those larger than life victories!  And when he loses, well.. its just dismissed until the next time he wins again... In fact, despite his losses, Matterhorn has boasted just about as impressive a resume' this year as any selector or sound could hope to have (both juggling and clash-wise): At JUGGLING TO KILL (QUEENS 1-29-00, Matterhorn was "ambushed" by then parring partner Fire Links, and received a gratuitous whipping in front of his New York fans!! At BILTMORE REUNION (BKLYN 3-3-00) Bounty Killa addressed this beating for him, dissing Fire Links (this would later be made into a dub by Matterhorn).  Matterhorn then went abroad, doing the very successful MENTAL EUROPE TOUR 2000 (EUROPE April 8th-14th 2000) and came back just in time to give it to Adonai and Jah Creation at TRIPLE LOADED (JA 5-18-00).  Then at Matterhorn vs Fire Links (BERMUDA 6-10-00) he avenged his defeat to the Fireman, and at  WORLD CLASH @ ANTIGUA (ANTIGUA 6-17-00) defeated Bass Odyssey and a ton load of  sounds for the title.  He came back to New York and beat Fire Links soundly again at NO MORE LONG ARGUMENT (BKLYN 7-15-00). At WAR 2000 (QUEENS 8-11-00) he quieted his critics by stealing yet another major victory from Bass Odyssey, only to be knocked out first round at DANCEHALL WARFARE (FLA 9-3-00).  Another notable defeat came for him at the annual FULLY LOADED 2000 (JA 7-30-00) where he was outdone by Alaska and none other than Wyclef Jean from the Fugees, who unleashed on him the likes of Whitney Houston and Micheal Jackson on dub!  A bit inconsistent, but still a force to be reckoned with, Matterhorn is hailed in the juggling fraternity, but is more likened to "the prodigal son"  in the clash arena.  So what would a victory at WORLD CLASH 2000 mean for the Mental one?  It would mean that he would have made history by becoming the first and only selector to unanimously be the dubbed best in both the juggling and clash arenas at the same point and time in history!

POW POW  - Europe (Germany) Gets their Fair Chance to Represent!

Probably the least popular of all the WORLD CLASH 2000 contenders, Pow Pow Movement from Cologne, Germany is by no means a push-over.  In fact, Pow Pow (along with Soundquake and Supersonic) have been holding down the German reggae scene for years.  Outside Germany, they are known mostly by music freaks who  take their hobby to a world-wide level, embracing a global perspective of the music!  In deed www.MusicFrEaKCentral.com has been offering Pow Pow cassettes for over a year now.  To learn more about this European heavyweight, we turn to Uli - a Music FrEaK Central Correspondent from Germany.  Here is an excerpt of his article on German Sound Systems, soon to be released by JAMWORLD: "...  This sound [Pow Pow Movement] is the most professional operating in Germany for more than 8 years now. Crew members Ingo, Bukra, Devon and Mr. Brown are busy throughout the week. They have regular dances at club "Petit Prince" in Cologne every Friday and once in while they have guests like David Rodigan passing through. As often as possible they try to bring over other sounds to push the sound system culture to new extents. So far they played with Stone Love (Wee Pow & Rory) in 97, with Links and Johnny from Bodyguard in 98 during the World Cup, they played the London Carnival with several local sounds, they juggled with Saxon and most recently they brought over Tony Matterhorn (*flyer), the hypest selector in the world which was a big success down the line. Apart from that they played with Stone Love and David Rodigan at the Summer Jam 2000 in Cologne which is the biggest Reggae festival in Europe with more than 30.000 visitors on 3 days (every year).  If that is not enough they started to put their name on the international map by crossing the ocean to hit Brooklyn, NY in late May 2000 where they were booked for a juggling dance with Afrique and Massive B at Jamroc and furthermore they appeared at Spragga Benz' Birthday Bash. They voice dubs as often as possible and it seems that after some hard years of work, Germany got it's first sound ready for the major league. What makes them so unique and special is their very own sense of identity. They don't follow any trends, they don't cut any dubs everyone else is using just to be hype, they just do what they feel they have to do.  And this is it…the Pow Pow Movement !!! For more info, check www.powpow.de..."  And there you have it, an exclusive run down of Pow Pow credentials by Uli, a top cassette freak in Germany.  So now that we have some knowledge of the German super power, what would Pow Pow gain from a victory at WORLD CLASH 2000?  A victory for them, simply put, would be a victory of the entire European dancehall fan-base (outside of UK) who despite having an impressive amount of sound systems, have long been ignored from the sound system scene and reggae scene in general.

LITTLE ROCK  - The Flip-Up Kings from Jersey!

When you speak of Sound Clash in North America, you speak of places like New York (Brooklyn , Queens, Bronx, and L.I.); Washington DC;  and Florida (Lt Lauderdale and Tampa Bay).  You might hear an echo from Boston  or a shout from Atlanta or Connecticut, but very rarely do the venues of sound clash go beyond the boundaries of the three aforementioned traditional venues.  That was, until New Jersey stepped to the plate!! In the past two years, sounds like Bullet Proof and Snow White have fought to gain respect for New Jersey, both as a venue for sound clash and a harbor for wicked sound systems. These are traits more  commonly given to places like Brooklyn, but Jersey's upcoming warheads are determined to change that!  Perhaps the most well-known of New Jersey's sound clash warriors is Little Rock! With an unseemingly limitless budget for big tunes and an eye for surprise attacks, this sound system has attempted to bum-rush their way into the sound clash fraternity, often through flipping up on unsuspecting victims in juggling venues, hence the phrase: "The Flip-Up Kings."  They have the tunes (as can be heard from their mixed tapes and CD releases, but many say they suffer from lack of originality and lack of a good MC (mic man).  Whichever the case, these guys have paid their dues, or at least have attempted to do so.  Lets look at the Rock's track record:  The year 1999 was a big year for Little Rock.  They immediately made headlines after FOUR THE HARD WAY (NY 9-17-99) when they flipped up on Earthruler, L.P., and Natural Vibes - turning what was to be a juggling dance into mayhem!  Then at MILLENNIUM GAL NIGHT (NJ 9-18-99), when booked to play alongside Supa Doo and King Addies in a juggling affair, they brought the war to King Addies, ending the dance in a controversial manner.  Again at  Mighty Crown l/s Little Rock (NJ 11-26-99) the Flip-Up Kings turned what was to be a juggling dance with WORLD CLASH 1999 Champs Mighty Crown into an all out war, forcing Mighty Crown to walk out of what Crown felt was a disrespectful situation.  In December of that year at  Bodyguard vs Little Rock (NJ 12-24-99), the Rock unleashed on Johnny and Bodyguard (without Links) and the world started to recognize.  In 2000 Little Rock has not been as active, but they did represent the USA at GLOBAL CUP CLASH USA  (BKLYN 5-27-00) where they went to the nitty gritty with Bass Odyssey.  At SLUE DEM (NJ 7-29-00) they battled it out with Panther (Black Kat) and Fire Links, and though they played well, reports are that the real war turned out to be between Links and Panther.  With a record like this, many people question Little Rock's presence at WORLD CLASH 2000, calling them among other things: undeserving.  Others liken  their presence at this year's WORLD CLASH to news of Matterhorn's presence last year - not to be praised, but not to be underestimated either!  In essence, the Rock still has a lot to prove before they are broadly accepted  into the warhead fraternity.  So what then would a victory at WORLD CLASH 2000 mean for the Flip-Up Kings?  Acceptance!!!  New Jersey on the map as a warhead state!  And bragging rights to a bonifide clash that was won not through a surprise flip-up, but rather on a straight up strength of their tunes!

CONCLUSION

Now that you have read an overview of each of the contenders for the WORLD CLASH 2000 Trophy, has your mind changed about who you think will win?  Whether you are a die-hard Jaro or Bass Odyssey fan, or you have a liking for the underdog, there is no doubt that WORLD CLASH 2000 will be a clash for the history books.   As always, expect surprises upon surprises as the world's top sounds battle for the glory of being this year's champs.  To all the sounds I say good luck!  Specifically to the selectors, here's some free advice from Prince TuFfiE, the clash Analyst:

     To Jaro I say: "Don't rely on Jaro's beat out anthems, continue creating new anthems of your own, but don't be too creative, in the end certain jaro tunes will never die!!"

    To Odyssey I say: "Don't choke when it gets down to the wire, just be aggressive (don't lose your steam) and bring it on through in the end!" 

     To Matterhorn I say: "It really does matter  to everyone this time, so play this clash like winning it matters to you, you're not the big man in this clash, so sweat for this victory!"

     To Crown I say: "Your opportunity to kill the 'nostalgia of Japanese playing sound' argument is at hand, make use of it and play like a 'sound', not a 'Japanese sound'!"  

     To Little Rock I say: "New Jersey crowds alone can't support you in this, you have to play like you belong there, not like you *want to*  belong there - earn the crowd's respect and  level the hype!

      To Pow I say "All of Europe is watching you, concentrate on doing anything to get past the early rounds, then worry about the Dub-Fi-Dub when you get there!

The world will be at WORLD CLASH 2000 and so will the JAMWORLD FAMILY with Prince TuFFiE, Cassette Face, and Crew!!! Be sure to tune in right here at www.JamworldReggae.com again for the most complete and concise report of what takes place as the Clash Analyst, Prince TuFFiE will once again decipher the madness into his renown Round By Round Analysis (as he did last year).  Of course whatever comes out of WORLD CLASH 2000 (Tapes, Videos, CDs) will be immediately available at .  In fact you can PRE-ORDER your TAPES & CDs today!  Plus get the Tapes, Videos, and CDs for any dances and sound clashes mentioned in this Analysis (underlined in blue), plus thousands more (Jamaican Movies too) at the same place!  See Ya at the Clash!!!

-Prince TuFFiE (Clash Analyst)!  

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