The scintillating finals of the Magnum All-Star Sound Clash came to a smashing end on Saturday May 20, 2023, on Ocean Boulevard, Downtown Kingston.
The atmosphere was charged with tension as supporters of Five Star General and Echo One Sound Systems were out in their numbers, awaiting the lyrical battle that was to ensue.
Winning the coin toss, Five Star General opted to go first, starting off round 1 with a remix of ‘The Lion Sleeps Tonight’ by The Tokens. The 20-minute juggling round saw MC Craig Genus firing shots at the Echo One team, unleashing a barrage of dancehall tunes at their competitor.
However, Echo One proved unfazed as MC Bruck Bad stepped out in his bulletproof vest, starting their set Psalm 23, The Lord’s My Shepherd, following with a slew of popular Jamaican gospel songs that got the crowd in a frenzy. On the turntables, DJ Fire Wayne skillfully transitioned into hits after hits of dancehall favourites, which easily granted them a unanimous win in round 1.
Round 2 proved to be futile for the St. Thomas based Five Star General, as they suffered a disqualification due to the use of indecent language by their MC. This allowed Echo One a further advantage, winning that round by default. The following round got spicy with the ‘5 baddest King Jammy produced songs’ challenge, which dared the teams to expend their archives, finding the most suited songs from producer Lloyd “King Jammy” James to destroy their opponent. The round ended in a draw as the votes were split 2-2 between the finalists. Echo One got the edge in round 4, which declared them the 2023 Magnum All-Stars Sound Clash champion, taking home the cash prize of $1 million.
“Tonight, was nothing short of excellent. I applaud the effort of both teams and extend congratulations to the champion sound, Echo One. We had some very talented sounds this year and the hard work put in over the past 11 weeks hasn’t gone unnoticed and has definitely paid off for Echo One” expressed Kamal Powell, Regional Marketing Manager, Magnum Tonic Wine.
Powell continued to say that “The past 11 weeks have been tremendous for Magnum, and all the other stakeholders. Sound clashing has been a staple in the dancehall fraternity, and the wider Jamaican society for many decades, so it is only fitting that Magnum is a part of this, as we continue to champion dancehall and the development of clash culture across the island.”
The winning team, Echo One, was in high spirits following their victory in the night’s competition. MC Bruck Bad, basking in elation stated that “We are overjoyed with this win! We came with a strategy, and it worked for us and for that we are thankful. We give thanks to God, above all else for this victory. The competition allowed us to challenge ourselves musically and with that I can say that Echo One has left this competition much better than when we entered it. Big up to Magnum and the entire All-Star team for this opportunity, nuff love!”
Similarly, second place winner, Five Star General, though a bit disappointed, remained thankful for the opportunity they were granted.
“We are grateful for the exposure we got from the competition. Although it didn’t end how we wanted it to, it was a good experience, and we certainly look forward to coming back next year. There is always room for improvement, so we just have to go back to the drawing board and put in the work” shared Andrew Pang of the Five Star General Sound.
The All-Star Sound Clash began in 2014 and has experienced tremendous growth and international attraction over the years. It has facilitated the birth of many successful DJs and MCs in Jamaica that have gone on to do exceptionally well on the international scene.
“Magnum’s partnership has been awesome. The All-Star team had a vision of what we wanted to bring to the consumers and without Magnum Tonic Wine coming on board, we wouldn't have been able to bring this vision to life. It is our hope that this partnership will continue to blossom for years to come, so we can provide more avenues for other talents to shine.” Cheiftin Campbell, Co-Promoter of the Magnum All-Star Sound Clash.
In between sets, patrons were treated to performances by dancehall stars, Artical, Moyann and Magnum’s newest ambassador, La Lee. The event was judged by resident judges, Admiral Bailey and Oral Tracey, alongside guest judges, Randy Rich from Stone love and dancehall artiste Alpachino.
Campbell continued to express that “Sound system clash is the purest form of dancehall sport and just as how Jamaicans are competitive in track and field and other sporting events, it is the same reality for sound system clashes. It is music, pure dancehall music, and the people are passionate about it. I must also extend appreciation to our other sponsors for partnering with us and immersing themselves in the culture. We will be back bigger and better in 2024, especially with Magnum on board, and we encourage more people to join us on this journey in growing the authentically Jamaican brand that is dancehall.”
The authentic dancehall brand, Magnum Tonic Wine, remains in full support of dancehall development in Jamaica. At the end of the competition, Echo One walked away with the Magnum sponsored $1 million cash prize, a trophy and the title of Jamaica’s Baddest Sound System.