Entertainment

Fully Loaded sound clash - take no prisoners

By GERMAINE SMITH, Staff Reporter

Tony Matterhorn - file

FULLY LOADED ON Sunday night was not only about the performers.

The sound systems generated their own excitement for the thousands who showed up. At times it seemed as if the audience was more interested in the 'tracing' and word slinging than in the live performances.

Juggling kicked off quite early. By 11 p.m., Stars International was kicking up heat, warming things up for the constant word dropping and dub-plate flashing that the others would later take up.

The first to blatantly do this was Code Red, after they played a special by Kiprich which blasted Swam King, Foota Hype, Jazzy T, Razz and Biggy, and Tony Matterhorne.

Crowd support

The weight of this specially-cut dub-plate was matched only by the shots which erupted from the supportive and passionate crowd.

Later on, Cash Money took the reigns with Scratchie B doing his share of blasting, getting a good portion of the celebration as well until it died down towards the end of his set.

Coppershot followed, and immediately lashed Scratchie B for his dyed hair, comparing him to Dennis Rodman. They started the hype with the crowd, but failed to maintain this hype with the playing.

Following that, Adonai also started off on a good footing but later lost it with the crowd.

Being the subject of earlier disses, Razz and Biggie steered clear of outright bashing, playing special Sizzla and Jah Cure tunes for a good short set.

Stone Love however took things up a notch. Armed with the mouthpiece of Richie Feelings and Billy Slaughter, they showed how to 'trace' properly for the 'forwards.'

Among their offerings, they played a Busy Signal dub-plate which lashed Jazzy T, and a mock Whisper Song dub-plate which tore down their former colleague Swam King along with Foota Hype. No one took prisoners.

Answer in song

Jazzy T avoided the passa passa, playing Assassin's Do It If Yu Bad and Kartel's Bad Man No Throw Word among others as his answers.

Foota Hype however, had answers.

"People, we love Stone Love don't, but we just don't rate the selector dem," he playfully announced before he dropped words for Richie Feelings, Diamond, and Billy Slaughter.

Swam King followed but had a bad night. Not long into his set, the claps started in the crowd, signalling him to cease. He complied, but gave love to the audience.

Armed with a world-clash title, Bass Odyssey was the last system, and should have capped things off, but they didn't. They got a resounding welcome after beginning with a venom-laced Tanya Stephens dub-plate, but let the hype slip from them. In the end, they had to even cut it short to welcome the second round of performers.