King Addies wins US ‘sound’ clash
Kingpin, one of the selectors for veteran sound system King Addies, is proud of their victory over Animosity Sound in the Revelations Sound Clash competition held on August 28 in Atlanta, georgia.
“The difference between King Addies and our competitor is experience in clashing, playing music in big arenas for people from all walks of life all over the world, and general music knowledge — these things gave us the edge to win. It’s not easy to go out there and perform in a clash, especially one that had this kind of hype. You have to be able to go on stage with the confidence that you’re really ready and can deliver,” he told the Jamaica Observer.
King Addies won three rounds of what was supposed to be a five-round tournament. Their opponents did not win any. Kingpin explained further.
“Our opponent didn’t win any rounds, so the other rounds weren’t necessary, which is called a ‘lock off’. The first and second rounds were for 30 minutes and the third round was for 20 minutes,” he said.
This is King Addies’s first outing since the outbreak of the novel coronavirus pandemic in early 2020.
The King Addies team is anticipating more clashes as the world tries to conform to the new normal.
“We will definitely be clashing again soon. We clash more than arguably most sounds in the world. So we’ll be back on the battlefield hopefully in the near future, as long as COVID doesn’t prevent it,” he told the Observer.
King Addies was founded by Adulphus “Addie” Shawn in Brooklyn, New York, in 1983. Shortly thereafter, he gave his cousin, Father Ethen, the sound system, who grew it into a global brand. Both are from Mcgregor Gully community in east Kingston.
During the 80s and 90s, King Addies provided a platform for some of today’s top dancehall acts when their careers were in the initial stages.
These include Sean Paul, Super Cat, Maxi Priest, Buju Banton, Shabba Ranks, Beenie Man, and Bounty Killer.
Animosity Sound is from the US Virgin Islands but has a strong presence in Atlanta.