During the unprecedented salute, the Haitian rapper, singer-songwriter, musician and actor praised Mighty Crown and all the powerhouse sounds on the Irish and Chin "World Bash" line up, citing their significance to him and sound system culture. He paid respect, credited the premiere sounds for inspiring his Refugee Sound and reminded the wall-to-wall audience that Caribbean people and culture have been doing great things. What's extra dope is that Wyclef stayed following his performance to soak in the raw music and vibes of the killer sounds.
"It was an iconic moment for the sound system movement, as it's not often Hip Hop stars are in authentic dancehall spaces," says "World Bash" promoter Garfield "Chin" Bourne of Irish and Chin. "While many have been influenced by and borrowed from dancehall music, very few show up for the culture. Wyclef is one of the exceptions. He boldly bridges the gap between the Hip Hop and Caribbean worlds."
The "World Bash" musical farewell to Mighty Crown was a once in a lifetime event. The legendary Japanese sound, whose members include Masta Simon, Sami T, Cojie and Ninja, have celebrated reggae, dancehall and Jamaican music and culture for more than three decades.
The Wyclef and Mighty Crown connection is not new. In fact, to date, "Da Far East Rulaz" have the only dubplate combo of Beres Hammond and Wyclef. Funny enough, the relationship started exactly 20 years ago in Hartford, Connecticut when Wyclef showed up through the back door of a dance (in similar "World Bash" style) to deliver Rodigan a dubplate, which killed Mighty Crown in a clash. But upon seeing how well the sound performed, Wyclef was impressed.
There is a lot to be said about the magnitude of authentic Jamaican sound system culture, as thousands of music lovers braved frigid conditions to attend "World Bash" at Amazura on Friday, November 24. Musical greatness culminated at the popular concert hall, as a who's who of sound system culture graced the "World Bash" stage, including Soul Supreme, Bass Odyssey, Killamanjaro, David Rodigan, Dynamq, Tony Matterhorn, Pink Panther, LP International, Bodyguard, Metromedia and Mighty Crown. Artists, including the legendary Shinehead, Red Fox and more were there to take in the monumental event.