US RUMBLE - ROAD TO WORLD CLASH 2003 3-CD Set

US RUMBLE - ROAD TO WORLD CLASH 2003 (BRONX) <For the hardcore foreign clash fans who were asking where is the US representative on the WORLD CLASH 2003 flyer, well their prayers were answered on Saturday October 4th in Emerald Lounge, Bronx when eight warheads representing six states were slated to go head to head in an elimination match up - the winner of which would gain automatic entry into WORLD CLASH 2003 the following weekend.

Hosted by Bass Odyssey's top honcho Squingy, the competition was stiff and all of the sounds were hungry for a victory!!!  Representing New York (in particular, Brooklyn) was Natural Vibes, the famed hardcore juggling sound with a penchant for cutting tunes inna "war style".  With former selector Danger migrating to LP Intl and securing a victory in his first clash against Earthruler just over a month before, all eyes were on the remanding warhead, Noah, who left Sound Trooper in the hopes of taking Natural Vibes to greater heights in the new era of clash-juggling!  Representing Washington DC was Raw Deal, DC's veteran sound who if you will remember unleashed on Sammy T and Mighty Crown ("... Sammy Dead... Sammy Dead... Sammy Dead-ohhhh") at the RUMBLE IN NEW YORK 45 STYLE 2003 clash earlier this year.  Known for their hardcore dubs (e.g. Burning Spear's "Resting Place") these guys play with a lot of heart and are no pushovers!  Next in line was Poison Dart - former home of the now infamous Black Chiney Dynasty.  Dart is a well known (and feared) warhead in Florida, and have faced the best of war sounds - especially in the late 90s when Kirky C and crew warred with the likes of King Addies and David Rodigan to name a few.  Another New York representative - Blunt Posse - hails from the Bronx and thus was heavily favored to make a statement in the clash.  They have the backative ($$$) to cut tunes and are filled with surprises!!  Snow White outta New Jersey may not have seen as many clashes as some of the rest of the sounds but they too have deep pockets when it comes to cutting tunes.  Connecticut's Black Hustler was invited to the war by virtue of being the "big man" in CT, but do they have what it takes to roll with a warhead squad?  Mickey Faith outta Texas is the ruler of their territory, and many anticipated that this heavyweight sound would give the others a run for their money.  Completing the lineup was another New York representative - Stainless - a fairly new but nonetheless wicked juggling machine with the type of talent that would make you believe these guys can handle themselves in any situation, including war.

As it turned out, Mickey Faith did a no-show for reasons we won't get into.  However that didn't make the clash any easier for the seven sounds that did show up!!  With an elimination process that included the condition: "Tune fi Tune If Needed", the war was on from early!!! You gotta listen the entire clash to get the true feel of what really went on, but to give you a hint: Poison Dart was forced to go "Stur Gav style" and then dropped the hardcore foundation when their new tunes were held hostage by their laptop computer; Blunt Posse was on their home turf but it didn't help much when the pressure was on; Raw Deal got one of the biggest forward of the night, and that was pretty much it; Snow White.. well... they did ok but no cigar; Natural Vibes' Noah spent the better half of the night screaming on his turntablist, Black Hustler was non-existent, and Stainless did pretty much as expected and played damn well wicked!!  When the smoke cleared, Poison Dart won three of the rounds, thus eliminating the need for Dub Fi Dub to advanced to WORLD CLASH 2003.  Lets all give the US representative Poison Dart a hearty welcome to the slaughter!  As for how they will perform at WORLD CLASH 2003, well that's another story!!  This Clash is a Must Have, especially if you intend to listen to WORLD CLASH 2003!!> (Vol 1-3) 10-4-03