Words: @sjriptweets
Red Bull’s infamous Culture Clash is returning to London on June 17th, shutting down the O2 Arena for what promises to be a *Khaled Voice* moo-vee. #AnotherOne.
You probably know the deal by now – four crews clashing it out across four different rounds on dubplates, remixes and each other’s instrumentals for the title of champion. Expect pull-ups, special guests, and a royal rumble in the standing section.
Culture Clash’s previous line-ups have included the likes of BBK (+ extended family), Major Lazer, A$AP Mob and Rebel Sound. For a little sample of last year’s madness, check this…
Went off, alie?
This year, we’ve got Eskimo Dance, UKG All Stars, Mixpak and Taylor Gang battling it out, and we’ve been doing a little bit of digging to work out what artists you can expect on each set.
Check it.
Eskimo Dance
Wiley’s very own Eskimo Dance is a grime rave that has been sending attendees loopy for some years now. So if one thing is guaranteed, we know we’ve got The Godfather of Grime in attendance.
Beyond that, you can expect a who’s who of the grime scene. Eskimo Dance line-ups have previously featured Ghetts, Kano, Chip, Newham Generals, P Money, Tempa T, Fekky, Skepta, JME and Jammer. There is no confirmation yet of who from that list will be gracing the stage, but taking a pick from there is like having a lucky dip of Messi, Suarez and Neymar for your 5-a-side striker. Whatever happens; you’re winning.
Due to recent shout outs and appearances, we are expecting Skepta, Chip, Ghetts and Kano to come through. No doubt, it’s gonna be mad.
UKG All Stars
Next up is the UKG All Stars Line-Up. UK Garage is credited with birthing the grime scene, so it is only right that some of the pioneers are taking to the stage to battle it out with the newer kids on the block. Immediately after the most recent Culture Clash was announced, Megaman, Lisa Maffia and Swiss tweeted the fact that that So Solid would be in attendance.
In terms of piecing together who else will be playing, fellow So Solid man Harvey was more than helpful, tweeting “So solid, Heartless, Oxide & Neutrino, Luck & Neat as one crew= Game over.” He has since deleted the tweet, but the cat is very much out of the bag now! He also set the competitive tone with a couple of tweets to crews he’ll be up against…
So, So Solid, Heartless, Oxide and Neutrino, and DJ Luck & MC Neat should all be in attendance. Over on the Red Bull Culture Clash page, meanwhile, there is mention of Craig David, Burial and Skrillex. So perhaps there is more on the way…
#PrayingForThisOne
Mixpak
Mixpak Records is the brainchild of legendary US producer Dre Skull, who has been taking dancehall to new levels in the states.
Mixpak has put out releases by Popcaan, Vybz Kartel, Beenie Man, Machel Montano, Tifa and Spice, and Dre Skull produced for Snoop Dogg / Lion on his ‘Reincarnated’ Reggae album. So expect a Dancehall bonanza, hopefully featuring Popcaan (one of Dre Skull’s most frequent collaborators).
But not just that. Mixpak has also ventured into New Orleans bounce and SOCA in its releases, so there promises to be a global mash-up.
And if this one drops, then WOW.
Taylor Gang
Finally, there’s Wiz Khalifa’s Taylor Gang.
As Wiz himself puts it: “Taylor Gang is the music, it’s the lifestyle, it’s me and my crew – it’s the fans that support me as well, we all rep Taylor Gang together”. It’s also a sick collection of MCs. As well as Wiz, there are the likes of Ty Dolla $ign, Chevy Woods, Berner, Courtney Noelle and Three 6 Mafia’s Juicy J.
Wiz has also collaborated with UK stars like Krept and Konan and Tinie Tempah, so we are predicting a special guest or two.
Imagine – Chip on the Eskimo Dance set, and then Tinie with Taylor Gang… It’s the stuff clashing history is made of.
But will it feel so good to be a Taylor on 17th June? There’s only one way to find out. Roll up, roll up.