Does art imitate life, or life imitate art? Although the success of Beenie Man/Bounty Killer Verzuz battle series was historical on so many fronts, fans of clash culture credit the island of Jamaica for its origins. A cultural staple incepted in the late 1950s, sound clash competitions were made up of local ‘sound systems’ (composed of local DJs, singers, and artists) lyrically battling one-another.
On July 4th, a celebration of culture, a journey through music encompassing dancehall and reggae will deliver the true clash experience with #DeathInTheArena presents Pink Panther vs. Tony Matterhorn !
Hosted by Grammy Award Winning DJ, MC and record producer Walshy Fire and renowned MC Nuffy Don, the sound clash pits two giants of the sound system fraternity; Di General Pink Panther who made his name as a sound system selector winning numerous sound system clashes, and Tony Matterhorn who has previously won several international clashes, including World Clash Jamaica and the UK Cup Clash.
#DeathInTheArena is the brainchild of New York attorney-at-law Chauncey Henry who credits Blair Bennett, Dalevera Henry, Roderick Henry and Sharon Burke for their collective efforts in bringing Death in the Arena sound clash to fruition by their established relationships in the industry and tireless advocacy on behalf of and for the culture. Henry denotes promoters like Irish and Chin for keeping the traditional soundclash space alive and relevant for many years before the paradigm shift towards online streaming. Although the audience will be virtual, Pink Panther, Tony Matterhorn and their hosts Walshy Fire and MC Nuffy will all be under one roof at a LiveNation venue in South Florida provided by Mr. Henry philanthropic organization, the Henry Family Foundation.
For Matterhorn, this latest clash will be epic, and one that he is happily looking forward to. “It feels good to be a part of the clash. I mean, being part of the clash fraternity for over two decades, it’s a pleasure to be representing the clash industry on any platform. So, I’m looking forward to it,” stated Tony Materhorn. “Events like these are vital to the musical culture, as it is important to show that “sound clash as we call it, is still prevalent and is still active.” he added
#DeathInTheArena presents Pink Panther vs. Tony Matterhorn will be on Major Lazer’s Instagram and YouTube, on www.deathinthearena.com and on @deathinthearena on Instagram. It will also be available on Apple TV and Roku, through Boxcast. “The DJ is probably the most important component of dancehall. Who would play the artists’ music? So, it’s a ‘Versuz’ for whichever artist is in their dub box. It all starts with the sound system,” Henry said. “This is genuine love for the culture. It’s not commercialized,” he added.