Get To Know Mixpak, The Champion Dancehall Sound

No one seemed to know the name Mixpak - but they do now.

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Last Friday (June 17) saw Brooklyn-Jamaica crew Mixpak turn the O2 Arena on its head at this year's Red Bull Culture Clash with MCs Popcaan, Serocee, Kranium, Tony Matterhorn, Spice and of course Sneakbo, J Hus, and Big Narstie. The favourites to win switched, at times, between the UKG Allstars and Eskimo Dance. Few, if any, thought Mixpak (and indeed Taylor Gang) would come as hard as they did, and no one thought Mixpak would snatch the crown. Still, as soon as Spice leapt onto the stage into a split, accused Wiz of eating the "pum pum" and then closed with Big Narstie and a "One Dance" dub, there was no doubt in anyone's mind as to who the clear winners were.

The running theme of the night was each crew claiming to have never heard of Mixpak. No doubt this was a lie designed to goad the crew, but we can't help but think the crew aren't quite as known to UK fans as they should be. Anyway, they absolutely destroyed this year's Red Bull Culture Clash so we decided to give you a rundown of highlights not just from Mixpak, but also from the war-ready MCs that led the charge.

Palmistry — "Lifted"

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Loneliness and isolation aren't typical subjects for dancehall and bashment, but Palmistry's "Lifted" is a prime example of Mixpak's fearlessness when it comes to experimenting with the dancehall and bashment sounds. Taken from Palmistry's debut album PAGAN (released on Friday), "Lifted" merges jump-up beats with melancholic electronics in what must be a world first. Both slow and fast in equal measure, you won't hear anything like this anywhere else.

Keida — "Never Lose" (Prod. By Douster)

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2013's Inna Sound N Fashion featured four Douster-produced riddims that were passed to some of Mixpak's favourite MCs to do their thing. The whole package is really strong and an absolute must for anyone getting to grips with the label—which, of course, you are. Kingston's Keida provides some of the most melodic vocals on the release, but they still pack one hell of a punch, especially when paired with Douster's ultra-bouncy beats.

Jubilee — "I-95"

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Alongside Dre Skull, Brooklynite Jubilee was responsible for dishing out riddims and dubs for the Jamaican royalty they brought with them. We've kept an eye on Jess and her low-end destroyers since she first emerged in the mid-00s. Though a lot of her tunes and mixes lean towards bashment and dancehall, "I-95" owes as much to straight-up bass music as it does to soundsystem culture. It might not have been quite right for Culture Clash on Friday, but it just goes to show the breadth of sounds you can hear from Mixpak and their esteemed family. As a bonus, check out her drunk-text-themed mix from last year. 

Murlo — "Moodswung"

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We had hoped Murlo would be joining the Mixpak fam on stage, but as "Moodswung"—and the label's performance on the night—show, leaving Murlo at home was a rare act of mercy on the other crews. Had Murlo joined Dre Skull and Jubilee on deck with his dubs, this wouldn't have been a war, it would've been a massacre.

Ms Thing & Psycho Tanbad — "Bonify"

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Another release from the veritable goldmine that is Jamaica, Ms Thing and Psycho Tanbad's "Bonify" is just one of many examples of the Mixpak crew putting lyrical content on the same level as production. On "Bonify", a story is told of Ms Thing and her Bonify man getting caught in the act by Psycho Tanbad who comes to blows with her sideman. Bangers with wit and lyrical dexterity are less common than you might think—treasure this one.

Gaika — "PMVD" f/ Mista Silva

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Here's another artist Mixpak could've brought out. Gaika's industrial, dubby experiments on the Mixpak-released Security mixtape would've decimated their opponents in a way we can't imagine they'd be able to come back from. Mixpak, being the sporting types, decided instead to give the other crews at least a fighting chance. Gaika's blend of ear-melting sonics, cavernous bass and deep vocals from Mista Silva is both club-ready and mesmerisingly intricate. Can you imagine how spun the UKG, Eskimo and Taylor Gang would've looked if this dropped? It doesn't bear thinking about.

Poirier — "Bring It On" f/ EJ Von Lyrik

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Taken from Poirier's Soca Road EP from 2012, "Bring It On" saw the Canadian producer whip up a breakneck soca beat for South African spitter EJ Von Lyrik to lace with bars so powerful they constitute a sonic assault. Had they put Von Lyrik on stage alongside Serocee, Kranium, Tony Matterhorn and Spice, we suspect the other crews would've packed up their gear and gone home early. Buoyant, punchy and fun as hell, this is Poirier at his soca best.

Sticky — "Look Pon Me" f/ Natalie Storm

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Returning to lace yet another Mixpak riddim, Natalie Storm delivers some sultry bars over Sticky's relentlessly catchy beat. Sticky's tough-as-hell riddim even takes in a bit of UKG with its almost percussive strings that punch harder than most producer's kick drums. The Mixpak crew delivered a pretty vicious blow to the UKG Allstars with a garage dub, but this would've been the death blow. You may have thought Mixpak brought their hardest riddims and dubs, but—as you're starting to realise—they went easy on the other crews.

Kranium — "Nobody Has To Know" f/ Ty Dolla $ign

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Another big moment at Culture Clash was the introduction of Kranium and his intimidating swagger. After performing a dub version of his breakout single "Nobody Has To Know", Kranium left the stage with simple-but-effective pars for all the other crews. What started out as a slow seduction tune was flipped into rallying war cry. You could practically smell the fear in the other crews. 

Jamie xx — "I Know There's Gonna Be (Good Times)" (Dre Skull Remix) f/ Assassin, Kranium, Konshens And Popcaan

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If only the other three crews had listened closely to this remix of Jamie xx's hugely popular—and ubiquitous—"Good Times". Remixed by label head Dre Skull, he brought in Culture Clash soldiers Popcaan and Kranium as well as Konshens and Assassin. Seriously, if Eskimo, UKG and Taylor Gang had heard this, they may not have underestimated Mixpak to such a devastating degree. 

Spice — "So Mi Like It"

Not strictly a Mixpak release, but considering Spice delivered some of the most brutal attacks to their opponents, we had to share one of her videos with you. A highly prolific artist, there was a lot to choose from in her vast back catalogue but we just had to go with "So Mi Like It (Raw)", the tune she marched out to before doing that split. It's worth digging really deep into Spice's output, not least for her wild, idiosyncratic videos—there's really nothing quite like them.

Tony Matterhorn — "Dutty Wine"

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Tony Matterhorn's "Dutty Wine" got one of the biggest reactions of the night, stunning the crowd (and rivals) into silence while he bounced around the stage. Along with Serocee, Matterhorn held down the Mixpak stage for much of the night so special mention had to be given to this classic. 

Vybz Kartel — "Go Go Wine"

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Another powerful release very early in the label's lifetaken from his Kingston Story LP"Go Go Wine" is one of Vybz Kartel's most cohesive and high powered releases to date. Just like "Gone Too Far", label head Dre Skull provides a big, powerful riddim that stomps its way along while Vybz croons in his inimitable style over the top, spouting many highly quotable lines along the way.

Dre Skull — "Gone Too Far" f/ Sizzla

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An anti-gun anthem featuring legendary dancehall icon Sizzla urging the youth to put down their weapons, "Gone Too Far" was—astonishingly—​Mixpak's first ever release way back in 2009. The original release came with remixes from Buraka Som Sistema, Lee Mortimer and Dre Skull himself, but it's the colossal, almost tribal drums of the original that win out for us. Any label that debuts with what is essentially a Sizzla tune is not to be underestimated.

Beenie Man — "Hot Like Fire (Loudspeaker Riddim)"

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In 2012, Dre Skull crafted one of the label's most iconic beats in "Loudspeaker Riddim", bringing in some of dancehall and bashment's finest to lace it. Popcaan, Natalie Storm and Machel Montano all turned in phenomenal versions but, unsurprisingly, it was Beenie Man who gave it the best treatment. As soon as the beat kicks in, its iconic status is immediately recognisable and for Beenie Man's "Hot Like Fire" refrain will go down in dancehall and bashment history as one of the finest hooks to ever grace a riddim.

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