Music
Delve into some of the most memorable Red Bull SoundClash performances and get excited for what future events have in store.
Shortlisting essential Red Bull SoundClash performances is no easy task. The event pushes musicians to their creative limits, making for countless remarkable moments from the hugely talented artists who have taken part. But if you’re looking for the shows that really pushed the boundaries, then look no further than this spectacular selection…
1. Snoop Dogg vs Ghostland Observatory – South Padre Island, USA, 2011
Way back in 2011 down on the southern tip of Texas, the Snoop-D-O-Double-G brought his Snoopadelics for a battle of the ages against Austin-based electro/rock/funk duo Ghostland Observatory. During the Takeover round (in which an act highjacks one of their opponent’s most cherished songs), Ghostland Observatory covered Drop It Like It's Hot like it was one of their own. Following on from Snoop’s unforgettable cover of David Bowie's Fame, this was a SoundClash against which all others should be measured.
2. Reality Check vs New Level - Hamburg, Germany, 2017
The cream of Germany’s rapping community faced off in this epic clash from 2017. Samy Deluxe, Eko Fresh and Afrob – aka Team Reality Check – went up against Team New Level, comprised of LGoony, Soufian and Crack Ignaz in front of 5,000 spectators in a show that was packed with spits, shocks and surprises (Haftbefehl, Trettmann, Celo & Abdi, Capo, Ahzumjot, Khalid, Ferris MC, Telly Tellz, Azzi Memo, Eno, Nate57 and Van Holzen made up the exhaustive list of special guests!)
3. Dubioza Kolektiv vs S.A.R.S. – Zenica, Bosnia and Herzegovina, 2014
2014 saw the debut of Red Bull SoundClash in the culturally diverse city of Zenica in Bosnia and Herzegovina. There, Bosnia’s avant-garde dub rock group Dubioza Kolektiv went up against Serbian alt-rockers S.A.R.S. for a ground-breaking show. For the Takeover round, Dubioza Kolektiv got their teeth into S.A.R.S.’ track Buđav lebac (a huge hit in both countries thanks to the power of the internet!) as both bands mixed pop, rock, reggae, hip-hop, blues and more to win over the crowd.
4. Shelley (FKA DRAM) vs Westside Boogie - Atlanta, USA, 2021
Firing up the crowd at The Eastern venue in the Reynoldstown neighbourhood of Atlanta, Love Renaissance (LVRN) label mates Shelley FKA Dram and Westside Boogie put their familial ties aside for one night and got into an all-out aural assault. Rapper/singer Shelley seemingly had the advantage of a hometown crowd but the assured flow of Compton-born Westside Boogie ensured a level playing field. A particular highlight saw Shelley drop his breakout hit, the Grammy nominated Broccoli, joined by Westside Boogie (replacing the original track’s Lil Yachty) for a temporary collaborative truce during the Takeover round.
5. Lena vs Bausa – Stuttgart, Germany, 2019
German rapper, singer and multi-instrumentalist Bausa took on all comers for the phenomenal All Against Bausa SoundClash in Stuttgart in 2019. The event was packed with amazing moments (not least performances from the triple team of Azet & Zuna feat. Dhurata Dora and the crowd-pumping freestyle skills of Juju, but it was The Cover round that got the biggest cheers. German superstar singer Lena kicked things off with a bang-on rendition of Nena’s 80s classic 99 Luftballons, while Bausa put his own twist on proceedings with a footwear-inspired rewrite resulting in the artist presenting his opponent with a custom pair of kicks!
6. Rico Nasty vs Danny Brown – Chicago, USA, 2021
2021’s Red Bull SoundClash series ended on an absolute high in the Windy City, as the youth of rapper/singer Rico Nasty collided with the experience of hip-hop icon Danny Brown at Radius in Chicago. The two distinct and seeming diametrically opposed talents brought the entirety of their auditory arsenal for a battle that was on fire from the opening rounds – as evidenced by Brown’s epic performance of Ain’t It Funny during the Warm Up.
7. Wale vs Tokyo Police Club – Washington DC, USA, 2010
In 2010, nearly 2,000 people filled a specially created outdoor venue on the famous Pennsylvania Avenue for a wholly unique SoundClash. With the US Capitol Building providing a stunning backdrop, local hip-hop star Wale railed against indie rock opponents Tokyo Police Club in a sometimes heated, always respectful phonic conversation from opposing sides of the musical spectrum. In the end, the crowd decreed that the visiting outfit from Ontario, Canada, would claim victory.
8. Yabai T-Shirts yasan vs Taiiku Okazaki – Chiba, Japan, 2022
In a rare demonstration of pre-clash solidarity, Osaka-based rock band Yabai T-Shirts yasan and Kyoto-raised pop-punker Taiiku Okazaki released a joint track to quite some acclaim. When the time rolled around to fill up the Makuhari Messe event hall with noise, however, all good intentions were put aside. Check out what turned out to be a Soundclash for the ages in the player above.