Fully Loaded 2000 - Ft. Clarence Beach Portmore, JAMAICA...

When people recall this year's FULLY LOADED the phrase FULLY SOAKED will become synonymous to this year's event. With promotions for this event taking place online and primarily in Jamaica, the word spread quick and nuff people left the states to come down to witness FULLY LOADED. Now in it's 5th year, put on by the SOLID AGENCY, this event is quickly becoming one of those annual must do's. Each year a person in media/entertainment is selected to host the event. In the past Bounty Killer has done a super-fabulous job at hosting, Tony Matterhorn with his larger than life personality has hosted and keeping the pace of excellence set before him, Spragga Benz did everyone proud with his hosting this year!

This year thanks to the combination of the crowd turn out and the rain, you were either fully soaked with sweat (if you were packed into the venue) or from the 3 different tyrannical downpours that hit later on in the night. Situated on the soft beach shores of Fort Clarence beach in Portmore, the venue location has always been very casual - an outdoor beach party until this year. Taking a big step up in production, the venue was laid out as a stage show with a full backstage area for press, entertainers and a few guests. Anyone who's been to Fort Clarence beach can tell you, there is only one way in and one way out. The line and traffic for the venue was rammed quick and stayed that way the majority of the evening. Of course to visitors, the long wait in can be quite enjoyable with the blaring music along the way as some road side huggler might offer you some gum, drinks or weed - not something you find here in the states. An enigma of it's own, Jamaica's tranquility is soothing, even in the mist of a snails pace crawl into a venue. or the la

FULLY LOADED advertised the special sound system entertainment with sounds like; Renaissance, MASSIVE B - Bobby Konders & Jabba, DJ Kahled from Miami, Mighty Crown, Refugee Sound with Wyclef, Tony Mattheron, Alaska sound and Spinderalla the selectress from Salt & Pepa. There were others present as well including CONCORD SOUND from New York, King Addies sound and more.

With a winning smile and confidence, Spragga Benz kept the evening's momentum going and really BUSTED UP THE PLACE when he would perform segments of some of his hits including "Wey Yuh Sey Star" and some new material. Defining his own style and showing "how him always do tings his way" he came with his rolled up jeans with a yellow sock pulled up to the knee. While it might have been doing a serious VOGUE fashion "No No" - it truly showed his ability to set his own path and trend. He really was a wicked host, keeping up the vibes, plugging his material, helping to keep things flowing smooth with the interaction of artists and sound systems and at times defusing potential deejay disputes.

While Bounty Killer was absent from the stage this year, he was blending in the audience taking in the show for his pure enjoyment. Other artists who were at fully loaded but not performing included; Chico, Easy, Nitty Kutchie, Boom Dandymite, Burro Banton, Tony Curtis, Monster Shack members, Tanto Metro, Mr. Chicken, Red Rose, Nitro Sound, members of ARP, Tomahawk, Frankie Sly and some producers were also lurking around like; Flabba, Bulpus and Dave Kelly - who was only seen when dropping the 'Bounce' riddim on the wheels of steel for Baby Cham's brief performance during Wycelf's set.

Early on before the sun went down, Concord Sound was entertaining the massives that already arrived. Alaska Sound also made it on before the true showdown begin. Left Side & Esco debuted on stage this year. As usually there was a wide array of artists that touched the stage. However, distinctly different then some of the past fully loaded sessions, rather than have 10 artists hit the stage in a string there would be designated performances with an artist or two following up. Clearly a sign of intensive organization by Solid Agency to maximize the showcasing of the sounds, which has at times in the past been overshadowed by some of the performances.

Coming to the stage between some of the sets of Massive B, Renassiance and Addies were artists like; Sean Paul, Bling Dog (current Shocking Vibe member formerly known as Ricky Rudie), Danny English, Lexxus who gave a brief but spectacular performance, Aliozade, WARD 21, Wayne Marshall, Christopher, Hawkeye, Vegas and TOK. Elephant Man & Delly took to the stage to perform their monster hit "HEADACHE" together. Just as Delly was getting into his other hot single "Work Round Dem", Elephant Man who clearly enjoys the limelight knocked Delly off the front of the stage. At this point, Spragga had to intervene kicking Elephant Man off "his stage" for his disruptive behavior proving 'Bad Man' nah put up with the f#ckery.'

Spinderalla the women selectors from one of Hip-Hop's first female groups Salt & Pepa spun for the Fully Loaded crowd. Treach of Naugty by Nature (also Pepa, who is Jamaican by birth's husband) performed bringing Red Rat to the stage to do their combination from Rat's upcoming album. Italee also accompanied Rat to the stage to perform their duo on his album. While Italee looked spectacular after her recent child baring and the couple were performing well together, the audience was not feeling them. Perhaps the vibe had weakened from the long set Treach had with Spinderalla but they were growing anxious.

Drag-On from the Ruff Riders camp was another big named Hip-Hop artist brought down to perform. He did well on stage and seemed to gain the majority of the audience's appreciation. However, it was DJ KHALED from Miami blew away the fully loaded massives!!! This is no exaggeration. This was no joke! With his spinning of Dancehall and some Hip-Hop, KHALED had the crowd under his control. He received more approval from the audience with fire and horns than any other sound for the evening! To many, Khaled took fully loaded. However being fair due to the rain during the Wyclef/Refugee set and Tony Matterhorn's set it is hard to say who would have taken Fully Loaded if there was no down poor and we would have really see fire and approval for them.

Throughout the show the stage was scattered with a variety of sound men, ace photographer Amaju and Scrappy D from www.dancehallreggae.com getting footage of this historic Fully Loaded. When it was time that rain started to fall Spragga Benz proved what a CLASS ACT he really is when he held things down and kept the crowd in the venue. TRUST ME with a torrential down poor this was not an easy feat. Amazingly enough though, when the Benz told people to stay put, the majority did!

It was about the time for WYCLEF to take the stage when this rain began to fall. It was almost if God himself said "Watch this bwoy here". Clef who's own West Indian roots steam from Haiti has a deep appreciation for Dancehall Reggae. He told the audience how it was TONY MATTERHORN who introduced him to the sound ting by taking him to an LP International session back in NYC. He also held no bars back as he told the massives the difficulty he had obtaining dub plates. He stated he asked Bounty Killer to do a dubplate and the Killer said he was busy at the moment. He asked Capleton to do a dubplate, but Capleton had a show to get to in Detroit. From before he left New York almost prior to the event, Clef was busy obtaining some last minute dubplates and getting prepared for his debut with the REFUEE Sound.

This was the method he used to introduce some of the dubplates he did obtain which included a wicked dub from Beres Hammond, Ghost, Whitney Houston, Lil' Kim, Michael Jackson, Cobra, Ward 21 and Baby Cham. It was during his set that Cobra, TOK and Cham took to the stage. Despite the rain, which absolutely poured at times, Wyclef kicked the heat in the venue up several notches, with enthusiasm he communicated back and forth engaging the audience in his fervor. He also shredded his shirt due to the rain; providing many women a prime view of his assets. (And what a nice asset he has).

There is about only one reigning sound system front man that can follow after such a performance - TONY 'Mentally Ill" Matterhorn. With a charisma on stage that has yet to be rivaled, Matternhorn is king to dramatics. The most impressionable moment of the night to those who witnessed it was when Matternhorn took the stage, the winds kicked up and the rain started to poor even more, all the while Ronny Thwaites tune "Wickedest time when the rain start falls….", was blasting through the speakers bouncing off the natural walls the beach cove produced, with outstretched arms he looked towards the heavens as if to say "yes Father, bless me".

The Solid-Agency had another highly successful and more publicized FULLY LOADED this year. There are plans in the works to bring this event to the international market. At this time, nothing has been confirmed. However, for more information on this years event, for next years event or for any of the dozen of talented artists booked by the Solid Agency, you can contact them at: 876-968-4602 or fax them at 876-968-4619 and don't forget their web site at: www.solid-agency.com.