SK and King Bubba tie for Bashment Soca Monarch

Some jaws dropped and some booing could be heard just after 3:45 this morning when DJ Ras announced that there were two winners of the 2019 Bashment Soca Monarch title.

Newcomer, but noted bashment soca artiste, SK tied with the rum king – King Bubba to cop the top prize of $60, 000.

SK’s Reverse was a crowd favorite. There were echoes of “1st, 2nd, park and reverse” from the hundreds gathered. He dominated the competition with his showmanship, biting yet respectful picong and overall presentation.

SK being congratulated by his manager and friends when the announcement was made.

Meanwhile, King Bubba captivated the crowd with his high energy and theatrical stage presentation of She Always Bend Over. from his aerial dancer to mesmerizing dancers to when he took off his shirt during his performance – everyone’s attention was focused on Bubba during his performance.

Lil Rick came on stage promising to take home the crown for a second time with Balance Batty. Though he came close, he was still a good distance behind.

The Hypa Dawg leaped on stage with his customary dynamism. Known for his effortless and flowing freestyles, the picong was an ease for Lil Rick but his performance was only enough to gain him a second place position with 279 points.

The 2018 Bashment Soca Monarch faced tight competition from the other 12 competitors but he delivered nevertheless.

Although he place second, his biggest elation was when it was announced that his son, Rene Reid, also known as the Unda Dawg placed third in the competition with Ben Ova (275 points). Lil Rick tightly embraced his son offering his congratulations when the results were announced.

This marked Unda Dawg’s first time making it to the finals of the Bashment Soca Monarch Competition.

Unda Dawg was the third act of the night and he set the bar for the artistes who followed him. He was the first act to start the picong battle, openly challenging his father for the Bashment Soca ‘throne’.

Another top performer was Mole, who had an entire posse in the crowd clad in t-shirts with the signature line from his song Deh Wid Um. The last time he performed on a finals stage was in 2016 with Bring My Glide, and he came out determined to make 2019 his year. However, he appeared more in his element in the latter half of his performance despite the rousing introduction. He was bursting with energy as he closed the competition to give way for the Beach Party featuring Mr Killa.

According to the competition’s new format in its 2nd year, second place will receive $15, 000 and third place $5, 000.

The remaining nine performers will receive a performance fee along with prizes.

• Look out for more on the International Bashment Soca Competition in Wednesday’s edition of Bajan Vibes.