With the 2023 Guinness Sounds of Greatness competition geared towards the new generation of selectors and DJs, popular MC Fyahman (formerly Fyahmatic), has been announced as the competition’s brand ambassador.

Currently a law student at The University of the West Indies, Fyahman is looking forward to interacting with the eight competitors, who are competing for bragging rights and a share of $1.5 million.

“My role is more about providing guidance and advice. It would be an honour to provide that advice to the… talents that will be participating in this year’s competition. I’ve been tasked to not only go on the road but to also play at the shows including the semi-final rounds,” Fyahman disclosed in an interview with the Jamaica Observer at the launch of the event on Thursday night.

“This opportunity is very special and I will be giving nothing but the best with each performance,” he added.

The Guinness Sounds of Greatness competition, which started in 2008, will feature musical battles between eight of Jamaica’s hottest up-and-coming DJs. The grand finale, which is scheduled for July 7, will be preceded by two semi-final rounds, during which four DJs will go head to head, with only two advancing to the finals, for a chance to be crowned the Nex Gen Guinness Sounds of Greatness Champion.

In addition to these clashes, there will also be an international clash between Warrior Sound from Germany and Dynamiq from Sudan.

“Guinness is all about music and in particular dancehall culture. We needed to bring something new to the table and bring it back to the streets, and who we found are in the streets, the next generation,” Nadine Thomas-Hylton, brand manager for Guinness, told the Observer.

She continued, “And, I think they’ve discovered a new love for dancehall of the 80s, 90s and 2000s and they are enjoying that music. But they’re also mixing all of that with their space of their new music. So, we decided to fuse that together and bring the greatest show ever.”

Thomas-Hylton said the Guinness Sounds of Greatness competition will be activated from the community level. There will be two semi-final rounds and the grand final will take place in downtown Kingston.

Guinness will also celebrate the veterans in the sound system arena at the grand finals.

The eight DJs competing in the Next Gen Guinness Sounds of Greatness competition are DJ Quan, DJ Big Deal, DJ Fyah Blacks, DJ YM Ent, DJ Worl Blacks, DJ Insaneo, DJ Stone, and DJ Tucker Fresh.