SMOG Reigns Supreme at Red Bull Culture Clash

Four rounds of competition ended in one winner: Smog.

Exchange LA played host for the Red Bull Music Academy Culture Clash with contestants Friends of Friends, SMOG, Dim Mak, and Jeffree’s. A flood of 1,200 people came out in support of each collective as the winner was determined by crowd applause. Each group, who represents Los Angeles’ dance music scene, endured a series of tests from playing their bangers in the “Leave It All On The Table” round to mimicking each other’s musical style in the “I Can Do What You Can Do Better” segment.

Also packaging a few hip-hop heavyweights in their set, the DJs brought out special guests for the “Let Us Entertain You” round with Pusha T representing Friends of Friends, DMX holding down Dim Mak, and SMOG’s B-Real putting on for Cypress Hill's. SMOG sealed the deal with a performance by California native Too Short, but to wrap up the hip hop wave Jeffree’s sprinkled in some funk with George Clinton performing his “Give up the Funk (Tear the Roof off the Sucker)" tune.

Since the music academy's inception, they have brought together major music forces under one roof from Toronto to Cape Town.