Fireman rewrites Vincy Mas history books

The self-proclaimed heavy metal, pound for pound, triple X Mega Dog, Weapon of Mass destruction, Delroy “Fireman” Hooper is back on top!

Fireman accomplished what no other Vincentian soca artiste has ever done – he won both the Ragga Soca and Power Soca Monarch crowns and placed both first and second in the Road March competition, all in the same year.{{more}}

Hooper, who last won the Soca Monarch crown in 2011 with his song “Animal”, and the Ragga Soca title in 2010 with “Bun Dem”, did the double on July 5 at the Victoria Park with “Unruly” and “Rum Meeting” in the Power and Ragga Soca competitions respectively.

He dethroned five time Power Soca Monarch Gamal “Skinny Fabulous” Doyle and last year’s Ragga Soca winner, Lornette “Fyah Empress” Nedd.

On Wednesday, Hooper wrote his name in the history books of Vincy Mas when it was announced that he had also taken the top two spots in the Road March competition with “Unruly” and “Rum Meeting” respectively.

In an interview with SEARCHLIGHT on Wednesday, Hooper said he feels “calm and cool” about his victories.

“I had a dream. This dream is going to go very far. I feel the same like all the time. It’s just like winning before. Just calm and cool. However, it’s history at the highest level. That part I like,” he stated, somewhat matter of factly.

Hooper, who has won the Power Soca monarchy for an unprecedented eight times and the Ragga Soca crown twice, said he believes that he is the best.

“I believe that I am the best when it comes to the stadium as in Victoria Park. I know what to do there. I know what the judges are looking for.

“I [have] been doing competition more than all the other artistes, so I know how to win. I go in Park as a winner. Sometimes I don’t win and all I do is just go back and try to win again,” said Hooper, who has been in the soca industry for 15 years.

His win on Saturday brings to 10 the number of crowns he has won since emerging on the national stage.

Fireman did not enter the competition on two occasions.

Even before he took to the stage on Saturday night, the thick crowd was chanting, “Unruly” and “Fire” repeatedly.

Midway through his performance, Fireman, dressed in overalls, placed himself in a large bubble, which took about two minutes to inflate, while the crowd kept chanting his name.

After the bubble began to roll, it appeared as if there was some trouble getting it to move out to the crowd. It went just beyond the barricade which separates the patrons from the stage.

“When you do these things, you risk your life. They pump oxygen in the bubble, which allows you only like 40 or 50 seconds of air and after that you begin to suffocate. I think I did about three to four minutes. It was too dangerous and risky to go out that far in the crowd because of people’s flares and stuff. I just added a little bit of this and a little bit of that…,” the musical ambassador chuckled.

However, the tone of the crowd changed when Skinny Fabulous, who was awarded second position, took the stage.

As some of the red balloons that his team had dispersed in the crowd went up into the air, collective boos rained down even before the musical ambassador appeared on stage to sing his hit “Red Button.”

Doyle, who took to the stage attired in nothing but adult diapers and a pair of white socks, was booed throughout his entire performance.

Some patrons stood still while the artiste performed, while some others threw glow sticks at the five-time soca monarch.

Shertz “Problem Child” James, with “No Discipline,” took the third spot, with a stellar performance, which some persons opined should have placed him higher. James, who made a costume change during his performance, appeared to throw jabs at a certain soca artiste, stating that competitions are not won by using props alone.

First timer in the competition, Lancelot “Madskull” Gloster made it a family affair when he hit the stage and had the park in a frenzy with his song “Family,” which landed him in the fourth position.

The young up-and-coming artiste also placed third in the Road March competition.

In the Ragga Soca competition, Fireman proved that he was just a cut above the rest. With a simple presentation of persons gathered around a table for a “Rum Meeting,” Hooper was just too much for the nine other competitors.

“I wrote the song since 2010, and my manager asked me to sing it last year, but I didn’t. I do things based on feelings and the mood. I think this was the right time,” Hooper said.

Fireman’s biggest threat on the night of competition, second placed Travis “Wiz Skid” Lynch, who sang “Fettologist,” gave quite the performance as one of this country’s young and upcoming soca artistes.

With her song “Fire Meet,” Lornette “Fya Empress” Nedd Reid had to settle for the third spot.

Hooper said he wants other artistes to change their mind frame from just winning a competition, but rather to do music to raise the standard of the culture.

“Let’s promote St Vincent musically. Soca Monarch is just one show. After Soca Monarch, what is going to happen? If I used to think that way, I would not have kept entering,” Fireman said.

The other artistes in the Ragga Soca competition were: Mikey “Vincy Marshall” McDowall, Montgomery “Demus” La Borde, Johnny “Johnny Rebel” Hall, Hance John, Shaunelle McKenzie, Keith Currency and Shernelle “Skarpyon” Williams.

The other competitors in the Soca Monarch competition were: Raeon “Madzart” Primus, Kurthe “Fresh Kydd” Patterson, Orlando “Syxx Krazii” Foster, Tamisha Nicholls, James “Jamesy P” Morgan, Shaunelle McKenzie, Hance John, Lornette “Fya Empress” Nedd Reid, Ryan “Royall” Abraham, Keith Currency and Shane “Hypa 4000” Husbands.

Guest performers on the night included Junior Soca Monarch Neisha “Mighty Spice” Richards, Luta and Alston “Becket” Cyrus.