Long before the final horn sounded at Sol Beach, Elegushi, it was clear the crowd had come for more than polite mixes and safe transitions. This was a room that demanded presence, confidence, and a DJ who could read its mood in real time. By the end of the night, Kayode Akinola—popularly known as DJ Kaydee—proved he understood that assignment better than anyone else, emerging as the first-ever winner of Red Bull’s Spin It Loud.

The grand finale brought together four regional winners on one stage, each representing months of competition that began in December 2024. DJ TGarbs kicked off the journey with an early win, followed by DJ Shawn at Vertigo Lagos in February 2025, DJ Kendrick in Abuja over Easter, and finally Kaydee, who secured his slot in Port Harcourt. Their victories set the tone for a high-stakes showdown where technical skill alone would not be enough—the crowd would be the ultimate judge.

The night opened with a head-to-head between DJ Kendrick and DJ Kaydee, split into red and blue teams. Over three rounds, the DJs were challenged to mix specific genres while keeping the audience fully engaged. With Woza (amapiano), Faaji, and Lagos Anthem mixes producing a deadlock, the battle spilled into a sudden-death round. It was here, during the Big Ballerz (modern highlife) mix, that Kaydee struck decisively, landing crowd-pleasing selections that tilted the room firmly in his favour.

The second qualifying clash saw DJ Shawn face off against DJ TGarbs. Shawn came out strong on the Dorime (club bangers) mix, but TGarbs quickly responded with fluid transitions and an undeniable stage presence. Backed by a hypeman, she went beyond the decks—stepping forward to energise the crowd, dancing along to Young Jonn’s “Big Big Things” and turning performance into spectacle. Her momentum carried through the Foreign Collabo mix and a tense back-to-back round, securing her place in the final as the competition’s only female finalist.

The final battle between Kaydee and TGarbs followed the familiar format but raised the stakes with an added freestyle round. Starting with a Davido vs Wizkid mix, both DJs matched each other’s intensity, with TGarbs’ transitions standing out early. The tide began to shift during the Classic Naija Rewind round, where Kaydee dug into late ’90s and early-2000s Nigerian hits, drawing loud reactions and tapping into a shared sense of nostalgia that resonated deeply with the audience.

Sensing the crowd slipping away during the back-to-back round, TGarbs made a spirited push, but Kaydee’s closing freestyle ultimately sealed the win. Blending global sounds with local favourites, he struck the balance the night demanded—technical control paired with emotional intelligence.

When the final track faded, there was little debate. Kaydee had read the room, adapted at every turn, and delivered when it mattered most. In doing so, he didn’t just win a competition; he set the tone for what Spin It Loud represents—a battle where understanding the crowd is just as powerful as mastering the decks.