Batty Boy Fi Die Riddim – Wizard Records

Wizard Records packed Batty Boy Fi Die with a sharp little 10-cut dancehall run, and the cast tells you right away this wasn’t a throwaway sideshow: Barrington Levy, Ninjaman, Red Dragon, Mega Banton, Baby Wayne, Captain Barkey and Ricky General all turn up on the same 1992 rhythm. Barrington Levy’s “Take Back” leans into his rolling, veteran flow, while Red Dragon’s title tune keeps the cut’s tougher edge front and centre; Ninjaman’s “Judas” adds that manic, talk-through-the-barrel energy he was so good at in this era. Mega Banton gets two looks, including the duet with Ricky General on “Combination Mix, ” and that pairing gives the riddim a more playful, sparring feel. Produced by Egbart Parara and P. McKoy, this one sits right in that early-’90s dancehall pocket where the deejays were still stretching hard over raw, clipped rhythms.

Batty Boy Fi Die Riddim Tracklist:

1. Agony Polish – Mean Man
2. Baby Wayne – History
3. Barrington Levy – Take Back
4. Captain Barkey – Butterfly Dance
5. Mega Banton – Woman A Moan
6. Mega Banton & Ricky General – Combination Mix
7. Ricky General – Squeeze Down The Trigger
8. Tinga Stewart & Ricky General – Dreaming
9. Red Dragon – Batty Boy Fi Die
10. Ninja Man – Judas