The Nairobian Riddim (Part 1) – Mk Zwo Records

Dusty pulse. Mk Zwo Records laces The Nairobian Riddim (Part 1) with a rugged, rootsy one-drop feel and a proper spread of voices, from Asante Amen’s “Me A Feel It” to Don Tippa’s “Clear My Mind, ” Teacha Dee’s stern “War Big Business, ” and Fitta Warri’s sharp-shot “No Bleaching Cream. ” It’s the kind of early-2010s juggling that keeps the message upfront — culture, resistance, self-worth, and a few harder-edged street warnings — without getting too glossy about the production. There’s a neat continuity here with what Mk Zwo were doing around the same period on roots-heavy projects like Too Long, but this one has a more overtly conscious, African-leaning stamp in the title and mood. As the first chapter in the Nairobian series, it plants the label firmly in that thoughtful, militant corner of the 2013 reggae riddim catalogue.