I And I Riddim (2016) – Heavy Roots

Heavy Roots come into focus here with a rootsy 2016 juggling that keeps the energy warm and militant without getting heavy-handed, and the guest list gives it a nice spread of voices across seven cuts. Sr. Wilson’s “Promised Land” feels like the natural centerpiece, his clean, elastic delivery sitting nicely over the title riddim, while Ras Xtr3me on “Creation Man” and Tiano Bless on “Planta Magica” lean into the same conscious lane with a little more bite. Payoh Soul Rebel’s “Those Days” adds a reflective note, and George Palmer’s “Verbal Warning” tightens the mood at the back end. It’s the kind of release that sounds like it was cut with sound systems in mind, right down to the dub cut, “Simba Dub Foundation, ” tucked in at the end almost as a quiet nod.