3 Star Riddim – R.H.T Entertainment

R. H. T Entertainment’s 3 Star Riddim arrived in 2012 with the sort of heavyweight juggling that can hold a dance together without sounding overworked. The version cut from 5if sets the tone with a lean, punchy instrumental, then the singers and deejays come in and rough it up with different shades of street talk and party energy. The rhythm has that hard dancehall snap, built for sound systems, but it leaves enough room for the voices to breathe.

The line-up is strong across the board. Beenie Man’s Real Love brings veteran polish, while Elephant Man’s Don’t Live Like We pushes the riddim toward its bashment side with the kind of animated delivery he built his name on. Vybz Kartel’s Goodas is the rawest headline cut, and Turbulence’s As Usual adds a more conscious, upright tone to the mix. Munga’s Jah Help Those and 12 Gage’s Big Woman keep the energy moving, with Dadda, Pac Q, Risqo G and Samoke filling out a juggling that never feels like it runs out of ideas.

This is one of those early-2010s dancehall releases that works because the rhythm is sturdy enough to take different angles. It is loud, percussive and club-ready, but the variations in vocal style give it more than one way in. That mix of big names and lesser-known voices gives 3 Star Riddim a proper juggling feel, with the veterans anchoring it and the newer cuts adding extra motion.