360 Benz Riddim – Various Artists

On 360 Benz Riddim, the first thing you notice is the title: this one leans into the fast-car, flash-and-bravado side of 2011 dancehall, with a sharp, hard-edged pulse that feels made for sound system pull-ups and street-level party chatter. Dj Jo, Djoystic, Magma, Mc Douce, Mister X, Nam X and the rest keep the energy pointed straight ahead, moving between boastful cuts like “Shatta Party” and “Dancehall Battle” and the more gnarly, patois-heavy turns of “Sa Men Ka Fout? ” and “Fait Gaffe. ” Ten artists turn up across ten tracks, so the riddim gets a good workout without ever drifting too far from its grimy core. It sits nicely in that early-2010s run of dancehall projects that favored clipped hooks, aggressive talk, and a beat meant to hit hard rather than sit pretty.