African Beat Riddim – Various Labels

African Beat came out in the long shadow of Studio One’s classic rhythm, and this 2004 various-labels take keeps that old-school pull alive with a mix of roots singers and dancehall names across the board. The set runs from Andrew Coombs and Louie Culture’s “Build A Fence” and Beres Hammond’s “Extra Loving” to sharper turns from Richie Spice, Vybz Kartel and Bling Dawg, with the version cut tucked in to show the riddim in its bare form. That’s the useful detail here: the same familiar backbone carrying different voices, from smooth lover’s angles to harder street talk. Bunny Wailer had already helped make “African Beat” one of those evergreen Jamaican rhythms, and by 2004 it was still sturdy enough to frame “Buy Out The War, ” “Robbery, ” and the rest of the sequence.