Anything For You Riddim (1996) – Black Solidarity

Anything For You Riddim belongs to the late-’90s Black Solidarity catalog, a label founded by Oswald “Ossie” Thomas with Philip Morgan and rooted in the rough-edged Kingston dancehall tradition that helped shape the genre’s early language. By 1996, Ossie’s imprint was still moving with that same straight-to-the-point, sound-system-first approach, and this one lands as a lean two-cut showcase rather than a crowded juggling set.

The riddim itself has that mid-’90s dancehall snap: spare, brisk, and built to leave space for the vocals to carry the message. There’s none of the glossy oversaturation that would take over later; instead, the production feels dry, functional, and made for the selector to work. The two versions on file keep the focus on moral and personal tension, which suits the label’s fondness for hard-hitting roots-to-dancehall crossover material.

The cut that gives the release its edge is “Judge Not” by Ninjaman and Triston Palmer. Ninjaman’s ragged, confrontational style has always been a natural fit for warning tunes, and pairing him with Palmer gives the song a more seasoned, devotional weight. Palmer returns on “Flesh and Blood, ” a solo effort that feels like the quieter counterpoint, with his melodic delivery softening the riddim’s austerity. Together, the pair make the release feel like a small but pointed snapshot of Black Solidarity in the mid-’90s: no excess, just a sturdy rhythm and two voices that know how to work inside it.