Black Bird Riddim – Baco Records

Baco Records’ Black Bird Riddim lands as part of the label’s 2019 one-riddim push, and it has that slightly modern French touch City Kay have been teasing in their Baco work: a rootsy frame with a lighter, more wiry pulse underneath. The cut moves with a steady bassline and a crisp, almost airy arrangement, giving room for different voices to sit in their own pocket rather than crowding the riddim. Sizzla’s “Think Wise” and Luciano’s “Better Tomorrow” bring the deepest soul to the set, while Gappy Ranks’ “Artificial Intelligence” leans into a more current-conscious angle and RDX’s “Roll It” closes things out with a sharper dancehall edge. CHAKATAK’s dub version is the spine of the project, and it’s the kind of instrumental that keeps the whole sequence moving with just enough lift.