Champion Squad Riddim – Champion Squad Records

Champion Squad Riddim catches that early-2010s dancehall pocket where the beats are lean, the bass is heavy, and the vocal cuts come stacked with attitude, from Benzly Hype’s “Punk” and Delly Ranx’s “Mi A Say” to Gappy Ranks’ pair of turns and Tony Matterhorn’s radio/raw “Love We Off. ” Champion Squad Records, the Miami-based crew also known as the Remix Masters, had only recently moved into riddim production when this 2011 set landed, and the lineup reflects that international pull without losing the street feel. Gappy Ranks gets the strongest billing here, but the whole thing moves like a sound system package built for juggling, with Munga and Hilltop Family, Shifta, Scotch Bonnet and Teflon all taking their shot. The final instrumental, “Kareem Dj Reem Swaby – Champion Squad Riddim, ” closes it out in proper fashion, laying bare the cut’s sharp, spare framework.