Christmas Riddim – Various Artists

Four tracks and four artists keep this Christmas Riddim tight, with Buddy, Kennedy, Kt and Shotta all getting their own turn over a 2011 dancehall cut that leans seasonal without losing its street edge. Buddy’s “Pork” and Shotta’s “Yuh Getting Horn” sound like the sharpest hooks in the bunch, while Kt’s “Xmas Come Back Again” and Kennedy’s “She Dor Workin’” keep the mood cheeky and local, the kind of patter that makes holiday dancehall more about attitude than sleigh bells. The release was tagged simply as a Various Artists production, and that bare-bones credit suits the music: no big concept, just a compact party riddim built for end-of-year jugglin’. The tracklist runs from “Buddy – Pork” through to “Shotta – Yuh Getting Horn. ”