Close Casket Riddim (2008) – S.S.M.G.

S. S. M. G. ’s Close Casket Riddim sits right in the middle of that late-2000s war-riddim run, where gun talk, diss records and chest-thumping one-liners were the currency. The cut has that sharp, bristling dancehall edge: tense snares, hard kicks and a lean instrumental that leaves plenty of room for artists to talk rough. Mavado’s “Mi Hennessy, ” Chino’s “Dem Haffi Hide” and Wayne Marshall’s “War Is On” give it most of its bite, while Munga, Aidonia and T. O. K keep the pressure up with threats and badmind talk. The title track itself lands with the right amount of menace, and the riddim closes out on “When My Gun Rise, ” a fitting last shot for a project that never lets the energy drop.