Congress Riddim – Stone Love Records

1999 reggae got a strong Stone Love treatment on Congress Riddim, a dancehall set from Stone Love Music that lines up Beenie Man, Mr. Vegas, Buju Banton and Ky-Mani Marley on the party cut Party In Session. The riddim is driven by a single instrumental version, keeping the focus on the voices and the pull of the groove rather than a crowded arrangement. Stone Love were already a major force in the sound system and production scene by then, and this one plays like a snapshot of their late-’90s energy: big names, lively call-and-response lyrics, and a clean, no-frills instrumental base.