Cornmeal Riddim – Black Scorpio

Cornmeal whets the appetite with that dry, springy Black Scorpio swing, the kind of 2005 dancehall pattern that snaps hard in the drums and leaves plenty of room for the voices to cut through. Maurice Johnson’s label lines up a smart mix of styles here: Frankie Paul slips into the sleek “Sexy Body Lady, ” Jah Mason’s “People Dying” leans heavier and more serious, while Ninjaman, Vybz Kartel and Ruffi Ann bring sharper street edge and dancefloor tension. Father Heights, General Trees, Josie Wales and Gentleman with Stretch keep the pressure moving without letting the rhythm go stale. With 12 tracks and 13 artists, it plays like a snapshot of mid-2000s Jamaican juggling culture, when Black Scorpio was still pressing out rugged riddims that could carry veteran singers and newer voices in the same breath.