Criticise Riddim (2015) – Black Kulcha Music

Criticise Riddim lines up nine cuts around Black Kulcha Music’s 2015 one-drop, and the project keeps its focus on a tight, message-minded reggae groove rather than any kind of studio gloss. Karamanti’s Live Free and Ras Kuuku’s Stop Kokonsa sit neatly beside Empress Tetteh’s Bad Mind and Uk Principal’s Don’t Criticise Me, so the titles alone tell you where the energy is aimed: uplift, warning, and a little social pushback. Black Kulcha, the Ghanaian producer Mark Darlington working out of the UK, keeps the rhythm lean and direct, with a steady skank, warm bass pulse, and enough room for each singer to work the hook. The instrumental closes the set out cleanly, and the whole thing moves at a brisk 160 BPM, giving the vocals a clipped, propulsive feel.