Crossroads Riddim – Notis Records

Notis Records were already an established name in roots reggae by the time Crossroads Riddim arrived in late 2015, with the production outfit of Unga Barunga and Jason Welsh working under the Heavyweight Rockaz banner. The release sits in that lane of live-minded, modern roots juggling: warm bass, clean drum programming, a steady forward motion, and enough space for each singer to bring their own angle without the rhythm getting crowded.

Crossroads Riddim landed on December 18, 2015 and pairs the instrumental cut with a heavyweight cast: Iba Mahr, Jesse Royal, Chezidek, Bushman, Ginjah, Kabaka Pyramid, Chevaughn, Dre Island, Vanessa Lee, Morgan Heritage and Jemere Morgan. The title cut, Raggy Road, gives the project its identity with a rugged, road-worn feel, while the surrounding songs keep the message centered on uplift, resistance and movement forward.

Iba Mahr’s Carry It On and Jesse Royal’s Bless My Soul tap into the clean-conscious side of the current roots revival, while Kabaka Pyramid’s Too Long and Dre Island’s Jah Is Here for Me bring a firmer edge and a more urgent delivery. Morgan Heritage’s Lion Order adds a polished family-vocal weight to the set, and Jemere Morgan’s War gives the riddim a younger voice with a sharper contemporary touch. Even with all those names in the mix, the appeal is the cohesiveness of the rhythm itself: sturdy, melodic and built for long juggling.