Cry Riddim (2021) – 3r40 Records

A warm, late-spring 2021 drop out of 3R40 Records, Cry Riddim leans into a moody dancehall pulse and keeps the lane tight with just six cuts across nine voices. The interesting contrast here is the cast: Horace Andy’s “Where Is Love From Birth” sits beside Potential Kidd, Sikka Rymes and Markkel Fletcher, so you get veteran grit rubbing up against newer street energy without the whole thing feeling crowded. “Reverence” is the kind of tune that seems to pull the project toward a more spiritual edge, while “Rock Stone” and “Hypocrite” keep the pressure on in a more hard-edged style. 3R40 leaves enough space in the riddim for each artist to punch through, and that muted, slightly plaintive mood is what hangs around. A short, sharp set, really, and it clocks in at only six songs.