Dont Have Me Up Riddim – Jammys Records

Yeah, this one is pure late-80s Jammys energy: four cuts, no filler, and enough names from the era to tell you exactly where it sits. Johnny P’s “Girls Dem Time” has that slick, teasing rub-a-dub swing, while Shabba Ranks comes in hard on “Can’t Keep Me Down, ” sounding like he’s ready to run the dance. King Jammys himself pops up on “Iron Claw, ” which ties the whole thing back to the studio’s own cut-and-paste dancehall formula, and Toughest keeps the pressure on with “Can’t Live Without Them. ” It’s a short riddim set, but that’s part of the charm — 1989 dancehall often moved quick, leaned on a tight rhythm, and let the voices do the heavy lifting.