Engine Riddim – Cj Records

Engine Riddim came out in 2002 on CJ Records, the Kingston imprint run by Christopher James, better known in the dancehall circuit as CJ. James was already moving through the fast, digital side of early-2000s Jamaican production, and Engine sits right in that run of heavyweight juggling rhythms he pushed out that year.

The riddim has that hard, clipped 2002 dancehall pulse: brisk drums, a nimble bassline, and enough empty space for the deejays to attack the pocket with one-liners and street talk. It is not a plush lovers-rock set or a roots exercise; this is a rude, energetic sound made for sound-system replay, with the version cut giving the mix room to breathe between voices.

The strongest names on the set tell the story. Sizzla, already one of the most prolific conscious voices of the period, brings his militant, gravel-toned chant style to “Scream Girl Child. ” Elephant Man turns in the sort of flash-and-bash performance that made him a dancehall star, while Mr. Vegas pushes “Music” with his singjay flair. Anthony B adds a more righteous edge on “Survivor, ” and Spragga Benz gives “Lick Dem Head” the sort of gritty swagger he made his own. Da’Ville’s “It’s On Tonight, ” Anthony Cruz’s “I’ve Been Waiting, ” Admiral Bailey’s “Think We Never See Dem, ” Danny English and Zumjay’s “Woman Yu Good, ” Alozade’s “Sky Is The Limit, ” and the “Get Gal” cut round out a juggling that captured the range of dancehall in 2002, from slackness and bravado to uplift and romance.

It is a riddim that works because the voices are varied, but the pulse stays sharp throughout.