Equator Riddim – 357 Records

Out of the 2008 dancehall crop, Equator Riddim feels like a small, sharp slice from 357 Records rather than a big-cast jugglin session, with just four cuts and a lean lineup that keeps the focus tight. Erup’s “Roll Out” is the one that catches quickest, sitting alongside Martina’s “All Night Long, ” Cezar’s “Enemies, ” and Versatile’s self-titled tune, which ties neatly into the producer’s own orbit; Versatile, aka Sheldon Taylor, was the artist Mario C of 357 Records helped christen. The whole thing has that brisk, compact energy you expect from a mid-2000s dancehall one-riddim, and the aftertaste is almost the point — four tracks, one idea, no wasted space.