Estrogen Riddim (2008) – Ward 21 Music

Ward 21 Music frames Estrogen Riddim as a 2008 girls’ dancehall set with a sharp, teasing edge, and the tracklist backs that up: Lady Saw, Lady G, Spice, Tifa, Natalie Storm, Macka Diamond and Ms. Thing all step into the same space, with “Gal Fi Get Boo, ” “A Nuh My Fault” and “Bottom Of The Barrel” doing a lot of the talking. This sits nicely alongside Ward 21’s earlier female-focused work, but it feels a little more compact and less sprawling than some of their bigger showcase riddims, keeping the focus on a tight run of voiced cuts and clean/raw pairings. The version here is short and functional, which suits the whole thing. Within the Ward 21 catalogue, it’s one of those releases that captures the crew’s knack for centering women’s voices without softening the dancehall bite.