Fireplace Riddim – Mak Records

2015 was a busy year for dancehall riddims that leaned hard on raw percussion and hooky one-drop bounce, and Fireplace Riddim sits right in that pocket for Mak Records. The nine-track set keeps the energy tight, with Blessed I Medhuku on “Shake It, ” Just Nice on “Minister, ” and Ronixx on “Nuh Bwoy Don I” giving the biggest vocal flashes without overcrowding the thing. What gives it shape is the way each cut rides the same scorched, mid-tempo groove, letting the artists jab, toast, and sing around the pocket instead of fighting it. Mak Records keeps the production clean and direct, and even the closing Ruffian tune, “Money, ” feels like it’s flickering off the same fire as the rest of the project.