Firestick Riddim (2019) – Pure Music Productions

Fire Stick Riddim arrived in 2019 from Pure Music Productions, the Johnny Wonder-linked label that has kept a steady riddim catalogue moving through the 2010s and into the 2020s. This one came out as a full various-artists set in September 2019, and the title does what the music does: the groove has that dry, springy dancehall bounce with a militant edge, built for pull-ups, fast-forward rewinds, and vocalists who can work a lean, percussive pocket.

The lineup is stacked with familiar names and a few deeper cuts. Sean Paul opens with “Buss A Bubble, ” which gives the riddim immediate commercial weight, while Delly Ranx, who has long been one of the scene’s most dependable selectors of a good clash-ready rhythm, voices the title cut “Firestick. ” Demarco brings the tougher gun-talk energy on “Gyal Affi Get, ” Mr. Vegas goes for swagger on “Orthodox Yardie, ” and Capleton’s “Pull Off” brings his trademark firebrand intensity into the mix. Bugle and Jah Vinci join forces on “Prayer, ” giving the project one of its more reflective moments, while Vershon’s “Crash and Burn” keeps the pressure on. Jah Wiz, Madd 1, Ffurious, Versi, and Pheonix Jones fill out the set with cuts that keep the rhythm moving across different tones without breaking its core momentum.

What makes Fire Stick Riddim work is the balance between straight dancehall muscle and enough melodic space for different personalities to cut through. It is the kind of juggling that depends on sharp sequencing as much as star power, and this one gets both right.