Five 0 Riddim – Various Artists

Five 0 Riddim keeps things lean and sharp, with just three cuts on the juggling and no wasted motion. Shane O’s “Officer” is the hookiest thing here, playing off the title with that cheeky law-and-order angle he was already good at, while Sizzla’s “Come Deh Yah” brings the set a tougher, more militant edge. Rampage opens with “Running Now, ” which adds a chasedown feel and rounds out the package nicely, so the whole thing moves like a quick 2008 dancehall single drop rather than some overstuffed compilation. That smaller track count actually helps it; you get a clean snapshot of the era, when straight-ahead bashment ideas still carried plenty of weight.