Fly City Riddim – Nase Audio Avatar

Nase Audio Avatar’s Fly City Riddim feels a little different from the usual one-drop or roots-leaning projects that come out of East Africa’s dancehall circuit; this one is pure bashment pressure, all bright synth stabs, skanking percussion and a springy, uptempo pulse that keeps the energy moving. The cast is spread wide, but Kanivo’s “Me Jah Love Me New, ” Lucky Souja’s “Style and Swagga, ” and Rudebwoy Prince’s “Make You Mine” are the cuts that stick quickest, each leaning into the riddim’s slick, streetwise bounce in a slightly different way. Nase, who was already working out of Kampala and Port Bell Music Studios around this period, drew artists from across Jamaica and Africa for the 2013 project, and that cross-regional mix gives it some extra pull.

By the time it reaches Yv’s “With Out You, ” the riddim’s melodic edge is still intact, which says a lot about the producer’s hand on the instrumental.