Genna Bounce Riddim – Emudio Records

Emudio Records came through with one of 2017’s more infectious dancehall jugglings in Genna Bounce Riddim, a set that turns on a sharp, skippy pulse and a nagging bounce that leaves room for both badman talk and dance-floor energy. The riddim’s breakouts were Aidonia’s “Yeah Yeah” and Govana’s “Gyal Clown, ” two cuts that helped define the project’s sound and gave Emudio a real foothold in the year’s dancehall conversation. Aidonia was already one of the genre’s most reliable hitmakers, and his delivery on “Yeah Yeah” sits right in his trademark lean, aggressive pocket. Govana, the J. O. P. artist from Kingston, was still in the rise phase here, and “Gyal Clown” sharpened the personality-driven style that would soon make him a fixture.

The lineup is stacked with voices that know how to work a party rhythm: ZJ Liquid on “Money Up, ” Versatile on “Quick Quick, ” Ding Dong and Bravo Ravers on “Dweet, ” Ocg on “The Warning, ” Bramma on “Murdara, ” Laden on “Certified Gyallis, ” Tanso on “More Money, ” Chino on “Money Pree, ” Shokryme on “Wine Go Low, ” and Chi Ching Ching featuring Samboni on “Energy A Swing. ” That mix gives the riddim plenty of angles, from brash street chatter to dance instructions and gyal songs. The instrumental sits under the whole project with a clean, rolling strut, and the rhythm’s big strength is how easily it moves from one artist to the next without losing its snap. Emudio kept it grounded, and the result is a 2017 set with enough pressure to work as a juggling and enough melody to stick.