Ghetto Christmas Riddim (2011) – Black Street Records

Beenie Man kicks off Ghetto Christmas Riddim with “Fassy, ” and that sets the tone for a December dancehall set that’s cheeky, rough-edged, and built for the season without getting soft about it. Black Street Records keeps the energy moving through Bugle and Street’s “Jolly Christmas, ” the trio cut “We Share” with Ding Dong, Bugle and Quick Cook, and the quick-hit turns from Rave, Kim Kartina, Kool Face and Vybrant, so the whole thing moves between party chatter, streetwise one-liners and holiday mischief. The rhythm version closes the list, and that last stretch leaves Beenie Man’s opener hanging over the project as the tune that gives the riddim its sharpest hook.