Ghetto College Riddim – Gachapan Records

Bugle sets the tone on Ghetto College Riddim with “Can’t Run From Yourself, ” and that opening choice tells you plenty about Gachapan Records’ 2013 set: this isn’t just another juggling, but a straight-faced dancehall compilation with a conscience running through it. Across nine songs in just under half an hour, Stephen “Di Genius” McGregor’s “Carry On, ” G Whizz’s “Don’t Give Up, ” Loyal Flames’ “Street Life, ” Versatile’s “Still Give Thanks, ” Vybrant’s “Trouble, ” and Zagga’s “Anti-War” keep the message-heavy angle moving, while the instrumental sits in between like the spine of the whole thing. The riddim has that firm, no-nonsense pulse that suits uplift and warning in equal measure, and Bugle’s cut lands as the sharpest statement, with Di Genius close behind for the way he rides the rhythm with authority.