Good Things Riddim (2012) – Kirkledove Records

Kirkledove Records put this one out in 2012, and the feel is closer to polished dancehall with a singer-friendly edge than raw bashment. The production carries a smooth, rolling bounce with enough space for melody, which is why the lineup pulls from different corners of Jamaican music without sounding forced. Kirk Bennett, the man behind Kirkledove, has long been known for moving between reggae and dancehall with a catalog that includes earlier work like Dutch Pot and later crossover material, so Good Things sits comfortably in that lane of clean, radio-ready rhythm work.

Cocoa Tea’s title cut gives the riddim its name and its most seasoned voice. He brings that veteran warmth and moral weight he’s known for, turning the track into something more reflective than hype-driven. Romain Virgo’s Think Mi Weak adds a younger, sweeter tone, with the kind of polished delivery that made him one of the strongest new-generation singers of the 2010s. Busy Signal’s Fire Ball pushes the rhythm toward straight dancehall energy, while Lutan Fyah’s Too Much Nine Night brings a sharper conscious angle. Jack Radics and Stevie Face on Paper Soldier give the set one of its better duet moments, and Richie Stephens’ Can’t Keep a Good Man Down keeps the message rooted in perseverance.

Anthony Red Rose’s Nothing Come Easy and Steele’s Hanging On deepen the project’s old-school flavor, while Tammy T and Klyve close it out with a lighter love song. It’s a varied juggling that works because the rhythm stays steady and the voices are chosen to match its easy movement.