Heartbeat Riddim – Shaka Records X Sonic Sounds X Thomas Records X Pretty Boy

Mid-’90s Kingston energy runs through Heartbeat Riddim, a juggling that pulls together a sharp dancehall cast with General Degree, Lady Saw, Ninjaman and Don Yute all riding the same cut in different directions. The sequence moves from hard chat to sly humour to streetwise bragging, and the little extras matter here too: Silver Cat and Snagga Puss team up twice, while the set closes out with version cuts that keep the instrumental pulse in play. “Who A De Wife” and “Multi Millionaire” are among the cleaner hooks in the bunch, with “This Year” and “Insect” setting the tone early. The riddim was also linked to Dave Kelly’s orbit as an early- to mid-’90s dancehall piece, and it turned up under multiple artist pairings across 17 tracks.