Hook Up Riddim (2014) – E5 Records

The Hook Up Riddim leans into a stripped, hard-edged dancehall groove, the kind that leaves plenty of room for the vocals to cut through without clutter. E5 Records kept the lineup tight in 2014, and the best-known names here do most of the heavy lifting: Popcaan teams with Kano on “Alien, ” Sizzla brings his usual militant bite to “Raggamuffin, ” and Ryme Minista’s “Dun This” keeps the energy rough and rowdy. The package is straightforward too, with clean and raw versions sitting beside each other for three of the cuts, which gives the release that old-school promo feel and makes the contrasts easy to hear. Blade Skeemaz’s “Money Champion” rounds out the four-track set.