Hormone Riddim (2004) – Diamond Row Records

Hormone Riddim has that mid-2000s dancehall snap, with Diamond Row Records lining up a cast that leans more deejay than singer and keeps the energy on the rougher side. Alozade’s “Empty Benches, ” Anthony B’s “Own Man, ” and Elephant Man’s “Caan Tame” set the tone early, while Hawkeye, Ninja Kid, and General B keep the chatter rolling with quick-tongued, street-level cuts. Harry Toddler even turns up twice on “Keep Up, ” which says plenty about how the rhythm caught different approaches without losing its bounce. There’s a nice contrast in the tracklist too, from the sly pressure of Erup’s “Busy Body” to Pinchers’ “Miss Always, ” but the sharpest pull is Elephant Man, whose “Caan Tame” lands with the kind of untamed confidence that the whole riddim seems made to carry.