Hypnotize Riddim (2018) – Streamin Hub Inc

Streamin Hub Inc’s Hypnotize Riddim sits in that mid-2018 reggae lane where the hook is the singers more than any flashy studio trick: a rootsy, easy-sway groove with enough lift for lovers tunes and herb talk alike. Gappy Ranks’ “Sunshine” and Exco Levi’s “Legalise My Herbs” feel like the two tracks that lock onto the riddim’s mood best, while Macka B and Million Stylez keep the set moving with their own straight-ahead, voice-led style. There’s a nice spread here too, from Rayvon and Ed Robinson to Pressure and Jamelody, so the riddim never settles into one single mood for too long. With 14 tracks and a final version cut from Kemar Flava Mcgregor and Duble Barrel, it came out as one of those compilation-style reggae releases that lives or dies on the strength of the performances, and this one held together well in 2018.