Immediate Riddim – Various Soca Artists

Benjai’s “No Joke” is the quickest way into Immediate Riddim, with his sharp delivery sitting right at the front of a compact five-track set that also lines up Bongo And Choppa, Bunji Garlin, Maximus Dan and Mr. Shak. The cut has that bright, Trinidad-rooted soca energy rather than a hard dancehall stomp, so the verses move with a lighter bounce and leave space for the vocal hooks to do the heavy lifting. Bunji Garlin’s “Right Now” and Maximus Dan’s “Zion” give the sequence its most familiar names, while Mr. Shak’s “Flamez” closes it out on a lean note. Immediate Riddim was issued in 2004 and keeps the format simple: five vocal tracks, no extra filler, just the juggling as a straight showcase.