Indian Blood Riddim – Various Artists

Bounty Killer and Vybz Kartel are the heavy hitters here, and their “Hot Gal (Raw)” sets the tone for Indian Blood Riddim with the kind of tough, ragged-edge dancehall pressure that was all over the mid-2000s. Around them, Anthony B’s “Nuh Bwoy, ” Cecile’s sharp-tongued “Boy Can’t Dweet (Raw), ” Sizzla’s “All My Girls (Raw), ” and Mega Banton’s “Burn Dem (Raw)” keep the energy moving between gunman bravado and straight party talk, while Daville and Tanto Metro and Devonte pull the riddim toward more playful, flirtatious territory. There’s also a nice roughness in the mix, with the raw versions leaning into the stripped-down, bass-heavy feel that made these juggling tapes hit so hard in 2007. It’s the kind of release that captures that era when big names could share one beat and still sound like they were cutting each other eye.