Judge Riddim – Taksik Music

Four cuts make up Judge Riddim, so this is a tight little dancehall set rather than a sprawling compilation, with Little Miss, Mekitz, Shar-I and Taksik himself all getting a turn across the same sharp pattern. Little Miss’s “Tables Turn” and Shar-I’s “Tell Yo” carry the most bite here, while Taksik saves a self-titled “Judge Me” for the close, which feels like the producer marking his own stamp on the rhythm. The 2011 production has that lean, judgment-day energy dancehall did so well in that period: clipped drums, a stern bass line, and enough space for each voice to cut through without the riddim getting crowded. Taksik Music keeps the focus on the song titles and the back-and-forth between artists, and the whole set lands as a concise four-track package built for the selector.