Kool Shade Riddim – Street Shellaz Records

Street Shellaz went a little wider on Kool Shade than on a bare-bones one-voice dancehall set, and that’s what gives this 2015 juggling its snap. The rhythm is taut and breezy rather than heavy, with a clean mid-tempo bounce that leaves room for the singers to lean into the hooky side of the cut. Anthony Cruz sets the tone with “Ma Crown, ” while Chelsi’s “You Mi Say” and Nuh Evidence’s “Tight Like You” keep the energy moving, the latter even turning up in both raw and clean versions. Turbulence’s “Time” is the rougher anchor here, cutting through the lighter voices with more bite, and Zac Dutch closes things out with “More Than Me. ” The version rhythm itself keeps the whole thing neatly stitched together without crowding any one artist.