Leave Riddim – Various Artists

Set in 2012 and credited here to various artists, Leave Riddim leans into a compact reggae showcase rather than a sprawling compilation, with just four cuts and five voices in the mix. J Square opens with “Hospital, ” then Jacia Marcus and JJ step in together on “Your Love, ” giving the set its most obviously melodic turn before Renice Paul’s “On The Brink” and Yi’s “Dont Give Up” keep the mood in reflective, uplift-minded territory. The tracklist feels tuned for message songs rather than big crossover flash, and that makes the closing number especially important: Yi’s “Dont Give Up” leaves the strongest aftertaste, sounding like the cut the riddim was really built to carry.