Lime Tea Riddim – Footsteps Records 2004

Anthony Cruz’s “Half Way Tree” sets the tone on Lime Tea Riddim, and it’s a smart place to start: his vocal sits right in the pocket of a 2004 juggling that leans hard into dancehall attack while still keeping a reggae backbone. Footsteps Records lines up a sharp mix of personalities here, with Assassin’s “We A Bad From, ” Cecile’s “Nah Pop Down, ” Elephant Man’s “Let Dem Drown, ” and Frisco Kid’s “Want A Superman” all pushing the pace in different ways. The cut that really hangs over the riddim, though, is Assassin’s “We A Bad From, ” a tune that helped define the era’s war-ready energy and still gives the project its edge. Mad Cobra and Sugar Slick add extra weight on the combination cut, while Spragga Benz’s “Love Rasta” pulls the set in a more roots-minded direction before Anthony Cruz returns to close the circle.