Locking Riddim – Scrappers Records

There’s a sharp, barrel-chested dancehall swing to Locking Riddim, the kind of bare-knuckle 2013 juggling that leaves room for the voices to jab through the mix. Scrappers Records keeps the pace tight, and Luckie Itch’s “Nah Mix Wit Dem” feels like the statement cut, with Maggikal’s “Bad People” and Quadvoice’s pairings pushing the same hard-edged energy from different angles. The project’s fun comes from those link-ups — Quadvoice with Alex. T on “Locking Ya Door, ” then Natural Vibes and Quick Cy on “Wizer Dan Dem” — which give the riddim a loose crew-session feel without softening the bite. It runs to 12 tracks in all, with T and Yardlink closing on the version, just to leave the pulse hanging a little longer.