Man Up Riddim – Various Artists

Out of the 2011 dancehall crop, Man Up Riddim sits in that bustling, street-level space where the title says plenty on its own: man-up talk, badmind warnings, prayer songs, and a few pull-up-ready party cuts all riding the same various-artists version. The lineup has enough range to keep it moving, with Ashkinaz’s “No Worry, ” Bal G’s “Fake Friend, ” and Bomblast’s “Take Me To Father” leaning into the everyday struggles and sharp elbows of the era, while DJ Rinch doubles up with “A You Got Me Love” and “Crush De Road” to push the energy a little harder. Jahbal’s “Wine Pon De Thing” and Footsy’s “Badmine De Spotlight” give it a firmer dancehall edge, but the most immediate pull comes from Jiah’s “Me A Pray, ” which lands the riddim’s moral center before the set closes out.