Militant Riddim (2008) – Sound Proof Records

Compared with the bigger, glossier one-riddim packages Sound Proof has been tied to over the years, Militant Riddim keeps things lean: six cuts, one version, and a sharp little cast led by Andrew Paul, Fiona, Power Man, Stubzy Ranks and Mark Wonder on “Militant Soldier (Remix). ” The production has that stern late-2000s reggae bounce, all clipped drum patterns and a rootsy pressure that leaves enough room for the singers to work the message, with Andrew Paul’s “Stand Up And Fight” and Power Man’s “Jah Ina Mi Heart” sitting closest to the center of the tune. Mark Wonder’s remix is the obvious nod to the title, but the whole set stays focused on militant uplift rather than fussing with excess. It runs six tracks deep, closing on the dub-style version.