Missionary Riddim – DJ Xplicit Production

DJ Xplicit’s Missionary Riddim sits in that early-2010s dancehall pocket where clean digital drums, a springy bassline and cheeky, bedroom-minded lyrics could carry a whole juggling. The New York-based, Guyana-born producer was already moving between radio and the studio, and this beat came after his work with T. O. K. , Richie Loop and Red Fox had started to build his name in the scene. The riddim was released in 2012 and is credited to DJ Xplicit Production.

The line-up is tight and well chosen: Chris Marsh, Redfox, Richie Loop, Shifta, Singing Sweet and T. O. K. all cut versions, alongside Xplicit’s own instrumental. Richie Loop had broken through with a party-ready, melodic style, while Shifta was already known for moving between dancehall and a more crossover-minded sound from his Miami base. Singing Sweet brought the smoother, seasoned singjay touch he’d carried since the early 1990s, and T. O. K. added the kind of four-voice blend that always lifts a riddim session.

The standout cuts are the ones that play the title theme straight: Richie Loop’s “On A Mission, ” Redfox’s “Missionary, ” and T. O. K. ’s “Hard And Dun. ” Chris Marsh’s “Gweh Gweh” and Singing Sweet’s “On The Girls Case” push the same flirtatious energy from different angles, giving the riddim a lively, joking tone rather than anything heavy. It is a compact 2012 dancehall set that lives on personality, call-and-response hooks and the sort of mixability selectors could work all night.