Most Royal Riddim – Maximum Sound

Most Royal comes in with that tough, rootsy swagger Frenchie was leaning into around 2012, when Maximum Sound was stacking fresh jugglings one after another. The rhythm has that lean, militant pulse that leaves room for the voices, and the line-up does the lifting: Tarrus Riley’s “Chant Rastafari” is the spiritual anchor, Sizzla’s “White Collar Boss” brings the bite, and Christopher Martin’s “Make A Sound” keeps it tuneful without softening the edge. Agent Sasco and Cecile round out the set with sharper, more streetwise turns, while Lenky and Frenchie’s own title cut gives the riddim its name and its attitude. It sits neatly alongside Maximum Sound’s other 2012 productions, part of that run where Frenchie was revisiting classic Jamaican frameworks and giving them a current London finish.