Necessary Reggae 2 – Hem Records

Necessary Reggae 2 runs on a bright, skanking soca-riddim pulse with enough bounce for the dance but enough grit to keep it in dancehall territory, the kind of cut that lets vocals punch through the horn and percussion push. Hem Records folds in a strong cross-section here: Busy Signal and Million Stylez lock into the forward motion on “As Me Forward, ” Macka B leans into the old-school warmth of “Old Fashioned, ” and Mr Williamz gets two chances to flex, including the sharper “Shell Down” pairing with Specialist Moss. There’s also that neat left turn with Gregory Isaacs on “Report Dub, ” which gives the set a deeper, more veteran edge. Coming in 2013 as a second chapter, it feels less like a random compilation than a label keeping a particular riddim style in rotation, and it sits neatly among Necessary Mayhem’s soca-leaning projects from that period.