Old Tape Riddim – Jah Youth Production

Jah Youth Production takes a rootsier path on Old Tape Riddim, and the title fits: this one feels like it’s reaching for that worn-in, analogue reggae warmth rather than chasing anything shiny. Released in 2017, the set lines up nine voices across nine cuts, with Dada Yute’s “Mama Africa, ” Junior Morgan’s “Thankful, ” and Zafayah’s “Can’t Keep Me Down” among the songs that give the compilation its backbone. There’s a nice live-wire quality to the sequencing too, moving from conscious uplift to rub-a-dub attitude and back again, so the producer clearly wanted the riddim to play like a full session rather than a pile of singles. The mix of names from different corners of the reggae circuit gives it a broad, international feel without losing that steady roots pulse.