Optimism Riddim (2017) – Nyze Boxx Music

Nyze BoXX Music’s Optimism Riddim lands as a tight 2017 dancehall set with just enough room for different moods without losing its centre. Deep Jahi, Denno, Melloquence, Pinakle, Serani and Tiyarro each take a swing at the same instrumental, and the whole thing sits at around the three-minute mark, which keeps the pace brisk and the ideas sharp. There’s a reflective thread running through it — love, survival, money, self-belief, mortality — but the cut that lingers is Serani’s “Why We Have To Die, ” where the hook and subject matter give the riddim a darker edge before Tiyarro’s “Try Hard” closes things on a determined note. Deep Jahi’s “Aint No Love” sets the tone early, but Serani is the name that gives Optimism its clearest pull.