Overtime Riddim (2015) – Bwm Records

BWM Records lined up Overtime Riddim in 2015 as a straight dancehall juggling with seven separate voices and a clear eye for dancefloor energy. The set pulls in Lukie D, Jigsy King, Mia Stoosh, Vybz Kartel, Trilogee, Capleton, and Razah, with the release locked to that mid-2010s era when riddims were still being used to stack personalities on the same pulse. The catalogue also shows this Overtime title has appeared elsewhere, but this BWM Records version is the 2015 dancehall cut.

The tune itself has the kind of forward, percussive swing that suits party talk and bedroom flexing, and the titles tell the story: “Party Tonight, ” “Feeling Fi You, ” “In The Night, ” “Run Him, ” “Bed Side, ” “Wrong Stand Up, ” and “Feel So Good. ” Lukie D and Jigsy King bring the smoother veteran touch, while Capleton pushes more fire with “Wrong Stand Up, ” giving the riddim a harder edge. Vybz Kartel’s “Run Him” adds the kind of sharp, commanding deejay talk that tends to define a juggling, and Mia Stoosh brings a female voice into a male-heavy lineup with a more melodic, late-night feel.

Trilogee’s “Bed Side” and Razah’s “Feel So Good” help keep the project moving through different shades of the same groove. It is a compact set, but the range of voices gives Overtime Riddim enough variation to work as a proper dancehall piece rather than just a one-beat compilation.