Poker Face Riddim – Sentinel Sound

In 2009, when dancehall was still quick to snap up pop-culture hooks, Sentinel Sound’s Poker Face Riddim rode the Lady Gaga wave with a sharp, cheeky twist and a proper club-minded pulse. The set has enough bite to keep the versions separate: Demarco’s “Keep The Lights On” leans into the swagger, Busy Signal cuts through with the rude-boy wit of “Some Man Ah Pussy Face, ” and Mavado’s “This Time (Remix)” brings the darker, more street-level edge that gives the riddim its weight. The odd-couple pairing with KMC and Lady Gaga on “I M Not Drunk (Remix)” adds to the crossover feel, while the bare “Poker Face” version underneath lets the production’s bounce and space do the talking. It’s a neat little snapshot of that late-2000s moment when dancehall was happily hijacking mainstream hooks and making them sound local.