Pon Di Grind Riddim – Chuch-Gut Entertainment

Richie Spice’s “Coming Down” is the anchor on Pon Di Grind Riddim, and it sets the tone for a small but tidy 2018 Chuch-Gut Entertainment set that leans hard into roots reggae. The cut has that warm, live-band feel, with the kind of horn work and guitar accents that give the riddim a little extra lift without crowding the vocals. Junior Kelly follows with “I Want To Be Your Hero, ” keeping the message-forward energy in place, while Jahbar I’s “Friendly Foes” and Iyah Sample’s “What Is Mine” keep the project moving with fresh voices around the seasoned names. Chuch-Gut even closes the package with the instrumental, which lets the arrangement breathe and puts the groove front and center, but Richie Spice is the track that leaves the deepest mark here.