Poorman Riddim – Spr Productions Records

SPR Productions Records keeps this one lean and direct, with the 2002 Poorman Riddim carrying just two cuts and a plainspoken title that matches the mood. Struggler’s “Poorman” and Turbulence’s “Ruff Times” sit on the same rootsy foundation, and the pairing gives the riddim a small but pointed sense of struggle without any extra clutter. Turbulence, already one of the sharper voices in conscious reggae at the time, sounds especially at home over the tune’s sober pulse, while Struggler’s cut adds another angle on the same hard-times theme. Riddim-ID also lists Luciano’s “Vision” and Mikey General’s “Naah Meck Dem Draw Mi Out” on the same production, which suggests there was a little more life around the rhythm than the slim tracklist here shows. Just two songs, but they carry the name well.