President Riddim (2002) – Desulme Productions

By 2002, dancehall was deep into the era of sharp digital rhythms and quick-fire singjay cuts, and President Riddim lands right in that pocket for Desulme Productions. The nine-cut set pulls in Baby Wayne, Elephant Man, Mr Lexx, Mr Vegas, Powerman, Sandy Star and Wickerman, with the label Oral Desulme and Rohan Desulme guiding the session. The tracks lean toward brash, midtempo ride-out energy rather than anything sprawling, and the instrumentals sit on a stripped drum pattern with a heavy low end and plenty of space for the voices to jab through. Elephant Man’s “Tan Tuddy” and Mr Vegas’ “It Aint” keep the pressure up, while Wickerman’s “Oh Jah Jah” adds a more conscious note. The whole thing moves with a clipped, bass-forward swing that keeps the vocals front and center.