Protest Riddim – Various Artists

Protest Riddim lands in that conscious-root reggae pocket where the message and the groove carry the same weight, with a set of singers like Anthony B, Everton Blender, Marlon Asher, Queen Omega and Maximus Dan each leaning into struggle, pressure and resistance in their own way. The line-up gives it plenty of pull, but the cut that really frames the project is Queen Omega and Empress K’s “Come Follow, ” which pushes the riddim’s militant edge without losing melody. Anthony B’s “Rome Blazin” and Marlon Asher’s “Rudebwoy Hustle” keep the energy pointed and direct, while the 2007 production holds everything in a taut, stripped-down roots groove that leaves space for the lyrics to land. It closes out with Ziggy Rankin’s “Want To See Tomorrow, ” rounding the set into ten tracks built around the same protest-minded foundation.