Redlight Riddim (2013) – Uim Records

UIM Records’ Redlight Riddim landed in 2013 with Anju Blaxx behind the boards, and it fits squarely into the producer’s run of hard-juggling dancehall projects that had already been moving through the scene under the UIM name. The label is short for Uptempo International Music, the Kingston outfit founded by Blaxx, whose catalogue includes earlier and later riddim sets that kept his name in circulation across the dancehall circuit.

Redlight has that bright, restless 2013 dancehall drive: a sharp, springy drop, plenty of space for deejays to ride, and a groove that sits in the more aggressive, party-forward pocket rather than any rootsy or lovers lane. The vocal cuts are a big part of why it travels. Beenie Man opens with “Set The Place On Fire, ” bringing veteran command and performance instinct. Elephant Man’s “Up” pushes the energy further, while Popcaan’s “Nuh Ramp” adds that then-rising Unruly menace and swagger. Bugle takes a more conscious turn on “Protect Me From Everybody, ” and Jah Cure’s “Sky Is The Limit” brings melody and uplift into the mix.

The set also shows how UIM worked the mid-2010s dancehall space: Blak Diamon’s “Tell Yuh Diss, ” Jahmiel and Vybrant’s “Nuh Push Ova, ” Konshens’ “Gyal Get That Money, ” Liquid’s “Whine and Bend Ova, ” Seya’s “Stripper, ” Kid Kurrupt’s “Haffi Come Back, ” and Shane O’s “Walk Out” all point to the same juggling logic, where each voice finds a different angle on the same beat. It is a riddim made for sound-system rotation, and the diversity of the cuts gives it its staying power.