Righteous World Riddim – Tuff Nut Studio

2016 was still a busy juggling year for roots-leaning reggae, and Tuff Nut Studio’s Righteous World Riddim sits right in that pocket with eight cuts and a tidy, conscious-minded cast. Don Kelon gets two shots on the riddim with “You Dont Know Me” and the raw version, while Marley Palmer’s “Fear No Evil” and Nyha Ranks’ “World Of Trouble” keep the message sharp and a little uneasy, like the kind of set built for sound system play rather than glossy crossover. Fridge’s “I Want To Know” and Reuben’s “Peace” add a more reflective touch, and the Tuff Nut instrumental keeps the whole thing anchored in a steady, militant pulse. It’s a compact 2016 release, but it feels like one of those local studio projects that was made to travel through selector crates more than chase chart noise.