Road Runner Riddim (2011) – Ice Water Records

Ice Water Records kept Road Runner Riddim lean and to the point in 2011, letting just three cuts carry the whole thing: Charmson Di Mayor’s rude-boy opener “Get Inna Di Belly, ” the Bad Rad and Icesis Bling-assisted “Magnum, ” and Icesis Bling’s own “Swagger Gone A Lead” with P. Dubbz Kiddevil. It’s a compact dancehall package rather than a big multi-artist statement, which suits the way Ice Water tends to move here — fewer voices, more room for each tune to land. Charmson Di Mayor gets the most real estate, and that gives the riddim a clear anchor, while the collaborations keep it from feeling like a throwaway. In the label’s catalogue, this sits as one of those stripped-down 2011 dancehall releases that favoured a quick, direct street-level energy over volume.