Rock Island Riddim – Range Hill Records

Range Hill’s Rock Island riddim lands in that early-2010s dancehall pocket where the drum pattern stays lean but the groove still has a sly bounce, leaving room for voices to cut through without the cut of the rhythm getting crowded. Demarco’s “Mi Know Mi Fren” and Jah Vinci’s “Take Control” give it the biggest pull, while Karamanti’s “Fake Rasta” adds a sharper, more topical edge to the set. There’s a nice bit of variety across the six-cut run too, with Laden’s “Sexy Suh” leaning more into the dancefloor side and Wright’s “Friends” keeping the mood personal and direct. Range Hill Records, working out of South Florida, had already put a few singles in circulation before this 2014 drop, and the closing “Flying” from Wayne Spice, Sully Sulfa and Jahbulani leaves the project on a lighter, breezier note.