Rockala Riddim – Various Artists

ROCKALA RIDDIM produced by VARIOUS ARTISTS 2005

Rockala Riddim rolls out with a taut, mid-2000s dancehall swing: clipped drums, a nagging bassline, and enough empty space for each singer to jab through the mix. Vybz Kartel gets the sharpest showcase with “Who Tell Yu Fi Run” and “Your Style, ” while Assassin’s “We Nah Run” and Zumjay’s “Hands Up” keep the energy edgy and street-level; Angel Doolas, Vicious, and Gideon add their own grime to the same frame. There are a couple of anonymous cuts too, which is very much part of the era’s one-riddim economy, when producers were packing a handful of standout voices onto a single instrumental and letting the tune do the talking.

Rockala Riddim Tracklist:

1. Angel Doolas – Praise
2. Assassin – We Nah Run
3. Gideon – Hungry Yah
4. Unknown – Do What The Buddy Like
5. Unknown – Oh Yes
6. Vicious – Gal Dem A Wine
7. Vybz Kartel – Who Tell Yu Fi Run
8. Vybz Kartel – Your Style
9. Zumjay – Hands Up