Ruff Life Riddim – Fresh Fame Records

Out of Jamaica’s 2014 dancehall flow came Ruff Life Riddim, a lean Fresh Fame Records cut with just two songs, but enough attitude to leave a mark. The riddim sits in that tough, stripped-back lane that lets the vocals do the talking, with Bencil leaning into the realities of “Life Hard” while Masicka turns “Believe In Yourself” into the sharper, more memorable of the pair. That was an early Masicka moment too, and the song’s motivational edge fits the kind of hard-headed, streetwise dancehall that was filtering through the scene at the time. With only two tracks and a runtime of about seven minutes, it’s the sort of compact release that says its piece quickly and gets out before the message gets watered down.