Say No Riddim – Blackstarliner Records

Blackstarliner Records’ Say No Riddim turns up as a 2013 dancehall juggling with a distinctly Zimbabwean touch, lining up voices like Redeye, Ricky Fire, Tin Tin and Fyah Empress over a tough, no-nonsense backing. The cuts that catch the ear lean into warning and resistance — “Dem Log Off, ” “Madhara, ” and “No No No” all sit neatly inside that mood — while tracks like “Pembera Ufare” and “Money Mi Wah” keep the set moving with a more streetwise pulse. Blackstarliner’s name appears across a fairly busy spread of cuts here, and the whole thing plays like a local dancehall snapshot rather than a polished big-market package. It’s an 18-track release with 21 artists in the mix, and that afterthought of an instrumental tag tucked into the tracklist feels very much of its time.