Scanner Riddim – Jet Star Records

Jet Star Records wasn’t usually the label you’d turn to for a hard-smoking dancehall set like this, but Scanner Riddim leans right into the herb talk with a mid-tempo pulse and a spare, nagging groove that leaves plenty of room for the singers and deejays. The line-up is sharp: Beenie Man’s “Ganja Anthem” and Vybz Cartel’s “Up To Di Time” carry the most obvious name value, while Bascom X’s “Rock Di World” and Mega Banton’s “Herbalize” keep the theme locked in from different angles. It’s a compact 2002 one-riddim set, and the production keeps the focus on a clipped drum pattern, rolling bassline and that blunt, steady bounce that was made for sound system play.