Star House Riddim – Sass Nation Records

Star House Riddim sits in that mid-2010s dancehall pocket where the groove does most of the talking: a lean, clipped rhythm with enough bounce for waistline business and enough space for the vocals to cut through cleanly. Sass Nation Records kept the lineup tight, pairing Nadia Batson and Vershon on “Step Forward” with Macka Diamond’s “Caribbean Wine, ” while the instrumental holds the whole thing together in under ten minutes. Batson’s cut leans melodic and pointed, but it’s Macka Diamond who gives the project its sharper club edge, riding the riddim with the kind of phrasing that locks straight into the pulse. Released on October 24, 2017, the set moves at a brisk dancehall tempo, with the bass staying low and steady rather than overloading the mix.