Steel Pipe Riddim (2014) – Real Pagers Records

Steel Pipe Riddim comes in as a busy 13-track dancehall set, with Real Pagers Records lining up a full crew of voices around one tough, gunman-leaning pattern. Angellus Pager’s “Na Miss, ” Astrro’s “Battle Field, ” and Blingaz Pager’s “Dem Boy Deh” set the tone early, while Enztant, Ex Naveesh, and Quaa keep the energy jagged and militant; the whole thing sits in that hard-edged 2014 lane Real Pagers was pushing at the time. There’s a nice bit of continuity too, with Blingaz Pager popping up twice, alongside Zulan O’Brien on “Go Fe Dem, ” which gives the riddim a little extra pull near the end. The tracklist closes with “Real Pagers Records – Military Mind Riddim, ” a neat nod to the label’s own title cut tucked in as the final entry.