Step By Step Riddim (2018) – Ruff Lions Productions

Step By Step lands as a proper one-riddim affair, and the pull here is the lineup as much as the groove: 14 voices riding a new roots, one-drop swing with a patient, forward-moving feel. Tiwony’s “Salata” and Straika D’s “En Vérité” give it a nice lift, while Djo Black and Skanky D add a more conversational edge on “Nou Ka Mandé. ” Ruff Lion’s Productions teamed with JKongo and 7Seals on the release, with Syron Alphonse credited on the composition, and that extra layer explains why the riddim has such a clean, thoughtful shape rather than just looping the same pattern over and over. It first surfaced in November 2018, so it sits right in that late-year wave of French Caribbean reggae one-riddims that kept the roots side moving with plenty of song-for-song competition.