Summer Scheme Riddim – Don Corleon Records

Don Corleon keeps the Summer Scheme Riddim airy and sunlit, with a bright, bounce-heavy groove that feels made for radio spins, beach parties, and easy juggling. The production sits in that polished early-2010s dancehall pocket Don Corleon helped define: clean drums, a springy melodic bed, and enough space for each voice to ride the beat without crowding it. Don Corleon, born Donovan Bennett in Manchester, Jamaica, had already built a reputation for sharp, memorable rhythms before this one, and Summer Scheme fits neatly into that part of his catalogue.

The lineup brings together names from different corners of the Caribbean and the wider reggae-dancehall world. Vybz Kartel, the Portmore dancehall force, turns My Baby U into one of the riddim’s most immediate cuts, all edge and sly melodic phrasing. Wayne Marshall’s It’s Party Time pushes the celebratory side of the pattern, while Sean Paul adds the unmistakable crossover polish that made him one of dancehall’s biggest international names. Protoje, still early in the run that would later make him a key reggae revival figure, pairs with Keida on All Again, giving the riddim one of its softer, more romantic moments. J Boog’s I’m Fallen brings an island-soul warmth that broadens the project beyond Jamaica, and ZJ Liquid’s title cut keeps the instrumental identity front and center. Toi’s You’ll Be Mine rounds it out with a pop-leaning vocal touch that sits neatly in the riddim’s easy summer glow.

Released in 2011, Summer Scheme is one of those Don Corleon juggling projects that feels both commercial and carefully tuned, with enough personality in the rhythm itself to hold voices from dancehall, reggae, and crossover lanes alike.