Take Up The Cross Riddim – Cannan Production

Morgan Heritage make the quickest case for Take Up The Cross Riddim, their title cut carrying the kind of upright, devotional lift that still feels fresh in 2001. Cannan Production keeps the riddim lean and sturdy, leaving enough room for Da’Ville’s “Spread Your Love” to soften the edges without losing the tune’s spiritual centre, while 2 Isis brings a rougher street-side ache with “Ghetto Pain. ” It’s a small set, just three cuts, but the contrast between the conscious uplift and the hard-living testimony gives it some shape; Dean Fraser’s hand is also tied to the project in the catalogues, and that sax-heavy touch is easy to imagine here, almost like a quiet fourth voice.