The Business Riddim – Various Artists

The Business Riddim comes in like a compact 2012 dancehall juggling, with 14 cuts and a cast that keeps the energy moving from hard-edged gun talk to more playful party business. Tommy Lee’s “War Wid Di Dead” has that grim, confrontational turn you’d expect from him, while Chilando’s “Girls Dem Rush Wi” and Richest’s “Every Gal Rate Wi” push the riddim into the brighter, girl-friendly side of the dance. There’s also a nice curveball in Susan Perkins’ “Mercy On My Love, ” which gives the set a little emotional lift before it jumps back into Bashment mode. With extra entries from Daddy Merry, Merital Family, Texas Family and Jimbo, the whole thing plays like one of those early-2010s dancehall packages built for selectors who wanted a lot of usable versions in one place.