Top Of The 100 Riddim – Kirkledove Records

Top Of The 100 Riddim lands in the roots-reggae lane with a firm, drummer’s touch. Kirkledove Records is Kirk “Kirkledove” Bennett’s production outfit, and by this point he had already built a name for himself as a veteran Jamaican drummer and producer with a catalogue stretching back to the mid-2000s. The project is dated 2012 and sits neatly inside that era’s conscious juggling culture, where one rhythm could carry multiple voices without losing its shape.

The riddim gathers Brown Shuga, D-Major, Exco Levi, Kenyatta Hill, Lutan Fyah, Mackeehan, Red Rose, Tanto Metro and Devonte, and Voicemail, with Bennett himself cutting the instrumental. It has a warm, rootsy pulse rather than a hard digital attack, and the songs ride that bed with steady bass weight, live-feeling drums, and enough space for the vocals to breathe. The writing stays mostly conscious, with murder, warning, uplift, and survival sitting at the center of the subject matter.

Exco Levi’s “Dutchie Wah Food” is one of the sharpest cuts, its hook easy to catch while still carrying that serious roots message he’s known for. Lutan Fyah’s “Sorry Fi Dem” brings the kind of militant, measured delivery that has made him such a reliable voice in modern roots reggae. Tanto Metro and Devonte’s “The Other Side” adds a more melodic contrast, while Brown Shuga’s “Mr. Murderer” sets an early tone of confrontation. Kenyatta Hill and Voicemail help widen the palette, keeping the riddim from settling into one mood for too long.