Try To Reach The Top Riddim – Spragga Roots Records

In 2007, when roots reggae was leaning hard on militant messages and clean digital-era production, Spragga Roots Records lined up seven singers and deejays on Try To Reach The Top Riddim and kept the focus on uplift. Admiral Tibett’s title cut and Chrisinti’s “New Tomorrow” set the tone early, while George Nooks and Lukie D bring a steadier, more reflective weight to the set. The riddim itself sits in that mid-2000s reggae pocket: crisp drum programming, a warm bassline, and a clipped guitar chop that leaves plenty of room for the vocals to carry the message. Terro Fabulous adds a lighter touch on “Teck Yu Tome, ” but the whole project stays locked to the same straight-ahead groove, with the bass doing most of the talking underneath the harmony lines.