Tuff Cut Riddim – Black Pyramid Productions

Cutty Ranks gives Tuff Cut Riddim its sharpest edge with “Global, ” a fitting opener for a 2012 Black Pyramid Productions set that leans hard into roughneck roots energy rather than anything polished or glossy. Around him, Hyah Slyce’s “Ruff And Tuff, ” Singing Sweet’s “Cannabis, ” and Kibaki’s “Pagans” keep the cut-drum pressure on, while Jesse Jendah and Bonzana’s “Rome De Pon Fire” pushes the project a little wider without breaking its militant feel. Black Pyramid keeps the arrangement lean and direct, the kind of production that lets the voices do the talking and the bass carry the message. In a year crowded with one-riddim releases, this sits neatly in the label’s tougher, streetwise corner, with nine tracks and no wasted motion.