Tukk Inn Riddim Part 1 – V.I.P. International

2017 was a busy year for Japanese reggae and dancehall crosscurrents, and V. I. P. International tapped right into that moment with Tukk Inn Riddim Part 1, a six-track set built around a lean, punchy groove that leaves plenty of room for voices to cut through. Bounty Killa opens with “Shell Dung Dem Endz Aka Tukk I, ” setting the tone with the kind of rough-edged talk that suits the riddim’s forward lean, while Ng Head’s “You Dead” and Iyara’s “The System” push the project into sharper social commentary; Boy-Ken and the Blakkman cut keep the energy moving, and the Kotobuki Kun and Jason Sweetness pairing adds a different flavor without breaking the flow. The release landed on August 16, 2017, credited to V. I. P. International Records, with six songs running just under 18 minutes.