V.com Riddim – Various Artists

By 2001, dancehall was moving hard into leaner digital patterns and sharper vocal styles, and V. com Riddim sits right in that moment with seven cuts that keep the focus on the groove. The set lines up Ashertastrai’s “Babylon Tax, ” Engine’s “Bun Them Again, ” and two Junior Killa turns, including “Me Ah Bad Man” and the duet with Genie on “Sexual Attraction, ” while Ras Al I’s “No Dollare Nah Run” adds another angle to the same framework. The production stays spare and functional, with a clipped drum sequence, a tight skank, and bass that does most of the talking instead of crowding the vocals. That leaves plenty of room for the toasting to ride the pocket, and the whole thing moves at a brisk mid-tempo pace with the rhythm section locked in underneath the chant-heavy delivery.