Warload Riddim – Various Artists

Out of Jamaica in late 2011, Warload Riddim keeps the focus tight and combative, with just two cuts but enough attitude to make the setup feel like a clash in miniature. Deva Bratt comes in first with “Duppy Caan Kill Me, ” a sharp answer record that plays straight into the diss energy around the release, while Iyara follows with “Bruk Di One Way, ” carrying the riddim in a more straight-ahead dancehall style. The production credit is filed simply under Various Artists, but the sound has the rough, street-level pressure you’d expect from that moment in the dance. It’s a small package, yet the sequencing gives Deva Bratt the edge, and his track leaves the strongest impression as the one that really defines Warload’s tone.