Word A Prayer Riddim – Tj Records

TJ Records’ Word A Prayer Riddim sits in that 2010 run of conscious dancehall where the messages come first and the deejays carry them over a spare, devotional backdrop. The five-voice set lines up Bugle on “Poor People, ” Demarco on “We Pray, ” I-Octane on “Blood Stain, ” Jah Vinci on “Soul To Keep, ” and ZJ Liquid closing with “Chant A Psalm, ” with the remastered issue later clocking the whole thing at a steady 90-91 BPM. TJ keeps the arrangement lean enough for the vocals to do the work, but there’s enough low-end pressure underneath to keep it firmly in dancehall territory rather than drifting into straight roots. Jah Vinci and I-Octane bring the sharpest cut here, while ZJ Liquid’s psalmic finish leaves the riddim on a sober, meditative note.