Discography: Greensleeves Rhythm Album Series

Do you remember Greensleeves Records? It wasn't until the last few years when the once mighty UK based imprint became, essentially, an expansion pack for VP Records, before that, however, they were about as active a unit in the entire genre and boasted of having the deepest vault in Reggae as well. They also had many series and, much like VP, their most active and signature line was a riddim album series. Greensleeves' version was probably overlooked in favour of VP's Riddim Driven (and I think, really, that had something to do with it not having a great name. Say what you will about "Riddim Driven" as a series - the name is very good), but it definitely made its name amongst more heavy fans as the series would, seemingly, go after more hardcore tracks and also contained very little, if any, in the way of editing. In a decade, the series would produce NINETY riddim albums, and only four over the final four years, making it, in its prime, one of the most reliable continuing figures in Dancehall music history. Today, having ridiculously conquered the Riddim Driven series previously, we make the next logical step. Discography: Greensleeves Rhythm Album Series

Greensleeves Rhythm Album Series

#1. Bellyas [2000]

Who dem? Ward 21's Bellyas Riddim is one of the greatest Dancehall tracks of all time. That isn't my opinion, it's a matter of fact as certain and verifiable as it being the first installment of Greensleeves' Rhythm Album series. This thing was dark, it was grimy, it was explosive and it was perfect for its era, the era before it, the one after it, the one after that and this one as well. It also carried one of the greatest songs of all time (again, a fact, not an opinion), ‘Who Dem' from Capleton which was somewhere out there beyond even my adjectives. King Shango certainly wasn't alone, he was joined by the likes of Beenie Man, Spragga Benz, Elephant Man, Mr. Vegas, Bushman (and Ilue) the Ward and a whole heap of others on this monstrous opening shot of the series which may be forgotten as the opener of this series, but CANNOT possibly be forgotten as one of the Dancehall’s clear masterpieces. 

 #2. Virus [2000]

Sickness. The Madd Dawgz helmed Virus Riddim, on the other hand, has largely been forgotten, both as a track and within the series, but that doesn't mean that it wasn't any good, because it was - very. Although it didn't carry that one HUGE hit, it did score in a few different areas with nice tunes as, once again, Capleton served up its biggest moment, through the infectious 'Caan Hold We Dung', but also scoring were Mad Cobra, Elephant Man, General Degree, Mad Anju and Lexxus, whose 'Let Those Monkeys Out' did pretty  well in a much different era of Dancehall music.

#3. Doorslam [2000]

Bust it! The Bust It Riddim which would come Harvel 'Gadaffi' Hart and Annex Productions would become the third release in GS… and it would also become the third consecutive riddim in the series on which Capleton scored the biggest as his offering, 'Bust It', reigned supreme. It wasn't by a wide margin , however, on this hard-hitting track as The Prophet was joined by Beenie Man, Sizzla Kalonji and, most memorably there was 'No One Cares', which was a combination featuring sworn enemies Bounty Killer & Merciless. General B would also reach this one nicely as would future opponent (slayer), Kiprich.  

#4. Volume [2000]

Turn it up. Capleton didn't have the biggest tune on the Volume Riddim, which marked Ward 21's return to the GRA series (don't you love that abbreviation?!). Partially that had to do with the fact that he… wasn't on it, but even if he was, it's kind of hard to envision him topping the MONSTER that was 'Moses Cry' from Beenie Man which has always been one of my lesser known favourites from the Doctor. This riddim was WICKED and it kind of had a bit of a gimmick to it with the kind of Godzilla/terror sound to it, which served some better than others. Certainly not the best riddim album, even for its time, but it carried a few sizable moments. Along with Beenie were stellar pieces from Bounty Killer, Mad Cobra and the Ward who, win joined by Elephant Man gave the riddim 'One More [Start A War]' which was downright evil and I mean that in a good way. 

#5. Punanny [2000]

Gimme! I could make so many jokes with this one, but I'm going to try not to. The Punanny Riddim, as for the GRA series (LOVE IT!), was a remake of the classic by Ward 21 again and it was still a very good and completely infectious piece. The interesting thing about its album was that it combined the eras with Beenie Man, Elephant Man, the Ward, Lady Saw and Anthony B appearing on one half, while Admiral Bailey, Shabba Ranking and Ninjaman starred on the next.  

#6. Latino & Boasy Gal [2000]

Crazy. I've long forgotten the title of it, but there was a tune by singer/actress Jennifer Lopez which would be taken into the Dancehall by veteran Steven Ventura and crafted into what would become the Latino Riddim which is best remembered for backing Capleton and odd David House resident Moses I (biggup Moses I) on the tune 'Crazy Looks' which would become a definitive hit in its time. It would share an album with the forgotten Boasy Gal Riddim for GS. That was about it for me. There wasn't much else going on here. 

 #7. Lightning [2000]

Powers. Jeremy Harding would takeover the series with his 2 Hard Records label to offer up the BIG Lightning Riddim which was definitely one of my favourites in the earliest stages of the series and, as a riddim, is probably one of the finest pieces Greensleeves ever scored as well. This pounding and colourful composition would play an excellent supporting beam for big tunes coming from Bounty Killer, General Degree, Spragga Benz & Sugar Slick and of course, copious amounts of Sean Paul. Still, all of these years later, when I first hear this track, I immediately begin singing pieces of 'Bun Friend Enemy', the mammoth winner here from TOK. 

 #8. Highway [2000]

Long drive. There was nothing really special about Stone Cold's Highway Riddim which was eighth in this series and I actually barely remembered this piece. This riddim has been forgotten and it didn't carry a genuinely big tune, but it did have its moments as tunes from (guess who?) Capleton, Mr. Vegas and Ce'Cile, Buju Banton and the owner of the riddim's finest tune, 'Fat Gal, Slim Gal', Mega Banton, reigned supreme on this ride. 

#9. Heatwave [2001]

Burning. Gadaffi and Annex once again took the proverbial reins of the series and did so with a winning touch for on their HEAVY Heatwave Riddim. This track will always have something for me as two of its biggest moments come in from Capleton (again) and Sizzla Kalonji, which is probably how this track is best remembered, but while those two tunes were far and away the best here, that duo had company in the form of Ce'Cile, Determine and a CRAZY 'We Say', which was a combination linking Merciless, Ele and even Lexxus joined in.  

#10. Tixx & Blaze [2001]

HEY! HEY! HEY! HEY! The album which linked the Tixx & Blaze riddims together certainly doesn't go down as one of the strongest in the GRA series and it shouldn't. As a whole, it just wasn't that good. HOWEVER, if you cut it up just a bit… the Tixx Riddim is probably one of the best I've ever heard. Best known as the support of the MASSIVE 'To The Point' from Sizzla, this riddim, via that track has basically attained a classic level status these days. The same riddim didn't do much else, but decent, underrated and well overshadowed pieces came from Beenie Man and Mad Cobra. For its part, the Blaze is best known for another Sizzla song, Blaze Fire Blaze, and also doing well was the Snake again, Ele and Lady Saw. A perfect installment of this series on the digital side. Pick and choose! 

#11. Mud-Up [2001]

Fling it. The very well traveled Mud-Up Riddim was next to make an appearance, this time courtesy of Mr. Vegas (who reached the riddim no less than FIVE times) (four on the disc) and In The Streetz. Much like the previous riddim in this post, the Mud-Up wasn't the greatest as an album and very much had an appeal of picking and choosing through the finest of the tracks. Most interesting here is the fact that this riddim had a few nice tunes which had better versions. Capleton's 'Hands Off', 'Bun It' from Ele and Vegas and definitely Sean Paul's 'Check It Deeply' all had better and more BITING versions than what appeared on this track. The riddim also carried Merciless' all-encompassing 'War Medley'.  

#12. X-Treme [2001]

Mad! In The Streetz would bring in their second consecutive entry into the series with the STERLING X-Treme Riddim which, even now (although, admittedly, I haven't heard this thing in much more than a minute). I kind of got nostalgic at times with this one, particularly between a pair of tunes from Bounty Killer and… the same person I keep mentioning who always had the best tunes in the early days of this series, who once again took top honours on the X-Treme. Again, it wasn't the best, but it did have its moments because that riddim absolutely fucking ridiculous. 

#13. Double Jeopardy [2001]

Bad gal. Ce'Cile would be the star of the Double Jeopardy Riddim as both its co-creator and dominant name. The Dancehall diva helmed the riddim alongside Cordell 'Scatta' Burrell for their CeCo imprint under the Kings Of Kings and she would appear on its album at least three different times, including its finest and most memorable moment, 'Bad Gal, Bad Man', a big combination alongside Ele. This album was much better than several around this same time as it definitely did bring in the big tunes from the likes of Beenie Man, Sizzla Kalonji, Elephant Man solo, Madd Anju w/Ce'Cile and a WELL underrated pairing of Jah Mason and KOK staple, Chrisinti. 

#14. Drop Top & Di Nipples [2001]

Odd couple. Richie B and Italee double teamed the fourteenth edition of the GRA series with their own Drop Top and Di Nipples Riddims, respectively. This album was somewhat unusual because the first riddim here, the Drop Top was not only nearly brilliant, but it was considerably better than its 'neighbour'. With that being said, Di Nipples better lent itself to artists and drew the better performances in my opinion. Sizzla and Beenie Man would reach both and do so scoring two of the biggest tunes on both riddims. But nice pieces also came from Capleton the Drop Top and Sean Paul, Mega Banton and, of course, Red Rat on the Di Nipples.  

#15. Bushy Bushy [2001]

Coverage. … Ummmmm. Okay. First thing - As an album, the Bushy Bushy Riddim was full on awful. It was terrible. There're just two or three songs on this thing which aren't really bad now looking back. Fortunately, one of them came from Merciless, 'Sting History 2000'm which is why most people remember this track. Ce'Cile also did well with 'Spider' and blah blah blah blah. Yeah. There's also the issue of the cover and, eleven years later, you have to be kind of surprised that someone… would release… something like that. Gadaffi produced with Debbie Harding.  

#16. Sadam Birthday Party & Jailbreak [2001]

Grrrr! Ostensibly, I don't know why someone would make an album and unite these two tracks, the Sadam Birthday Party & Jailbreak riddims, respectively. The former was produced by Gadaffi and Annex, while the latter came through Common Sense (the label name), which didn't stick around for a very long time. HOWEVER, when you actually listened to the tracks, they fit perfectly alongside one another - they were both big angry fucking riddims. Merciless starred here with two tracks on the Birthday Party, including the title track and the WICKED Bounty Killer aimed 'Real Man', and another on the Jailbreak. But also shining were Sizzla Kalonji with a pair of strong pieces, Frisco Kid who did the same and Capleton who probably pulled a muscle on 'Melting Pot'.  

#17. Herbalist & Energy [2001]

The changeup. Along with completely helming both sides of album #17 in the series First Name Productions would also take the honour of having the first non completely Dancehall track to appear in the series as well in the Herbalist Riddim, which was a very nice Roots track. Because of that, the first half of the album featured Beenie Man in the midst of a whole heap of Roots artist such as Tony Rebel, Anthony B, Buju Banton, Capleton, Louie Culture, Jah Mason and others. Unsurprisingly the most memorable moment on the Herbalist, for me at least, was definitely 'It's All Yours' from Sizzla Kalonji. The Energy, on the other hand, still wasn't what I would necessarily call hardcore Dancehall and was more of a bouncing type of composition. Assassin would star brightest here with a couple of selections, the first of which, the infectious 'Wah Gwan', was brilliant. General Degree also did well as did Ele alongside Bling Dawg. 

#18. Bun Bun [2001]

Double play. Much like its slightly elder sibling which rode for Riddim Driven, the Snow Cone licked Rice & Peas Riddim, now renamed the Bun Bun, was an excellent riddim which produced a really bad riddim album. There were twenty one tracks on the disc for this one: One of them was listenable, 'Baby Don't Yuh Worry' by Sean Paul. Two them were good, 'New Name' by Capleton and the riddim topping 'I Am Who I Am' by Bounty Killer. The other eighteen? No.  

#19. Bigga Judgment [2001]

Biggest. The Goldfinga produced Bigga Judgement Riddim is yet another in the (relatively) early stages of this series which was just a BIG and ANGRY riddim which didn't really end up getting the type of results it deserved from many of its vocal acts (by this point, if you haven't noticed, yes, this series shouldn't have had so many of the songs on the riddim on the actual album, it would have been much better, especially at its beginning stages). And, again, like several of the times I've said the same thing in past, once again topping this track was Capleton, whose 'Judgement Morning' was HUGE! Sizzla also did well with two selections and Bounty Killer turned in a decent track in 'Tell Dem'. Also, I personally remember the Bigga Judgement for birthing a tune by the name of Black Woman Dem, which might still be my favourite song ever from Capleton's younger brother, Little Capes.

#20. Time Bomb [2002]

No dud. John John would make his first entry into the GRA series via the Time Bomb Riddim which was… yet another mighty piece of a riddim which turn into an album not as good as the riddim itself. In this case, however, it wasn't completely awful as it did have several tunes which were something better than decent. SHOCKINGLY the best tune didn't belong didn't come via Capleton, who did make an appearance with a big tune in 'Guerilla Warfare'. Instead, that distinction would belong to a masterful Elephant Man who tuned in with 'Su Wi Tan' for the Time Bomb. Also doing well were Sizzla, Beenie Man, Bounty Killer - solo and with Vybz Kartel and a few others, like Ward 21. Still a big riddim and, again, not a BAD album at all. 

#21. Bad Kalic [2002]

Ups and downs. The Bad Kalic, which was pushed up by Stone Love has always been a track which has fluctuated in my tastes. It's been all over the place for me. The one constant thing, however, has always been the fact that the riddim, itself, is fantastic. These days, I'm liking it as an album also. Tunes from Mega Banton, Mad Cobra, a young Vybz Kartel (with 'Gun Clown'), Beenie Man & Ce'Cile, Sizzla Kalonji, Buju Banton and Sean Paul all standout to some degree. And all of that comes on the side of 'Shizzle Ma Nizzle' from Elephant Man, which was completely terrible in every way, but a hit nonetheless and I won't even mention who had the track's best tune, because I'm tired of typing his name.   

 #22 & 23 Martial Arts Pts. 1 & 2 [2002]

Fast as lightening. In terms of signature moments of this series, the Martial Arts probably is the very first since the Punanny (which was probably the second altogether) (and there's another coming in 4-5 places). This WONDERFUL Scatta produced track was spread across two albums, back to back in the series and it remains one of the finest things the GRA ever did and you know that, at the time, this wasn't the type of project that the 'cleaner' Riddim Driven would have touched (I haven't actually written that intro you read a long time ago now yet, so hopefully I remembered to make that difference between the two pronounced there), so this was theirs and theirs alone (even though VP bought them - who cares). Part one was the lesser popular of the two discs, but it was better and the case could be made (and I will make it), that it had the single best tune out of forty, Sizzla's MAMMOTH 'Karate' and it also had Shabba Ranking's big 'Give Dem Di Shabba'. Nice pieces also came from Turbulence, Ce'Cile of course, Capleton, Merciless and a couple of others. 

Part two was just a battlefield. This was the side where, for the two-billionth time, Bounty Killer and Beenie Man took aim at one another on account of some rubbish reason (as usual), but who cares?! It may've been the single most fun mini 'skirmish' between the two and three tracks from the event appeared here. Everything else here is kind of in the shadow of that, as should have been the case, but there were nice tunes from Capleton alongside Jah Thunder, Madd Anju and Elephant Man. 

#24. Zero Tolerance [2002]

None! Gadaffi returned to the GRA series with his next creation, the Zero Tolerance, and his form continued, although I do have to say that I don't like this riddim as much as I once did. Again, it was a very heavy and LOUD track which gave us mixed results. The only really lasting tune here, for me, was Sizzla's 'Empty The Clip', which probably isn't as good as I think it is after all of these years, but I'm easily convinced… by myself.  Oh and I did enjoy Merciless' unintentionally funny 'Come Here' also. 

#25. Famine [2002]

No drought. I always did consider the Scatta's Famine Riddim to be something of an overachiever, at least in regards to my tastes. The track is pretty strange actually, although it does have a nice 'medium' vibe in there somewhere and it doesn't figure to be the easiest to ride. Despite that, even listening to it now, it drew nice work from people like Harry Toddler and Lexxus, which for me is a big deal. Sizzla also did very well here, as did TOK, Ce'Cile, the Ward and Merciless whose 'Pick  A Number' remains my favourite piece on the Famine.  

#26. Hard Drive [2002]

Difficult. I was never really a fan of the Hard Drive Riddim, which would mark producer Goldfinga's return to this series, but apparently Greensleeves (and many others) didn't share my opinion as the riddim would subsequently become the second riddim here to be featured more than once (this time sandwiching the absolute heights of them all in the process). I just thought that it was kind of labourious and it would grow on you, but it took quite awhile. Here, despite the presences of people like Sizzla, Capleton, Elephant Man, TOK and Merciless, the first part of the Hard Drive wasn't as good as the sequel and, again, I wasn't the biggest of fans of either. 

#27. Diwali [2002]

Can't let it go. My complete laziness and the thought that it would be pretty hard to write for some reason is the only thing that has kept me from declaring the Diwali Riddim album a modern classic. Longtime Reggae veteran, Stephen 'Lenky' Marsden and his 40/40 Productions imprint, turned out EASILY one of the greatest riddims of all time and a piece which would become an international hit when the Diwali reached. They also, at least in my opinion, turned up with the greatest Dancehall riddim album of the modern era and one of my own favourite Dancehall tracks EVER! The Diwali was just so much fun and with the wide variety of different mixes it carried of itself, it was absolutely perfect for an album form. Of course, the artists also played a major role in the attraction here and the track would go on to produce HEAVY winners from Bounty Killer, Wayne Wonder, Ce'Cile, Elephant Man, General Degree, Mega Banton, Buju Banton, Sean Paul, (those last two not on this album), Assassin, Tanya Stephens, TOK and others. Even Wayne Marshall pushed a tune on the Diwali that I enjoyed and he has BAD fans who're better fans of his than I am. Credit goes all around to a riddim which would carry so many songs and go SO far and not have a single bad one. Even the instrumentals of this thing were BIG! A decade later, it's still going and it's still the best Greensleeves Rhythm Album that there ever was! 

#28. Hard Drive Part 2 [2002]

Still hard. And to wrap up the Hard Drive. Its second disc was a better showing for me, although like I said, I still didn't enjoy it very much. Here, we got tunes from Bounty Killer, Beenie Man, Tanya Stephens, Sean Paul and friends as well as 'Buss Back Skettel' which was a combination featuring the aforementioned Tanya Stephens alongside Ce'Cile, which is, rather easily, my favourite song on this riddim.  

#29. Sledge [2002]

Run it. The Sledge Riddim from Hands & Heart was another kind of hard and flashy piece which didn't really produce tunes as good as the riddim itself, but in this instance, all wasn't lost because while it didn't THRILL, there were a few memorable and class tunes from lesser known lights. 'Tell Dem' from Briggy was a tune which I don't recall getting much play, but a nice song nonetheless and the same could well be said for Unicorn's well angry 'Trample' (biggup Mr. Slaughter). It was Spragga Benz taking top honours on the Sledge with his bonafide hit, 'Rasta Run The World' and Capleton also scored well. Ward 21, Bounty Killer and Determine also turned in decent efforts. 

 #30. Bollywood [2002]

Red. Red. Red. Red. When In The Streetz returned to the series, they brought with them the Bollywood Riddim which was, if I recall correctly, a take on some R&B/Hip-Hop track around the same time. These days, listening to the piece, it's clearly one more comfortable in that arena and although big names were plentiful voicing this one and it was pretty popular in its time, really the only track you're likely to remember is Beenie Man's 'Red Red' with Robyn which, in retrospect, was awful. 

#31. Belly Skin [2002]

....It was there. G String Productions (who may've had the greatest insignia in the history of Dancehall music) pushed the Belly Skin at #31 in the GRA series and… that's about all you need to know from this one actually. The riddim wasn't bad, it wasn't good, but it was decent, yet it failed to score with any type of lasting hit. Perhaps the biggest story was it was the female showing. Ce'Cile, Tanya Stephens, Nydean Levy (alongside Lexxus) and even Queen Ifrica were featured here and it was another woman, Lady G, who would've the Belly Skin its finest moment in her 'Nah Play Second'.  

#32. Threat [2002]

Dangerous. Despite its name, First Name's Threat Riddim was not another of these super high-powered tracks which would pull in mediocre tunes from big names (although it did definitely do that). Instead, while definitely powerful, it was kind of smooth and finessed its way to tastes. Today it sounds pretty excellent and although it didn't have that super hit, looking back, it had a small lot of just as fine tracks. Spragga Benz probably had the single finest track in 'The Ras' (MAD!), but also scoring were Assassin, Elephant Man and TOK with 'Where I'm From'.

#33. Mad Ants [2002]

New Millennium. The Mad Ants would not only help to introduce fans of this series to a name which would, largely, come to dominate it in its middle portions, but Dancehall fans in general would begin to take notice of the MONSTROUS talent that was Don Corleon with the track which, looking back, was damn strong and still retains much of its earliest lustre. Along with Corleon, also performing a big introduction (although in a different way) would be both Vybz Kartel and Wayne Marshall linked on their combination, 'New Millennium', which was a HEAVY early hit for both. Kartel would also drop another tune on the riddim, as would Marshall, alongside Bounty Killer and Fahrenheit. Elephant Man, Beenie Man, Mad Cobra and a MADDENING Regan would also shine on the Mad Ants. 

#34. Masterpiece [2002]

Nomen est omen. It was virtually impossible for the Masterpiece Riddim to fill the proverbial shoes of its incomparable elder sibling, the Diwali, but the Lenky vibed track would, instead, go a long way in making its own name and doing so on its own merits. The Masterpiece was craziness. Just as its cover would suggest, it was a completely colourful and original piece, just like the Diwali, would give of itself in multiple different compositions. Also much like the Diwali, it would ultimately become one of the finest installments this series would ever produce. Big tunes were, again, everywhere with artists like Bounty Killer, Sean Paul, Assassin, Spragga Benz, General Degree, Elephant Man, Beenie Man, TOK, Tanya Stephens and Wayne Wonder (not on the album) taking big honours. Curiously, the Masterpiece would mark Lenky's final contribution to the GRA series, as he would later take subsequent efforts, such as the Time Travel and Dreamweaver to VP Records' Riddim Driven series, despite the fact that Greensleeves was still his publisher.  

#35. Clappas [2003]

Sounds familiar. In terms of an actual composition, the Clappas, from the South Rakkas Crew was excellent. It was very catchy and authentic hardcore Dancehall (which wasn't rare at the moment, but I've, so unfortunately, gotten into the habit of… crediting things for being normal) (which is fucked up) and it did have its share of hits. It was, like many of the releases in this series, somewhat of a victim of such a high number of tunes on the album (they really should have decided to pick like the best fifteen tracks and do that for the release, in retrospect), but when it was good, it was very good. 'Under Mi Sensi' from Alozade, Hollow Point and Mr. Vegas probably remains its most well known moment, but Vegas (who would return two more times), Capleton (twice himself) (the second was horrible), Vybz Kartel and others would also score. Because of all of the clapping, the Clappas would draw big comparisons to the Diwali and justly so, but much like the Masterpiece, it would go on to do its own damage.  

#36. Knockout [2003]

The concussion. I always did really like the Knockout Riddim from Stone Cold and that isn't to say that it made for the best album, because it certainly did not. Still, just as a track and a track with a handful of nice performances on it, it was very well and because I'm completely biased to it in every possible way, it would probably take a top half position here were I to rank all of these. Although it didn't carry a significant hit, in retrospect, there were some very nice tunes on the Knockout courtesy of Bounty Killer, Buju Banton, Vybz Kartel, General Degree (big tune) and a very clever Garrison, whose 'Toppa Top' remains a career 'toppa' for the DJ in my opinion. 

#37. Krazy [2003]

All out. The Krazy Riddim is another which would rank fairly highly for me (higher than the Knockout as well) and it would also mark the return of Don Corleon AND it would, arguably, become a signature moment in this series. The riddim was fantastic and despite its name, like most of Don's stuff, it wasn't that kind of overpowering piece either, but what it was, was a damn difficult track to get out of one's mind. So much so was that the case that even listening back to it for the sake of this post, it's kind of hard to shake. It was certainly one of the best albums the GRA series would feature - with its biggest moment either being Ele's title track or, once again, a combination between Wayne Marshall and Vybz Kartel, 'Why You Doing It' ['because I can']. Buju Banton would also score, as would Sizzla, Assassin, up and comers Regan and Calico (separate tracks) and Ele, again, this time with Wayne Wonder on the very popular 'Crazy Feeling'. STILL, I almost always will go into this riddim singing one song in my head, the downright GENIUS 'Rhyme' from Ward 21. 

#38. C-4 [2003]

A science. Scatta's C-4 Riddim is another riddim which was perhaps mis-titled as it wasn't at all the exploding piece which you may think it would have been based on its title alone and basically none of the artists on it took in that way either. The track was a bit more 'clinical' and while it did very much have certain flares and such which made it stand out, somewhere in the middle of it all was this gorgeous Dancehall track, which was quite popular in its day. Sizzla's track, 'Righteousness' (also called 'What's Up') is still the most memorable for me, but Ele also touched the C-4 very well, as did Bascom X on a track which I almost did not remember and Turbulence. I do remember liking this actual album a bit more than I do now, so while it obviously wasn't the greatest, the C-4 was still a big track. 

#39. Bad Company [2003]

Hypnotic. Scatta wouldn't take very long at all to make his return to the series this time as the Bad Company became the super producer's second consecutive release in the series and he would top the C-4 and do it easily here. The Bad Company Riddim was very popular in its day and when you hear it, it isn't a complete mystery at all. First of all is the matter of it being SO DAMN INFECTIOUS and secondly it would produce one of the finer albums in the series which was the case by its carrying so many nice tunes. Beenie Man would score the most here with a pair of selections, both of which did damage (literally in one case) (certain things you just do anymore, thankfully), and he would joined at the head of the riddim by the likes of Assassin, Ce'Cile, Elephant Man whose 'Chiney Ting' is probably the biggest lasting hit here, Sizzla Kalonji, TOK, General Degree and even Merciless.  

#40. Egyptian [2003]

The Pharaoh. Although it was Blaxxx Records taking the official credit for the Egyptian Riddim, the actual work was constructed by Don Corleon which would definitely go a long way in explaining why it was… so nice - and it was. The album wasn't FANTASTIC, it wasn't even close to being that, but again, we saw more than a few decent tunes and some which were full on masterful. At the head was 'It's A Girl Thing' by Assassin, a tune which is pretty much forgotten nine years later, but was lyrically FLAWLESS. More well known were tunes from Vybz Kartel, Elephant Man and Bounty Killer across this riddim which hasn't lost any of its strength from its release so long ago. 

#41. 20 Cent [2003]

Uhmmm. Baby G's 20 Cent Riddim was never a favourite of mine. I always thought that it was somewhat lumbering and awkward, but that isn't to say that it wasn't popular (it certainly was) and that its album wasn't very good because despite the fact that I don't like this riddim very much, giving credit where it is due, the 20 Cent didn't make for a bad album. The only tune here which stands out to me these days is Mad Cobra's combination alongside Keke Flint, 'Lazy Gal', but there was also Kartel's lyrically dominant 'Bag A Gal' (VINTAGE Vibes Cartel!), 'Angillito' a combination featuring Beenie Man alongside world's angriest man, Silvercat, 'Breeda' from Bounty Killer and a few others. Not the type of thing I would (do) listen to often, but not horrible either. 

#42. Sign [2003]

Carefully. The Ward 21 helmed Sign Riddim for King Jammy was all kinds of craziness, but a very subtle type of insanity, which took a bit of time to appreciate in most cases. While I wouldn't necessarily call it one of their best, it was still a nice stop in the Ward's catalog and remains so to this day. Why? Check tunes from Vybz Kartel, Lady Saw, Madd Anju (whose 'Come Now' was hilarious), Elephant Man and Ward 21 who shined with a sequel to the aforementioned brilliant 'Rhyme'.  

#43. Jumbie [2003]

No fear. Just as far as the riddim itself (not saying anything of its tunes), the Jumbie Riddim is probably one of the most underrated tracks you'll read about here today. It was hypnotic and hard to shake out of your head and although you might not even recognize it by name, when you hear it, it'll stay with you! As for the songs on the Maximum Sound track, they weren't too bad at the time and some still carry strength today, particularly Capleton's statement-making 'Roughest King', 'M-16' from Ward 21, and songs from Beenie Man, Determine (MAD!), Madd Anju and Ce'Cile.  

#44. Good To Go [2003]

Goodness! EASILY Don Corleon's MAD Good To Go Riddim was one of the finest pieces this series ever got its hands on and it was also, seemingly, the type of release which would have interested VP Records, so it was a big score for Greensleeves at the time. It was also brilliant and it carried not only good songs, but certified hits as well. From Sizzla's 'It's Burning' to 'Why You Doing It 2' from Kartel and Wayne Marshall and Assassin's 'Pull Up', 'In My Room' by Wayne Wonder and even Predator, in his prime (…yeah) with 'Nah No Head, the G2G had many popular moments and even more in the way of just BIG tunes from General Degree, Bounty Killer, Elephant Man, Regan (with 'Bran' which was madness) and my own personal favourite, 'Chat Tuff' by the enigmatic Baby Cham who was rarely seen and heard doing music outside of the Madhouse at the time. BOOM!

#45. Coolie Dance [2003]

Do it. As I mentioned on the Discography: Riddim Driven piece (which was ridiculous), Scatta's Coolie Dance Riddim was one of the few riddims that was actually split between the two series and, fortunately for them, Greensleeves would  get the better of the two riddim albums. This is largely based on the fact that they secured the track's biggest hit, 'Give It To Me' by Ce'Cile, but this album would also have a nice song from Vybz Kartel, Sizzla, Bounty Killer, the Ward as well as Ele's hit 'Genie Dance'. The Coolie Dance could also be considered one of the signature moments of this series. While it may not have had as strong of an album as some of the others, it was extremely popular, the riddim was amazing and absolutely perfect for what GS was doing at the time. 

#46. Amharic [2003]

Royal. The Diwali. The Bellyas. The… That may actually be it - counting the riddims in the GRA series which I would consider to be stronger than Jam 2's HUGE Amharic Riddim and while I may've overrated the riddim's album because of how much I loved the track, its own power cannot be denied - this thing was gorgeous! Pinnacled by the lunacy which was 'Nah Climb' by Kartel and Ward 21, the somewhat dark and moody piece has gone now to be all but forgotten by most non hardcore fans of the former, but I'll always remember it surely: It was one of the best riddims I've ever heard.  

#47. Trifecta [2003]

Steamer. I almost forgot about the Trifecta. Much like its most immediate predecessor, the Good To Go, this riddim, also produced by Don Corleon, would rather easily and casually stroll up near the front of the pack of this series and, listening back to it now, it hasn't lost a damn thing in the nine years from its release - it's probably gained a little actually. The riddim itself was a crazy colourful mix of different vibes, which would mix several times for different artists and an excellent case could be made for it having resulted in the single greatest album of this entire series. Hits came from some of the biggest names as Elephant Man, Vybz Kartel, Sizzla Kalonji, Ward 21, Beenie Man and Lady Saw all turned in fine pieces as did Da'Ville and a few others. Big set.  

#48. Tunda Klap [2004] 

Took. Unless I'm forgetting something (and so is the program I'm writing this thing on) (currently checking in at 5980 words), the Tunda Klap would be the first drop on the GRA series from Renaissance and it would also be the debut of Busy Signal, who would link with singer Kenny for the nice 'Shake It Fast'. That wasn't the only big link here either as Bounty Killer (who would also have a nice solo tune in 'Nah Partial'), would jump in with Assassin for the unfortunately forgotten 'Dem Ting Deh'. Kartel would have the most well known tune in 'Tekk' and the Cobra would also do well as would a handful of others like Ce'Cile and Ele. It should also be said the Tunda Klap was remarkably simil… pretty much the same riddim as the Stepz, which would have an album in Riddim Driven, also from Renaissance. Not bad.

#49. French Vanilla [2004] 

Gone wild. While Liquid and H2O Productions would take ultimate credit for the French Vanilla, it was actually a construct of Don Corleon, if I recall correctly, which hopefully sets off a little signal in your head if you've been following along. While probably not as strong as some of the albums for his other entries in this series (it wasn't), the FV was golden. It combined the almost perfect amount of bite and edginess, which would produce big tunes of that same style, with a certain amount of a more bouncy 'accessibility'. Taking full advantage were the likes of Vybz Kartel, Assassin, Lady Saw, Sizzla and definitely Tanya Stephens who sunk her claws deep into the track and came up with the excellent 'Style Yuh Want', probably the second best tune on the French Vanilla after Kartel's Martian-ish 'Murderer'.  

#50. Marmalade [2004]

Juicy. Again, it would be Purple Skunk who would take the credit for the Marmalade riddim, but Don Corleon also had a hand in its creation, as did Lefside. I was never really impressed with this track because, although very creative and original, it was just a bit too… odd. Kartel shined the brightest with a pair of decently recalled tracks in 'Tattoo' and 'Cut Yuh Speed' (which was fantastic), and a couple of others did well like Tanya Stephens again, Ward 21 and even Determine, but this one was not one of my favourites or a standout in the series. Oh, I do think the Marmalade may've been the very first time that the Greensleeves would offer a clean version of the riddim on the album which was a subtle step forward in my opinion.  

#51. Red Alert [2004]

Caution! It would take fifteen spots, but eventually the South Rakkas Crew would make their way back to the series following the Clappas Riddim at #35 and when they did they would deliver the most INFECTIOUS Red Alert. That was certainly a quality of that label (which I'm pretty sure is still around actually, though not as active as they used to be) and it would hit new heights here. While pretty much the only two songs which are easily remembered on the Red Alert are 'Real Hot' and 'Hot Like We' from Capleton and Ce'Cile, respectively, it had a whole heap of other impressive moments from the likes of TOK (mad!), Kartel, Sizzla and Mad Cobra. This track, especially in the right pair of hands (like Ce'Cile's) was almost Soca-ish at times which, of course, is no problem for me.  

#52. Blackout [2004]

Real deal. Veteran Buccaneer and Black House (biggup Anderson Silva) would link up to deal with the pretty underrated Blackout Riddim which was, as a riddim, probably better than it received credit for being. The album, on the other hand, certainly was nowhere near being exceptional on the whole, but I do still have a nice ear for this track and I hope I never lose it. Again, like the Marmalade it brought a pair of songs from Kartel, one of which, 'Picture This', is probably the Blackout's most well remembered tune (for a variety of different reasons these days).  

#53.  Worried [2004]

Major worries. NEVER really been much of a fan of the Worried Riddim from In The Streetz. It wasn't terrible, but it was terribly awkward and damn difficult to suck any type of consistent melody from it. The result was a bag of very awkward songs (with others still WISHING they were "very awkward") and a set which I don't have very much nice to say about outside of a Beenie Man song, the clever 'Bun A Happy Man'.  

#54. Cool Fusion [2004] 

All is well. Who better to right the proverbial ship of the GRA series after the Worried Riddim than… Don Corleon who was back at his usual high level works with the Cool Fusion Riddim which, although its album wasn't the greatest, was a CRAZY track pinnacled by Vybz Kartel with 'Real Bad Man' - freely and fully aimed at Ninjaman. Kartel would also come back with a strong tune alongside Bling Dawg (uhmmmm), but the CF is probably best remembered for carrying 'All Is Well' from Sizzla Kalonji. Lady Saw also did pretty well with it, as did Ward 21 (who did better) and Capleton.  

#55. Blue Steel [2004]

Reinforced. The downright unforgiving Blue Steel was the return of Maximum Sound to the series and it well brought in more than a couple of big tunes. There was an ANGRY steel pan somewhere in the back of this one and it's probably one of the reasons why I've enjoyed it over the years. This one was definitely more geared towards the aggressive side of things, so it should be no surprise that taking top honours on this track was Bounty Killer with 'Badman Order'. Ward 21, Ce'Cile, Kartel and especially Kiprich would also do well on the Blue Steel.  

#56. Mad Guitar [2004]

More madness. The maestro, Don Corleon, was back at work on the masterful Mad Guitar Riddim and, again, I can definitely say that this track (not necessarily the album) has to be considered one of the signature moments of this series because it was just STERLING. Looking back now, the Mad Guitar wasn't all that dissimilar from pieces like the French Vanilla and Marmalade in terms of its vibes - very much on an edge and straight forward and completely brilliant. Kartel would actually score a pair of hits on this riddim, but he wouldn't be alone as also turning in big tunes were Buju Banton, Bounty Killer, Beenie Man alongside Ms. Thing, Tami Chynn, the Ward and Lefside & Esco.  

#57. Scoobay [2004]

Stress free. Mario C & co. at 357 Productions would step up and man #57, the outstanding Scoobay Riddim which, although it is remembered for one shot in particular, in my opinion remains largely underrated for what it was. "What it was" was a excellent piece of HEAVY Dancehall from the mid 2000's and listening back to it now, certainly because I haven't heard it in a minute, it hasn't lost a damn thing. Of course, the tune here grabbing the most attention was ‘Breast Specialist', a big and bad combination featuring Beenie Man alongside Vybz Kartel. The latter would return with a nice solo selection and he would be joined by artists such as Ele, Ce'Cile, Mad Cobra (in a thunderous form on 'Don't Watch Me'), Ward 21, Lady G, General Degree and even Bunji Garlin who came through with a big tune of his own, the sensational 'Put In The Thing' ["where the thing must go"].  

 #58. Summer Bounce [2004]

Bounce? It's not that I didn't like the Summer Bounce Riddim, but it was another piece which was just… really… really… strange. It had an almost frenetic vibes to it and while it did change occasionally throughout the tracks, there just exists this very unusual and constant pulsing which is hard to get past. Because of that, the instrumental (which was included here), may've been the most memorable piece and it would have been joined by a very select group of artists in this case. There was Ward 21 with the very clever 'All of A Sudden' and Ummmm…..

#59. Kasablanca [2004]

Badda. The Slam Crew may not be remembered by most fans too well (and myself somewhat included, because while I definitely remembered this track, had you asked me who produced it a couple of days ago, it would have took me awhile to actually remember correctly), but I personally am unlikely to forget the work they've done, at least on piece. The Kasablanca Riddim was PROBLEMS! In a list of NINETY different pieces, it still ranked as one of the most unique, which is saying a great deal and it wasn't "unique" in a bad way. It was excellent and all kinds of angry. Nearing a decade later two tracks really stick out, the downright murderous ‘Badda Dan Dem' and 'Killer For All Seasons', by Vybz Kartel and Bounty Killer, respectively. The former, if I recall correctly (and I almost surely do not) was the impetus for starting a brief, yet vicious back and forth between its creator and Spragga Benz who believed it to be a counteraction to 'Bad From', the sterling hit of his wicked disciple's, Assassin (which Kartel denied). It was also maddening and a fine and now unfortunately frustrating example of what a properly motivated and downright destructive vintage Kartel was capable of.

#60. Spanish Fly [2004]

Back up. The Spanish Fly from Dem Yute Deh (that was the name of the label) is just another set where the riddim was better than the vocals and, really, I don't know if I'd say such a thing in the unconditional sense here because it did definitely have good tunes. None were better than 'Dem Dead' by Bounty Killer, but Ce'Cile, Kid Kurrupt and General Degree all turned in credible efforts. The riddim, however, just taken on its own merits as a track, was pretty special and it's gone largely forgotten these days, which is to be expected, but it definitely retains just a bit of lustre when stuck into the series, at least for me.  

#61. Tighty Tighty [2004]

DAMN! The Tighty Tighty Riddim wasn't and isn't as well regarded as some of (and most of) the other riddims from this series and from the older catalog of Don Corleon, who produced it, and that's fine, but it, alone, was something really special and it's only gotten better with time as you listen to it and hear so many wonderful small intricacies which helped make it the monster that it was. On vocals were a nice group, of course, with Vybz Kartel (twice), Sizzla Kalonji,Ward 21, Wayne Wonder and even Tami Chynn leading the way. It should also be mentioned that, to no fault of the riddim or its creator, the Tighty Tighty would also contain a tune which ranks as one of the absolute worse in this entire series.  

#62. Middle East [2004]

Black out. Blaxxx' Middle East track has never been a favourite of mine at all. Back then it was pretty strange  to my ears and the subsequent years certainly haven't given it any amount of clarity. It was just too much going on and while the primary gimmick and effect for the track, which, presumably, is where from it got its name, isn't bad at all, I didn't like much else. The only tune here which struck me was 'Target' from an extremely accurate Bounty Killer - but you can have the rest of them.  

#63. Chicatita [2004]

Muy bueno. John John was back on board the GRA series with his excellent Chicatita Riddim, one which probably took me a few years actually be able to fully appreciate and while these days I'm not saying that it was the greatest thing I ever heard, it wasn't, it was definitely a big riddim and one which has gone largely underrated in my opinion. Assassin and the Ward absolutely shredded his riddim, however, with 'Man Clown' and 'Wanna Be', respectively, while Kartel, Bounty Killer and Wayne Wonder did the best they could with the ruins. 

 #64. Klymaxx [2004]

The boxx! Shane Brown and co. at Juke Boxx Productions made their entry into this series with a very nice riddim in the Klymaxx which while it didn't have the longest of 'lives', did make a very nice impression by being the type of riddim which promotes skill. I always like riddims like such which are somewhat difficult to ride, but not entirely impossible, because they sound like they really challenge an artist. Up to the task here the greatest were Capleton, Kartel, Ward 21 and, somewhat surprisingly, Chico whose effort on the Klymaxx, 'Long Time Badman', remains one of the best tunes the singer ever did, in my opinion. 

#65. Slow Bounce [2004]

Be like water. Although H20 would get he prevailing credit, the Slow Bounce Riddim, which was INSANE, beared the masterful marks of Don Corleon who had a role here as well. It's so nice looking back at things like this and in this way, because doing so you can really see how the strongest material really sets itself apart and I've already been someone who has gone on to say that Corleon, EASILY, is one of the best producers all of Reggae music has ever seen and the Dancehall in particular which is on full display throughout this series. For its part, the Slow Bounce was another piece of intense sublimity which reached its full potential in the hands of Bounty Killer (twice), Beenie Man, Ward 21 and others.

#66. Bomb A Drop [2004]

BAD! 357's Bomb A Drop was a sizable hit in its time and while it was kind of a gimmicky riddim, with this intentionally almost overly-hype pulsing sound, it was a very good composition which did a major damage. Along with backing the controversial 'No Apology' by Kartel, the BAD Riddim would also carry memorable efforts from Beenie Man, Mad Cobra, Madd Anju, TOK, Mega Banton and, something I forgot, an early winner from Aidonia alongside Martina - 'On The Beach'. 

#67. Jonkanoo [2005]

COLOURS! Once again… Don Corleon was back in the lab working his magic when he pushed up with the expectedly impressive Jonkanoo which proved to be just as popular as it was strong amongst the masses and it would go on to produce bonafide hits Voicemail (alone and with Ding Dong), Sean Paul, Vybz Kartel (twice), Beenie Man (him too) and others. It wasn't amongst my personal favourites from Don, but you can't really do much besides give credit for the work, particularly when something which doesn't rank as one of the maestro's finest, still was, at least, "impressive" and "strong". 

#68. Fowl Fight [2005]

Lights. Camera. Action! The Fowl Fight Riddim has always sounded SO important to my ears. It sounds like the type of track you'd hear playing as a backdrop during the most active of action scenes in a movie or something like that and that's all before you even apply a single vocal. Chosen by Maximum Sound to handle those vocals duties was Vybz Kartel who… was at his fiery and completely x-rated best on the riddim's title track. Also turning in fine performances were Bounty Killer, Psycho (with the hilarious 'Me Man, You Woman'), Ward 21 and label favourite, Anthony B.  

#69. Sunblock [2005]

Burning. I do most certainly recall the Sunblock Riddim, produced by Birch for Yellow Moon, being a BIG riddim, but I didn't remember it making for a strong album and while there were clearly some soft spots around (which I did remember), it was fairly consistent and drew some equally dependable performances from quite a few vocalists. Like who? Ce'Cile with the sleek 'All Night', Alaine, Busy Signal at his inventive finest on 'Duh Ya' and, of course, Vybz Kartel, speaking about the most magical place in all the lands on 'Pum Pum Heaven'.  

#70. Grimey [2005]

Wash it. There were twenty songs on GS' edition of the Grimey Riddim by Dem Yute Deh and I liked all of three of them, unconditionally and one of those was the riddim alone. The other two came via Bounty Killer and Capleton and that was it! It was a nice riddim and pretty complex and melodic, but it didn't produce much in the way of real winners, at least for me.  

 #71. Slingshot [2005]

To the head. Personally, while the Slingshot was… some mess, I always did like it. It was kind of an agitated creation and it served itself up in a few different styles which would make for a nice album and nice singles as well although I can't recall now anything here being a huge hit, the Blaxxx produced piece would fuel on nice songs from Kartel (twice), Ce'Cile, Beenie Man, Mavado and the Dutty Cup Crew which was all out with Looga Man, Kurupt, Mossy Kid and, of course, Sean Paul all making appearances. 

#72. Bounce [2005]

Still bouncing. After the Summer Bounce and the Slow Bounce… we're bouncing again with… the bounce, which marked the return of In The Streetz to the series. The riddim was another case of a nice composition with average songs on from a lot of names that I'm tired of typing. But also here were at least decent tunes from the rarely mentioned Buju Banton and the even rarer Turbulence.

#73. World Jam [2005]

The hot stepper. For so many different reasons the World Jam would become one of the most signature of moments in the whole of the Greensleeves Rhythm Album series (spelled it out that time). First of all, the Maximum Sound produced track was, obviously, a remake of an older track, which had already experienced a massive rebirth in the form of backing Damian Marley's global shock, 'Welcome To Jamrock', which either makes this riddim THE or the second most well known (with respect to the Diwali) out of all ninety (and I'm almost done!) pieces here. Secondly, it was a Roots riddim and I think it was just the second of its kind here and it was also one of the strongest the series had ever been. It was also just a great idea to turn the track over to the modern greats outside of Jr. Gong, to see what the likes of Vybz Kartel, Luciano, Ward 21, Beenie Man, Bounty Killer, General Degree and Anthony B, who mined gold with 'World A Reggae Music', could do with it. Almost on the whole, they did very well. Also included a great instrumental.  

#74. Madda Dan [2005]

Gone! While D-Ice's Madda Dan Riddim didn't quite live up to its name (unfortunately, there was a whisper of sanity here, in this mix of old school Dancehall with post-modern madness), it was a very strong riddim, but one which didn't make for the greatest when it came to putting the vocals in. Spragga Benz handled it well as did Bounty Killer, Cobra and Kartel, but that was it for the most part on an actual album where the instrumental may not have been the best tune, but it wasn't far from it at all.  

#75. Siren [2005]

Blaring. You're sure to remember Roach's Siren Riddim continuously for having backed 'Emergency' the big hit from, Vybz Kartel… and that's about it. I didn't hate this riddim at all, I just kind of thought it was a bit overrated and I tired of it quickly as it wasn't the same with almost anyone outside of Bounty Killer and maybe Anthony B.  

#76. Ice Cube [2005]

Chilly. The Ice Cube Riddim from Mista Wilks was an almost too fast, fast riddim which made for difficult 'traveling' by the vast majority of the artists. Adjusting to the drop in temperature the greatest were General Degree and Alaine, with Kiprich not very far behind. I never really liked this one and the years since haven't given me a new feeling toward it, but it wasn't horrible at all - just maybe a little too fast.  

#77. Justice [2005]

Armed! Like the Ice Cube before it, the Justice was a really fast and hi-tech composition, but unlike its predecessor, it had the fortune of being vibed by Don Corleon, which is just a great starting line and, as far as this series, is the greatest (might be the greatest in any other series also). The Justice was a winner on the lips of several, with Vybz Kartel, Capleton, Beenie Man, Spice and Alaine taking top honours. As this series winded down, this would become one of my favourites for the final batches and it has aged quite well - but like I said - DON CORLEON. 

#78. Jump Off [2005]

Realest. I'd kind of gotten in the habit of referring to In Time Music's Jump Off Riddim as the 'Realest Riddim' because of it is biggest tune from… someone whose name I'm just tired of typing at this point (just two more to go before the next break!) (wait, actually three because I skipped one. Damn!) and I could probably continue to do so because there wasn't much more here besides that song. The Jump Off, however, did include a trio of other Dancehall winners from Bounty Killer, Aidonia and Shane-O.

#79. The Return of Mudd Up [2006]

Still dirty. Just as it was the first time around (sans the extra 'd'), the sequel of the Mud Up Riddim from In The Streetz was an excellent and damn hypnotic track (which makes sense because it was basically the same thing). It also came at a time when it was very much a trend in Dancehall particularly to go back and remold older tracks for new artists and it was probably one of the examples I'd most point to as that tendency being used well. That isn't to say that it was amazing, it wasn't, but it was rather useful. Although someone else (who will remain unnamed) had the single best song on the track to my ears, it was Buju Banton taking the spotlight with a pair of tunes one of which, 'Good Good A Pressure Dem' was a nice hit for the artist. Most of the usual suspects all scored well as did an unusual one (and someone I'm happy to be mentioning for the first time in this post, Ninja Kid.

#80. Sweat [2006]

A workout. You've looked at the cover of this one and you know what's going on with it. THAT GUY produced it which means that it was a great riddim. The Sweat was fantastic. Genuine hits came from all around with Beenie Man, Capleton, Busy Signal, Macka Diamond, Alaine and Munga Honourable all registering popular tunes on a riddim which is still as mad in 2012 as it was a very short six years ago. BOOM! 

#81. Red Bull & Guinness [2006]

The prince. The previous riddim, the Sweat, was actually the final coming from its creator, Don Corleon in this series, he didn't have a single one within its final ten. Had it continued his 'replacement' almost surely would have been someone who would have shared starring duties with Corleon had he been born a few years earlier and he did show up well just before it wrapped up. Of course I'm referring to Stephen McGregor who would make his GRA series debut with one of the most popular riddims the series would ever produce, the Red Bull & Guinness, which would also subsequently become an edition of Riddim Driven as well. The very raw track would, historically, match up better with Greensleeves and it was no surprise that they got the better version of the two, with a whopping twenty-two tracks, featuring just about everyone, as well as a mix CD. Obviously Greensleeves thought they had something big on their hands. They were right. 

#82. Galore [2006]

More! Although you're likely to find both of their names listed throughout this series in some capacity former scalding hot production/recording duo, Lefside & Esco made their first and only drop in this series with the searing Galore Riddim, which was just HARD. It was the type of kind of grimy track which encouraged a step-up and several vocalists did just that. Kartel's 'Bad Man Party 2' was a fine example of that as was 'Chicken Head' by Aidonia and songs from Buju Banton, Shane-O and others. But taking the top rank here was Dr. Evil with the unapproachable and hilarious 'More Punanny'. 

#83. Petty Thief [2006]

Debut. Just like the previous two entrants here, the Petty Thief Riddim would also mark the series debut of a very substantial entity in production as this time around Serani and co. at Daseca would make their introduction via a remake of their own. The original track here was a Dave Kelly creation for Penthouse known as the Man Fi Dead (which would also be the title of its biggest tune) and about a decade and a half on, Daseca brought it back and it was just as strong as ever. Buju Banton who scored the aforementioned biggest tune would also be here with the wicked 'Talk To Me' and he would be joined by Perfect Giddimani, Teflon (both of them, I think, for the first time in the series) and then the more regular faces jumped in. Also scoring heavily, and somewhat under the proverbial radar, was General Degree with the genius 'We No Afraid Of Dem', but it was all below Busy Signal who dominated in spite of those big tunes with what remains one of his mightiest releases to date, '2 Much Gun', which was a fireball, before the 'Fireball'. 

 #84. Twice Again [2006]

A beauty! Again? I couldn't find one - apparently the Twice Again Riddim would be the OFFICIAL first offering from legendary duo Steely & Clevie to the GRA series and… again, it would be a remake (I told you it was a trend at the time), but in this instance, it was a remake of their own original work as they had a hand in the original riddim, the Twice My Age (best known for backing a song of the same name by Shabba & Krystal), which was done by Gussie Clarke. This track was big, but the album was nowhere as healthy with only a few nice tunes sprinkled in. One of them, 'Woman Deh Pon Mi Mind' would find Baby Cham in an outstanding form and he would only place second to Buju Banton whose 'Beauty Queen' is still one of my favourites from his entire catalog. 

#85. Inspector [2006]

Haffi get. Maybe it is saying something rather telling - the variety of producers who would make their first (and sometimes only) official contribution to this series in its late stages - and we have another here in DJ Karim and Stainless Records, with the Inspector Riddim. This shit was DARK and POUNDING. It sounded like something you'd find from Ward 21 (on this riddim, 'We Nuh Play #2') a few years earlier and it was precisely on that level as well. Kartel would do well with the Inspector, so would Bounty Killer, so would Mavado, Busy Signal and even Supahype with his response to Baby Cham's hit, 'Ghetto Story' - 'Uptown Story'. Even more the Inspector would feature nice songs from people like Kid Kurrupt, Tornado, Munga Honourable & Jah Malo, but it would be Sizzla Kalonji starring here with the stirring 'Haffi Get It'. Just as far as a riddim, alone, it was probably one of the best out of the ninety.  

#86. Ghetto Whiskey [2006]

Overkill. Twenty-six different vocals and an instrumental (and a mix) is what you got from by far the most loaded edition of the GRA series, the Ghetto Whiskey, which ends our streak of debuts as it would mark the return of Stephen McGregor and, in very Red Bull & Guinness-like fashion, he pretty much recorded everyone! What was interesting here and still is the case, however, was that I never got around to getting tired of the Ghetto Whiskey and while I'm not completely left in awe of it (which I guess makes it even more rare) and probably wouldn't have much difficulty in picking fifteen or so riddims from this list that I prefer over it - it still made for one crazy entertaining album. So many standouts abounded, but I favour 'War Monga' by Aidonia, which was full on BRUTAL!

#87. Air Waves [2008]

The sound. Firelinks' Air Waves Riddim was next at #87 (I'm basically getting excited because I can now see the finish line in the same screen as what I'm currently doing) and not only was it good, but it was a very good followup to the monster which came jut before it, the Ghetto Whiskey. This track, which was constructed by Daseca, was really intense, but it also had a kind of an old-school aura about it, which made it, essentially, a glove for someone like Buju Banton, who shined with his tune, 'Promotion'. Also sparkling were Assassin, Beenie Man, Busy Signal, Bounty Killer, Ele and others, but once again the single best song came from Aidonia, with 'Di Sound'.  

#88. Warning [2008]

Subtle. To my ears and you could say only to my ears, there was just something special about the Warning Riddim, which didn't translate totally to an album or to any  type of lasting consistency, but the Juke Boxx vibed piece just had something about it which made me like, so much, the actual track itself. Busy Signal would be here with two tunes, one of which, 'Loaded', was very strong. Bounty Killer would also come through as would Mavado with the hit 'Money Changer'. The biggest song on the Warning, 'Sort Dem Out', would come from its co-creator, Demarco.

#89. Silent River [2009]

Running deep. The Silent River, the series second consecutive offering from Shane Brown & Juke Boxx was STUNNING! It was a big fucking shame that the actual CD never included the instrumental - this thing was just so, so nice. It kind of had this… 'quiet seriousness' to it - like a mysterious type of sound, which, somewhat surprisingly, leant itself to an insane variety of songs which could actually be, and were, successful and of good ilk. The same names were all around, with Assassin probably having the single best song in 'Inna Mi Room', but the Silent River also contained a tune called 'Almighty Bless', from someone who was seemingly born to voice such a track, Bugle.

#90. Set Mi Free [2010]

El fin! The final installment of the Greensleeves Rhythm Album series would come from Heart Of Love Productions, but was actually built by… Stephen McGregor. It was a decent composition, although I do find myself hearing something nearly special in it from time to  time (ESPECIALLY when listening to 'Gyal Waah Wi' by Ele). The biggest songs came from the usual sources, with a nice changeup, 'Walk & Live' from Suku from the Ward, also being present.