Discography: Riddim Driven

Do you remember Riddim Driven??? It wasn't that long ago when it existed, easily, as  one of the most popular invented phrases in the lexicon of modern Reggae music and, more importantly, it existed as truly one of the pillaring creations in it as well. Although these days it is a further distancing memory and one which doesn't seem to be reenergized any time soon (ever), when it was at its best, Riddim Driven was one of the, if not THE single most popular Reggae/Dancehall series ever. Today we take a looooooooooong look back at arguably the most popular corner of VP Records' colossal catalog. Discography: Riddim Driven. 

Riddim Driven

Chiney Gal & Blazing [2000]

Going through changez. Besides going on to have an absolutely glowing career the … glowing Ce'Cile can also look back and add to her exceedingly long list of credits - the fact that she produced half of the very first Riddim Driven album which combined the Chiney Gal Riddim with the Blazing. The former, definitely the more popular of the two was constructed by Ce'Cile and former partner (remember CeCo?) Cordell 'Scatta' Burrell from the Kings Of Kings imprint at the time. It would feature a slew a big tunes, pinnacling with Ce'Cile's own very first big hit, 'Changez', but big tunes from Ele, Sizzla Kalonji and the likes also prevailed. For its part, the Blazing was outstanding. A creation of longtime veteran everything in Reggae, Norman 'Bulpus' Bryan, the ultra hype set would also feature a strong pair of tunes from Sizzla and Ele, Capleton who had two tracks (one with Moses I) and ever impressive Jah Mason as well. 

Speed & Full Moon [2001]

And beyond. Elephant Man was the undeniable star of the Speed & Full Moon riddims combination album wayyyyyyy back in the series as he shone across a trio of tracks on the record (and had at least one more to his credit which didn't make it). The Speed Riddim came via Q-45 Productions and while it wasn't the better of the two, it was entirely interesting and colourful and featured big-time pieces from Ele, Capleton and a developing Assassin. Still, arguably its best tune, Ele's wholly ridiculous, yet brilliant, 'Caan Trick Me' was curiously absent. The well reliable First Name Productions lent the Full Moon (which actually comes first on the album despite the title) and it was slightly the better of the two - featuring stellar and nearly stellar selections from Sean Paul, Beenie Man, Bounty Killer and Sasco once again.

Thunder & Bedroom [2001]

Not 2 hard. Surely "Bedroom Thunder" sounds better as a title. Call it what you like but the Thunder & Bedroom riddims linked up for the third edition of the Riddim Driven series and while neither have proven to provide any real lasting hit, both were well solid. The Jeremy Harding helmed Thunder Riddim was a beautiful thing. It was kind of smooth, but it also had a well identifiable BITE to it as well. It was best exhibited on tunes by Bounty Killer, Assassin and combinations featuring Sean Paul & Mr. Easy as well as Ce'Cile alongside Merciless. The In Time Music produced Bedroom Riddim, on the other hand, is pretty basic vintage Dancehall from the late 1990's/early 2000's. Here, unsurprisingly, Capleton runs things with his nearly huge 'How Dem So Hype', but pieces from Bounty Killer, Madd Anju and Frisco Kid were also worth several listens.

Trilogy [2001]

The prequel. The Trilogy Riddim is probably the single best remembered of all of the releases in the RD series from this era and when you spin through it, even now, it shouldn't come to any surprise at all. It was HUGE! This track came in very much the same type of vibes which would produce its elder 'siblings' the Volume and now legendary Bellyas riddims, respectively. Shining on this HEAVY set were Bounty Killer alongside Wayne Marshall, Mad Cobra, Spragga Benz & Red Square (big tune in 'Gi Wi Dem), General Degree as well riddim maestros themselves, Ward 21 - and they'd be back.

Extasy [2001]

Great cover! Richard 'Shams' Brown would make his initial appearance in the RD roster with the barely remembered Extasy Riddim. This one really only sticks in my mind for two tracks, one of which 'On The Radio' came from TOK and IS the riddim's lasting biggest impression. And Beenie Man's relatively successful 'One Girl' is STUNNING. Really listen to that tune and take it in its time - it's a brilliant track in some aspects. That was pretty much all of here. Efforts from Delly Ranx, Mr. Vegas and Frisco Kid weren't horrible, but also weren't standouts.

"Tun It Up" [2001]

Heavy. As they always do, the fine people from Heavybeat Records would tune up a nice set for the lovers when they rolled out "Tun It Up" for the series, which was actually an album featuring two different riddims which were both remakes. It wasn't a favourite of mine at the time (I would have been 19-20) (damn, I'm old!), but going back and listening now, it's pretty 'standard' high-level work from a label who really has never done anything else. Along with members of the Lindo family, also doing excellent works here were Glen Washington, Jimmy Riley, Freddie McGregor and Tinga Stewart. Pretty much everyone you need for a classic.

Juice [2001]

Drink up. Shams made his quick return with the next installment of Riddim Driven, the downright MAGNIFICENT Juice Riddim which became a favourite of mine and really has stayed with me over the years, if I recall correctly and gave me a fresh thought of this new series. Despite its name (and its cover), the Juice Riddim was absolutely unrelenting in its most natural form, but a real quality here was the fact that it changed itself just a little from time to time which definitely gave its tracks some real uniqueness. Not that they needed much help as the riddim was dominated by bonafide masters such as Beenie Man (doing an R. Kelly remake), Bounty Killer w/TOK and Mad Cobra took top honours but big songs came from all around with Frisco Kid, TOK sans Bounty, Kiprich, Mr. Vegas and even Goofy and Desperado shining.

Pressure Cooker [2001]

Bust pipes. The Pressure Cooker Riddim from Big Jeans is another riddim which, although it didn't have anything in the way of long lasting tracks, it was gorgeous and, in full form, did manage to string together a few nice pieces. Its riddim album would see the return of Sizzla Kalonji to the series with the better than solid 'Straight Forward' and the legendary chanter was joined by more royalty in the form of Capleton, Lady Saw, Ele and Beenie Man. Not all of them shone on the Pressure Cooker, but this may be one of the more underrated pieces you're going to read about in this completely ridiculous post for today. 

Slow Down The Pace [2001]

Her arms. The "Slow Down The Pace" Riddim Driven album was another which put together a couple of riddims under one package and a single heading, but in this case, they just took things a far greater level. What you had here were two classics rebirthed: Gregory Isaacs' Tune In Riddim and Breaking Up Riddim. Now in the hands of Calibud and the aforementioned Bulpus, they were both giving a modern run (which wouldn't be the first or last in the cases of either, respectively). Isaacs' classic title track obviously grabs the most attention, but it definitely wasn't alone as Buju Banton gave us 'Mr. Nine' which many would call a classic of a different variety these days and, personally, Bushman delivers one of the greatest love songs that I've ever heard in 'Arms of A Woman'. Capleton & Junior Kelly did heavy works on the Breaking Up, yet I always go back to a BOOM moment as the dominant 'Keep Your Joy' from Jah Mason also struck on this track.

Rice & Peas [2001]

Problems. Jah Snowcone's Riddim Driven debut has always been something of a dilemma for me and it's easy to comprehend why. The Rice & Peas Riddim was FLAMES! It was a crazy heavy riddim which produced sizable hits and was just generally very popular… but most of its tunes just… weren't… any good. It would produce a largely average album (two of them actually because it got another run via Greensleeves) or even worse. Despite checking in at a very Greensleeves-like TWENTY tracks long, only about three or four of them were really good in my opinion, but I could listen to this track all day and it isn't rare that it will STILL pop up on my workout tracklist for a day.

Candle Wax [2001]

Not melted. The well respected Bulby & Fatta were up next to show what they could do with the series and what they did was to turn in one of the most FUN and memorable stops in its earliest of eras. I almost always forget about this one when thinking of the series, but you could well make the case that it's actually one of the best RD's altogether with even some of the lest likely of stars coming through in major ways on the very 'comfortable' Candle Wax Riddim. Who you would expect to star also did well like Bounty Killer, Buju Banton, Sizzla Kalonji, Anthony B and others, but big tunes were in abundance here.

Trilogy Part 2 & Old Sore [2001]

The sequel. Because you couldn't get enough of it the first time around (and you couldn't), Ward 21 and VP Records brought back the MASSIVE Trilogy Riddim (actually it was just tunes which didn't make the first album) and to round thing out they threw in another track from the Ward, which featured on this album's second half, the very curious Old Sore Riddim. It was very strange. It was almost overly-minimal (which is ridiculous, I know, how can you be overly barely there?). It was even almost funny at times, but it was beautiful and while I don't look at any of its tracks these days and remember them too favourably, the riddim itself was golden. Bounty Killer, once again, lead an impressive group to full up the Trilogy with Merciless and Elephant Man & Ward 21 in a combination also doing big things.

Scare Crow [2001]

Biggup Paille. The next installment of Riddim Driven would follow very closely to its predecessor as far as being the product of another descendant of the King (literally this time) as the Scare Crow Riddim came via Baby G. This riddim, in retrospect, was very, very basic, but that wasn't a limitation to it at all really. It did pretty well as far as popularity and listening to it back these days, there're probably better songs here than I remember. A young Vybz Kartel (actually spelled correctly on the album back) rode this riddim as did a whole heap of talented wordsmiths with Spragga Benz, Ward 21, Bounty Killer and a usually warrish Merciless leading the pack. 

Giddeon War [2001]

Not quite. Buju Banton produced the Giddeon War Riddim which probably wasn't as good as many people thought it was at the time, in terms of being an album. Very much like a riddim which I… can only dream about reaching these days (I still have well over 100 of these to write) (hopefully I remember I wrote that so I can reach back here and draw the conclusion when I reach there), I don't think this riddim quite lived up to expectations as an album based on the quality of the riddim itself. Certainly there were nice times and Buju, himself, arguably provided the nicest of them all on one of the three times he spun his own track, 'Revolution Time' which also featured Luciano, but Lutan Fyah did well with basically what was the title track, Chrisinti was very strong also and anytime you can mix in Sweet C - I'm happy. But there wasn't much else here to my opinion.

Liquid [2001]

Log on. I've probably been overrating the riddim album behind the unforgettable Liquid Riddim from Jeremy Harding and co. at 2 Hard Records forever. The ALBUM isn't that strong and it's far too long. But it had a SPECIAL moment to my ears in the form of 'Can U Do The Work' from Sean Paul & Ce'Cile. It is FAR better recalled, however, as being the intoxication which backed Ele's controversial hit, 'Log On' (which I think they later removed from the album). Besides that, it was largely nondescript with exceptions coming from the always dependable Wayne Wonder and General Degree, as well as TOK. 

Nine Night [2001]

Walking. Steely & Clevie's Nine Night Riddim is, essentially, gone these days and it's probably for the best, but I'll always remember this riddim for just a handful of tracks. Of these are Wickerman's unforgettable 'Girls Gungo Walk', 'Old Crook' from Goofy (then Mr. G already) and Ele's 'Wining Queen' which wasn't very good, but is pretty hard to not remember as soon as you hear this track for the first time in quite awhile.

"Mr. Brown Meets Number One" [2001]

Mr. Isaacs. "Mr. Brown Meets Number One" was another edition of RD which featured a pair of riddims (DUH!) and this time, like the last one, the legendary Gregory Isaacs was wholly involved as both tracks here, the Mr. Brown and Number One riddims, respectively, were his. Redone by Donovan Germain of Penthouse Records, the two were wonderfully linked together on this record which I recent REALLY got back into. STRONG efforts come from Bushman, Buju, Beres Hammond, Tony Rebel and others to start off while Da'Ville leads a later cast on the second track in a mighty way. 

Engine 54 & Humanity [2001]

Ignition. Joe Fraser Records was at work for the first time in Riddim Driven in delivering a double dosage of do-overs, the Engine 54 and Humanity Riddims. Both of these are remade older tracks which are then turned over to Joe Fraser's  well reputable vocalists who, at least most of whom, turned in stellar selections. While I wouldn't go so far as to call  this one 'mandatory', as we get further and further away from its material, I well believe that, at least for more seasoned listeners, it ranks as one of the best early releases in the series. Freddie McGregor shined the brightest here (as he does just about everywhere), but by no means is he alone and excellent output comes from Glen Washington, Fiona, Lloyd Brown and Sanchez. 

Buy Out [2001]

'Like Glue' by Sean Paul

It's sticking. The brilliant Tony 'CD' Kelly mined gold, as he usually does, when he unleashed the Buy Out Riddim on the masses which VP was quick to wrap up for this collection. This was the riddim which carried 'Like Glue', the MASSIVE international hit from Sean Paul, which will forever be its face, but you'll also remember nice hits from Mr. Easy (sans Kevin Lyttle), Beenie Man, Notch and TOK. The Buy Out Riddim, as tired of it as you probably were at the time, was just one of the most exciting creations of its day and as you look back now - a thunderous success.

Glue [2002]

Stickier. Shams once again returned to RD and this time he brought another excellent composition in the Glue Riddim, but while it had its moments, in full, the album wasn't very good at all. The Glue Riddim is best known for having tracked 'Murder' from TOK, and justly so, but the distance in quality between that song, just a couple of others from Sean Paul, Degree and maybe Ce'Cile and EVERYTHING else on the riddim is downright cavernous.

Just Friends [2002]

Remember me? The Just Friends Riddim was another remake of an older creation, which I believe originated at Studio One - this one by Winston Riley. The most immediately striking quality here (besides the fact that the riddim is truly divine), is that it contained a rather significant hit in its title track by Swade featuring veteran Tony Rebel. Along with that, it also backed nice pieces from George Nooks, Glen Washington ('Satisfaction Guaranteed', a tune I haven't heard in two forevers and just made me SMILE this morning) and, perhaps nicest, 'Bongo Loving', from the venerable Bongo Herman who lets loose with his specialty.  

The Flip [2002]

The quarry. I didn't AT ALL remember The Flip Riddim by name, or by cover… I didn't even really remember some of the songs either and it wasn't until about halfway through when things started to line up a bit better for me. The Flip, produced by Flabba from Mo Music (who we'll deal with a few times today), should be best known for playing support to 'Concrete', an EXCELLENT piece from Sean Paul at the time. Really no other songs here stick out as far, but solids from Sizzla Kalonji, Ward 21 (with probably the second most identifiable track here, the wicked 'Style') and Elephant Man round things out decently on yet another piece whose riddim is better than its actual songs. 

Bondage [2002]

Break free. The Bondage was the In The Streetz orchestrated reincarnation of the old I Shall Be Released Riddim and it well took an already certified classic and made it a modern classic in my eyes with the work it did in its newest form. I look back at this one now, knowing what would unfold and it's a pretty crucial step in RD's early history I think. This is one of the signature riddims which would highlight albums from a few years later when In The Streetz would virtually explode in releasing pieces from several big names and scoring hits all along the journey. Obviously this one pinnacled with 'Long Live The Kings of Kings' from Sizzla, but Capleton, Luciano, Anthony B, George Nooks and even Merciless did big things on the Bondage Riddim. Well done.

X5 [2002]

Baddest. The X5, like the Glue, the Buy Out and several others before it, offered a very basic and very PURE level of auditory excitement. That is my fancy and vocabularically (not a word) gifted way of saying that it was FUN! Veteran DJ, Galaxy P, produces a set which may not have made such a great amount of damage, as far as birthing hits, but what it did, at least in my opinion, was provide a powerful kick in the ass to everyone who voiced it. Those were people such as Lady Saw, who scored with the most recognizable track here and its biggest hit, 'Baddest Gal'. Bounty Killer took aim at a then rival with 'Just Dead' [CHAM] while Capleton, Roundhead, Sizzla Kalonji, Frisco Kid and Ward 21 all sent in strong appearances as well.

Renegade [2002]

Perfect casting. Capleton lead a strong pack who produced a giant bag of mixed results (CONSISTENTLY) across the Renegade Riddim from Bulby & Fatta. His tune, 'How It A Go' easily reigned supreme here and was the biggest hit, but when you just take a look at everyone who was present here, this has to go down as one of the most LOADED Riddim Driven releases maybe ever. Along with Capleton, Elephant Man, Spragga Benz, Sizzla Kalonji, Anthony B, Lady Saw, Junior Kelly, Mr. Lex, Frisco Kid, Chaka Demus, Kiprich, Mr. Vegas, Lukie D and even a few more all took turns with the Renegade. As I said, the results weren't entirely great, but it had everything it needed.

Hi Fever [2002]

Unmedicated. Just in terms of the riddim, not AT ALL, the actual album, the Hi Fever riddim EASILY is one of the best ten or fifteen compositions that Riddim Driven featured in its lifespan. The songs on it? They weren't awful either (well maybe one or two were). Supadoo, who produces, definitely armed it with enough talent to succeed. To my opinion, Sizzla has always had the best song on this riddim with 'Stay Longer', but you also had top notch pieces from Anthony B, whose 'Big World Cup' is damn clever, a usually angry Bounty Killer, Mad Cobra and Wayne Wonder. It's been some time from last I've paid this much attention to the Hi Fever and while it may not give me a fever (I hope it doesn't) (I hate being sick), it was KNOCKING!

Tabla [2002]

Still fed up. Surely I'm forgetting something, but the Tabla seems to be the very first time the legendary Taxi Gang, Sly & Robbie, actually produced for the RD series. What they did here, basically, was to provide a bit of an altered version of an older favourite, the Fed Up Riddim and push it back as the Tabla, which was a bit more enthusiastic and heavy to my opinion (not saying which I preferred see). If you are a casual fan, you probably know this one for backing 'Street Respect' from Sean Paul, anyone else, you'll immediately go to its pseudo title track, 'Fed Up', by Bounty Killer, a bonafide Dancehall music CLASSIC. Sizzla, Buju Capleton also appeared. 

White Liva [2002]

Why not? Richie D's White Liva Riddim was never really a favourite of mine for its sound (although it's impossible to deny its quality) or for the album which it would go on to produce. I always say things about being forgotten and lost, but this is definitely one situation in which it's me doing the forgetting and losing. There was nothing here which made me just want to set it down, but at the same time, there's nothing here which jumps out either on this pretty difficult to ride track (hear the tune 'Get Me High', from Sean Paul, which is DAMN impressive, but he's off-beat throughout the entire song).

Engine [2002]

Good with the bad. Another of the King Jammy brood, CJ manned the Engine Riddim, which wasn't really anything too fantastic on its own (it was okay) and it would go on to star on an album whose results were just as somewhere in the middle to my opinion. It's standouts came from an… angry Bounty Killer, Spragga Benz, Vybz Kartel and Assassin, but unfortunately there were eleven more attempts on the album - none of which were as appreciable.

Blindfold [2002]

Wide shut. Another prince, John John, did the next installment of Riddim Driven, the Blindfold, which was a much better piece than its predecessors in a few ways. This album was also quite strong for what it was as it brought a nice level of intensity throughout. Ce'Cile did excellent on the Blindfold with 'Gal Company', and in her 'company' of class were Capleton, Wayne Wonder [and Supriz], Ward 21, Vybz Kartel and the Angriest Man in The World, Silver Cat. Nice. 

Party Time [2002]

Party crasher. The Party Time Riddim and I - we just never really got along too well. Were I to collect a list of my least favourite releases on this list, it'd surely be in the top half, and maybe even in the top half of the top half. It was just ODD!

The Beach [2002]

All not in a name. I know that ultimately no one gives a damn, but if anyone did, at certain times you really should at least try to give your riddim a title which expresses something about its sound on paper. Snow Cone did no such thing and made no such attempt with The Beach whose biggest tune was 'Killa Is A Killa' ["wherever he may be"] by Bounty Killer. None of the artists on this one managed to steer this one in a direction which might make anyone think of a beach (in the stereotypical or ATYPICAL sense of the term), although a few of them did score well, particularly Ele and Assassin.

Rematch [2002]

Thrilla. About a year or so ago I'd ran back into Danny Browne's hypnotic Rematch Riddim and while it had pretty much evapourated from my mind by that point, it almost immediately secured a winning rating from me. This thing was gold and while some its tracks took silver, bronze (and something else), the riddim itself was fantastic. Scoring knockouts were Beenie Man [twice], Mr. G [twice], Elephant Man [twice] and Sizzla Kalonji, with Assassin scoring a late round TKO.

Mexican [2002]

No bueno. Baby G's Mexican Riddim lived up to its name for its sound and that's fine, but the album was pretty bad. All of these years later and maybe two or three songs have anything decent about them. Assassin has one. Bounty Killer has one. The rest I'm not too sure about.

G-String [2002]

No long talker. Not much to say here. John John did the G-String Riddim which was damagingly difficult. But if you don't like any other tune from the riddim (and you might not), this track earns its place because it set up the MASSIVE 'Fitness' from Bounty Killer and Angel Doolas. 

Diesel [2002]

Some time. I've always really like the Diesel as a riddim and while its full project is pretty bad, it's always been something which has very much stood up in my ears when I heard it (which hasn't been very often). Galaxy P produces what may just be his finest composition (not ALBUM) in Riddim Driven altogether, but now a decade from it, it's only remaining leader is the nearly brilliant 'Wosen' from Vybz Kartel.

The Wave [2003]

Ride it. Despite the fact that it didn't really generate a significant hit (and that its cover is amongst the worst in RD history), the Wave Riddim from the Blingz Crew, wasn't a wreck at all. It did clearly lack in the spectacular area, but songs from Capleton, Ward 21, Mad Cobra, Elephant Man and Frisco Kid weren't completely without flash and flare. I look back at this one now as another which didn't reach its full potential (and probably COULDN'T do so either), but really help to make up the 'body' of this series.

Diggy Diggy [2003]

Once was enough. There was never really a time when I was even relatively fond of KC Jockey's Diggy Diggy Riddim, but I was well within the minority in that opinion as the riddim title track, which featured KC alongside Elephant Man was a sizable hit in its time. On that note it didn't appeal to me a great deal, however a trio of selections on board here from Sizzla and then soon to be vanished Reagan (Magazeen) and Bad Greg Hines did get my attention and still do to some degree these days.

Washout [2003]

Higher, higher. The Washout Riddim was just AWKWARD (I just spelled that word wrong about six times) and somewhat difficult to ride and, because of that, I don't think that it would end up pushing up as many big tunes as you may remember it for doing. The biggest winner on the Q-45 Productions track came from Elephant Man - 'Higher Level' and while it didn't necessarily have the lineup as some of the other albums here, it did have DJ's like Bounty Killer and Assassin who, rather casually, turned in the second and third best tunes on the riddim, respectively. 

Tai Chi [2003]

The mix. Shams' return to the Riddim Driven series, the Tai Chi, is easily one of the most interesting riddims in this entire post. It's one of the first to REALLY go out of its way to change itself in so many different directions, thus giving the tunes a nice rinse of a 'built-in' originality, even before the vocals come in and that's a trait which can be very important in taking riddim albums to the not-so hardcore Reggae listening audiences. The Tai Chi did that very often and because of it, if you wanted a recommendation for yourself or someone else who isn't very much into Dancehall music, here is one of the areas where I would point out to you. As for the album, it was decent enough with TOK, Ce'Cile and Bounty Killer having the finest offerings, but when you take this riddim as a whole, you also take one of the most dazzling displays in the annals of RD.

44 Flat [2003]

Be careful. The 44 Flat was about as straight forward of a Dancehall riddim as you'll EVER hear. There was almost nothing genuinely special about the Steely & Clevie track and that, itself, was nearly special. This thing was extremely difficult to turn off, even the midst of some less than great songs from some great talents not at their best. And when they were good, like Shabba Ranks was, like Ele was and like Mega Banton and Spragga Benz, what you had here was one of the most addictive riddims anywhere in this post. 

Hydro [2003]

Okay now. Richie D and Play House Records turned in the very definition of average in the riddim album for the Hydro Riddim. The cover and, arguably, Bounty Killer's 'The Greatest' tune are about the only thing which qualify as anything besides decent (both of those being better) out of everything associated with this one. Unsurprisingly, it didn't have much in the way of longevity and if you're going to recall it for any reason, it's almost always for the Killer's track.

Throw Back [2003]

Toss back. While the Throw Back Riddim from Draw Card didn't necessarily live up to its title, it was very refreshing - for whatever it was. The ultra-bouncy track didn't make for the finest tunes, but its top class definitely managed to turn a few heads and continue to from a riddim which, again, has been largely forgotten. With  two tracks here, Beenie Man was the star, although Capleton's 'Stake Vampires' topped them both (along with every other song on the riddim. Sizzla, Ele and Mr. Easy also did well and the riddim featured an early piece from the already impressing Lady Spice.

Time Travel [2003]

Smoke & fly. Definitely one of my personal favourite editions of Riddim Driven is the Time Travel from Stephen 'Lenky' Marsden, post Diwali. In just eleven tracks (one a clean riddim), it managed to impress so much on the strength of it just being so original (Lenky has always been conscious of providing different mixes to a variety of tunes) and so fresh and the vocalists stepped up, for the most part, and delivered big tunes for the occasion. No one made a bigger stride than did Vybz Kartel on the MAMMOTH 'Sen On', but Assassin gave it a pretty good try as did Bounty Killer, Determine, General Degree and Ele. SWEEEEEEEEET!

Sexy Lady Explosion [2003]

In the yard. The Sexy Lady Explosion was yet another piece which I wasn't very fond of, but found myself in a very marginal amount of individuals because there were tunes here which I though were pretty bad, which did quite well. Some of that definitely has to do with its creator, Big Yard, having something of a midas touch and really having an ear for what would be successful and especially at the time, but I still think that this riddim had something else going for it and it may still. Listening to it now, there's still nothing really significant that leaps out at me, but for nearly everyone else, they heard something here that they felt in a major way because this riddim did a big damage in its day.

Caribbean Style [2003]

Gold in a pot. I've never been the biggest fan of Richie Stephens, although I well respect for what he has done in the music, but when you go back, a riddim he did almost a decade ago is one of my favourites of the era, the Caribbean Style. This one just had something so catchy coming from it and you heard it dripping from songs coming from the likes of Bounty Killer, Richie Stephens (each solo and once together), General Degree, Beenie Man & Chrissy D, Assassin and a HUGE shot from veteran Professor Nuts who left the Caribbean Style for ruins. 

All Out [2003]

In the big league. Elephant Man who gave the riddim its title track and Kartel, who used the riddim to fuel one of his most respected early hits, 'Jersey' have the lasting big tunes from Big Jeans' heavy and colourful All Out Riddim, but they certainly were not alone. Capleton and Sizzla both did well enough and if I recall correctly, even Wayne Marshall's 'To The Party' secured quite a bit of attention. Assassin also delivers a winning moment and I keep going through this list and it's now really starting to show just how WICKED Sasco has been from so early in his career. Now still a relatively young man and a solid decade of skillful tunes behind him. Crazy.

Forensic [2003]

Beneath the surface. In the Forensic, In the Streetz pushed a riddim which, while undeniably impressive, was pretty strange in some respects and, predictably, it didn't sprout into a great album and collection of songs. Still, it had a nice share of strong tunes coming from the Ce'Cile, Turbulence, Beenie Man, Mr. Lex and even Sean Paul who was featured on a remix of previous big hit, 'Check It Deeply'.

Scream [2003]

Loud shout. So loooooooong it's been from the last time I took a spin through the Scream Riddim from Flabba and Mo Music and when I did, I didn't scream, but I did smile with a nice surprise at how good this thing has gotten. Going back to the same situation as ran during the 44 Flat Riddim, the Scream was SO simple and yet so captivating and, for a change, DID step up with a really strong full album. This riddim lent itself favourably to strong lyricists (even though most of them were dirty) so people like Assassin (again), Tanya Stephens, Beenie Man, SPRAGGA BENZ, who climbs all over this thing, and Vybz Kartel grabbed the lion's share of a strong spotlight coming from the Scream.

Wanted [2003]

'Gal U Ah Lead' by TOK

The leader. FINALLY we hear from Bobby Konders and Massive B on Riddim Driven and we hear from them in a way which well stands out on this list (by my count, this is #50! Only… 92 more to go!). That's largely due to the fact that their Wanted Riddim helped along a tune by the name of 'Gal U Ah Lead' from TOK, which would go international in its time and do a major amount of damage. It was clearly the face of this riddim, but it wasn't the only sunspot. Of course there was Sasco with the scintillating (first time I've used that word today) 'Facilitate War', and Sizzla Kalonji, Mad Cobra and Anthony B also did well for the Wanted.

Good Times [2003]

Very good. In a drastic change from the riddim preceding it here, Supadoo went and pulled out a classic vibe for their Good Times Riddim which is now gone, but did really have a decent amount of success if I recall correctly. I always did like this one and it made for a cool and comfortable album which featured this incredibly interesting mix of artists such as Freddie McGregor, George Nooks and Tony Curtis who would you expect to be here, and Mad Cobra, Beenie Man and Ele who you surely would not.

Salsa [2003]

Familiar taste. Much like as was the case on the Sexy Lady Explosion Riddim, the Salsa was another from Big Yard with which I wasn't overly thrilled that went on to have some success (not as much as the SLE, but it still did well). Unlike that riddim, this one did feature a tune from Big Yard staple and supernova, Shaggy, who linked with Rik Rok for 'Your Eyes', and others such as Bounty Killer & Angel Doolas, Ele, Ce'Cile and TOK were on board. Sizzla also. But going back through this album, I'm reminded that the song on it which I have always enjoyed most (and, like I said, I wasn't in love with this one) was 'Rock The Salsa', which featured the riddim's creator, Christopher Birch unleashing musical wizardry on the track not to be missed.

Adrenaline [2003]

Un-rush. Again, the naming wasn't the greatest, for the most part, but Big Jeans' Adrenaline Riddim was excellent. It was a bit too hulking to accurately carry such a title to my ears, but it was good when it was used properly. Interestingly enough, he who got it most proper was also he who probably enthused the most adrenaline and has never had a problem in that area, Capleton, who ran two tracks on the riddim. His first, 'Rougher & Tougher' was golden.

Earth, Wind & Flames [2003]

Calm down? The Adrenaline Riddim may have had an adrenaline deficiency, but no such a condition applied to the next riddim we look at, Snow Cone's EPIC Earth, Wind & Flames. This riddim is noted for having featured a HUGE combination featuring Dancehall legends, Bounty Killer & Spragga Benz and, speaking of the latter, it just showed a lean towards Red Square artists as Sugar Slick, Briggy and Assassin all appeared. Also turning up was Vybz Kartel with a big tune while Mr. Peppa and Spice also do well here.

Golden Bathtub [2003]

The worst? The Golden Bathtub Riddim wasn't bad. It wasn't stellar either, but it wasn't an awful riddim and was probably considerably better than more than a few others in this post. But it has a strong case for being the single WORST edition of Riddim Driven ever. The Shocking Vibes composition was almost impossible to sound good over (just ask Silver Cat) and the absolute best of its lot, and there weren't many of them, were probably just AWKWARD at best. Avoid at all costs.

Puppy Water [2003]

Status quo. There wasn't much, good or bad, to the Puppy Water Riddim. It was just yet another… edition of… Riddim Driven. Big names were around, some of them did well, some of them didn't and that was it. Yep.

Trafalga [2003]

Mad with a condition. The Trafalga Riddim from Galaxy P was NASTY! It was grimy and rough around the edges and just a really different type of composition. But I liked it and I liked it from a loooooong time ago and still do. The problem here, looking back now, was that it was quite difficult and it says a lot now that the two most popular tunes today are so because they're rather controversial. But I don't actually think I'll ever stop liking this riddim which wasn't for most people, but did something for my ears. 

Project X [2004]

The unveiling. Phillip Smart's Project X was another riddim which really was just going to make a fun time and not really try to shake things up too much and that's exactly what it did. This one had such a fresh and almost Disco-like vibes to it, that it produced a kind of electric type of feel and, no, it didn't score with anything that you're still likely to remember immediately now. But, it had its moments provided mainly by Ce'Cile, Kartel, Ele and the Project X would also mark the Riddim Driven debut of future Soca legend, Bunji Garlin.

Fiesta [2004]

Maestro. Arguably the greatest pure Dancehall producer of all time, Dave Kelly, jumped up with the next edition of Riddim Driven, the Fiesta which was a major catch for VP Records at the time because the riddim, in a couple of forms, was busy traveling the globe. Of course it is best remembered for Beenie Man's combination with Ms. Thing, 'Dude', but it also scored with 'Vitamin S' by Baby Cham and Lady Saw's 'Man Is The Least'. International artists Akon and Kardinal Offishall also chimed in as did Ele and Cobra with strong tunes. Easily one of the most high profile spots for the series.

Coolie Skank [2004]

Lesser half. The Coolie Dance Riddim, like the Rice & Peas before it, would receive a double release across both VP Records and Greensleeves at the time. Greensleeves would get the first (and best) from the producer himself, Scatta, while the label, Kings of Kings would deal with VP Records and rename the riddim into the Coolie Skank (as if anyone cared what you called it) (they didn't). The riddim, whichever title you prefer, was musical crack. It was crack for your ears and although Ce'Cile's massive and controversial (silly controversy) 'Do It To Me' wasn't on board this edition of it, it attracted enough from Ce'Cile (again), Ele, Beenie Man and Sean Paul to make it interesting.

Celebration [2004]

One man party. Yes, Arif Cooper's Celebration Riddim probably needed a sedative of some type or another, but it was okay and, judging by how its gone to this point, it was probably a better album than you're thinking that it would be with such a wild composition. The riddim, coyly, showed itself to be somewhat malleable to the properly talented vocalist and with names present such as Kardinal Offishall again, Bounty Killer, Vybz Kartel & Lukie D and Sean Paul, those weren't too difficult to find. Overlook if you like!

Hot Gyal [2004]

She's okay. Although it did make an impact I believe, I've never been much of a fan of Real Music's Hot Gyal Riddim and when I saw it on the list, I think I had forgotten about almost entirely. The one thing here which I didn't lose, although I didn't make the connection in my mind obviously, was that this riddim actually did have a track that I really enjoyed as producer Anthony Malvo paired together Sizzla Kalonji and Jigsy King on one of the hypest herb tunes you'll ever hear, 'Marijuana'. That wasn't a great deal else here, however. 

Flava [2004]

Proper blend. Longtime Dancehall fixture, the well talented and proven Lady G actually produced the Flava Riddim on her G-String imprint and, like almost everything she does musically, it was very well done. You won't look up and down the roster of tracks on this riddim and be awed at just how much it scored in the way of hit tunes, but the somewhat hectic composition definitely did make for extremely strong deejaying and some of the best displayed exactly that on the album which was pretty good. Capleton, Bounty Killer, Spragga Benz and Lady G herself all score well.

Tiajuana [2004]

Can't do a thing about it. I didn't particularly like the Tiajuana Riddim which was another product of Playhouse Records, and I don't think many other people did either. Still, this riddim is unlikely to be forgotten because it was the riddim behind Lady Saw's huge hit, 'I've Got Your Man'. There wasn't too much else here to pay attention to, although decent efforts did come from Ele, a lyrically dominant Beenie Man and even Mega Banton.

Chrome [2004]

Heartfelt. Alozade may very well be one of my least favourite Dancehall artists of all time. He just may be. But I have to give credit where it is due and when he scoped the Chrome Riddim he did something very good for himself and a whole heap of other people as well. The Chrome was a MOODY piece of a unique riddim and although it definitely pushed some odd and just substandard moments, it also did stuff like 'In Her Heart' from Capleton, for which it is best remembered. Bounty Killer, Beenie Man, an agitated Lady Saw and Kartel (with that song on eighteen different riddims) all had fine showings on a riddim which I'll continue to recall fondly. Well done Alozade.

Doctor's Darling [2004]

'It's A Pity' by Tanya Stephens

Nursing. The still very formidable and popular Germaican Records added some serious spice to the Riddim Driven release schedule when they tapped into one of the greatest Reggae classics of all time, Gregory Isaacs' 'Nite Nurse' and pulled from it the Doctor's Darling Riddim, which had a HUGE run of success which, one could make the case, has yet to end. At the head of it all was a MASSIVE hit from Tanya Stephens, 'It's A Pity'. Stephens was joined by other great talents in Capleton, Sizzla, Anthony B w/Seeed, Michael Rose, Junior Kelly, Turbulence and General Degree who probably had my second favourite track on the riddim, 'It No Matter'.

Career [2004]

Down to business. The Career Riddim from First Name Music was another edition of RD which really underperformed to my ears as an album because just the basic riddim itself was fantastic. It was a beautiful riddim, but most of the tunes on it, particularly during its second half, just haven't aged very well at all. The three primary exceptions of this came from a surprisingly venturing out Baby Cham, a combination which couldn't fuck up if it tried featuring Spragga Benz and Wayne Wonder and the genius that was 'Get It Back' from Kartel. Also, you have to love the nostalgic look back on the cover of VP's old website. 

Mad Instruments [2004]

Cheer down! Fire Links checked in for his Riddim Driven debut with the very, very popular and ridiculous Mad Instruments Riddim. This thing was just a bit too damn happy (biggup Perfect) for me, but in a time where the dance song took on a completely new meaning (becoming something which was made specifically for an actual Dancehall and recording it, which was awful), it was a large success. Of course there is copious amounts of Elephant Man, Beenie Man, Capleton, Vybz Kartel and others, but the best song here in my opinion was the very clever 'We Have Gal Long Time' from… yeah. Assassin.

Check It Back [2004]

Also. The Check It Back Riddim wasn't great by any means. It was very bright though and the Big Jeans constructed piece made for an almost too easy time of a listen so it was damn attention grabbing. The riddim was one which was just kind of hard to dislike. I've spoken already on others which were just too much and needed to be eased back a bit to be accepted, but the Check It Back was just a few levels of intensity down from most of those. These days it doesn't pull much in terms of big songs with the class of the riddim coming from a very select group of just two or three names - all of whom I am tired of mentioning.

Thrilla [2004]

Ladies first. Christopher Birch produced the Thrilla Riddim and, like most of his stuff, it went on to become at least a decent sized success. Unlike a few other times in which his work came up in this post, I VERY much enjoyed the Thrilla, I thought it was excellent and, for a change, it turned out to make for a pretty good album. The riddim would birth two tracks from two female veterans on the way up in different ways as Ce'Cile turned up with 'Loser' and Macka Diamond brought the infamous 'Done A Ready' for the track.

Sunlight [2004]

Sunspots. Richie D and co. at Playhouse Records returned to Riddim Driven with the cool and delightful Sunlight Riddim. The title of this one very much encapsulated the actual riddim very well and although it wasn't the greatest (and it didn't have a clean version of the track either which is a damn shame), it was just a nice creation. It also had a few nice tunes, although I'm happy to say that the best of them all was and remains 'Let The Music Play' by Red Rat, which was sublime.

Maybach 365 [2004]

The reverse crossover. Veteran Hip-Hopper, Benzino, actually had a hand in jumping up the Maybach 365 Riddim which, despite that fact, has largely gone from sight… sound. While it wasn't very bad actually, it was a bit too Hip-Hoppish for my tastes, but something interesting I remember happening on this riddim. If you go up and down the list of artists, besides a few that you may not know of, one stands out in a great way as very much being out of place. As it turned out, however, that same artists, the incomparable Yami Bolo gave the riddim the finest tune on it that I heard, 'She Wanna Be My Love'.

I Swear [2004]

The element. Besides being, easily, one of the best editions of Riddim Driven ever, I look back at the I Swear Riddim's album as being somewhat landmark for the series, as far as anything within it, besides the series itself, could be so significant. The track, from Fifth Element, was one of the best Roots pieces of its day and, as an album, it was brilliant with winners coming from artists of all standings. On one end you had Fifth Element artists Richie Spice and Chuck Fenda, Sizzla Kalonji, Luciano and Jah Cure doing big things, while on another were people like Natural Black, Chezidek - eventual undeniable stars - and a DOMINANT Jah Penco and they all did very strong work on the riddim. I wouldn't go that far because of some of the later stuff which came in on the Roots side, but up until now, unless I'm REALLY forgetting something, the I Swear was the first piece of this series which could lay a strong claim to being the single best album RD ever pushed.

Dancehall Rock [2004]

The battlefield. Scatta's Dancehall Rock is one of my favourite riddims anywhere in this post. I think it was a nearly perfect, aggressive and ORIGINAL track which was a crazy listen and provided its tunes with a great deal of intelligent edge. That quality wasn't more apparent than on a pair of tunes done by Vybz Kartel and Spragga Benz, 'Throw Word' and 'Put Foot Ova', respectively, aimed at one another. The riddim was never better, although also on board was a big hit from Elephant Man, 'Ova Di Wall'.

Stepz [2004]

Two steps forward, one step back. Over the years I've gone up and down in terms of exactly how I feel about the Stepz Riddim which came from the mighty Renaissance. Today, I LOVE it. It was very clever and creative and just an incredibly catchy Dancehall riddim, which certainly had more than its fair share of fans from other genres. I kind of used to think of it as a bit of an overachiever, but who cares. The riddim had bonafide hits from Assassin, Elephant Man and Capleton. It also featured Spragga Benz, who wasn't quite done with Kartel, a motivated Bounty Killer on 'Killing A Killing' and nice tracks from Wayne Wonder w/Showki Ru and Da'Ville. Also, just in case you're still paying attention, the Stepz Riddim album would mark the Riddim Driven debut (and maybe even the VP Records debut) of BUSY SIGNAL.

Phantom [2004]

Nomen est omen. Despite its cool cover (and it is cool) and the knowledge that the riddim itself is a beautiful thing, Arif Cooper's Phantom Riddim really didn't turn out so well in my opinion and it kind of fits in a very long line of albums in this series which were not only mediocre, but didn't have songs which lived up to how strong the composition was. The riddim was nice, it was straight forward and almost hypnotic (and it even had different mixes), but there were only one or two tracks worth paying attention to here. Kiprich had one of them in 'We Want Fi Know'.

Grindin [2004]

Quote. Again! The Grindin, which came via K.Licious, was a strong riddim (I did say it was K.Licious, everything he did is strong, at worst) but the performances on top of it were somewhat lacking. And today, ONLY a couple of its tracks standout - Chico had one of them and it's the first time we mentioned him, so biggup Chico.

Cookie Monster & Allo Allo [2004]

Double up. Linking the Cookie Monster & Allo Allo Riddims together - both came from Jam 2 & Teetimus - was the first time the series went in that direction in a minute and this time, they did so in a very strange way. These two riddims couldn't be any more unrelated and unrelatable. The Cookie Monster was a HEAVY almost R&B-ish type of a set, which was destroyed by Vybz Kartel, Lady Saw and Mad Cobra and featured combinations featuring Sizzla Kalonji & Wayne Marshall and Ele & Jimmy Cozier from the R&B world. The Allo Allo, on the other hand, was a brilliant piece of addictive chaos which featured niceness from Kartel, Ele and Bounty, while Da'Ville, SHOCKINGLY, brought the comic-relief with 'Never Fail Yuh'.

Dreamweaver [2004]

Mixed up. The Dreamweaver Riddim was a 40/40 special. It was a Lenky riddim, which tells you all you should need to know in regards to its own quality. Its album and output, however, require a closer inspection. So many top names on the track just failed to deliver and that's just not anything, the Dreamweaver, as its name would suggest, wasn't normal at all, but you'd hope for better than some of them gave. Still, when it was good, like it was in the hands of Assassin, Beenie Man, Kartel and General Degree, it was SPECIAL.

Hardtimes [2004]

'That Day Will Come' by Capleton

In love. The Hardtimes Riddim is another signature moment from the Riddim Driven series because it was excellent and it’s the second riddim on this list which I feel can lay a legitimate claim to being the single best edition of it ever. I believe it exists as the final piece of work of the legendary Errol Thompson who transitioned that same year and he linked with Gibbo, the son of the just as legendary Joe Gibbs in building it. Such a description of attributes ensured not only that the Hardtimes would be stunning, and it was, but also that it would have a great chance to be a success, and it was that too. You can take your pick of the pair, but the track is best remembered for having served both MASSIVE shots 'Living In Love' and 'That Day Will Come', from Capleton and I Wayne, respectively. Luciano, Richie Spice, Junior Kelly and Chuck Fenda also did well for a riddim which will NEVER be forgotten. Timeless.

Juicy [2004]

Juicier? Big Yard and Supadoo came together to do the LIGHT, yet completely unforgiving Juicy Riddim which, really I dislike and I mean that in the best possible way (it had a foundation to its sound which is just impossible to rid your brain of). The riddim doesn't come up much these days, thankfully, and I remember it best for Tanya Stephens' 'Good Ride' and the track's best song (to me and to me only), the AWESOME 'No Heathen' by Bunji Garlin.

Mamacita [2004]

Better late than never. It took awhile and it never received the actual logo (look closely), but Edwin Howell's Mamacita Riddim became the first RD release to be centered on a Soca track. This was interesting because not only was it Soca, but it wasn't completely sprinkled with Reggae acts, although one of its biggest hits, 'Dance For Me', did come from Sasha, who would have been signed to VP at the time. Dawg-E-Slaughter probably scored the most on the groovy piece, but he was joined by Maximum Dan,  the mad singing Claudette Peters and Bud.

"Tun It Up Ah Nadda Notch" [2004]

Once more. Just as was the case on Tun It Up, which I told you about several years ago, its sequel, "Tun It Up Ah Nadda Notch", featured two relicks of classic riddims from Heavy Beat Records. It also featured the label's usual cast of excellent singers such as Glen Washington, Al Campbell, Jimmy Riley and the Lindo family. Very typical work was this one from Heavy Beat, but "very typical" from that label is much better than "very good" from many of its peers.

Rah! Rah! [2005]

Power slam. Bobby Konders and Massive B came back with the far-reaching Rah! Rah! Riddim which, once again, injected a great deal of excitement in the RD series. I don't know that I actually liked this riddim in its actual day as much as I do now. It was almost purely for the entertainment and most entertaining here was Ele with the infectious title track and Kartel with the hilarious 'Push It In'. 

"Tell mi how yah feel -

When him doh tend to touch di %$#% til ya squeal

Ya eva get di style weh name 'Spin Like A Wheel'?

A piece of mi style Sophie, mi soon reveal

When she get di power slam, she call mi Shaquille O'Neal"

"Strip Down" [2005]

Take it off! "Strip Down" was the name of the riddim album for another set from Big Yard, the Strip Tease Riddim (why the… I don't know). Again, I wasn't crazy about this riddim which, also again, would go on to have a pretty nice run. Nothing really stands out these days, with the possible exception of Lady Saw's riddim title track.

Lion Paw [2005]

Ferocious. Mikey John's STERLING Lion Paw Riddim is one of the finest modern Roots Reggae releases Riddim Driven ever ended up doing and it would provide some material that is still well known to this day, highlighted by tunes from Morgan Heritage and Richie Spice. Add to those two names such a strong group which included Luciano, Bushman, Jah Cure, Anthony B, Chezidek, Turbulence, Natural Black, Warrior King, Chuck Fenda and even Nadine Sutherland and know that ALL of them did at least a good job and you have something really crucial in the Lion Paw Riddim, one of the bests of the lot.

"1985 Sleng Teng Extravaganza" [2005]

Part one. "1985 Sleng Teng Extravaganza" was the first of a pair centered on one of the greatest and most well known Dancehall riddims ever created. It included… pretty much everything you'd think it would from the first batch of the songs, obviously highlighted by Mr. Wayne Smith.

"Sleng Teng Resurrection" [2005]

Part two. And "Sleng Teng Resurrection" wrapped things up as the album which linked big artists of the time with one of the biggest of all time. Today we still look back at songs gathered here from Bounty Killer, Sizzla Kalonji, Luciano, Ras Shiloh and others as a mark of a time when it became the trend to bring back older riddims and put them through a new age mix. While I did have problems with its over-usage at times, I didn't have a problem at all with what happened here.

Ruckus [2005]

Tremble it. Flabba's Ruckus Riddim was a good time! I didn't even remember this one as having had an album when I looked it up, but I was, reversely, pleased that VP had chosen to add it to the collection. It's album was pretty good also. The riddim generated strong responses from ones like Bounty Killer, Beenie Man and Buju Banton and while it's not nearly as popular as some of them - it's a lot better than many of the Dancehall albums you'll read about today.

Bubble Up [2005]

Dem caan test. The Bubble Up was another crazy, CRAZY creation from the evil genius that was Stephen 'Lenky' Marsden and while it didn't attract anywhere near the level of attention that several of its predecessors did, it's full version and subsequent album has to be regarded as one of the ace producer's finest. This thing just had no sense of direction or boundaries whatsoever. There were GORGEOUS mixes of it for some of its worst songs and there were mixes that you didn't know what to make of which made for some of the finest things you'd hear on it. Everything hear reached a pinnacle when Assassin laid the Bubble Up to rest with a tune which remains one of his finest ever, 'God Bless' ["so dem caan test"]. One of the most INVOLVED RD's ever.

Kopa [2005]

Turnin my head. The Kopa was addictive. It was ridiculous and it was amazing. It was a big and crazy riddim from Black Chiney. The album behind it, predictably, wasn't very good (although it was very popular, a riddim like this, as we've seen, rarely translates well to an album), but it didn't even really matter by the time it appeared. You'll remember songs from Nina Sky w/Baby Cham, Capleton, Sean Paul and Ele, and you'll remember them on one of the most captivating things this series has ever produced.

Sleepy Dog [2005]

Buck. I was probably the only person in the entire world, all of it, who wasn't completely thrilled with 'Constant Spring' from Mr. Vegas, which appeared on the masterful Sleepy Dog Riddim from riddim masters, Steely & Clevie. So that wasn't a highlight for me… unlike you and everyone else. Still, I do managed to recall this one greatly because (I paid money for it) of a single track in particular. 'As A Man' from Assassin was scary. It was frighteningly good and still is one of the strongest examples of what a motivated ACE DJ can do when at his best. It was one of the best songs I've ever heard. I still like hearing Famous Face's 'Mixing Board' also, but Assassin took everything here for me.

Bingie Trod [2005]

'THERE'. Wayyyyyyyyyyy back when speaking on the Giddeon War Riddim I alluded to the fact that it reminded me of another riddim album which I very much thought would be better than it ended up being. That riddim was the Bingie Trod and look where I am now. This album doesn't work, and I'm still not crazy about the actual riddim either. Alozade did produce something which, ostensibly, should have worked, but didn't in most cases and I'm still not sure why. So many didn't do very well with this one. The ones who really did get things going, like Jah Cure, Luciano and Sizzla were in a very select company (of themselves).

"Return to Big Street" [2005]

Comfortable. "Return To Big Street" featured a return to Big Yard for Riddim Driven with a pair of different compositions, the Return and the Big Street (surely you didn't figure that out on your own). These two pieces were very similar, with the Return essentially sounding like an intensified version of the Big Street. The former is probably one of my favourites from the Yard all of these years later and I wasn't alone as evidenced by it scoring a HUGE hit from Morgan Heritage, 'Uncomfortable'.

Cry Baby [2005]

Nah sleep. Speaking of Big Yard, Christopher Birch would deliver the next edition of RD on his very own Birchill Records imprint - the gorgeous Cry Baby. The album was also relatively strong and it remains one of my own favourite editions of RD to date. Equal parts Roots and Lover's Rock, you had tunes coming through both channels (and some, like 'Still The Same' from the Morgans, on both simultaneously) and doing well. At the head of them all was a pair from Assassin and Sizzla Kalonji, 'God Nah Sleep' and 'Thanks & Praise', which I still listen to semi-regularly for how old they are. I really enjoyed this one and still do.

My Swing [2005]

The spirit. Birch would also take us back to church in delivering the hype traditional Gospel and Dancehall fused My Swing Riddim. You get the kind of feeling of this one being a gimmick and it really was, but who cares. The My Swing has helped let off A LOT of stress for me over the years, even though I don't spin it too frequently, so it may be gimmicky, but it is one of the finer gimmicks of all of the…gimmicky Riddim Driven series.

Applause [2005]

Encore! Snow Cone's Applause Riddim is destined to be known as the riddim behind Sean Paul's big hit, 'Temperature' and that is fine (at least it did have one big hit), but it did a bit more that more hardcore heads might recall and might recall even before that tune in some cases. Particularly of note were tunes from Assassin, Sizzla and Capleton (whose 'Wait A Bit', was woefully underrated), but you should also remember that the Applause balanced 'Lightning Flash', a SUBSTANTIAL hit from the world's youngest grown ass man, Shane-O.

Bad Bargain [2005]

No deal. Q-45's Bad Bargain Riddim, in its basic form, was actually pretty good. It was laid by Steely & Clevie and it was of the level of quality you would expect with such a grand distinction. It's album? No way. The riddim was so heavy that it didn't really lend itself very well to a great melodic shift - at least not a vocal one. While tunes from Sizzla and Capleton were alright, the clear winner of this one was the clean version of the riddim attached at the end of the disc.

First Prize [2005]

Bronze medal. First Name Music's First Prize Riddim was just another nondescript addition to RD. Nothing especially good or bad, just a really average riddim which turned in a really average album.

Old Truck [2005]

Flat tire. I really remembered the Old Truck, another Steely & Clevie production, as being this very good old school vibed riddim which just lacked anything in the way of substantial vocal material on it and that's still what it is, seven years later. Only three tracks here are worth hearing, two of them come from Assassin and Mr. Lex, respectively, and the other is the riddim track, itself. Everything else would have had to IMPROVE and do so substantially to make it anywhere near being just average.

Lava Splash [2005]

Solid ground. Patrick Henry & Loyal Soldiers turned over the same riddim which helped propel their biggest star, I Wayne, to a great success to the rest of the world and delivered it through the Lava Splash Riddim. This is one of the very rare occasions, and is one which I don't think that I've come into contact with yet in this post, where you have a single song SO tied to a riddim that it almost breaks up anything else someone does on it, even if they do it better (and they don't in this case). So, because of that, you barely even remember that people like Sizzla, Lutan Fyah, Perfect, Anthony B and DYCR (who did really well) were even on this track and really the only two non-I Waynes getting a healthy amount of respect were Queen Ifrica and mentor Tony Rebel.

Ice Breaka [2005]

Cool breeze cometh. Renaissance's Ice Breaka Riddim is one which has had a great life in being involved in quite a few different things and musically speaking, while I don't rate it as highly as many do (at least I don't think that I do), it was a great addition to the series. The tune here which is likely to lap out at you is 'Not Going Down', an early hit from Busy Signal, but the track also gave us big tunes from Assassin (whose name I am completely tired of typing), Sean Paul and TOK. This album would also bring us the RD debut of someone who has made the world a much better place - the angelic Alaine. 

Move [2005]

Places to go. The Move Riddim very much fulfilled on the designation of its title and did so immediately. Arif Cooper's track is definitely one of the most aggressive straight forward tracks here and while it didn't present many hits, it's managed to remain a riddim I look forward to hearing. Generally I'm going to hear it on my favourite track from its ranks, 'Nuh Really Badman' from Bay-C.

My Baby [2005]

'Telephone Ting' by Kiprich

Mash up mi life. You can go through a solid track from Morgan Heritage or Richie Spice if you like. Big Yard's My Baby Riddim won't ever be immediately recalled in their instances, respectively. What it will be brought up for is that it was on board (and was the 'board') for Kiprich's ULTRA clever ride, 'Telephone Ting'. 

Throw Back Giggy [2005]

Tuck it in. Leftside & Esco must've known they had something REALLY special on their hands when they went back into the vault and returned with a remake of an older track from Steely & Clevie, and came out with the now infamous Throwback Giggy Riddim. Besides spawning their own massive hit, 'Tuck In U Belly', they'd also get fine tracks from Vybz Kartel, Ce'Cile (whose 'Hot Like That' I think was a #1 tune), Buju Banton, New Kidz and even Roundhead. The riddim also featured 'Link Up' from Calico who was someone I always used to enjoy listening to ["Calico mi name and mi no deal no in no monogamy. Anywhere mi go a peer fat sexy gyal a follow mi"].

R.A.W. - Ready and Willing [2006]

Capable. The very first Riddim Driven installment of 2006, the R.A.W., came from a very familiar source in Arif Cooper's Fresh Ear Productions and it wasn't their finest moment, but it was a nice bit of energy for the brand. I look at this one now and not only do you see Busy Signal and Alaine here, but you also now see Aidonia making his debut on RD. So while the riddim was pretty good, the album okay, looking at in this case, it's very much a display of Dancehall very much being in motion and a sign of the changing times, with only Kartel, Ele and Ce'Cile representing for the 'usual suspects'.

Baddis Ting [2006]

Bring it back. The Baddis Ting Riddim was Shams' first go here from since the Tai Chi (which I had to write up maybe eight years ago in this post now, this is currently the 106th riddim hear and this is going to be crazy to post) (biggup Bredz!) and it was a remake of an older piece of work from his catalog. The original came during the prime years of Main Street Records and, unsurprisingly, Shams tapped into some of the old artists from Main Street when he pulled back the former Baddis Riddim. Mr. Vegas scored arguably the biggest hit of the riddim alongside Mr. Lex on 'Taxi Fare', but Mr. G/Goofy, Lady G and, of course, Red Rat, were no strangers to Main Street either. But you could have all of them here if you wanted, give me Bounty Killer, whose 'Ready Fi Kill' SCORCHED the resurrected track.

Reflections [2006]

A bed of roses. Yes. Tarrus Riley did had a great song in 'Africa Awaits' on the Reflections Riddim (officially credited to Moses Productions for the album) and that's fine. He did fantastic as usual. However, just as was the case with the Lava Splash and farrrrrrrrr more so in this case, the Reflections loses a step once taken outside of it's 'true' identity which was the backdrop to one of the greatest songs ever heard by anyone anywhere with ears 'True Reflection' by Jah Cure. TEARS!

Capital P [2006]

P for??? Steely & Clevie brought back the original Punanny Riddim and 'disguised' it as something entirely different within VP's Riddim Driven and thus was born the Capital P. As was always the case in absolutely any form in which it existed, this riddim is damn empowering and very easy to ride, so when you place it in the most capable grip of Ce'Cile (did you catch that???), Buju Banton, Queen Ifrica, Mr. Vegas and Anthony B, you've done well. Watch. Very good. 

Nookie 2K6 [2006]

One motion. John John's Nookie Riddim was fucking POWERFUL! The thing KNOCKED itself right off the track and into your head and it produced, arguably, one of the best Dancehall editions of Riddim Driven ever released. Again, we very much saw a youth movement with Busy Signal, Aidonia, Mavado w/Ward 21 and Bugle all shining on the riddim and doing so alongside strong pieces from Beenie Man (who had the Nookie's biggest hit, 'Wi Set Di Trend'), Bounty Killer, Sizzla, Kartel, Lady Saw and others. There just isn't much to NOT like with this one. BOOM!

Wild 2 Nite [2006]

Wilder please. Another Big Yard and another big hit and another one which I didn't like as much as the masses. This time, however, a deaf man could probably tell you that the Wild 2 Nite was a nearly special composition. It was undeniably strong and perhaps my not so fondness of it emanates from my massive dislike of arguably its most popular tune, 'Bun Him' by Black-er and Macka Diamond. But in those cases, again and as usual, I was a damn fool, so hear it for yourself.

Smash [2006]

Neck cramp. We could probably better convey the Smash Riddim from Supa Hype (although I think Serani actually built it for some reason) if we just changed the name to the Dutty Wine Riddim. Know it now??? Yes, this was the track supporting Tony Matterhorn's seemingly indestructible tune. Busy Signal, Alaine and Kartel all did well also, but you don't really care.

Global [2006]

Not THAT one. I always get Fire Links' Global Riddim confused with a different track which I, unfortunately, have to write about in about four places from here. Although I wasn't stunned by  this one, although it was okay, I'll save my vitriol (I love that word!) (biggup my Wife) to 'wipe' that one. The Global did very well for itself scoring hits for Beenie Man and Bunji Garlin in particular and despite its overaggressive tempo - it wasn't annoying at all.

Red Bull & Guinness [2006]

The emergence. Delly Ranx takes an official credit as the producer of the powerhouse that was the Red Bull & Guinness Riddim, but it was actually worked by someone who has since gone on to a level of superstardom rarely reached by a producer, Stephen 'Di Genius' McGregor, someone who could very well be fueling this series even now if it were around. This was another album where it was split in releases between Greensleeves and VP Records and Greensleeves, with 20+ tracks, got the better version, although the cover on this one is just brilliant. Look closely at the background.

Higher Octane [2006]

Go higher! Black Chiney didn't get a great album out of the Higher Octane Riddim, by they did get a BRILLIANT piece of intensity in constructing it. This riddim was madness! Unfortunately, in my opinion only Vybz Kartel and Busy Signal properly managed it (maybe Ward 21) and they missed it - Aidonia would have DESTROYED it.

Dem Time Deh [2006]

Up 2 di time. The Dem Time Deh marked the return of Leftside & Esco to RD following their last appearance on the Throwback Giggy and this riddim, while gorgeous, produced far less favourable results. It did have a few nice points. Kartel probably hung on better than anyone else with 'No', while both Alaine and Aidonia also did pretty good. But that was it, you could make cases for Assassin and Bounty Killer, but they wouldn't be very strong (although as I sit here, Assassin's 'Hotter Than Her' is sounding much better than it did yesterday).

Wipe Out [2006]

…of my memory. The Wipe Out Riddim was awful. It was that thing I was alluding to in the case of the Global. It was terrible and it still is. Someone please make it go away.

Gully Slime [2006]

Peppery. You're likely to find a much different view of the Gully Slime Riddim from Natural Bridge than mine, which're likely to center around Tony Matterhorn's 'Goodas Fi Dem', which was this riddim's definitive hit. Me, on the other hand, I always focus on three tracks from its roster from Ward 21 ['Garrison], Ras Myrhdak ['All Over You'] and Mr. Peppa ['Gangsta Guerilla']. Which were all in some varying degrees of impressiveness, the last of them being the most so to this day.

Full Draw [2006]

Blooming. Arif Cooper's Full Draw Riddim, unless I'm really forgetting something, was his second finest addition to Riddim Driven and I also think that it was one of the most overlooked and underrated of its day. It was a riddim which, when you listened to it, would just develop so beautifully and do so on almost every tune in a different style. TOK's title track remains its popular signature moment, but I think that Aidonia had a slightly better track. Kartel also did well with 'Woman A Mi Sunshine' as did Bad Greg Hines with what remains my favourite song from him, the very clever 'A No Movie Dis'.

Sidewalk University [2006]

The road. Jam 2's explosive Sidewalk University Riddim is next and I go back to the Nookie for such a KNOCKING comparison like this. For the music coming from its time (and especially today where… shit has just changed so much for the worse), the Sidewalk University was a special creation. On the whole, its tunes were somewhat mixed, but MOST of them were on the good side. It also has the distinction of carrying what was my favourite song ever from Tony Matterhorn, 'Man From Mars' - with even stronger material coming from Vybz Kartel w/Beyonce (not really though), Ward 21, Mr. Peppa and even Sizzla Kalonji.

Consuming Fire [2006]

Slow burn. The legendary Gussie Clarke would actually produce the Consuming Fire Riddim, a track which almost seems like it was invented to make someone (named ME) start crying. This one I'll always look at as being somewhat FRESH, despite its somewhat melancholy sound, because it just seemed like something unexpected. You look at the cover and you're very much anticipating something Capleton would love to be a part of (and he would have), but then you get more of a Luciano-centric type of a show where, ultimately, Natty King takes top honours with 'Care For Life'. Luciano did do very well, as did Sizzla, TANYA STEPHENS and Shantia. But really this is one release where almost everyone did a fine job and contributed to one of the most consistent RD albums.

"2 Bad Riddims Vol. 3" [2006]

A story. And for the last riddim of the day we check something which was definitely one of the high water marks in terms of popularity for Riddim Driven. "2 Bad Riddim Vol. 3" came from Dave Kelly and Madhouse Records and featured along with the swinging Stage Show Riddim, the Eighty-Five which is probably one of the best known riddims ever for having carried 'Ghetto Story', the massive hit from Baby Cham. That was major mark of attraction here, but on both riddims, Cham was joined by big talents in the form of Lady Spice, Pinchers and Agent Sasco.

12 Gauge [2007]

Jammed. Di Genius would come back to Riddim Driven in early 2007 with his latest delivery, which wasn’t really much a deviation from the previous one, the Red Bull & Guinness. I think that the 12 Gauge really suffered because it was quite close in sound to its predecessor and, musically, it was kind of a breeding ground of really ANGRY songs. The angriest of them all turned out to be the best as Bounty Killer (who else?) linked with Aidonia on the unforgettable 'From Dem Dis'.

Dreaming [2007]

Day and night. Riddim Driven NEVER got much better than it was on the debut of the Daseca label, the Dreaming Riddim. This was just a classy piece of vibes which would produce one of the most all-around impressing albums in the entire sequence (really tired of the word 'series' at this point) and, obviously it had one of the best covers as well. THIS is how you make a great riddim and album without altering too much your base because while the Dreaming never did change a great deal, it did serve so many strong songs in different ways. Assassin, Bounty Killer, Vybz Kartel, Buju Banton, Busy Signal, MITCH, NEW KIDZ - they all did well - but soaring were Mavado with the title track, a very significant hit and a MAGNIFICENT Alaine with 'Lover's Prayer'.

Power Cut [2007]

Surge. More madness from Stephen McGregor was the Power Cut with its very large and very angry sound. In retrospect, this was just during an era, which existed at the time of McGregor's ascent to power where you just had these riddims which sounded like they were scored for the action scenes of movies or something like that. They were really loud and 'in your face' type of sets and intentionally so - it was what was popular. McGregor was better than everyone else at doing that (and you get the feeling that he'd still be better if they were to come back), as evidenced by a piece like this one which was nowhere near his finest, but still did big things. Most notably, the Power Cut came through during a clash between Mavado and Kartel so they're going back and forth, while topping both of their efforts are Aidonia and the world's angriest man, Einstein. The Power Cut also, and unfortunately, included the horrible 'Love The Girls' by Norris Man.r

Heathen [2007]

'Church Heathen' by Shaggy

The front pew. Finally we have a riddim from Big Yard (albeit one which was produced by Tony Kelly) which I appreciated about as much as anyone did because of its finest moment and biggest hit, which remains a very popular tune. The Heathen Riddim, of course, helped to give birth to the MASSIVE and BRILLIANT hit 'Church Heathen' from superstar Shaggy. I've never been the biggest fan of Shaggy's, but like many people, that tune made me take a bit of a fresher perspective and Shaggy, while he has entered a different stage in his career, really hasn't slowed down since. The Heathen hasn't either and, to my opinion, it's probably the single best riddim Big Yard ever did.

Tremor [2007]

Lord evil. The Tremor Riddim took us back on another tour of the Big Ship with Stephen McGregor and, just like all of his recent pieces at the time, it was a big and angry creation. In terms of its sound, the Tremor very much fits into the back of many of its siblings of the time - it wasn't such a great shift in direction from almost any of them and, on an album, it would become rather labourious (riddims like these aren't the most flexible), but it was top notch MADNESS. Taking the lead would be Aidonia on the absolutely disturbing 'Gaga' - probably one of the most acrobatic lyrical displays the Dancehall has ever seen - and completely fucking evil in every way.

Jam Down [2007]

'I'm Waiting' by Ce'Cile

Mightier than them all? The Jam Down Riddim's edition of Riddim Driven is, in my estimation, no worse than the second best this series has ever sounded. Out of them all, I can only really make a case for one being stronger and perhaps that case isn't even the strongest. Besides being such a lovely vibes, the album, in full, was nearly spectacular - it's one of the best riddim albums of the modern era definitely - and the riddim would go on to do heavy business in spurring on several big hits and minor ones as well. Easily familiar tunes, half a decade on, come from Ce'Cile ['Waiting'], Jah Cure ['Sticky'], Morgan Heritage ['Plant Up The Herbs'] and Lutan Fyah ['Mightier Than Them']. Chezidek, Capleton, Buju Banton, Ras Shiloh and others still would go on to score further on a riddim which has withstood the test of time and will always rank near the zenith of RD.

Guardian Angel [2007]

Rise. The Guardian Angel, at least in my opinion, was also a top ranker here and it remains the opus of its creator, Arif Cooper and Fresh Ear Productions. It very much ranks alongside some of the better work of Don Corleon (who never reached this series while doing his work with Greensleeves before going on his own) and should be credited along with them in kind of restoring a very sweet, albeit brief, period of producing modern Lover's Rock classics. This track is best recalled in compiling hits from TOK, Jah Cure and, of course, Alaine, but artists like Kartel, Christopher Martin and even Jamelody also pushed exceptional work which hasn't completely faded at all.

Stop The Fighting [2007]

Another baby. Surely I've mentioned them somewhere along the line, but it was quite awhile in between appearances from the legendary Penthouse Records who returned to Riddim Driven in 2007 to present their BEAUTIFUL reworking of a classic track from the vaults of Dennis Emmanuel Brown, Stop The Fighting. In typical Penthouse fashion, the riddim lead to such a class drenched project and one of the best RD's ever. Queen Ifrica's 'Below The Waist' set the course and it was followed by real winners from Beres Hammond (twice, once with Buju Banton), Warrior King, Tony Rebel and others including, again, someone who I was always happy so happy to hear from, Sweet C.

"Shaddowz" [2008]

Role model. "Shaddowz" was another piece from Stephen McGregor and, as far as an album, it was well his most interesting. The set featured bites from a trio of (kind of) similarly dark riddims, the Darker Shadow, Dark Again and Shadow. As you can imagine, they all played for a perfect backdrop for certain artists, particularly Vybz Kartel (the only name to take all three tracks on the album), Mavado and Aidonia. It's the latter, however, who steals the show with the stellar and ridiculous 'Empty' and 'Dem Dead' making up his work.

Rub-A-Dub [2008]

'The Plane Land' by Richie Spice

Something to smile about. The Rub-A-Dub Riddim probably is still my choice as the finest edition of Riddim Driven of all time. What you had here was a powerful and subsequently very successful creation from the dominant Roots Reggae producer of the era, Kemar 'Flava' McGregor, which so wonderfully translated from making hit songs into being a big hit album, which is, as we've seen in over 120 instances, a pretty rare occurrence. I really like that I can bring up three songs, all of which were massive hits, and find virtually no distinction. I can't tell you which rose the highest, because they all had very similar paths. Of course I am referring to 'I Am Not Afraid' by Etana, 'Nothing To Smile About' from the Morgans and Richie Spice's 'The Plane Land'. NOW! Even after that , if you wouldn't call one of them single BEST tune on the Rub-A-Dub, I might even agree with you. 'Most High Jah' is one of the best songs Fantan Mojah ever did and a case could be made for It being the best thing this track ever did also. And on top of that, in the midst of all that was even more from Capleton, I-Octane, Anthony B and the GOLDEN 'Never Lost My Way' from Ginjah - again - another tune for which a significant point could be made for its rule here. A MODERN CLASSIC TRACK!

"To The World: Vol. 1" [2008]

This is new. You look at the add-on to the title -Vol. 1- and while a -Vol. 2- never did pop up, "To The World" was a very interesting stop along the final stages of Riddim Driven. Guided by Arif Cooper, the project featured two and half (WHAT!) of his tracks in a combination which didn't make for the finest album, but for when it came about and in retrospect, I still consider it a fairly nice idea. Two of the tracks, the Revolution and the Up & Live weren't anything special and were the kind of normal, really aggressive vibes of the era and they did produce a couple of semi-memorable moments (none of which you're likely to recall immediately, however). But it was the 'half' riddim, an acoustic version of the aforementioned Guardian Angel Riddim which really makes this one relevant today. An entire display of that track would have made for a fine "Vol. 2", but it was nice as it was.

"Beauty & The Beast" [2009]

Dr. Jekyll. Supposedly, the Beauty & Beast Riddims were just different sides of  the same damn riddim. After these few years, I'm pretty sure I still don't hear it, but the piece(s) from TJ Records (which I think were constructed by Daseca), made for one mighty album and probably the last great Dancehall release of the series. It was the Beauty which took over in carrying ten of the album's seventeen tracks and it was also exquisite in changing as much as it did for artists such as Wayne Wonder, Chino and Mr. Vegas. However, definitely its most memorable moment came from Ele on the tune which you'll be ashamed to admit you like (but you will), ‘Wine For Me'. As its title would forecast, the Beast side would add a crazy amount of petrol to things with the flames, unsurprisingly burning brightest for Vybz Kartel and Aidonia.

Rock Steady [2009]

The followup. The Rock Steady was the next time, following the Rub-A-Dub, when Flava and No Doubt Records made a contribution to the Riddim Driven series and it was also the second time where they scored with a winner. Although not to the level of its predecessor, as far as providing the awing tunes, the Rock Steady was well solid and kind of featured a vibes which lead easily to it leading to Lover's Rock which you heard done several times here. Ultimately, it would be Etana once again providing its biggest tune, but I Wayne, Chuck Fenda, Capleton and Stevie Face also did very well for themselves.

Sweet [2009]

Heart happy. As RD came to its end, Flava would become its most prevalent maestro. He would bring in its next edition, as the series would return to Lover's Rock with the Sweet Riddim. Although it isn't as well known as some of his others, I think that this riddim may be, from a purely sonic point of view, one of his best. It was a STERLING powerhouse of a love song waiting to happen and it got just that when placed behind the vocals of Beres Hammond, Freddie McGregor, Gramps Morgan, Glen Washington and - yeah, Etana.

Clearance [2009]

Intentional. Frass' Clearance Riddim did pretty well in its time and although it wasn't necessarily the type of track to go well into an album form (and it didn't), I still recall it very favourably. It was a pretty intense track and served well for people like Flexx and Einstein. But the real point here was the MADNESS that was Bounty Killer's 'Rodney Intentions'.

Trippple Bounce [2009]

Bounce along. I believe (that I'm almost finished! WHAT!) that the Trippple Bounce Riddim was actually done by Stephen McGregor for Chrome and while it definitely doesn't follow a similar road as his earlier material given to RD and hasn't aged greatly, it was a most welcome relief. This one had a little Poppish wash to it and wasn't… completely evil in every way, which lead to a very good album, although not one which stuck around for very long (despite its eighteen tracks).

Ghetto [2010]

Ghetto glare. Etana once again shines across a Flava produced riddim, this time out it's the old school vibed Ghetto and this one has proven to have a bit of longevity behind it. Of course that's due to the music on it and while Etana's 'Mocking Bird' has proven to be its longest-liver, this riddim really had a whole heap of solid pieces throughout. My favourite, 'Unfair' was a combination featuring Peetah Morgan alongside Busy Signal, but you also songs coming from Ziggi Recado, Lutan Fyah, Anthony B, Konshens and even Louie Culture as well.

Street Team [2010]

Something. Fire Links would deliver the Street Team Riddim which was up next on the series. As far as just a basic riddim, it may've been his finest offering for RD and it did have a pretty nice run of success attached to it as well. Stars were in abundance with Agent Sasco, Bounty Killer, Konshens, Mavado and Beenie Man all doing well, but taking top honours was definitely Kartel with the WICKED 'Something Ah Go Happen'.

World Premiere [2010]

Chimeny sweep. Chimney Records' brought forth the existing penultimate edition of Riddim Driven in the form of their World Premiere Riddim which I wasn't the biggest fan of, but definitely had some fire coming from it. The composition, at least to my ears, was very flexible, somewhat Poppish and you saw that reflected in the wide variety of acts on top of it. Wayne Wonder and Chris Martin were on one end while Vybz Kartel and Assassin were on another. Still, this riddim resonates most to me for giving the world 'Gun Down', the crazy tune from the still reigning world's angriest man, Einstein.

Classic [2010]

All in a name. And FINALLLLLLLY (I was just about to take another break, but I talked myself out of it) we have the to date last episode of VP Records' Riddim Driven series from 2010, the well named Classic Riddim from, again, Kemar 'Flava' McGregor and No Doubt Records. This track had such a beautiful vibes in it which inherently made it like up to the lofty title it was given and when you ran it by people like Beres Hammond, Wayne Wonder, Maxi Priest, Etana, Pressure Busspipe a SOARING Singing Melody and others (like the Lindos), you got exactly what you were hoping for in one of the best editions of the series.

No Behaviour! NONE!