French record label Irie Ites Records is back with the “Diamond Riddim,” a brand-new Reggae compilation entitled produced by West Finga & Jericho.
The “Diamond Riddim” features some heavy weights of Reggae music such as General Levy, Skarra Mucci and Spectacular alongside upcoming artists like Lion D and Columbo.
“Rub A Dub Anthem” by Jr Yellam, “Worries Ina Dance” by Columbo and “Gimme Some Rub A Dub” by Lion D are all in the same cohort of Rub-a-Dub. Columbo promotes peace in the dancehall, as he sings that he dislikes “worries inna dance and fighting.” The pattern of the chorus of “Gimme Some Rub A Dub” somehow reminds me of the song “Melody” made famous by Warrior King. ‘Like Tenor Saw, man haffi ring the alarm.’ The first verse is a sort of tribute to Tenor Saw, in which you will be able to recognize the characteristic flow of “Ring The Alarm.” Jr Yellam keeps it simple and laid-back, inviting people to rub-a-dub and enjoy themselves in the dance.
The “Diamond Riddim” also includes three songs which guiding principle is centered on a penchant for mari juana: “Blaze Up” by General Levy highlights the wellbeing smoking weed brings him as he compares ganja as the “healing of the nation.” In a similar vein is “In The Air” by Solo Banton. “Aroma is in the air, somebody’s smoking high grade round here. I wonder if they want to share…” And the last but not the least, “Never Weary Yet” by Ras McBean, which is a decent enjoyable track, peppered with his charming voice. Even if these tunes deal with the same topic, they all sound different and unique in their genre.
Spectacular stands firm and strong. The rawness of his flow in “Cyaan Whole Me Down” significantly increases the impact of this song. He delivers a clear message to hypocrites and parasites. Spectacular tells them he is invincible in a certain way ‘Live and never die. Unnuh don’t ask me why, bun dem hypocrites and spy […] Cyan hold me dung, me seh dem cyan beat me dung.‘ Once having heard his range of vocal techniques and the rich, lyrical content of this song, it’s obvious that this tune won’t leave you indifferent.
“Laba Laba” showcases one more time SkarraMucci‘s versatility in terms of songwriting ability and vocal performance. In this consciously aware track, he raises sensitives issues like poverty and war with his distinctive voice and flow and an old-school vibe. The track is arguably one of the best on the set.
The good-over-evil track “Dem No Loyal” by Tony D teaches a lesson about loyalty. Tony D warns you to beware of people surrounding you, since people who are close to you don’t necessarily grant their loyalty even though they pretend it. Tinted by his smooth and warm vocals, this song reels the listener all the way into a respectful self-reflection at the very heart of its creation.
To sum-up, the “Diamond Riddim” a really good riddim that contains 9 tracks concerning diverse topics approached in different ways by various artists. There is something for everyone, no matter what your tastes are in Reggae music. The compilation also includes a dub version of the instrumental mixed with Columbo‘s vocals. If you haven’t checked it you yet, you definitely should.
Written by Krazy Gyal and Emin Bayramov.
Track list:
1 – Jr Yellam “Rub A Dub Anthem”
2 – Skarra Mucci “Laba Laba”
3 – Spectacular “Cyaan Whole Me Down”
4 – General Levy “Blaze Up”
5 – Lion D “Gimme Some Rub A Dub”
6 – Solo Banton “In The Air”
7 – Ras Mc Bean “Never Weary Yet”
8 – Tony D “Dem No Loyal”
9 – Columbo “Worries Ina Dance”
10 – Jericho “Worries Ina Dub”
11 – Jericho “Diamond Dub”
Riddim info:
- Riddim composed by West Finga,
- Mixed by West Finga, Jericho & Judi K,
- Mastered by DD for Villa Mastering.
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The riddim has been released on February 17th, 2014 on 7” vinyl records and exclusively on www.reggaerecord.com in digital format. It will be released on other digital platforms like iTunes and Amazon on March 15th, 2014. You can listen to the megamix of “Diamond” riddim for FREE and purchase a copy of the compilation on all major digital outlets. Let us know what you think about it by commenting below or sharing.