Various Artists – Lion Pride Riddim

Over the past year I have noticed that many of the people I and Pauzeradio.com collaborate with have stepped up their work rate, and that is certainly the case with Upsetta Records and everyone involved in their projects. Their last release, the Reggae Robin riddim, was smothered in big tunes, so I had high hopes for their latest release, the Lion Pride Riddim.

At first glance, the line-up had me thinking straight away, “wow”, what a collection of great artists all on one riddim, and I had a feeling I was going to love it. Being a lover of musical riddims, I instantly noticed the variety of instruments within the sound. The riddim has a laid-back feel with a natural, steady flow and reminds me slightly of the riddim accompanying Buju Banton’s 1997 hit Close One Yesterday.

Agent Sasco is first up on the roster with Winning Right Now, a very powerful and uplifting cut. His vocals have a slightly rough edge, but that suits the silky-smooth riddim perfectly. Sasco is a clever lyricist, combining the singjay style he pulls off so effortlessly with some sweet female backing vocals, creating an incredibly effective finished track.

Moving swiftly into a different style, we have the unique sound of Bobby Hustle with Never Know, a song I think many people will be able to relate to. Bobby is very defined in both his vocals and lyrics, which pulls us into listening to the whole song with open ears.

Bud gives us All For You, a beautiful serenade to the one and only in her life. Sung with real conviction, it creates a very addictive sound. I really love Bud’s tone and singing style, which completely switches up the variety on the riddim, almost taking it towards a Pop feel. I highly rate this track, and she already has my fingers twitching to search for more of her music.

Giving a breakdown of each song on this release feels essential because there is nothing worse than investing in a collection and knowing nothing about it. One thing that deserves praise is the variety in the lyrical themes, and we are only on track four. Capital D gives us Dance Nice Again, a smooth singalong track that will have you chanting the lyrics as he moves from verse to chorus in a quick-fire flow, mentioning many of the legends who have helped, and continue to help, make the dance nice again.

Delly Ranx, a regular on Upsetta’s releases, comes through with My Backative, which has recently had a video released through the Reggaeville website. In true Delly Ranx style, the lyrics are positive and well thought out. It is another strong singalong track, something we have become accustomed to hearing from Ranx.

A little surprised by this addition to the riddim, we have the absolute legend Gregory Isaacs blessing the release with Please Forgive. As always, Gregory’s unique sound sits firmly over the riddim, pulling our ears into the story he is giving us. This track has not only surprised me, but reminded me just how much I love his vocals and the way he sits on a beat — not that I needed reminding.

Next we have Greg Roy with Get Out. He is a new artist to my ears, but WOW! I have to ask myself, how have I not heard this artist before? His vocals are incredible, with an edgy quality and phenomenal singing ability. Again, the lyrics are positive, motivating and uplifting.

Jah Wisdom is another artist who is new to me. His song Hold Up Your Light is progressive and smooth, touching on faith and strength. Another certified anthem that is easy to sing along with.

Last, but far from least, we have the talented Perfect Giddimani with Faith. Yet again, I have to say Perfect absolutely nails this one down to a tee. His distinctive and passionate vocals, mixed with his completely individual performance style, are more than enough to create another big tune. This is an ideal finishing track for the release.

Summarising this new release from Upsetta Records and Flow Production, it is not quite what I expected. The laid-back riddim is powerful and steady, but I would say that the Lion Pride Riddim is a massive step up from the previous release, mainly because of the artist selection.

It is not normally the sort of riddim I pay a huge amount of attention to, as I usually prefer things with a little more pace. With that in mind, after listening to the release all the way through, I actually really like it.

The production is tight, but so was the previous release, which tells me that the production team are maintaining a consistently high standard. There is not much room for improvement when the quality is already at this level, and it is good to hear that consistency carried through into another project.

I can imagine the Lion Pride Riddim gaining plenty of radio support, especially with summer approaching. It has that relaxed summertime vibe, while every artist brings something different to the same riddim and almost all of the tracks are incredibly easy to sing along with.

Lion Pride Riddim review by Gav Pauze for Pauzeradio