By: Ricza Lopez (Buffalo State College)
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You are chillin’ in your house one day and you decide to listen to music. But wait, you heard everything on your play list before. What do you do to get the latest in music?
Depending on the genre of music, certain songs come out from a weekly to monthly basis. Since I’m a Caribbean music fiend, I’m always on the lookout for the latest tune or Riddim. Don’t know what a Riddim is? Riddim is an instrumental version of a song which applies to Caribbean music in general ranging from Calypso to Soca and even Reggae. Riddim is a Jamaican patois term derived from the English word “Rhythm” which can incorporate beats, melodies and heave bass lines.
If you want to look at one of the latest Riddims that we know up to date, take the Coconut Tree Riddim. a Soca beat with Rupee’s “Single Ladies”, Peter Ram’s “Tight” and Problem Child’s “Best Wine, Vex Wine”. This you propbably would not hear often on a Radio Station compared to the Good Life Riddim with Mr. Vegas’ “I am Blessed” or Vybz Kartel’s “Dollar Sign” or even the Trippple Bounce Riddim with Mr. Vegas “Gallis”, Vybz Kartel’s “Bicycle” and Voicemail’s “Nuh Behavior” which you can find on mixtapes and certain Radio Stations that play Dancehall on the “regular”. It’s all about the cliche listening to the right thing at that right time or moment.
When it comes to Riddims, its a tricky situation because sometimes you hear it on mixtapes or on certain Radio Stations before they are released as a compilation CD or on on the designated artist’s album. Talking to my friends who are DJ’s and music lovers is always a blast because we be putting each other on to songs and Riddims we never even knew existed.
Unless you hear these Riddims on mixtapes, Radio Stations and through DJ’s you may personally know, researching them is a hassle. This is why it is crucial to know the names of songs and even lyrics for that matter, it can definitely save your life. Now that summer is right around the corner, its just a matter of a new Riddim coming out or maybe have some that we heard already blow up just like the Hold Yuh Riddim.
In the meantime, here is a foundation to get you started. Check out these Riddims!
