Riddim
Encyclopedia
Riddim is the Jamaican Patois pronunciation of the English word "rhythm
," but in dancehall
/reggae
parlance it refers to the instrumental accompaniment to a song. Thus, a dancehall song consists of the riddim plus the "voicing" (vocal part) sung by the deejay. The resulting song structure may be taken for granted by dancehall fans, but is in many ways unique. A given riddim, if popular, may be used in dozens—or even hundreds—of songs, not only in recordings, but also in live performances. Some "classic" riddims, such as "Nanny Goat" and "Real Rock" are essentially the accompaniment tracks to the original 1960s reggae songs with those names. Since the 1980s, however, riddims started to be originally composed by producers/beatmakers, who give the riddims original names and, typically, contract artists to "voice" over them. Thus, for example, "Diwali" is the name not of a song, but of a riddim created by Lenky Marsden, subsequently used as the basis for several songs, such as Sean Paul's "Get Busy" and Bounty Killer's "Sufferer." i "Riddims are the primary musical building blocks of Jamaican popular songs.... At any given time, ten to fifteen riddims are widely used in dancehall
recordings, but only two or three of these are the now ting (i.e., the latest riddims that everyone must record over if they want to get them played in the dance or on radio).... In dancehall performing, those whose timing is right on top of the rhythm are said to be "ridding di riddim".
Riddims are the instrumental backgrounds of reggae
, lovers rock
, dub
, ragga
, dancehall
, soca
, bouyon
and also grime
compositions. Also, rare cases in reggaeton
, which itself is largely based on the Dem Bow and Poco riddims by Steely & Clevie
from the early 1990s, feature a riddim, such as Ivy Queen
and Sasha
's "Dat Sexy Body," which uses the Bookshelf riddim produced by Tony Kelly of the K-Licious reggae label. In other musical contexts, a riddim would be called a groove or beat
. In most cases the term riddim is used in reference to the entire background track or rhythm section
, but in older roots
riddims, riddim is used to reference a certain bass line and drum pattern. Often a melody
is associated with the riddim, and occasionally an artist will produce two different songs with the same riddim (e.g. Elephant Man's "Ele Melody" and "Father Elephant" were both produced using the Kopa riddim
, produced by Supa Dups
).
Some urban contemporary songs may become riddims as well. The instrumental of Ne-Yo
's "Miss Independent
" has become a popular riddim; many dancehall artists have recorded songs using the track. Other songs have inspired riddims too, such as George Michael
’s song “Faith
,” which became a riddim of the same name, and R. Kelly
’s “Snake
,” which became the Baghdad riddim.
and bell pattern
), riddims can generally be categorized into three types. One of the oldest types of riddim is the classical riddim providing roots reggae
, dub and lovers rock with instrumentals, such as Bam Bam, produced by Sly & Robbie. The second type is the ragga riddim backing raggamuffin and dancehall songs, such as the Juice riddim, produced by Richard "Shams" Browne. The third type is the digital riddim, such as Sleng Teng
, produced by King Jammy
.
So-called digital riddims refer to riddims created around the time that Jamaican producers incorporated drum machine
s and synthesizer
s into reggae-music production. Nowadays, however, most dancehall and soca riddims are created by electronic instruments, so, in essence, almost all are digital.
's song "My Wish," Mr. Vegas
' song "Go Up," and T.O.K.
's "Man a Bad Man" are all based on the Juice riddim. Many riddims are named after the song that was recorded on that instrumental track for the first time (or, in some cases, the song that becomes the most popular on a given riddim). For example, the Satta Massagana riddim is named after The Abyssinians'
original song "Satta Massagana
."
Several notable producers include
has released a series of compilation album
s, based on new and occasionally classic riddims, known as Greensleeves Rhythm Album
series. In 2001, VP Records
followed suit, releasing the Riddim Driven
series. Also following suit was the Jet Star
label, with its Riddim Rider series.
Rhythm
Rhythm may be generally defined as a "movement marked by the regulated succession of strong and weak elements, or of opposite or different conditions." This general meaning of regular recurrence or pattern in time may be applied to a wide variety of cyclical natural phenomena having a periodicity or...
," but in dancehall
Dancehall
Dancehall is a genre of Jamaican popular music that originated in the late 1970s. Initially dancehall was a more sparse version of reggae than the roots style, which had dominated much of the 1970s. In the mid-1980s, digital instrumentation became more prevalent, changing the sound considerably,...
/reggae
Reggae
Reggae is a music genre first developed in Jamaica in the late 1960s. While sometimes used in a broader sense to refer to most types of Jamaican music, the term reggae more properly denotes a particular music style that originated following on the development of ska and rocksteady.Reggae is based...
parlance it refers to the instrumental accompaniment to a song. Thus, a dancehall song consists of the riddim plus the "voicing" (vocal part) sung by the deejay. The resulting song structure may be taken for granted by dancehall fans, but is in many ways unique. A given riddim, if popular, may be used in dozens—or even hundreds—of songs, not only in recordings, but also in live performances. Some "classic" riddims, such as "Nanny Goat" and "Real Rock" are essentially the accompaniment tracks to the original 1960s reggae songs with those names. Since the 1980s, however, riddims started to be originally composed by producers/beatmakers, who give the riddims original names and, typically, contract artists to "voice" over them. Thus, for example, "Diwali" is the name not of a song, but of a riddim created by Lenky Marsden, subsequently used as the basis for several songs, such as Sean Paul's "Get Busy" and Bounty Killer's "Sufferer." i "Riddims are the primary musical building blocks of Jamaican popular songs.... At any given time, ten to fifteen riddims are widely used in dancehall
Dancehall
Dancehall is a genre of Jamaican popular music that originated in the late 1970s. Initially dancehall was a more sparse version of reggae than the roots style, which had dominated much of the 1970s. In the mid-1980s, digital instrumentation became more prevalent, changing the sound considerably,...
recordings, but only two or three of these are the now ting (i.e., the latest riddims that everyone must record over if they want to get them played in the dance or on radio).... In dancehall performing, those whose timing is right on top of the rhythm are said to be "ridding di riddim".
Riddims are the instrumental backgrounds of reggae
Reggae
Reggae is a music genre first developed in Jamaica in the late 1960s. While sometimes used in a broader sense to refer to most types of Jamaican music, the term reggae more properly denotes a particular music style that originated following on the development of ska and rocksteady.Reggae is based...
, lovers rock
Lovers rock
Lovers rock is a style of reggae music noted for its romantic sound and content. While love songs had been an important part of reggae since the late 1960s, the style was given a greater focus and a name in London in the mid 1970s.-History:...
, dub
Dub music
Dub is a genre of music which grew out of reggae music in the 1960s, and is commonly considered a subgenre, though it has developed to extend beyond the scope of reggae...
, ragga
Ragga
-Origins:Ragga originated in Jamaica during the 1980s, at the same time that electronic dance music's popularity was increasing globally. One of the reasons for ragga's swift propagation is that it is generally easier and less expensive to produce than reggae performed on traditional musical...
, dancehall
Dancehall
Dancehall is a genre of Jamaican popular music that originated in the late 1970s. Initially dancehall was a more sparse version of reggae than the roots style, which had dominated much of the 1970s. In the mid-1980s, digital instrumentation became more prevalent, changing the sound considerably,...
, soca
Soca music
Soca is a style of music from Trinidad and Tobago. Soca is a musical development of traditional Trinidadian calypso, through loans from the 1960s onwards from predominantly black popular music....
, bouyon
Bouyon music
Bouyon is a form of popular music of Dominica which became popular in the late 1980s. The term Bouyon means something akin to "gumbo soup" in the local creole of Dominica...
and also grime
Grime (music)
Grime is a style of music that emerged from Bow, East London, England in the early 2000s, primarily as a development of UK garage, dancehall, and hip hop...
compositions. Also, rare cases in reggaeton
Reggaeton
Reggaeton is a form of Puerto Rican and Latin American urban and Caribbean music. After its mainstream exposure in 2004, it spread to North American, European and Asian audiences. Reggaeton originated in Puerto Rico but is also has roots from Reggae en Español from Panama and Puerto Rico and...
, which itself is largely based on the Dem Bow and Poco riddims by Steely & Clevie
Steely & Clevie
Steely & Clevie, aka Wycliffe Johnson and Cleveland Browne, was a Jamaican dancehall reggae production duo. It worked with artists such as the Specials, Gregory Peck , Bounty Killer, Elephant Man and No Doubt....
from the early 1990s, feature a riddim, such as Ivy Queen
Ivy Queen
Ivy Queen is a Puerto Rican Latin Grammy nominated reggaeton composer and singer. She is most commonly known as "La Reina del Reggaeton" . She is also known as the Queen of Rivalries.-Early years:...
and Sasha
Sasha (deejay)
Sasha is a dancehall deejay.Born in Kingston, Jamaica, she was raised in Brooklyn. Her first big hit was "Kill the Bitch" while she as still well in her teens...
's "Dat Sexy Body," which uses the Bookshelf riddim produced by Tony Kelly of the K-Licious reggae label. In other musical contexts, a riddim would be called a groove or beat
Beat (music)
The beat is the basic unit of time in music, the pulse of the mensural level . In popular use, the beat can refer to a variety of related concepts including: tempo, meter, rhythm and groove...
. In most cases the term riddim is used in reference to the entire background track or rhythm section
Rhythm section
A rhythm section is a collection of musicians who make up a section of instruments which provides the accompaniment section of the music, giving the music its rhythmic texture and pulse, also serving as a rhythmic reference for the rest of the band...
, but in older roots
Roots reggae
Roots reggae is a subgenre of reggae that deals with the everyday lives and aspirations of the artists concerned, including the spiritual side of Rastafari and with the honoring of God, called Jah by rastafarians. It also is identified with the life of the ghetto sufferer, and the rural poor...
riddims, riddim is used to reference a certain bass line and drum pattern. Often a melody
Melody
A melody , also tune, voice, or line, is a linear succession of musical tones which is perceived as a single entity...
is associated with the riddim, and occasionally an artist will produce two different songs with the same riddim (e.g. Elephant Man's "Ele Melody" and "Father Elephant" were both produced using the Kopa riddim
Kopa Riddim
Riddim Driven: Kopa, also known as Kopa Riddim, is an album produced by Black Chiney that was released on May 10, 2005, as part of VP Records' Riddim Driven series....
, produced by Supa Dups
Supa Dups
-Biography:Dwayne Chin-Quee , better known as Supa Dups, is a Jamaican record producer, a drummer, and DJ/selector based in Miami, Florida. He is a member of the Black Chiney sound system and part of the duo D.A. & the Supa Dups with Chester French lead vocalist D.A. Wallach...
).
Some urban contemporary songs may become riddims as well. The instrumental of Ne-Yo
Ne-Yo
Shaffer Chimere Smith, Jr. , better known by his stage name Ne-Yo, is an American pop and R&B singer-songwriter, record producer, dancer and actor. Beginning his career as a songwriter, Ne-Yo penned the hit "Let Me Love You" for singer Mario...
's "Miss Independent
Miss Independent (Ne-Yo song)
"Miss Independent" is a 2008 single by American pop/R&B singer Ne-Yo. It is the second single from his album Year of the Gentleman and was produced by Stargate. It samples the song "Forget About Me" by Lil Bit. The song was written by Ne-Yo and co-written by Stargate...
" has become a popular riddim; many dancehall artists have recorded songs using the track. Other songs have inspired riddims too, such as George Michael
George Michael
George Michael is a British musician, singer, songwriter and record producer who rose to fame in the 1980s when he formed the pop duo Wham! with his school friend, Andrew Ridgeley...
’s song “Faith
Faith (George Michael song)
"Faith" is a #1 song, written and performed by George Michael, released as a single on Columbia Records, from his 1987 Faith album. According to Billboard magazine, it was the top-selling single of the year in the United States in 1988....
,” which became a riddim of the same name, and R. Kelly
R. Kelly
Robert Sylvester Kelly , better known by his stage name R. Kelly, is an American singer-songwriter and record producer. A native of Chicago, Kelly began performing during the late 1980s and debuted in 1992 with the group Public Announcement. In 1993, Kelly went solo with the album 12 Play...
’s “Snake
Snake (song)
"Snake" is a song by American recording artist R. Kelly, featuring Cam'ron and Big Tigger, from his fifth studio album, Chocolate Factory. It was released on December 15, 2003, by Jive Records as the second single from the album. The R&B song with latin music inspiration was written and produced by R...
,” which became the Baghdad riddim.
Types of riddims
African in origin (see clave (rhythm)Clave (rhythm)
The clave rhythmic pattern is used as a tool for temporal organization in Afro-Cuban music, such as rumba, conga de comparsa, son, son montuno, mambo, salsa, Latin jazz, songo and timba. The five-stroke clave pattern represents the structural core of many Afro-Cuban rhythms...
and bell pattern
Bell pattern
A bell pattern is a rhythmic pattern, often a key pattern , performed on metal bells such as an agogô, gankoqui, cowbell or similar percussion instruments such as the metal shell of the timbales or drum kit cymbal.-sub-Saharan African music:The use of iron bells in sub-Saharan African music is...
), riddims can generally be categorized into three types. One of the oldest types of riddim is the classical riddim providing roots reggae
Roots reggae
Roots reggae is a subgenre of reggae that deals with the everyday lives and aspirations of the artists concerned, including the spiritual side of Rastafari and with the honoring of God, called Jah by rastafarians. It also is identified with the life of the ghetto sufferer, and the rural poor...
, dub and lovers rock with instrumentals, such as Bam Bam, produced by Sly & Robbie. The second type is the ragga riddim backing raggamuffin and dancehall songs, such as the Juice riddim, produced by Richard "Shams" Browne. The third type is the digital riddim, such as Sleng Teng
Sleng Teng
Sleng Teng is the name given to the first fully computerized riddim in Jamaican music. The riddim, which was created by the collaboration between King Jammy and Wayne Smith, was titled "Under Me Sleng Teng". However, in this case Wayne Smith was the one who had found the computerized sound in Noel...
, produced by King Jammy
King Jammy
Lloyd James , better known as Prince Jammy or King Jammy, is a dub mixer and record producer. He began his musical career as a dub master at King Tubby's recording studio...
.
So-called digital riddims refer to riddims created around the time that Jamaican producers incorporated drum machine
Drum machine
A drum machine is an electronic musical instrument designed to imitate the sound of drums or other percussion instruments. They are used in a variety of musical genres, not just purely electronic music...
s and synthesizer
Synthesizer
A synthesizer is an electronic instrument capable of producing sounds by generating electrical signals of different frequencies. These electrical signals are played through a loudspeaker or set of headphones...
s into reggae-music production. Nowadays, however, most dancehall and soca riddims are created by electronic instruments, so, in essence, almost all are digital.
Producers
Different producers often develop their own versions of the same riddim, such as the Punani riddim, which has distinct versions crafted by Steely & Clevie and by Ward 21, and different artists often perform on top of the same riddims with different lyrics and different vocal styles, ranging from singing to toasting. As an example, Beenie ManBeenie Man
Anthony Moses Davis , better known by his stage name Beenie Man, is a Grammy award winning Jamaican reggae artist. He is the self-proclaimed "King of the Dancehall".-Biography:...
's song "My Wish," Mr. Vegas
Mr. Vegas
Mr. Vegas is a Jamaican dancehall star.-Biography:Smith was born in Kingston in 1974. The moniker "Mr. Vegas" was given to Smith by his schoolyard football-mates, who thought that he kicked the ball like a Las Vegas dancer...
' song "Go Up," and T.O.K.
T.O.K.
T.O.K. is a dancehall group hailing from Kingston, Jamaica. The group consists of Alistaire "Alex" McCalla, Roshaun "Bay-C" Clarke, Craig "Craigy T" Thompson, and Xavier "Flexx" Davidson...
's "Man a Bad Man" are all based on the Juice riddim. Many riddims are named after the song that was recorded on that instrumental track for the first time (or, in some cases, the song that becomes the most popular on a given riddim). For example, the Satta Massagana riddim is named after The Abyssinians'
The Abyssinians
The Abyssinians are a Jamaican roots reggae group, famous for their close harmonies and promotion of the Rastafari movement in their lyrics.-History:...
original song "Satta Massagana
Satta Massagana
Satta Massagana is a roots reggae album released by The Abyssinians officially in 1976. It is widely considered The Abyssinians crowning achievement and a classic roots reggae album....
."
Several notable producers include
- Black ChineyBlack ChineyBlack Chiney is a Jamaican sound system based in Miami, Florida. It consists of four Chinese Jamaicans mixed with African descent: Supa Dups, Bobby Chin, Willy Chin and Walshy Killa. The Caribbean slang "Black Chiney" refers to this racial mix....
- Rugged & Prez
- Bobby "Digital" Dixon
- King JammyKing JammyLloyd James , better known as Prince Jammy or King Jammy, is a dub mixer and record producer. He began his musical career as a dub master at King Tubby's recording studio...
- Dave KellyDave Kelly (producer)Dave Kelly is a Jamaican Record Producer. He began his career as an Engineer in the late eighties. After getting into producing at the "Penthouse" label of Donovan Germain, he started his own label "Madhouse" together with business partner Janet Davidson in 1991...
- King TubbyKing TubbyKing Tubby was a Jamaican electronics and sound engineer, known primarily for his influence on the development of dub in the 1960s and 1970s...
- Steven "Lenky" MarsdenSteven "Lenky" MarsdenSteven "Lenky" Marsden is a Jamaican-born music producer and musician who specializes primarily in dancehall reggae music. He also arranges and remixes pop and hip hop songs. Marsden is the founder of the Jamaica-based label, 40/40 Records and was a former member of singjay Buju Banton's band.He is...
- Henry "Junjo" Lawes
- Joe GibbsJoe Gibbs (record producer)Joe Gibbs born Joel A. Gibson was a Jamaican reggae producer.-Biography:Joe Gibbs worked as an electronics engineer in the United States before his career in music started. Gibbs eventually returned to Kingston, Jamaica and opened an electrical repair shop with television repairs and sales as its...
- Donovan GermainDonovan GermainDonovan Germain is a reggae producer, one of the most successful of the digital era.-Biography:Germain's entry into the music industry was via his record shop in New York City in the 1970s. He began production in 1972, visiting Jamaica for recording sessions, working in both roots reggae and...
- Steely & ClevieSteely & ClevieSteely & Clevie, aka Wycliffe Johnson and Cleveland Browne, was a Jamaican dancehall reggae production duo. It worked with artists such as the Specials, Gregory Peck , Bounty Killer, Elephant Man and No Doubt....
- Bost & BimBost & BimBost & Bim are a French dancehall reggae production duo: Matthieu Bost and Jérémie Dessus. The duo has worked with the biggest Jamaican & European reggae artists such as Capleton, Morgan Heritage, Sizzla, Gentleman and Admiral T....
- Stephen "Di Genius" McGregor
Compilation albums
Since 2000, Greensleeves RecordsGreensleeves Records
Greensleeves Records & Publishing is a record label specialising in dancehall and reggae music. The company was founded by Chris Cracknell and Chris Sedgwick and started as a small record store in West Ealing, London, in November 1975 and is based in Britain....
has released a series of compilation album
Compilation album
A compilation album is an album featuring tracks from one or more performers, often culled from a variety of sources The tracks are usually collected according to a common characteristic, such as popularity, genre, source or subject matter...
s, based on new and occasionally classic riddims, known as Greensleeves Rhythm Album
Greensleeves Rhythm Album
Greensleeves Rhythm Album is a series of various artists compilation albums released by Greensleeves Records. Each volume of the series features tracks from multiple artists recorded over one or two reggae or dancehall riddims produced by various producers...
series. In 2001, VP Records
VP Records
VP Records is an independent reggae record label, located in Queens, New York. It is best known for producing Caribbean singers.-The foundation:...
followed suit, releasing the Riddim Driven
Riddim Driven
Riddim Driven is a series of various artists compilation albums released by VP Records. Each volume of the series features tracks from multiple artists recorded over one or two reggae or dancehall riddims produced by various producers. The series began in January 2001 with the release of the...
series. Also following suit was the Jet Star
Jet Star
Jet Star was a United Kingdom record distribution company that grew out of Pama Records in 1978. It was one of the largest distributors of reggae music, the company themselves claiming the title "the world's largest reggae distributors".-History:Jet Star was formed in 1978 by the Palmer Brothers,...
label, with its Riddim Rider series.
External links
- Riddim at the Open Directory ProjectOpen Directory ProjectThe Open Directory Project , also known as Dmoz , is a multilingual open content directory of World Wide Web links. It is owned by Netscape but it is constructed and maintained by a community of volunteer editors.ODP uses a hierarchical ontology scheme for organizing site listings...
- Riddim Database at Jamworld876.net
- Riddimbase - Dancehall & Reggae Riddim Database & Search Engine
- Riddim Database at Frenkieh.com
- Riddimguide
- Jamaican Riddim Directory