NC Dread, South African singjay, still defends Ragga with new Dancehall Album #RiddimRyder

NC Dread’s “Riddim Ryder” Album places Dancehall in the forefront – where it belongs!

Title: Riddim Ryder Album
Artist: NC Dread
Executive Produced by: Bashment Music SA
Recorded, Mixed and Mastered at: LaSoul Studios (CT)
Genre: Dancehall
Distributed by: 21st Hapilos
Release: November 2019

The discussion about Dancehall dying a slow death has once again resurfaced and it is left up to the dancehall soldiers to defend it.  Elephant Man done gone and Find It, a city for dancehall, bringing Dancehall where it supposed to be. Down South Mzansi’s very own Dancehall King, NC Dread took on the mantle and dropped an album with 18 tracks dedicated to Dancehall. He rallied the troops, as per usual, from different zones and countries in Africa, where they have to battle it out alongside Afro Beats, the very sound threatening to overshadow Dancehall, though Dancehall in Africa is bubbling under holding its own with more and more artists digging into Dancehall and doning it with a local flavour.

The Album titled Riddim Ryder, is an ode to Dancehall, and NC is determined to challenge the (mis)conception that Dancehall is dying by delivering 18 tracks that are strictly Riddim based Dancehall tunes. Before dropping the album, he released the single Bad Like the 90’s off Riddim Ryder and provoked:

Dancehall producers took a wrong turn when they started “trapping” the dancehall riddims. This has resulted in fans of original dancehall losing interest in current dancehall and you wonder why afrobeats now takes the lead? Bring back the 90s dancehall! #bringbackdancehall2020

On his birthday, he dropped a free link for his fans, invoking them to anticipate the lyric laden Riddim Ryder Album dropping on his birthday month of November. Its all in the lyrics, the riddim and the arrangement that you get the feel that he is unapologetic when he says, Dancehall will never die, we will bring it back from the 90’s and take it into 2020.

He comes out blazing on the title track Riddim Ryder produced by his long time associate DJ Wallace and offloads a truck load of lyrics where he explains why and how he Rides upon Riddims, ‘he is badder than the one called knight Ryder.’ But it is with the track Badder Dan Dem that he flexes and puts a stamp on his badness, and its another DJ Wallace production. The producer singjay duo vibe together so easily to produce hit after hit.

General Degree The Dancehall Terrorist and JahSeed the Godfather joined forces with NC and let loose with the track ‘Like Dis’, this one is a club banger, you would be hard pressed not to want to whine pon dis, its a dancehall tune in its purest form and all three generals vibe nice together with a seamless flow pon the riddim produced in Cape Town by Kingsoud Production.

He pulled all stops to emphasise his stance and brought in Bad Gyal Ak Songstress from Ghana (The future and foundation of Dancehall in Africa) and together they  say, Dancehall We Run! A showcase that Dancehall is not limited to the Dancehall Queens on stage but the sisters can hold it down lyrically and hit hard as well on any Dancehall Riddim. We Gi Dem, a massive combo with Africa’s Dancehall King Shatta Wale from Ghana, which dropped earlier in the year and caused a stir in the Dancehall circles, had to be included in the Riddim Ryder album, as it sums up what Dancehall kings do, they gi dem what they want, raw or edit version.

Back home  he got together with SAMA award winner, Black Dillinger to echo a plea to Stop Dis Killing, coming at the time of the xenophobia violence that grappled South Africa, meaning that as much as he is a Dancehall die hard, he is finely attuned to his social surroundings and that even through Dancehall social commentry is possible and necessary. Same way, the combo with SAMA Nominee Botanist, Life is a Journey is a motivational song and reminds one to keep his head up. In Njenge Vosho, he teamed up for the first time with Cape Town based producer Silector Joseph of Kingsound Production, adding that unique Cape Town Dancehall sound that Kingsound is known for. Again here NC shows that he is fully aware of the current trends and Dancehall can keep up, rather than being left behind; Vosho being the lastest dance craze from South Africa.

The album opens with Houdini in a Pulpit, a somewhat gospel-ish tune where he lashes out at false prophets. It is this track Vosho and Holiday featuring Selma Sky which is more of a pop track, that are not strictly Dancehall but adding a feel of his range.

The album is an amalgamation of some of his singles that he released early in the year and also the collaboration with Artists from other African Countries and the different producers makes it a pleasure to listen. The added bonus track, ‘Baddest‘ sums up the whole vibe of the Album, its Africa connection of Dancehall with 9 artists from 7 countries in one song. Riddim Ryder was recorded at La Soul Studio in Cape Town is well rounded and attentive to detail, well arranged by its executive producers, Bashment Music SA who is also NC Management team and Shatta Wale Southern Africa Representatives. NC Dread, the singjay, songwriter and performer definitely has a distinctive delivery style and the ability to flow and ride pon any Riddim and you can hear it for yourself in the Album Riddim Ryder.

(Story Credits: MzansiReggae)