In Jamaican dancehall music, a riddim is the instrumental accompaniment to a song and is synonymous with the rhythm section. Jamaican music genres that use the term consist of the riddim plus the voicing sung by the deejay. A given riddim, if popular, may be used in dozens—or even hundreds—of songs, not only in recordings but also in live performances.
Sean Paul Ryan Francis Henriques is a Jamaican rapper and singer who is regarded as one of dancehall and reggae's most prolific artists of all time.
Clifton George Bailey III, better known by his stage name Capleton, is a Jamaican reggae and dancehall musician. He is also referred to as King Shango, King David, The Fireman and The Prophet. His record label is called David House Productions. He is known for his Rastafari views expressed in his songs.
VP Records is an independent Caribbean-owned record label in Queens, New York. The label is known for releasing music by notable artists in reggae, dancehall and soca. VP Records has offices in New York City, Miami, London, Kingston, Tokyo, Johannesburg and Rio de Janeiro. Additionally, the label has established a presence in Toronto, Australia and New Zealand.
Vivienne Tanya Stephenson, known by her stage name Tanya Stephens, is a Jamaican reggae singer and deejay who emerged in the late 1990s. She is most known for her hits "Yuh Nuh Ready Fi Dis Yet" — later featured on the Reggae Gold 1997 compilation album — and "It's a Pity", for which Stephens achieved international recognition. She and business partner Andrew Henton have together co-founded Tarantula Records.
Kenshin Iryo, better known by his stage name Million Stylez, is a Swedish dancehall artist.
Black Chiney is a Jamaican sound system based in Miami, Florida. It consists of four Chinese Jamaicans: Supa Dups, Bobby Chin, Willy Chin and Walshy Fire. The Caribbean slang "Black Chiney" refers to this racial mix.
Ward 21 are a group of dancehall musicians and producers from Kingston, Jamaica, named after the psychiatric ward at the University Hospital of the West Indies in Kingston. Comprising Ward 21 are renowned producers and have created hit dancehall riddims like "Badda badda", "Da Joint", "Bellyas", and "Volume" as well as hit singles like "Haters" and "Judgement Day".
David Constantine Brooks, better known by his stage name Mavado, is a Jamaican dancehall singer. Mavado is signed to We the Best Music Group and formerly to Cash Money Records.
Collin Demar Edwards, better known by his stage name Demarco, is a Jamaican dancehall and reggae recording artist.
Henry Buckley Jr. aka Sadiki previously known as Pancho Kryztal, is a Jamaican-American singer, songwriter and producer.
Garfield Delano Spence, also known as Konshens, is a Jamaican dancehall recording artist, deejay, singer and businessman.
Parris Renee Goebel, also known mononymously as Parris, is a New Zealand dancer and choreographer. She is the founder and main choreographer of the Palace Dance Studio, which has produced dance crews such as ReQuest, Sorority, Bubblegum, and the Royal Family. The last has won the World Hip Hop Dance Championship three times in a row, becoming the first dance crew in history to achieve it.
Desmond Méndez, better known as Charly Black, alternatively known as Charly Blacks, and originally known as Tony Mentol, is a Jamaican reggae and dancehall singer, selector and singjay. He is best known for his track "Gyal You a Party Animal", which became popular outside Jamaica in regions including Mexico, South America, and Spain. The song was a hit in these regions, as well as in some parts of the Caribbean and Central America. It is also one of the most watched dancehall videos on YouTube with over 238 million views as of February 2022. Other songs include "Whine & Kotch" Feat. J Capri, "Girlfriend", "Bike Back", and "Hoist & Wine". Mendez has also collaborated with other music artists, including his collaboration with American Latin pop star Jencarlos Canela in the single "Pa Que Me Invitan".
Desire Sibanda is a Zimbabwean reggae singer and songwriter, better known by his stage name Dizzy Dee. He moved to Australia in 2007 and currently resides in Melbourne where he performs and works as a disk jockey on a regular basis.
Riddim is a subgenre of dubstep known for its heavy use of repetitive and minimalist sub-bass and triplet percussion arrangements. It shares the same name as the Jamaican genre that influenced both it and dubstep, which originally derived from dub, reggae, and dancehall. Originating in the United Kingdom, specifically Croydon, in the early 2010s as a resurgence of the style used by early dubstep works, riddim started to gain mainstream presence in the electronic music scene around 2015.
Dancehall pop is a sub-genre of the Jamaican genre dancehall that originated in the early 2000s. Developing from the sounds of reggae, dancehall pop is characteristically different in its fusion with western pop music and digital music production. Dancehall pop is also different from dancehall in that most songs use lesser Jamaican Patois in lyrics––allowing it to be globally understood and consumed. It also incorporates the key pop music elements of having melodies, hooks, and the verse-chorus format. Additionally, the genre moves away from the reggae and roots reggae music origins in social and political protest, now lyrically centering on partying, dancing, and sexuality.
"Handsfree" is a song recorded by American singer Mya featuring Dancehall recording artist Ding Dong. A "bouncy" riddim song, it was written by songwriter Zan with production courtesy of Jonny Blaze, Stadic, and DJ Perf. As a standalone single, "Handsfree" was released in June 2019 and is one of a handful of tracks featured on producer Jonny Blaze's Sexting Riddim compilation album. Upon release, the song received a positive response from critics and music fans alike. An accompanying music video followed which was produced and filmed in Kingston, Jamaica.
Pascalli is an American singer, songwriter and producer of the Bahamian and Dominican descent. She got started in music when dancehall musician Red Rat discovered her while working on a movie set in 2010. In 2020, she released her first music production project called the "Kwarantine" riddim featuring artists such as Red Rat, Ding Dong, Bay-C formerly of T.O.K. and many others.
Jahvillani, born Dujon Mario Edwards is a Jamaican and dancehall artist from Great Pond, St.Ann, a parish in Jamaica. He has two sisters and was raised by a single parent.
