Diamond Volume III (John Shop, 2003)

Even non-reggae fans undoubtedly have noticed the barrage of dancehall talent to hit the mainstream airwaves in recent months -- led by Sean Paul, Wayne Wonder, Elephant Man and the like -- and in the midst of this new era of reggae comes John Shop Records, a new label specializing in an hard-hitting, hip blend of dancehall and hip-hop (leaning more heavily towards the former) that could only emanate from New York City.  If ever this sound was poised to take off, it is now, with the popularity of both hip-hop and dancehall experiencing all-time highs in the US.  If you haven't yet gotten a taste of this style, Diamond Volume III is an excellent way to get started, as it packages almost 40 representative songs that help define the John Shop sound.  Although this is a fledgling label, the line-up of talent on this compilation is impressive, with current dancehall headliners such as Sizzla, Sean Paul, Elephant Man, Ghost, Tanto Metro & Devonte, Tony Curtis, and Yami Bolo, but also including veterans like Sammy Dread, Shabba Ranks, Future Troubles, Frisco Kid, Jr. Demus, and Mega Banton, and even up-and-comers like Bling Dawg, Zumjay, Major Damage, Knotch, and Angel Doulas.  Diamond Volume III is multi-rhythm album, with 10 or 11 beats spread out over the breadth of the set (generally, 3 to 5 songs per rhythm), thus ensuring that those who don't particularly like one-rhythm albums won't get bogged down in repetition.  Also aiding such listeners is the fact that each track is really just a 2- to 3-minute song sample, providing just enough of a taste of each tune to satisfy (unlike some party mixes that just throw in a 20-second snippet before moving on to the next track).  Most of the rhythms included here have a hardcore, fast-paced, punishing digital dancehall vibe -- including several tracks from John Shop's Let's Ride set -- that should appeal to both experienced dancehall fans and new listeners drawn into the music by Sean Paul and company.  A couple of hip-hop-oriented beats slip in as well, most notably the funky, swaying Red Light City riddim that carries perhaps the best tune here, Yami Bolo's "Reasons."  Other standouts include Elephant Man's "Shine," Ghost's "Drive Me Crazy" and Angel Doulas' "Tek the Night" (both on a playful dancehall riddim with a steel drum riff), Knoth and Bling Dawg's "Hollywood," Major Damage's wicked "New Style" and Future Troubles' "Nuff Say Them Big Man" (both riding the same thundering dancehall beat), the catchy posse cut "Guinness & Trees" and Tony Curtis' "Aint No Mystery" (both on a fun, freewheeling dancehall/hip-hop hybrid beat), and the dark hip-hop of Major Damage's "El Capo."