Pyramid Sampler Volume 1 (JamDown, 1998)

A solid, no-frills showcase of hard-hitting, modern digital dancehall is about as good as you can expect from JamDown, and Pyramid Sampler provides just that.  Who are Pyramid International Records?  Damned if I know, and from what I can tell, there was never a Volume 2, but Volume 1 is certainly worth the minimal price you're likely to pay for it nowadays (I got it for a whopping $1).  Don’t be scared off by some of the "no-names" here; they actually provide some of the best work.  Granty Roots' "Work Hard for the Money" is probably the best, a gruff, rumbling jam that adapts the chorus from Donna Summer hit.  Rocabessa's "Ole' Imposter" and Wayne Fresh's "Mother You Tried" likewise shine, even with the latter's chicken-headed message of "If I turn out no good, Mother you tried."  More established names like Lady Saw, Don Yute, and Frisco Kid shore up this album's foundation with the cuts "Unite," "This Year," and "Don't Stop Black."  There isn't a whole lot of recycling of riddims here, except on tracks 8 through 11, which share the same beat.  All in all, Pyramid Sampler is nothing spectacular, but likely a good value if you pick it up in the cut-out bin.