Black attack riddim

In Jamaica, the lifeblood of the record industry is the riddim (from "rhythm"), an instrumental produced by a label. A label that does not settle for recording a single artist on that riddim, but as many as it can: this is what is called a "series". To make a name for itself, a label will try to get big names on its riddim.

Amid the endless flow of releases, artists have every interest in voicing the most popular riddim of the moment. Every week in Jamaica, more than a hundred 7" singles are produced this way.

Only later, if an artist manages to find a distributor and a record company, can they make an album, which usually gathers some of those singles.