Up Close & Personal Riddim
It’s time for ‘Tuesday Tunes’, where I do my best to bring you great music that you may not have heard before in reggae, dancehall, and soca.
On Tuesdays, I’ll introduce you to a song, riddim, or music artist that you don’t hear so frequently on Western sources and tell you how I discovered them myself.
When you listen to these tunes, put some headphones on or plug into a proper speaker – TVs, phones, tablets, or laptops simply won’t do these songs justice!
My Discovery
This riddim has a special place in my heart! It’s been around since 1998 and I remember having the tracks saved to my first ever phone that could store .mp3 files.
This was one of the few riddims that made it to the main radio stations in the Western world, but it must have been around 10 years after the original release. When everyone started playing the tunes I couldn’t understand why it had taken everyone so long to hear it!
I first discovered Tanto Metro & Devonte’s tune, which was strange because they were the least known artists to me out of the four tracks I love the most. Nonetheless, there is much more to discover with this riddim if you like what you hear via a YouTube or Spotify search.
The Music
With some reggae and dancehall, the execution of the lyrics and beat of the riddim can often tell its age, but Up Close & Personal sounds as current in 2020 as it did in 1998.
As you’ll hear from the tracks below, the riddim is so versatile, with each track having its own unique sound.
