rolling surf the riddim 2026

I'm stealing the rap thread's naming convention, so I can make a broad anglo- and francophone Caribbean music thread — post dancehall, reggae, soca, shatta, bouyon, etc. itt

(Spanish-language stuff should go in curmudgeon's thread, though one exciting development is how much collaboration the french and spanish artists are doing right now)

Don't worry too much about "2026." I plan to post stuff from last year or even earlier; for example, the thread namesake:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IR4ujMOgxA4

Miimii ft Dj Skycee - Sé Miimii

I couldn't quite get into bouyon until I heard this. Fizzy, effortlessly charming, too short.

As much as I like "Sé Miimii," finally paying serious attention to shatta was the smartest decision I made in 2025. I love how it combines and updates the post-Sleng Teng rough minimal digital and early 90s ragga random-ass sound effects dancehall traditions

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vCRztEFJc50

BAMBY x KERCHAK - Pas Jalouse

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DIDiOzWS8GA

BAMBY x MAUREEN - Chic

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GiKsY6uSLQs

Meryl & DJ Tutuss - Jetski

Meryl, Maureen, and Bamby all put out albums last year, and while the first two go in a slightly boring-to-me album-oriented direction, they also all put out a bunch of fab singles

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tcEFkqD9cx0

Vybz Kartel & Shenseea, "Panic"

how is this so delightful??

Thanks for thread . Plenty of good stuff already.

Cheers, curmudgeon!

Here's a great example of why I made this thread geographically non-specific:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P7JiLfMSJ9I?

DJ Steri × Tii Alexandre × Meryl × TUKS - WOULÉ LA FESS

So this is francophone dembow from Mauritius featuring Meryl, who is Martinican. Not being familiar with any of the Mauritians involved sent me down an incredibly charming Mauritian dembow rabbit hole:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P02cUpQ3ziA

Tii Alexandre & Tipti - Freestyle ft. Wave Empire

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G0-bGqf2cng

Tii Alexandre & Tipti - C'est BMF ft. TUKS

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FGw2dq8nNJs

TIPTI ft. Jo’Ey - To Ti Pou Aster

and there's lots more where that came from, and I assume it's all as infectious and fun

I did intend this to be the Caribbean thread, but since I just posted 3 tracks from Mauritius, I'm posting this French banger that I can't figure out where else to post:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k2U4JiHPoPk

BILOUKI - TCHÉBÉ 2X

getting back on track here's a monster bouyon track from last year:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tW8KrbpTXcI

1T1 ft Théomaa - Bouwery

the Bamby album is packed with gems:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NFYXVcRLaDQ

"Telephone"

love that vybz kartel x shenseea song

bookmarked tyvm

yeah Panic is so fun, reminds me of how fresh Toast sounded back when

rob is this stuff mostly youtube-only? or can I actually buy digital files somewhere other than Bandcamp?

I haven't really looked into it tbh. I used to use iTunes to buy this kind of stuff, but I haven't done that in years. Some of this is on major labels (e.g., Meryl, Bamby) so...however you would normally do that should work. DJs must have a way to play this stuff, though idk they might just be streaming it!

oh and fwiw I think everything I've posted is on Qobuz. I'm not sure if you can buy the tracks from them as I've not done that yet

yeah all I've used is Bandcamp for years, and this stuff isn't showing up there mostly, any tips welcome!

xp ah will look into Qobuz, thanks

there's another service that I remember some people recommending for buying afropop tracks in good quality, but I'm blanking on the name...I think it had the number 7 in it?

ok it's called 7digital but in figuring that out I saw a reddit thread warning people not to use it, argh

lol yikes

I tried a few at random and it looks like you can buy files on Qobuz, but I'm not sure if you have to have a subscription

looks like you can

https://www.reddit.com/r/qobuz/comments/ta2zr4/can_i_buy_digital_music_on_qobuz_without_a_paid/

Ugh, I didn't realise this was the Afro-Caribbean thread till now. Hello!

7Digital is where I buy most of the tracks I need when I play out.

oh, is it bad and hated? shit...

hello! was hoping you'd notice this thread :)

I know absolutely nothing of 7digital, I just saw a few redditors saying they paid and then couldn't download, so I wanted to be circumspect in telling sleeve about it

Rob, thank you - the only thing I knew here was Bouwey!

Oh I haven't had a problem with 7Digital in that respect - but sometimes Google Chrome asks if I want to "Keep" the track before it downloads. It is literally the only place I've found that lets me download stuff in club-ready format (I don't trust m4a's) and they have so much on there

I don't trust m4a's

high five

ha dl, I was just about to tell you to listen to Bouwey in particular! def check out Sé Miimii too

this just came up on my shatta playlist, so infectious, WOO WOO, accordion is the secret weapon in a bunch of these tracks

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B7hy6bTdrVQ

Meryl - EDF Riddim Remix (feat. Danthology)

DenDen is France-French (though also Ivoirian), but this is a nice example of bouyon infecting the broader francophone music world (cf. Theodora's smash "Kongolese sous BBL"), translating it into dreamy pop

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BixNB-r0Epo

DenDen - "Padtal"

https://exposedvocals.com/miimii-kds-ignites-bouyons-future-with-se-miimii/#:~:text=On%20her%20latest%20track%2C%20%E2%80%9CS%C3%A9,the%20beat%20slaps%20with%20an

This person is rightfully enthusiastic about Miimii ft Dj Skycee - Sé Miimii, that is in the lead post for this thread.

I am also now catching up on a Rob nominated 2025 dancehall track by Skippa called WYFL. Skippa is doing a late night gig Saturday March 7 in Jessup, Md which is halfway between DC and Baltimore and has a sizable Jamaican community it seems

The WYFL riddim got big and DJ Mac has released a bunch of versions now, including a run of vets like Kartel, Mavado, Mr Vegas, Anthony B, and Buju. Cool as a phenomenon though I think I still like the original best.

Not sure I recommend anything else I've heard from Skippa unfortunately -- that's not a comment on his talent, it's just almost all the riddims are dreary dark piano-led traphall that I've already complained about enough around here.

Ghanaian Shatta Wale I see has also used the WYFL riddim

Jetski is really good, as is a lot of the stuff in this thread already

yeah I love stripped-down minimalist shatta. You might already know these dl? They're all a bit older

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c4ci1gCE4BQ

PLL - Maya

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X0GWC5HdFWc

Kalash & Maureen - Laptop

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NUd0kaNF7s0

NATOXIE x BAMBY - BMW

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=As59PhBFrKQ

Maureen -Tic

I know you know Tic, but if anyone else hasn't heard it, it's a serious classic

Yeah I know Tic and Laptop, big faves. The others I don't. Loving this thread though

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Kn-vwYUo13M

Kybba, J Balvin & Rytikal - I LOVE IT

more impossible to disentangle and fun as hell fusion, though I do think "dancehall" is the best descriptor here

I guess it figures that, like Mauritius, fellow Indian Ocean island La Réunion would also be putting out cool stuff:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Gku25G-MrNE

TKS 2G - Whine

Speaking of Mauritius, are you familiar with Joker Kartel?

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cY1giKiTZfI

I recommend the SEDJEM remix of that track, High Copy. It's really high energy

not until now, thanks! this bangs

happy new tunes friday!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cFGVFrBqX0w

Meryl - Click (feat. BlackBoy)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R73WxrPM1YU

Shenseea, Vybz Kartel & Rvssian - Talk To Me Nuh

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Tx7VXtxMdiQ

TKS 2G - Boucan Canot feat. P.L.L.

those are all great, but I remain in a state of happy shock at how rad these Kartel & Shenseea tracks are

I forgot to include this Ayetian track. he was my fave dancehall artist last year, despite sometimes defaulting to boring Tommy Lee Sparta cosplay. He's not doing that here, and the riddim is a breezy and bouncy 80s balearic thing:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wCJUGIiGxsc

"Whine Fi Mi"

and while I'm posting, here's an older shatta I only recently heard and love:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=14GClBV33jQ

Kalash - So Coman

Nice! I put So Coman into one of my mixes a little while back and it is so fun. Love love love this thread. Hopefully I can contribute more at some point

really glad to hear it! and definitely post new or old stuff here, the francophone stuff is very new to me, and the Indian Ocean stuff was literally just youtube rec magic

In that case this is a few years old and another Meryl tune but it is such a banger. I wish the last part went on just a bit longer.

Bébé Conte

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2Eehtz8NPQQ

hell yeah that rules, love the drums

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PrRs3Gusj2k

Ayetian - Riddle Me Dis

another fantastic Nvttz riddim on this one

https://www.jonathanbogart.net/blog/2026/3/24/2025-favorites-martinique

Jonathan Bogart fave 2025 shatta and some bouyon from Martinique ( he’s also been posting fave African stuff. I think he’s mentioned in past using YouTube to research)

He’s got streaming links on his site to his playlists. He also posts on Bluesky

yeah I follow him on bluesky and was anticipating this. It's funny though, as sympatico as I should be with JB's project, our tastes diverge a lot and his women-only (more or less) approach is imo ultimately limiting; e.g., his Jamaican lists always look like they were beamed in from another planet to me. Still, I will check out the songs I don't know from this and the next one.

Is JA dancehall shaking off its morbid depressive streak?

This is a warm breeze:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hLicBMCs6Gk

Armanii - NEW TINGZ

This is less summery but still super fun:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Rywk5a0JWOo

Govana & Shakespeare - Mi Seh

The video has one uhhh very interesting vfx, though even more striking is that insane move at 1:40

https://www.jonathanbogart.net/blog/2026/3/31/50-songs-2025

Bogart posted his fave top 50 on his site & bluesky. He's got songs for this thread, dancehall, afropop/afrobeats, Latin etc.

It's a very quick reel about the long long history of that riddim

ah sweet! somehow I haven't managed to hear barely any of those (though I'm queuing up the Ini Kamoze version I have on Rough Inna Town)

more Hill & Gully with a fun video and a rowdy drummer:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kvY23Rh6X-g

Ayetian - Donkey Call

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-VZiXQWSWoU

ARMANII, NOTNICE - WUL UP

this isn't quite there for me, but the production feels fresh (by being recognizably dancehall lol)

timely revive, we have a neighbor now who loves his reggae and dancehall and etc, I can hear it now

gonna start posting the random shit I'm shazaming as I hear it on the island

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e7agMxttD7A

yeah that's a great tune, though it's from 2018 just fyi. is he listening to the radio or playing these himself? are you hearing Spanish-language stuff too or just Jamaican? I was a little surprised when I went to T&T how ubiquitous JA dancehall was on the street, on the radio, etc.

this was a teenage boy walking to school with a bluetooth speaker in his backpack

hearing Spanish and Creole in equal proportions so far

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O5LUmZxWEII

Skeng, Khandy Brawling, Jiggy D - Who A Dance

as with WUL UP I'm down for the refreshing return of lightness (relatively, WUL UP isn't all that sunny) in dancehall this year

I heard "Slip And Slide" at the bar yesterday!

nice! I had a feeling that riddim would be pretty huge in the region, cool to get on the spot confirmation

Who A Dance is fun!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZhqrxYY-fJ8

Meryl - Boss (feat. LeJuh)

franco dembow, nothing groundbreaking but fun

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FlNRWZlvjcU

Natoxie Ft Sage - Elastik

bouyon, I think dog latin might dig this

pretty exciting to see JA artists actually trying to make summer jams (even though there's still a downbeat undercurrent here)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PKpBMfwtnic

Ding Dong, J'Calm, Zum - Outside

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2q-J1_4H3-M

Bayka, Dj Mac - Hot Mama

love the riddim on this

ah Aidonia's "Bada Boom" is on that riddim too, though I can't figure out its name

Yes to that riddim on that Bayka, DJ Mac Hot Mama song

not new, but heard this Aidonia banger at the bar on Saturday

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F5e-ZAWc6ak

that's dope sleeve, thanks, throw hand drums on anything contemporary and I'm happy

new JA riddims continue to be a breath of fresh air:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3teVO8fyhuw

Najeeriii, Yung Bredda - STEAM

hell yes this kind of splits the difference between traphall and the more upbeat stuff I've been posting itt. wild vocal + spacey beat, love it

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ddAbOvXuidY

Pablo YG - Mawnin

not sure how the NYT missed this one on their songwriting list, much to contemplate in the lyrics

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v7B5yj3by54

Intence - GIFTA

I haven't checked in on Intence in a long time, but this is great and not what I was expecting. Awesome bass sound

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nAQnYCziZ9w

Buju Banton - Butterflies

not spectacular, but Buju on the Real Rock riddim is like a nice stack of pancakes or something

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pyuLcnlgEKI

Tielo Lanez & Dj Mac - Chullups (Tumble Dung Riddim)

this is the same slinky guitar mystery riddim on "Hot Mama" and "Bada Boom" above

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JIb_zOymBfw

Kman 6ixx - Bend Ova ft. SamDan, Countree Hype

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T6YzuYUi-2Q

Nigy Boy - Bad Like Dat

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p6SnCr4TMEc

Original Koffee - RAPID FYAH (feat. Skillibeng)

this rules

UK's Pigeon doing "Miami" (not sure what thead this should go on)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=orZihOQgqJM

that's cool

I can't remember where we've discussed Falle Nioke before, but I guess whichever thread that is would be best? or if we still do a rolling post-punk thread

really liked that

Falle Nioke is great. Based in Margate in Kent but I saw him live in Stroud recently and it was a lot of fun

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MEhvNN1nU4M

TKS 2G - Poulet Koko

this is so good. a totally brain-dead beat with delightful marimba on top

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jCxS38nMFN0

DJ Glad x Bilouki x N'Ken - Chaud 3X

forgot to post this one a while back. French rapper Bilouki guesting on some bouyon

I guess I should have made a full-on French rolling thread but oh well

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=og9D6Dpjg2w

LinLin - +

I haven't highlighted N'Ken before, but she's a low-key MVP on a bunch of songs

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xYH9yDWQeQQ

Shannon - Comme moi (feat. N'Ken)

and while I'm in a french mood, I never posted this excellent DJ Skycee & Miimii track:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n1v5D9G6L5E

"Bodé"

s/o pitchfork for highlighting the best track on the new Vybz Kartel album so I didn't have to listen to the whole thing:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nVsszBU6ufs

Round and Round

perfect heat wave banger

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Cc-QIG5ZSpE

Shenseea - BRUCKSWEAT

the 00s revival is in full effect, this is the third new track I listened to today doing the orientalism (not really pejorative) thing:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qT-7D0OzYoA

Teejay - Celibate

plus here's a shatta song with Ce'cile and a new Cham & Jada Kingdom collab:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sym8TPkMsKk

Ce'cile, N'ken, Dj Fly, Foxii - Drink & Wine

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eQtbIwmpme0

Cham & Jada Kingdom - Move

rob et al you are doing god's work in this thread. i've got a set at St Paul's Carnival today, I'm going to be playing a lot of stuff from this thread

thanks dog latin, that looks like a great event, enjoy!

My set was only half an hour but was really well received. The remit was "Caribbean music only", so while most of the other DJs were playing dancehall and soca it was great to lean into my French background and play a set of mostly shatta, bouyon and other Frnacophone styles.

Anyway, it's given me a hankering to check out more Bouyon so here's a thing:

Real Reel - Comic

youtube.com/watch?v=C6rgo_3ojck&themeRefresh=1

Oh

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C6rgo_3ojck

Apologies if this has been posted already. But if it has it deserves to be posted again

DJ Leska x Shannon - Capitaine

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gbIQMP_ZzDU

threw in some of these as ringers in my first island set and can report that "Talk To Me Nuh" went down best with the locals

xp that one's new to me dl, thanks!

that's cool sleeve, always curious to hear about your musical exp down there. I was just in Costa Rica, heard a lot of reggaeton and some other stuff on the radio but never had the chance to dig into anything

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5zd-pLC48Y0

Natoxie Ft Bad’Deey & Bad Bitch - Kiki

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Eo4rcZbpgNo

Staniski x Scory Kovitch x N'ken x Matieu White - Mém Si "Doudou"

love this new Meryl, wish I had a better sense of what's actually going on musically with some of the franco stuff (I think I'm hearing some kind of combination of Haitian kompa and Congolese guitar??)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rELzBj1tDlk

Meryl - Y'a Blo (feat Guy2Bezbar)

Meryl is, like, my favourite artist this year. How is she consistently putting out all these amazing choons?

yeah it's a brilliant run

A couple of stylistic swerves from Jamaica:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PcDcQ3sD34Y

Tanzie - Thanks

Not a huge swerve here, this is really warm rnb (sorta 90s neosoul too). I need to check out more of her stuff, she's great

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=abFz_xZNZ4Q

Witty - Jacket Weather

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hyXB4O2JHN4

Witty - Five Minutes

But this is unique. It's alt rock, but the vocals are still straight-up dancehall (he sounds a bit like Aidonia), worth keeping an eye on

damn I think I love this stuff, I'm about to start a hopeless dedicated thread:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WZyVUT28SM8

Witty - Friday Night

Dancehall rock! Crazy

check out this big international (Martinique, St Lucia, Colombia, La Réunion, Mauritius) group hang

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_uJnKet_T5U

Thug Life - Tii Alexandre, N’ken, Lion Fiah, Blaiz Fayah, Jozii, T'jy, Junior, Blackboy, TUKS

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6uvq5kGz1EM

Meryl - Nous on a vraiment bossé beaucoup

ho-hum another Meryl banger

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JliXkJgBSB0

Nordia Mothersille & Notnice - Wealthy and Lonely (Walk Out Riddim)

this is getting popular, and there's a few other versions on the riddim (I liked Stalk Ashley's)

It's hard to get super excited about new Protoje in 2026—he's so consistent, you know what you're going to get—but I like the production on these two:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KFoWmICZbeg

"Something I Said" ft. Jesse Royal (smokey 70s soul)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0V--zpofsJI

"Reference" (modern nyahbinghi? not really, but it's v pretty)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=axndNXphlY4

Eve La Marka - golden boy ft. Bamby

V good video for this. Eve appears to be French (I should've made a roulant France thread this year), though everything I'm listening to from her is basically shatta

for example, from 2024:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QtoqXeFCPaM

Eve La Marka ft Dj Sebb - Boss it