July 30, 2024
ZJ West and Chambah have brought a tropical vibe to the dancehall genre with a new riddim that’s innately dancehall but infused with the authentic sound of the steel pan, a type of drum used mainly in soca and calypso music. It is dancehall to the core, infectious and hardcore, made from steel drums that would make even the humblest of persons want to dance. Both West and Chambah credit Dean Barnett, the owner and founder of the Silver Birds Steel Band, as the person who influenced the use of the instrument in the riddim. Comically called the Pan Chicken Riddim, the project brings together all the elements of the Caribbean and features some of Jamaica’s top recording artists.
Included on the compilation are the recognizable talents of Gyptian, Charly Black, Tommy Lee Sparta, Jahvillani and Pablo YG, as well as a reemergence of Esco from Leftside & Esco fame. Pan Chicken Riddim also introduces upcoming artists such as ShellChapo, Gaado, DJ Insane, Joel Immortal and Peppa Immortal of the popular social media dancing group Dancehall Fraternity Tree. It is 16 tracks, consisting of both explicit and radio edits, that ranges from party to lifestyle songs and 2 versions of the instrumental.
Garnering rave reviews since its release on July 12, the rhythm compilation has charted in over 20 countries including The Seychelles, Barbados, Trinidad, The Bahamas and Japan just to name a few. Charly Black has also managed to score his first number 1 hit on the US iTunes Reggae Chart since “Party Animal” with his banger on the Pan Chicken Riddim titled “Start the Party”. Already in heavy rotation on mainstream radio in Jamaica and overseas, the Pan Chicken Riddim looks to be a crowd favorite this summer.
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