Two Bad Rhythms 2

Producer extraordinaire Dave Kelly closed out 1996 with a hat-trick of exceptional rhythms that throbbed with the very pulse of the dancehall. The Joyride rhythm, still ripping up the dance in 1997, merited its own album compilation from VP Records. The other two of Kelly's big 3 -- the 'Haunted' and the 'Dugu,' show up together on Two Bad Riddims 2.

The 'Haunted' half of the 14-track Two Bad... is undoubtedly the stronger of the two segments. Two Bad... features some of Dancehall's heavy hitter's on it's 'Haunted' rhythm. Bounty Killer, Spragga Benz, Lady Saw, Wayne Wonder and Richie Stephens all voice some wicked vocals over the 'Haunted' track. Maybe the quality of the artists makes the rhythm seem better, or maybe the quality of the rhythm drew the artists to it in the first place. In either case, the 'Haunted' track shines on Two Bad...

The aptly named 'Haunted' -- replete with surreal, staccato baseline and horror movie sound effects -- is a spectacular base for Bounty Killa's "Worthless Bwoy," a hilarious dis directed at the men who "cum quick and bawl that they're tired." Also notable is Spragga Benz's bad bwoy anthem "Dolly House." Hearing this one, you really do believe that Benz is capable of "Stepping in your face." Wayne Wonder, quickly becoming a Dave Kelly favorite, makes the first of two appearances on Two Bad... with the Spanish flavored ditty "The Best;" and Lady Saw succinctly spells out the manifesto for the Skettelle Kingdom in "Woman Wi Name."

The 'Dugu' half of the album is not as consistent as the 'Haunted' portion, but the rhythm is another Kelly tour-de-force. Named after the ability to 'dugu-dugu,' the latest name for sex, the rhythm a rolling digital masterpiece. Newcomer Stranger's "Dugu Dugu" is merely a litany of various freaky locations dugu dugu can take place. It's an entertaining song on the first listen, but it won't stay with you very long.

Much more satisfying is "New Suzuki." Just as Bounty Killer was the class of the 'Haunted' rhythm, Beenie Man's "Suzuki" is the best of 'Dugu's' opposing bunch. "me know how fi dugu dugu/ so that ah no self praise," says Beenie. That may or may not be true, but he does know how to ride the rhythm. "Suzuki" was one of Beenie's better offerings for '96.

Frisco Kid scores another hit with "Tink We Nice," an ole-dog styled gal tune in which the Kid slams Nikki, the maid and gets a haircut in a matter of hours. General Degree has a solid tune about the life of the "Heavy Man," and Wayne Wonder's "Glamour Girl" is in the same vein as his bigger hit "Bashment Girl." Baby Cham's very thinly veiled "More Wood" is also worth a listen.

THE VERDICT: Two Bad Riddims 2 is exactly what it is advertised to be -- a showcase of two of the hottest rhythms to enter the dancehall in 1996. If one-rhythm compilations bore you, Two Bad will take twice as long to get on your nerves. If you're looking for some of the biggest singles released as 1996 wound to a close, some of the hottest ones are here. And if you're interested in hearing a top Dancehall producer at the peak of his prolific powers, Two Bad Riddims 2 is a must-have. Dave Kelly does it again.