Meaning
The instrumental backing track of a reggae or dancehall song — the bass, drums, and melody over which deejays and singers perform. In a defining feature of Jamaican music, a single popular riddim is often voiced by dozens of different artists, each cutting their own song over the same rhythm, so that a hot riddim spawns a whole family of tunes. The riddim is the foundation on which the music is built, and to 'ride the riddim' well is the deejay's and singer's art, the beat and the voice together making the song.
Examples
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Nuff artist voice pon di same riddim.
Many artists recorded over the same instrumental.
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Dat riddim mek di whole place move.
That beat made the whole place dance.
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Di producer build a new riddim.
The producer created a new instrumental track.
Origin
The Jamaican pronunciation of English 'rhythm', which became a technical term for the reusable instrumental in reggae and dancehall production.
How it’s used
A core music-industry word in Jamaica. Riddims often have their own names and become the basis of dozens of tracks.