REGGAE

Jamaican roots reggae from 1968–1985 is the most sampled era. Studio One, Trojan Records, and Channel One productions are particularly valued. The sparse, bass-heavy arrangements and live band feel make reggae samples easy to isolate and use in hip hop, electronic, and dancehall production.

Dub is an instrumental, echo-heavy remix form of reggae that originated in Jamaica in the late 1960s. Producers like Lee "Scratch" Perry and King Tubby essentially invented remix culture through dub. Dub records are sampled for their heavy bass lines, cavernous reverb, and fragmented drum patterns — all of which sit well under contemporary beats.

A riddim is the instrumental version of a reggae track — typically just the rhythm section (drums, bass, guitar skank). In Jamaican music tradition, a single riddim is reused by dozens of different vocalists. For producers, riddims are useful because they are already built as instrumental loops designed to be reused.