Editing Riddim (section)

==Usage==
Riddims are the instrumental background (the rhythm section) of [[reggae]], [[lovers rock]], [[dub music|dub]], [[ragga]], [[dancehall]], [[soca music|soca]], [[Bouyon music|bouyon]], [[Sega (genre)|sega]] and also [[reggaeton]], which itself is largely based on the [[Dem Bow]] and Fish Market riddims by [[Steely & Clevie]] from the early 1990s.

In other musical contexts, a riddim would be called a [[groove (music)|groove]] or [[beat (music)|beat]]. In most cases, the term ''riddim'' is used in reference to the entire background track or [[rhythm section]], but in older [[roots reggae|roots]] riddims, ''riddim'' is used to reference a certain bass line and [[drum pattern]]. Often a [[melody]] is associated with the riddim, and occasionally an artist will produce two different songs with the same riddim (e.g. [[Elephant Man (musician)|Elephant Man]]'s "Ele Melody" and "Father Elephant" were both produced using the Kopa riddim, produced by [[Supa Dups]]).{{citation needed|date=November 2017}} Riddims began forming popular in the early 1960s with the evolving role of the DJ. The work of DJs became less of shouting throughout points during a song, but more focused on an aesthetic with the voicings over these instrumental riddims. A specific DJ, DJ U-Roy, revolutionized the practice with studio recordings of these DJ voicings as his recordings skyrocketed on the charts in Jamaica in the 70s, thus leading to the beginning stages of dancehall. Riddims, therefore, became the standard practice for dancehall as it has progressed. Today, the same practices combining riddim and voicing still takes precedence in dancehall. Other live performances like at clubs or along the streets feature the use of sound systems in which there are usually medleys of different songs that all use the instrumental accompaniment.

While a staple of mainly reggae-based music, an emerging electronic music genre as a sub-genre of [[dubstep]] also called [[Riddim (EDM)|riddim]] has recently emerged.