Riddim is the Jamaican Patois pronunciation of the English word "rhythm". In the context of reggae and dancehall it refers to the instrumental accompaniment to a song and is synonymous with the rhythm section. Jamaican music genres that use the term consist of the riddim plus the voicing sung by the deejay.

What does riddim mean in music?

It's literally the Jamaican patois (slang) pronunciation for the English word “rhythm.” In dancehall and reggae, “riddim” refers to the instrumental accompaniment to a song. Those genres consist of the riddim instrumental, plus the voicing or MCing (vocal part of a song).

What does riddim mean in EDM?

Riddim is a subgenre of dubstep known for its heavy use of repetitive and minimalist sub-bass and triplet percussion arrangements. It shares the same name as the Jamaican genre that influenced both it and dubstep, which originally derived from dub, reggae, and dancehall.