Oh No It's Red Rat
U.K. teens in the throes of Red Rat rapture force performance venue escapes a la Elvis, and it's spreading to this colony. But the diminutive rodent's more than cute and cuddly. Rat's also blessed with sly humor and keen, hip-hop inflected rhyme skills--heavy on the high-pitched, "riddimatic" drilling and light on the melodic sing-song favored by his reggae deejay peers. Lead track, "Shelly Ann," "burst" him in the Jamaican  scene last year; other reggae radio dominators here include "Tight Up Skirt" and  "Dwayne." Producer Danny Brownie gives the set variety with combinations [duets], like "Love Them Bad," featuring Buju Banton. Another key to Red Rat's success: Brownie's irresistible riddim tracks, like the "scandal," which play well to both reggae and pop tastes. --Elena Oumano