What is "riddim"

n. An instrumental version of a song in Jamaican or Caribbean music, usually with a drum pattern and a prominent bassline.

Riddim is the Jamaican Patois pronunciation of the English word " rhythm," but in calypso, soca, dancehall and reggaeton parlance it refers to the instrumental accompaniment to a song. These genres consist of the riddim plus the "voicing" (vocal part) sung by the deejay. The resulting song structure is distinctive in many ways. A given riddim, if popular, may be used in dozens—or even hundreds—of songs, not only in recordings, but also in live performances.