Insomniac Magazine’s Weekly Hip Hop Top Ten: Don’t Sleep On These New Releases

Sometimes the heat from our chart is so extreme we have to pump the AC while compiling it!!! Well it happened again & the staff ain’t stopped sweatin’ yet!! You better open up a window & let in the breeze…It’s time for Insomniac’s Weekly Top 10!!!

1) CRIMEAPPLE. DANIEL SON. SMOOVTH. Need we say more? When you hear those names you KNOW you’re in for a lyrical display unlike any other & “When You Go” check out the Insomniac countdown you’ll find them reigning confidently at the top! Behind the boards assassin, Buck Dudley, showers the soundscape with south of the border sonic power & plenty of boulder-shattering boom bap! This is what you’ve been waiting for…and you better damn well get used to it!!!

2) TONEYBOI & BENNY “Made It Out” the streets to dominate the music industry & Camoflauge Monk arms them with enough sonic ammo to keep it that way!!! The beats & rhymes on this track are pure savagery! Just when you think you’ve absorbed one punchline another one comes out of nowhere to leave you facedown on the mat! Be glad they made it out so you can keep receiving dope music! Check the skills & salute the movement!

3) AG x EYEDEE enlist NOWAAH THE FLOOD, RECOGNIZE ALI x DJ AKIL for a “Certified” SMASH that will strike terror in the hearts of mere mortal MCs! The extraordinary lineup of underground talent welcome listeners to the next level with a vengeful intensity unmatched by the competition! They got the wild style! Lord help those who stand in their way!

4) KNOTZ were disgusted by the circus the rap game’s become so they loaded up the heavy artillery and became “Clown Killerz!” One-by-one the mumble mouthed, technicolor tressed, simpletons were ambushed much to the delight & gratitude of true heads worldwide. Wack lyricism must be exterminated at all costs. We’re putting our faith in Knotz to continue snuffing out the verbal vermin while restoring the balance of the underground!

5) CRIMEAPPLE leaves fans salivating like Pavlov’s Dog as he teases us with a Buck Dudley powered “Perfect 2” master gem called “Fei Long’s Coupe!” The amount of roundhouse kicks that must be executed to dent this unbreakable slice of superior soul are hard to fathom. We just know the Walter White of wordplay supplies the perfect kind of verbal chemistry to keep him at the apex of the underground for a long, LONG time. It ain’t easy being Crimeapple. But it sure must be a lot of fun.

6) If FLASHIUS & LISSANDRO are giving us this much heat on The Warm Up we wonder how they can top themselves in the actual game!!! “Preseason” is a big F-U to any doubters of the dynamic duo…and if you’re still not feelin’ ’em after checking out this track line up at the deli for a Knuckle Sandwich with your name on it! Lyrical power & soul-laden boom bap lead the team to a win!

7) JOS ROCKWELL flows like a BEAST on a Clypto crafted dream track called “Trailblazer!” The rising spitter ascends further & further into the stratosphere with every rhyme he drops. He’s a human machine-gun of lyrical firepower who destroys any opposition in his path! Blaze the trail & take a serious listen!

8) MILWAUKEE MONSTAZ grab the mic & go crazy as they join CAPPADONNA & BRONZE NAZARETH for an audio attack of “Altered Reality!” The Dcypha powered banger will warp your mind & shock your senses as an onslaught of dope rhymes & hardcore beats overtake the atmosphere! You’ll never be the same again…but why would you want to be? Milwaukee Monstaz removed the boredom from your life & granted you more excitement than you’ve experienced in 10 years…all in the space of 4 minutes & 24 seconds!

9) LOU HEFNER draws listeners into the life of a contract killer as he expertly delivers visually arresting imagery on “The Ice Man!” The eerie Bankshot produced track achieved the feat of making us feel both excited & paranoid as we imagined stalking our prey with the possibility of several enemies lurking in the shadows waiting to attack! A cinematic flair for storytelling is sorely lacking in the modern era of Hip Hop. Hopefully Lou’s got more heat in the stash. We can’t wait to hear what he comes up with next!

10) CHANHAYS proves he’s “Here” to stay on the GHETTOSOCKS, PHAROAHE MONCH & RAS KASS featured “Ghost In The Shell!” The anthemic production & lyrical jewels showered on the listeners radiate like sonic blessings from the heavens! Aside from Pharoahe Monch confusing Ant Man’s Hank Pym with The Beast’s Hank McCoy, the track is nearly flawless! And even that mistake can be forgiven because Pharoahe(along with Ras Kass) is & will always be one of the greatest MCs on the planet! Get out of your shell & take a listen. The crew’s in your town & they’re taking no shorts!

Well that’s it for this week. Catch ya next time and…DON’T SLEEP!

– Kevin Keith