Check under the tree & what do you see? It’s Insomniac’s Weekly Top Ten! So kick off the festivities by unwrapping the sonic gifts below!
1) BUMPY KNUCKLES, SY ARI DA KID, & KONTRAVERSY put the pedal to the metal and plowed through the competition on a powerhouse steamroller of a track called “The King Of Carz.” Each lyricist ignites the action with top of the line bars to complement the stylish cars that get quick mentions on the raw, Boom Bap driven cut. Bumpy. Sy. Kontraversy. It’s a meeting of the mics between super spitters both young & old and an impressively effective one to boot!
2) CYNIC THE APACHE delivered a lyrical feast sandwiched between a jazzy, laid back track for his “Get The Gringo 2” power gem, “Ham On Rye.” Squires of Cynic’s PenPals crew lays down the sonic foundation that allows the pessimistic emcee to spit rhymes that signal an optimistic outlook for Hip Hop’s future. Emerging from a crew that excels at pushing creative musical boundaries, expect nothing less than brilliance. It’s exactly what ya get when you press play. Hip Hop’s alive & well!
3) WESTSIDEGUNN continues his domination of the underground with the Mil produced power heater, “Brains Flew By!” The sonic sniper attack is one of the gems you can expect to hear on the forthcoming “Riots On Fashion Avenue” project that will prove once again that the gritty Griselda s**t true heads love is here to stay! No need to read any further…just put your mind at ease. Get your GxFR fix on & keep it hardcore!
4) In case you missed it, BORN UNIQUE & Lucky Loopiano just dropped one of the best albums of 2016! “The Red Devil Chronicles” contained 18 tracks & there wasn’t a weak one in the bunch! It’s near impossible to select just one cut for the list but the staff finally came to an agreement after instantly gravitating to the SHABAAM SAHDEEQ & U.G. featured banger, “Kuklinski.” An ominous groove kicks in & looms over a gritty Boom Bap landscape layered with the illest verses to ever emerge from the booth! That Red Devil s**t is so pleasing to the ears. It might be a sin but we’re gonna listen again!
5) Normally we don’t include freestyles on the list, but BEANZ is far from normal. The extraordinary “Explicit Lyricist” has dropped a succession of dope cuts & somehow still manages to fly under the industry’s radar. That’s about to change though because her sonic salute to Roc Nation Kingpin, Jay Z, is guaranteed to capture the attention of the boardroom, the streets, and the entire world at large! The PA spitter flows effortlessly over a “greatest hits” line up of familiar Hova samples while maintaining her own unique identity(Not an easy thing to do!) Listen up. This is what authentic Hip Hop sounds like. You want talent? Beanz has got it in spades!
6) M-DOT takes the social media drones to task by blasting a populace more concerned with Instagram “Likes” than by what’s happening in the world around them. The Hi-Tek laced “Days Are All The Same” comes equipped with a savage soundscape that places the listener in the center of a musical armageddon! M-Dot brings raw passion and strength to his delivery. The reality he’s living is not to be televised. Take heed to his words or get sucked in by the illusion!
7) With DENMARK VESSEY supplying the beats, THAGODFAHIM & MACH-HOMMY proceed to rip the mic to shreds on their new joint, “N***as Knxw.” It’s stream of consciousness rhyming that always hits the bullseye and never fails to excite. When you combine the talents of three of the most sought after underground artists you can’t help but get a quality track. Don’t think. The Boom Bap has taken over. Let the music be your guide!
8) AL.DIVINO brings his trademark higher echelon beats & rhymes combo to the table for a dope collabo with KONCEPT JACK$ON & MACH-HOMMY called “RAREPARADIGMS.” The soundscape is a spitter’s paradise consisting of minimal production that enable the emcees to rhyme until the cows come home. They take the track and WEAR IT OUT! As a matter of fact, we wouldn’t be surprised if they’re STILL rhyming to this joint. Don’t put it past them. Their creative minds are overflowing!
9) PACEWON & 210 WEST provide high caliber lyrics, irresistibly funky production AND motivational sermons on achieving your goals. ‘Just like Floyd Mayweather they’re still fighting’ which is exactly why they can deliver the perfect “Won Two” punch to any opposition. Check out the fluidity of their flows and how it seamlessly meshes with the track. We call that ART. Watch them paint another masterpiece as you groove to their success!
10) FREDFADES has more soul in his MIDDLE finger than you have in your entire body! The musical mastermind has a long line up of projects that were either recently released or are comfortably gestating, waiting to hatch! On “Always” the prolific producer teams up with Norway’s lyrical phenomenon, IVAN AVE, the great KOREATOWN ODDITY, and esteemed microphone ambassador, MED, for a jazz-infused slice of heaven. Turn up the volume and lift your spirits. The ascension begins!
Well that’s it for this week. Catch ya next time and…DON’T SLEEP!
– Kevin Keith
