Insomniac Magazine’s Weekly Hip Hop Top Ten is here again! Are you up for the action? You better be…’cause it’s about to go down!
1) August is almost over but DAVE EAST still managed to drop the banger of the beach-going season with his Mahogany Beatz produced power gem, “All Summer.” The Harlem spitter boasts lyrics both confident & humorous(“drunk at the ATM, I can’t remember what I took out/ Henny coladas, I’m kind’a saucy at the cookout”)that keep the party poppin’…and when you hear how Mahogany Beatz revamped the classic “Apache” breakbeat you’ll thank the Hip Hop gods for being blessed to have a jam this dope pumping from your speakers!
2) Checking out “New York In Detroit” from NOTES TO SELF BBRC w/ MARV WON & YOUNG RJ was like pushing down the detonator to trigger an explosion! The irresistible funk groove intertwined with non-stop Boom Bap and a heavy helping of lyrical artillery caught the entire staff off guard…and by the time DJ Dopey’s dope cuts kicked in we were pumping our fists in the air and yelling, “Hooooo,” like we were front row at the 1987 Fresh Fest! Get stuck on the realness and play this s**t until your ears bleed!
3) Stan Da Man is known for bringin’ serious heat to his productions but the new “2 Gunz Up” joint featuring OOWOP THE DON, AR-AB & BOBBY GARCIA was so hot that our eardrums got scorched on the first listen! When we played it a second time our speakers melted!!!…and on the third attempt the fire department had to rush over ’cause the entire office burned down! Yeah, things got a little out of hand. But when the music’s this dope it’s totally worth it!
4) RAS KASS’ new Domingo laced gem, “Viral,” spread through the Insomniac office and infected all the staffers with a need and overwhelming desire to play dope music. So what happened next? We threw the joint on again of course!!! Ras flows over the spacey, elastic groove flaunting captivating cadences & commanding couplets befitting the master lyricist he has long proven himself to be. This is Hip Hop. Pure. Unfiltered. Raw & uncut!
5) PEP LOVE has no patience or sympathy “for the ones with the split tongues” on his new self-produced joint, “Prayful’ Hate.” Reppin’ Hieroglyphics music of the highest order, the powerful lyricist calls two-faced trouble-makers to task and wins by simply being himself. The message is to stay away from toxic relationships & toxic people in general. If you want to keep the vibe positive you better listen to Pep Love!
6) APOKALIPS THE ARCHANGEL & SADAT X joined forces on “Yoga Flame” from Cole James Cash’s sonic opus, “Street Champion,” and buried the competition through the transcendent power of Hip Hop. Top Shelf Muzik is what you need & what you get when two powerful lyricists ride the rhythms of a production GIANT! Check out the heat below & meditate on that!
7) Rotterdam is rockin’ that ill s**t! The Netherlands very own JUSTICE THE BACKBONE spits flames that roast the mic on the undeniably dope new banger, “Recite.” Justice employs a deadly vocal tone and precision rhyme scheme that sounds flawless over the irresistible Boom Bap soundscape. The song will remain imprinted in our minds. It’s so funky, we can RECITE every line!
8) G. FISHER & KIDD CALLED QUEST linked up with AXEL LEON for a new “BXRoc” banger called “Want Me To Fall.” It’s music straight from the streets designed to annihilate all the p***y boy posers too afraid to get raw on the mic! G. Fisher excels at rhyming over hardcore beats and Kidd Called Quest’s got plenty! Bring in Axel Leon for additional lyrical ammo & watch the competition run away in fear!
9) KLAUS LAYER delivered an otherworldly sounding banger from his forthcoming “Society Collapse” album featuring the always fantastic, K.A.A.N. “Sleepy Hollow People” is at once haunting & inspiring with Klaus effortlessly bounding through dense musical terrain as KAAN complements his sonic masterwork with light-speed lyrics that transport us to Boom Bap paradise!
10) LIKE steps away from from his comfort zone with the Pac Div collective to deliver a phenomenal KALI UCHIS featured cut from his forthcoming, “Songs Made While High,” project. The jazz-infused “Blah Loops” kept us uncontrollably bouncing around the office from the second we pressed play. Soothing vibes & understated Boom Bap lured in us while Kali’s heavenly vocals sealed the deal with a sonic kiss we won’t soon forget!
Well that’s it for this week. Catch ya next time and…DON’T SLEEP!
– Kevin Keith
