Don’t Sleep On Theses New Hip Hop Releases
The days of Quarantine are still upon us but that gives you even more reason to check out our Weekly Top 10! Experience the sonic excitement & gear up for the list below!
1) When the staff first heard there was a joint floating around called “Insomniac” we admittedly got a little worried. But once we found out ANKHLEJOHN was the artist who recorded the track we knew everything was gonna be alright! Why the concern in the first place? Well, that’s easy. To you the term might only translate to someone who can’t sleep. But to us the word stands for excellence & integrity…which is exactly what Big Lordy brings to the scene! The lyrical grim reaper wastes no time ripping into the ALLCEVEN powered action with acid bars that burn through the opposition! He eviscerates a beat with the kind of raw ferocity not seen since the glory days of Camp Crystal Lake & slashes anyone who stands in his way. You thought you were hot ish but Ankh Nasty sees the b**** in you. Stare into “The Face Of Jason” and step up to get slain!
2) JAH-MONTE completed a wildly successful promo run for his “Infinite Wisdom” album & recently returned to town laughing in the face of all you weak ass rappers! The NC MC is straight up tired of the wackness in the game so he decided to make them feel dumber than they already are by droppin’ SUN TZU a dope UBUNTUGRAPHICS directed clip to let ya ’em know how much he’s gettin’! “$1500 A Verse After The Vinyl!” illustrates exactly why the lyrical lord & super producer SADHUGOLD are the perfect collaborators. They both possess a cooler than school attitude that always emanates from their work. One listen to the way Jah-Monte finesses the track will tell you everything you need to know. The ill bounce present in both the beat AND the vocals make it clear why they’re at the top of the class. No one can touch ’em! They stood apart from all you losers before social-distancing was a thing!
3) ILLPO cut through the deceptive trappings of the Hip Hop industry & expose the posers for who they really are on a B SQUARED laced banger called “Milli Vanilli!” The “Mercy Rule” head-nodder finds the NC heavy hitters surveying the musical landscape to view “reality show rappers” flossing for the cameras & feigning success when their actual existence is something else altogether. Over a boom bap beat & (EXTREMELY)well-chosen sample, the duo deliver spirited bars while putting in the necessary work to build their skills & brand recognition. They’re in it for the long haul. These microwave rappers be damned!
4) ETO is not just an amazingly talented MC. He’s also a very generous one. Case in point is his new STATIK SELEKTAH produced track “Rusty Stainless” in which he essentially cedes control of the mic to WILLIE THE KID & ROME STREETZ. “The Beauty Of It” banger is way past the boiling point in terms of heat but let’s face it, Rome steals the show! The supreme spitter’s flawless flows are untouchable. He lifts the weight off his peers & completely carries it on his own!
5) RASHEED CHAPPELL demonstrates the proper “Ways & Means” of creating a dope record on the 38 SPESH laced heater “Ironhead!” The ill lyricist has been flying under the radar for far too long but this joint provides the right kind of look to get fans open! In a sense, it’s unfair to even review the track from a musical standpoint. That’s because the song’s more like a dense novel that can be miraculously absorbed in 3 minutes flat. Rasheed might be TOO descriptive in his overview of life in the projects. He’s such a brilliant storyteller that he’ll have someone sweating & looking over their shoulder while they’re listening to the cut from a plush bedroom in Bel Air! All of this couldn’t be possible without Spesh’s expert production. The joint might possess a minimalistic sound but there’s maximum effort to make it count!
6) ELCAMINO takes you on a journey waayy deeper than rap as he teams up with DON P on a 38 SPESH produced powder keg called “Sake In Japan!” Despite the serenely exotic soundscape you won’t be able to escape the tension lurking beneath the surface. The duo run down their personal war stories while reveling in a life of luxury. They may soak in a moment’s comfort but it can’t erase the past.
7) MAGNO GARCIA x RETROSPEC created a certified classic with their Gospel/Hip Hop hybrid “Like A Thief In The Night.” The bar was set so high on the project that the staff found it incredibly difficult to select only one joint…but we braved the impossible & chose “Parade Of Killing Shaitan!” What starts out as a joyous spiritual revival evolves into an unabashed boom bap beatdown featuring Satan on the receiving end of a Timberland boot to the grill! Magno dispatches messianic bars that pirouette across Retrospec’s rhythm-fueled terrain and stir your inner soul into action! Don’t fall into a trap of despair. Magno’s stomping out evil all year!
8) ENDEMIC EMERALD has proven his genius behind the boards time & time again but he may have outdone himself on REVENGE OF THE TRUENCE’s new single “The Outbreak!” The “H1N1” heater hits a homer right out the gate as it percolates with a profusion of serious funk to let us know play time is over! MUGGZ & TAY DAYNE get raw & gritty with the subject matter while blowin’ up every spot in town. Their main intention was to go hard for the east but every sector of the underground will definitely be proud!
9) VANGARDE’s STU BANGAS & MR. LIF introduce listeners to “The New Normal” with a dope joint that features TONE SPLIFF catchin’ wreck on the cuts. The laid back production crafted by Stu & the marvelous MOTIF ALUMNI is one of those sneak attack sizzlers that builds momentum as the song progresses. The joint essentially serves as a sonic mission statement of sorts (“We shun nonsense & cut right to The Real/cover topic after topic, give ya somethin’ to feel”). You’re being blessed with a track from two underground titans. They’re here to stay & nothing in the world is stoppin’ ’em!
10) BIGBOB x DCYPHA lavish MIC HANDZ x TAME ONE with stellar production on the LDONTHECUT featured gem “Only Greatness!” The title of the track couldn’t be more fitting because everyone involved brings a substantial amount of heat to the scene. Spitting bars that range from humorous to hard hitting, Mic & Tame completely dominate the set. It takes a special kind of MC to rock a cut like this and the banger brings us two of the best!
Well that’s it for this week. Catch ya next time and…DON’T SLEEP!
– Kevin Keith
