Don’t Sleep On These New Hip Hop Releases
Insomniac Magazine brings all-star excitement to the Hip Hop arena! This week a lot of new names appear on the list & for the first time in a VERY long time we even have a tie. You know what to do faithful readers. Get set for action & check out the list below!
1) We don’t know much about RE$T but this track is one helluva introduction! On “Kitchen Talk” the BX bar assassin teams up with the invincible Estee Nack for a joint that was somehow flying under the radar until we uncovered it during a marathon(digital)crate digging session! Over a YOUNG DEVANTE crafted track (who freaks the f**k outta the classic “I Shot Ya” sample)the enigmatic MC makes his presence known before Nacky Chan finesses the whole operation & brings it on home! Here’s the Hip Hop you’ve been lookin’ for!…Served up rough, rugged, and raw!!!
2) M DOC DIEGO & MASTA CONGA enlisted BARBARIC & ALVAREZ MASTERMINDED for a “French Connection 2” collabo explosive & the end result triggered shock waves of destruction!!! “585 Vets” finds the “highly decorated” underground battalion completely eradicating the opposition before they even have time to throw up the white flag! Deadly bars are launched & hardcore beats reverberate throughout the battlefield. They’re bombin’ the deck & wreaking mad havoc on set!!!
3) “When Dreams Become Nightmares” PR DEAN will be there laughing in your face!!! The new “1448” banger from his upcoming compilation album comes equipped with a menacing, hallucinatory soundscape laced by production master PLANIT HANK & rugged cuts by ultra-talented turntable terror TONE SPLIFF! On the lyrical front, we get the best of the bunch with STASH LOMAIN, BENNY THE BUTCHER & SICARIO SOSA bodying the booth like there’s no tomorrow! Crews hopin’ to compete with this squad better get their weight up. If you want that dope s**t y’all best to tap in below!
4) Out of “All The Brilliant Things” you could possess in the world we can’t think of much that compares with a new album by SKYZOO! On “Rich Rhetoric,” the mic ripper drops lyrical jewels over a jazzy MARCNFINIT crafted construction that merges head nod heat with a wondrous wave of supreme luxury. It’s all about lullabies & liquor baby. Get caught up in the nostalgia. Word to the curb.
5) YOUR OLD DROOG ain’t got “Time” for your bulls**t but he definitely has room in his schedule to rip the mic! AESOP ROCK & ELZHI are featured on a highlight from YOD’s illustrious 15 track platter and indulging in the joint is like entering a “Field Of Dreams!” ROPER WILLIAMS laces this sonic triumph to perfection while each MC brings their own unique style to the cut. Check out the beat & stay for the flows. This crew can’t be stopped. Peep the progression below!
6) SANKOFA came out swingin’ (& ALL his shots connected) as he beat down the competition on “Lead Pipe Music!” The “BLKTCHP” banger contains dope production by PHD BEATS, stellar scratches by DJ NAVIN JOHNSON and a supremely solid mix courtesy of TALI RODRIGUEZ! First & foremost, it showcases an onslaught of ill bars & flows that mark the mic beast as an immediate threat to all those who dare enter his domain! Get set for the rawest slice of heat you’ll hear all week. Step to Sankofa in a battle & you’ll be left bleeding on the floor!
7) South Florida renaissance man SHOTTIE expresses “Pure Gratitude” to a legion of listeners showin’ him love! On his dope “MOSKVITCH” banger (laced by production powerhouse TEV95), the immensely gifted artist (who many know as Dre Torres)proves he isn’t some fly-by-night MC destined to be forgotten. Razor sharp rhymes pierce the atmosphere & slice through the speakers to announce the arrival of a new underground king! Shottie’s even making waves in film & the world of podcasting. Best believe he excels at everything he touches!
*8) We kick off our tie with RETCH who brings a sense of urgency to V DON’s all-powerful audio masterwork that “Sound Like” a straight up hit!!! Any time the raspy-voiced mic ripper gets in his bag and attacks a grimy track the underground wins! V Don possesses the ability to churn out one dope ass arrangement after the next & this joint ranks as one of his best! We could praise this cut all day but y’all need to take a listen. Tap in & see how it sounds!
*8) The excitement that comes with the release of a DIRTYDIGGS joint is comparable to the rush a kid gets when opening up a gift for Christmas! Once again, the production deities deliver sonic magic & this time they recruit TRISTATE for “Alkaline Water!” The magnificent “Mountains. Do The Knowledge” gem is hands down, one of the most supremely soulful tracks we’ve heard all year!!! Tristate replenishes the aura with a smooth flow that meshes brilliantly with the awe-inspiring instrumentation and leaves all listeners thirsty for more!!!
9) CONFUCIUS MC, STRANGE U x LEE SCOTT emerge on set as a new species of superhuman power spitters for the KEOR METEOR crafted “Cicada 3301!” Lately, Confucius & Keor have been racking up the bangers & this one is no exception. Confucius’ comrades-in-rhymes are definitely no slouches in the booth. In fact, they crush, kill, and DESTROY everything in their path (Strange U also has similar intonations to another highly talented mic wrecka, Asun Eastwood, so that might make for a dope match up down the line)! Now back on topic: We’re placing our bets that Con’s track will be widespread like the Cicadas themselves…but instead of disappearing for 17 years, this joint is destined to stick around!
10) HAZE & LOMAN’s new project may be entitled “Houdini” but the high quality of this opus is most definitely no illusion! “Eric’s Sermon” has nothing to do with a certain green-eyed MC/producer adept at making dollars but it has EVERYTHING to do with the struggle of surviving in the ‘hood. The ultimate redemption that comes from conquering one’s own demons (and making it to the other side) is brilliantly manifested through the vibrant verses of City Yard Music’s ever insightful lyricist. Loman is completely in step with any mercurial emotional turn and complements all gut wrenching moments with a poignant dose of sonic supremacy!
Well that’s it for this week. Catch ya next time and…DON’T SLEEP!
– Kevin Keith
