Don’t Sleep On These New Releases
Insomniac Magazine delivers more underground excellence on the Weekly Top Ten! Get set for action & check out the list below!
1) COUSIN FEO x LORD JUCO supply “Chilean Crack” to the masses on an addictive DEATH AT THE DERBY banger produced by VAGO & featuring cuts by DJ DUBPLATES! The dynamic duo are quickly becoming THE team to beat as they effortlessly thrash the competition on every release! Ill rhymes & a surplus of sonic heat push ’em over the top. They’ve earned the accolades, the awards, and of course the #1 spot!
2) The course of your inevitable downfall would be to challenge LLOYD BANKS in a battle. He KNOWS you’ll be eviscerated on the mic which makes it “Death By Design!” On THE OLYMPICKS x MOTIF ALUMNI produced banger, Blue blasts your entire rap career to shreds while gettin’ a few things off his chest. Lloyd’s raspy cadence adds weight to subject matter that’s nothing short of serious. I mean it is your funeral. He’s just giving the eulogy.
3) AGENTS OF REFORM dropped a track so insanely dope it had us shouting “F**k you” to anyone who foolishly begged to differ! The incredible RHINOCEROS FUNK(who also produced this sonic manna from the gods)teamed up with mic phenom YAHZEED to provide the highest level of lyrical steez for the listeners! It’s funky, clever, and an ebullient sonic thriller…which adds to “The Appeal” of a joint we’ll be playing from here to eternity!!!
4) PETER ROSENBERG probably sleeps less than we do which is how he found time to round up heavy hitters ROC MARCIANO & FLEE LORD for DISCO VIETNAM laced “Real Late” heat called “Hallways!” The jazzy soundscape seems to possess a life of its own but the power spitters still make it malleable to their whims. They bend & contort the arrangement with a full dose of supreme lyrical prowess until it willfully submits to their control.
5) We’ve been pushing to get SKANKS THE RAP MARTYR’s latest joint on the countdown & with the release of his new album & video the time is NOW! On the REN THOMAS x RUSTE JUXX featured “Double Cross Ranch” the mic titans go harder than we’ve heard ’em go for awhile and there’s a good reason why! DJ KANZER’s hellified track(that comes equipped with booming bass and ‘get the f**k outta bed’ door knocks)is one of those joints that any MC in his right mind(or even one out of his mind)would want to seriously damage! Well, they accomplish that mission & then some by spittin’ venom all over the gotdamn booth! As if that ain’t enough, TONE SPLIFF murders ’em wit’ the scratches! You’ve been double-crossed. Now they’re puttin’ heads to bed!!!
6) DAN.AKILL sends listeners on a trip to “Mozambique” but they’re not going it alone! REVENGE OF THE TRUENCE guide fans through “Da.Soulvivorz’2” terrain with animated rhymes that blend perfectly with the exotic rhythms. This is no ordinary track but it’s DEFINITELY a movie! Grab some popcorn & coke cause you’re in for a ride!
7) PLANET ASIA & SMOOVTH aren’t the kind of MCs who suffer fools gladly. But if you still want to test ’em, f**k around and “Get Hit Up” by that “Holy Water” uppercut! IZZNYCE keeps suckers on their toes with war drums that signal your demise before the lyrical darts penetrate your veins & snuff out your very existence!!!
8) O THE GREAT possesses the flow AND The GLOW as he performs backflips & roundhouse kicks on a FREE MIND laced heater called “SHONUFF!” The black belt of raw bars brings deadly force upon detractors of his dojo and breaks boards across the skulls of all unworthy opponents! The rhymes are pure substance but he’s definitely got a style all his own. O The Great stands tall – spring, summer, winter, fall. You have now entered the fly season so dress appropriately!
9) UFO FEV builds toward his “Magnum Opus” with the STER powered sizzler “Inception!” The electrified audio gem finds the lyrical mastermind recounting his accomplishments & reminding listeners why he’s STILL one of the best in the game. Hard work and talent, blended with skill is why his boasts will never ring hollow. MCs of this caliber are in short supply. Fev’s tha truth! Ain’t no reason to lie.
10) When you want to conclude the countdown in a big way you need to close out with one of the most massive talents on the underground!!! CA$ABLANCA symbolizes the win with a spectacular star turn on the LIQUOR STORE LOOPS laced gem “The Oscars!” Cas always pushes the envelope by choosing the most unique soundscapes to rhyme over(one of the many reasons he’s a champion)and completely bodying them in no time flat. Here, he has fun with the warped arrangement of the track and once again emerges victorious. The nominees were all worthy but only one man can take home the trophy. Casablanca never sweated the competition. His rhymes keep all rivals at bay!
Well that’s it for this week. Catch ya next time and…DON’T SLEEP!
– Kevin Keith
