Don’t Sleep On These New Hip Hop Releases
Insomniac Magazine’s Top Ten is back again! All of the tracks on this week’s list are high grade joints you’ll keep on repeat…and a few heavy hitters dominated the chart with multiple placements! Celebrate the underground icons & check out the heat below!
1) “Respectfully” speaking, NOWAAH THE FLOOD x STU BANGAS represent the apex of lyricism & production. In fact the duo’s so damn dope that all their competitors’ careers are “In Danger! The joint kicks off with marching drums that signify the onset of war. We gear up for battle as tension lingers in the air! Stu treads new sonic terrain & builds up the audio intensity while Nowaah hurls deadly rhymes that leave opposing forces face down in the dirt. It’s another win for the team! Join in on the action as they stomp out all wack MCs!
2) When RUSTE JUXX x AMADEUS 360 THE BEAT KING joined forces for a collabo project called “James Brown Of Tha Underground” we expected some incredible music…but NOTHING could prepare us for an undisputed classic! The lyrical powerhouse & production titan brilliantly merged all of the best elements of 90’s Hip Hop with today’s underground aesthetic to create something entirely new & transcendent. “Go Krazy” perfectly illustrates this musical revolution with its incorporation of O.D.B. & M.O.P. samples melded into Shadez Of Brooklyn stylings chopped to perfection. Ruste gives us an exemplary rundown of his life & career with a stunning showcase on the mic you’ll remember for years to come. No need to hold back when rockin’ this joint. Jus’ go a little crazy & PRESS PLAY!
3) DANIEL SON x ASUN have been kickin’ ass on the underground for a long, long time & they’re continuing that time-honored tradition on a FUTUREWAVE crafted mega heater called “Sokoudjou!” The “Bite The Bullet” banger showcases the artistic allies bodying a smooth soundscape laced with subtle sonic flourishes. The lyrical sharpshooters get filthy on the impressive audio landscape & scorch the earth with a vicious verbal assault!
4) SUPREME CEREBRAL, NAPOLEON DA LEGEND x RASHEED CHAPPELL deliver a “God Tier” power collabo produced by behind the boards mastermind ROB DENIRO! The mellow backdrop conjures an exotic vibe that adds shades of nuance to the sonic proceedings. Three of the best MCs in the game perform a series of lyrical acrobatics that are a wonder to behold. Bars fly at a furious pace & relentlessly overpower the atmosphere. No one can touch their immaculate flows. The heavens open up when they enter the booth!
5) “Somethings Happening” and the entire underground get to share in the experience! On a 90’s inspired master gem, THE STARTING 5IVE (ft. THE GOOD PEOPLE, HORROR CITY, CARTA P & QUENTIN GILMORE)deliver a funky heat blast for the ages while recounting past events that made them the men they are today! This head nodder triggers waves of nostalgia while fueling the inspiration needed to survive in modern times! Share in the sonic excitement & check out the crew below!
6) RUSTE JUXX x AMADEUS 360 THE BEAT KING are overthrowing the White Supremacist system & their actions “Won’t Be Televised!” This time the duo trudge through A Tribe Called Quest’s iconic “Footprints” for a tour de force of audio excitement that can’t be stopped! Ruste expresses his frustrations over the swarm of racist activity laying siege to his community & vows to “FIGHT THE BASTARDS” who are determined to take him down! Y’all Confederate flag flyin’ muthaf***as might think you can keep gettin’ over but there’ll be no turning the cheek when they catch y’all in the street!
7) CERTAIN.ONES x KILLY SHOOT are bringin’ “Concealed Weapons” to the club so get set for a pure blast of nonstop action! BOBBY CRAVES, Ill Kill, and MOOKNETO ride a hypnotically primal track (also laced by UNKLE MOok) and deliver the greatest stream of consciousness rhyme flows in existence! This is minimalist heat straight from Mother Africa! If “Coming 2 America” needs a soundtrack banger they better call Certain.Ones. This joint’s hotter than a summer vacation in Zamunda!
8) NOWAAH THE FLOOD x STU BANGAS know that in this society money talks & bulls**t walks…so they hit the corporate world in the pocket on “Buy Black” (City Science)! Stu turns up the heat on one of the funkiest joints to ever grace the underground as Nowaah drops jewels so plentiful they can’t all be absorbed in one sitting! It’s another “Respectfully” heater on a project brimming over with ’em. Brace yourself for impact & tap in below!
9) MUSALINI applies his ill pimp strut power flow to a masterfully laced CLYPTO joint featuring God Bars from RANSOM! “Return Of The Oro’s” soul-fueled heater “Halo” serves as a joyous reminder of how dope Musalini is & how far beyond his peers Ransom was, is, and always will be. Let’s not forget that none of this would be possible without Clypto’s excellent audio contribution. He’s the sonic architect who created the blueprint & launches the lyrical entities to a level few will ever attain!
10) RUSTE JUXX & AMADEUS 360 THE BEAT KING presided over the majority of the countdown so it’s only fitting that they get the last word. “James Brown Of Tha Underground” is a powerful statement to end on & it perfectly suits the BK rhyme slinger’s relentless work ethic. As Amadeus throws everything (including the kitchen sink)into the mix, Ruste slides across the soundscape with ease. He dispatches all foes who step up to battle and steals the show at every turn!
Well that’s it for this week. Catch ya next time and…DON’T SLEEP!
– Kevin Keith
