Don’t Sleep On These New Hip Hop Releases
So many dope releases emerged on the scene that it was nearly impossible to narrow ’em down for Insomniac’s Weekly Hip Hop Top 10! But hey, doing the impossible’s what we specialize in so check out the list below! Salute to all the real FATHERS out there!
1) RECOGNIZE ALI x STU BANGAS slid in at the very last second to take over the top spot with the SAGEINFINITE featured “Guerilla Dynasty” heat blast “Hourly Rate!” There’s no doubt in our mind that we’ll be revisiting this project for future countdown contenders but the immediate impact of this particular joint couldn’t be denied! Stu sets things off with stellar boom bap explosives followed by Ali’s booth-busting bar assault & SageInfinite’s smooth dominance of the chorus. If ya’ll want to do a track with any of these guys expect to dig deep in dem pockets. Their hourly rate is phenomenally high & when you listen to this track you’ll most definitely know why!
2) FLAWLESS. If we had one word to describe TERROR VAN POO, INNOCENT? & VINNY IDOL’s “Trifecta” project that would be the first one to come to mind. How do you pick a solitary gem in a treasure trove full of ’em? Well, it ain’t easy! The joint selected THIS week(yep, we’ll be coming back for more)is aptly titled “Ruling Da Game” and features TEK of the legendary SMIF-N-WESSUN. Vinny comes armed with a full crate of audio artillery. The production punisher attacks the boards & looms over the proceedings with a foreboding sonic backdrop designed to keep all rivals running in fear. Before they can get away, TVP, Innocent? & Tek unleash the most lethal lyrical onslaught we’ve heard in a long, LOONNG, time! It’s surprising that these rhyme lords even speak to you. Avoid eye contact & bow that ass down!
3) The ceremony hasn’t started yet but we’re front row & center for ROME STREETZ’s anointment as King of The Underground. Time & time again, the BK bar slayer outshines his peers with impeccable rhyme skills that place him in a class above the rest. On “Noise Kandy 4’s WAVY DA GHAWD powered heater “The Ugliest,” Rome faces off with 3 minutes of 70’s soul-fueled steez & burns s**t down by spewing a conflagration of incendiary verses. It’s that “fly, slick rap automack with the kickback.” Tap in & enter the zone!
4) Individually BODYBAGBEN & ROB DENIRO are two of the most talented entities on the underground scene! But there’s “Strength In Numbers”…which is why the creative champions united for a dope joint called “Dirty Game.” Ben effortlessly oscillates across Rob’s expertly produced audio arrangements while ill cuts reference his command of the track. When the greatest get together it inspires all artists to shoot for the stars! Sharpen your instruments and give a toast to the crew!
5) VETERAN EYE x VANN GO left us all strung out on that “Glue” as they dropped a mind-altering “2020: An American Tale” banger on the underground! Let’s first talk about the drums! They’re about as spare & tribal as you could ever wish for with a rhythmic pattern that recalls BDP’s classic joint “The Bridge Is Over.” So far, so good…but now ya need a dope ass MC to lift it higher! No problems in that department either because Veteran Eye transports listeners to a completely different realm with his delivery! This is the kind’a track that gets the party started…but bring a neck brace for all the spontaneous head-nods! Pry us off the ceiling cause we can’t get enough. Now that we’re on the floor we’re back feenin’ for more!
6) “Your Birthday’s Cancelled” but that doesn’t mean you can’t have a celebration! IRON WIGS icons VIC SPENCER, SONNYJIM & VERBAL KENT link up with lyrical messiah ROC MARCIANO for a dusted display of supreme steez called “Bally Animals & Rugbys!” The street heater sums up everything a lyricist should be in the course of 4 minutes! Charisma, tone, content, delivery…Yep, it’s all there! The crew remains undefeated while you wack ass rappers stay strugglin’!
7) When Pete Rock teamed up with PUBLIC ENEMY the result was pure magic. NOW another DJ/production superstar takes on the mantle of shepherding the legendary group into a new sonic direction! DJ PREMIER resides behind the boards for PE’s “State Of The Union” (STFU) featuring both CHUCK D and…FLAVOR FLAV (PSYCH! He fooled ya)!!! As a hauntingly evocative soundscape pierces the atmosphere, Preemo steers Chuck’s powerful vocals & Flav’s irreplaceable ad-libs toward the North Lawn of The White House and fires shots at the Great Pumpkin in Charge! Ain’t no combover stoppin’ this heat! Ain’t no losin’ when the music’s this hard!!!
8) Some songs age like fine wine. Case in point, STAHHR x CRAZY DJ BAZARRO’s “Barbarella” banger(circa 2017)from the aborted “7:30” project(which currently resides on the “No Doubts” maxi-single). Hopefully the full album will emerge one day…but until then, we’re more than happy to immerse ourselves in the sonic masterwork below. StaHHr is unrepentantly brutal on the mic! Her regal preeminence makes us feel unworthy of even listening to the track…but the ill flows wouldn’t allow us to turn away! That lyrical steez combined with Bazarro’s unparalleled production add up to one hell of a ride! All hail Barbarella! Wack MCs run for cover & hide!
9) CHUCK CHAN x G FAM BLACK enlist GENERALBACKPAIN for a “Hot Dose” of audio action called “Casey Jones!” A serene groove puts listeners in a blissful state of mind until GBP pulls a lyrical drive-by & sprays unsuspecting listeners with a barrage of deadly bars! Before we have a chance to recover, G Fam Black whips out a rocket launcher & blows the muthaf***in’ block to bits! It ain’t safe out here! Let the track lead you home!
10) We leave on a high note as SCVTTERBRVIN hits ya with EWONEE powered underground opulence called “London Acid Attack!” The trippy sonic set piece has a disorienting effect that will make you feel like you’re spinning out of control as the lyricist takes charge! Every rhyme gets you closer to a state of nirvana. Every rhythm penetrates deep within your soul!
Well that’s it for this week. Catch ya next time and…DON’T SLEEP!
– Kevin Keith
