Don’t Sleep On These New Releases
Insomniac Magazine rolls out the red carpet for a host of Hip Hop Heavy Hitters! Get yourself in gear & tap in to the Weekly Top Ten!
1) So they really did save the best for last!!! The culmination of NAS & HIT-BOY’s combined efforts results in their final(?)collaborative masterwork “Magic 3!” Truth be told, ANY track from the project could easily attain the #1 slot. Joints as varied as “1-800-Nas&Hit,” “Based On True Events,” “Superhero Status,” or the Lil Wayne featured “Never Die,” demand the highest honors…but we chose “I Love This Feeling” for the breathtaking boom bap & soul vibrations that complemented the brilliance of the lyrics. We really loved the feeling of this track and the chart position above represents the album as a whole!
2) RASHEED CHAPPELL & THE ARCITYPE entered the studio & threw down the gauntlet to their closest competitors!!! The fact that no one could top the stellar craftsmanship of the diabolical duo proved once and for all that “Sugar Bills would be a classic in the making! Their NOEL PANCHO featured “Dope Dealer” banger is a prime example of the power permeating from the colossal collaborators’ very essence! Rasheed is a true master of the mic while The Arcitype’s prowess behind the boards remains unmatched!
3) Other MCs THINK that they’re nice but UFO FEV not only KNOWS it, he flaunts the fact in your face on GET LARGE laced heat that proves he’s “Stronger!” The underground king takes a reflective stroll back through the environment that bred the mic beast he would one day soon become. Harlem, New York ain’t for the faint of heart. Fev flexes savage skills while treatin’ rivals like food!!!
4) CLYPTO is loading up the ammo for his upcoming album with CHARLES P & let off a clip featuring RANSOM, STOVE GOD COOKS & RJ PAYNE!!! “Roddy Robinson” is a deceptively mellow affair that is thrust from its tranquil origins via a venomous verbal onslaught from three of the most respected lyrical masterminds in the game!!! Needless to say, they rip the s**t off its hinges!!! Underground Hip Hop may never be the same!
5) Who wears “The Crown” in the Hip Hop empire? Clearly, OT THE REAL, ARAABMUZIK, BENNY THE BUTCHER & ELCAMINO are taking turns passing it around!!! Benny sets off some serious s**t with hardcore bars that are followed by a dope hook from Camino and a heated lyrical assault from OT! All the while, Araab’s keeping things dark & sinister with sonic heat hot enough to burn down your entire kingdom!!!
6) ROME STREETZ returns with a WAVY DA GHAWD laced heater called “Hell Backwards” and gives fans a glimpse of what to expect from “Noise Kandy 5!” The mic rebel has always been ahead of the curve…and here he pioneers a new style by clipping the last syllable of selective words in the hook to create a sense of disorientation! Rome’s mind is racing so fast that he’s on to the next thought before he can complete a sentence. It’ll take ya years to catch up to what the lightning tongued lyricist is expressing!
7) KAHLEE & CASTLE MONEY BEATS are delivering straight terror to the opposition as they rip them from limb to limb on “Bloodsport!” The vengeance filled vitriol sprayed over a macabre soundscape add up to one helluva event that will go down undefeated! These champions of the underground invite you to step into their arena so they can viciously beat you down without mercy!
8) JAY NICE & CHEEKO laugh at you goofy jokers crying broke as they collect major dividends on “Fractions!” The sinister rhyme slayers are at your door wit’ the glock so when you’re hearin’ that knock you know what’s about to happen. Turn the lights out, hide the kids, and crouch down in the closet. But be aware that there’s NOWHERE you can run!
9) FERAL SERGE tries to make sense of the ludicrous reality we live in over a horn-laden audio achievement laced by DJ NAMELESS & engineered by BOBBY CRAVES! “THERE I GO” reveals the world weary rhyme warrior to be at wits end while metaphorically building walls around him to block out the insanity. It’s just another s**t show in the neighborhood and we’ve been loyal viewers to the core.
10) We’re ridin’ out with two of the underground’s most heralded entities as DANIEL SON & WINO WILLY make ’em jump like “Frog Legs” for a “GRIS-GRIS” sonic sizzler that elevates the state of modern day Hip Hop! Daniel takes us on a walk thru the North Side with vivid imagery that places us in the center of the action! Witness lyricism on a higher level over an awe-inspiring Wino Willy production!
Well that’s it for this week. Catch ya next time and…DON’T SLEEP!
– Kevin Keith
