Don’t Sleep On These New Releases
Insomniac Magazine delivers an action-packed chart of future classics on the latest edition of our Weekly Top 10! Sit back, relax, get yourself in gear & check out the list below!
1) It’s a good evening & an even better day as CERTAIN.ONES drop a suspense-filled banger called “Hitchcock!” NOBODYELSE, FERAL SERGE, GUTTAMOUF & BOBBY CRAVES do the lyrical honors over a WANN SKLOBI powered soundscape that reinforces the fact he’s truly a musical genius. Speaking of genius, this crew know their way around a brilliant line – To even THINK of an ill quotable like “My voice box pay rent for using my throat” means they’re DEFINITELY on some next level ish! When it all comes down to it, Certain.Ones can NOT be stopped! This band of sonic psychos bring the heat while the rhymes you spit are strictly for the birds!
2) If you ever wondered what it would be like to ascend From a King To A God you should ask GxFR deity CONWAY THE MACHINE. We’re pretty sure he won’t respond…but hey, it’s only a suggestion. On the immaculately produced BEAT BUTCHA gem “Seen Everything But Jesus” the Griselda griot links with FREDDIE GIBBS for a solemn moment of reflection. The content & flows on this joint are so compelling you’ll be instantly glued to the speakers. Combine that with BB’s heart-rending chords & you’re guaranteed to wipe a tear (or two)from your eye! The street value of “SEBJ” is so high it’s impossible to measure. Conway’s done a lot of s**t that he regrets but this track sure won’t be one of ’em!
3) OBSERVE SINCE ’98, ALL HAIL Y.T., CHRIS SKILLZ & ANKHLEJOHN get medieval on dat ass for “Ancient Degreez!” This track is the epitome of stellar underground entertainment! Observe casts a spell over the listeners with his euphoric sonic conjurings before Y.T. & Chris tenderize the track in preparation for Ankhlejohn’s lyrical evisceration! 3 dope ass MCs & one top notch producer. Rappers ’bout to be mad in a minute. But only those who can’t f**k wit’ the heat!!!
4) CRIMEAPPLE guides listeners through the depths of the “Ocean” with a glorious SONNYJIM crafted nautical excursion! Rhyming over an ill track is what we’ve come to expect from the lyricist…but on this joint, he attacks an entire movie score!!! The cinematic flourishes effectively add icing on the cake to the power spitter’s spectacular imagery. Crimeapple releases supernatural energy into the atmosphere for fans worldwide to absorb!
5) CONWAY THE MACHINE teams up with BENNY THE BUTCHER & WESTSIDE GUNN for heavy artillery from BEAT BUTCHA called “Spurs 3!” This has to be one of the most infamous families in Hip Hop history…and for good reason! They bring such distinctive styles to the table that you can’t ever ignore ’em! Conway drops slow & deliberate pearls of dark humor, Gunn transmits the melodic earworms, and Benny kills ’em every time with the bars. You know by now it’s a Griselda world! we exist in it…but only by permission.
6) GRIM MOSES x MASTA CONGA take us to “The Big Club” & the party inside is simply “Xxxquisite!” You hear the drums?!? Well, that won’t be the only thing that catches your attention! GM sprays the set with a barrage of high-powered bars…and becomes one with a sinister soundscape that grows more ominous as the track progresses! This is PRIME Hip Hop at your doorstep. The entire platter’s top notch so dive in!
7) We conquered all of our demons, traveled to another plane of existence, and saved mankind from eternal damnation. That’s after only ONE listen to INDIGO PHOENYX x TECK ZILLA’s “Ascension.” Imagine what a second go at it will do! It’s almost impossible to put into words how incredible this joint is. From Teck’s otherworldly arrangements to Indigo’s SAVAGE rhyme attack, we’re being granted a masterclass on how to enter the studio & do EVERYTHING right. If other MC/producer collabos were on this level we wouldn’t have any room left on the Top 10. But Indigo & Teck’s got a coveted spot & we can’t wait to hear what they’re cookin’ up next!
8) G FAM BLACK has to be one of the fastest rising MCs on the underground. He’s a savvy businessman who definitely knows what he wants & how to get it! G also aligns himself with dope producers who know how to accentuate his strengths & downplay the few weaknesses (if any)he may have. An example of his superior branding acumen can be witnessed in the brief but effective clip for the UGLY JON produced banger “Don’t Tempt Me!” G connects with a seamless, in the pocket flow that takes on a mystical quality over the transcendent sonic backdrop. After teasing us with a full minute of hardcore heat, he responds to viewers demanding to see the man behind the ski-mask! Slowly he peels back the balaclava before Tony Soprano’ing us with a FADE TO BLACK. F**k! We really wanted to know…but deep down we really didn’t. There’s money in the mystery…so keep it under wraps!
9) SAN x PETER LEO join forces with LITTLE VIC for a supreme heater titled “The Hands Of Time!” Introspective rhymes emerge from the deep recesses of the mind to cascade around the alluring arrangements. Thoughts of hardships soon transform into strategies for success as the MCs get back on the grind. The goal is to keep going and triumph in life but the road to riches is never easy. The hustle is hard but they’re determined to win & do so before time slips away!
10) Yup, it’s the banger slot! This time we conclude the countdown with an overabundance of HEAT courtesy of THE MANCHESTER DESCENDANTS! “Same Damn Lo Sweater” is one of those joints you rock at full blast…and with EL DA SENSEI, SADAT X, THIRSTIN HOWL III, LOER & L.I.F.E. LONG supplying the rhymes you can’t help but love it!!! The marvelous mic beasts set off a lyrical whirlwind of activity that can’t be contained. Take your sweater off or keep it on & pump this ill heater all day!
Well that’s it for this week. Catch ya next time and…DON’T SLEEP!
– Kevin Keith
