Don’t Sleep On These New Releases
Insomniac Magazine sends Season’s Greetings and a brand new edition of the Weekly Top Ten. Get set for action & tap in below!
1) NAS & HIT-BOY worked their “MAGIC” on the masses with a surprise platter that arrived just in time for the holidays. There were MANY joints on the project that the staff considered for the #1 slot but one cut we couldn’t get enough of was the A$AP ROCKY & DJ PREMIER featured sizzler “Wave Gods!” It’s a heaven-sent Hit-Boy heater as Rocky dances across the beat, Premo makes us nostalgic by incorporating CL Smooth & Super Lover Cee into the mix, and Nas…well, y’all know how the f**k he gets down!!! We know Grammys count for somethin’ in the corporate world but to the underground this opus is leaps & bounds above the glossiness of their “King’s Disease” collabos. All Hail Nas & Hit-Boy. We know there’s more heat to come!
2) Super producer SPANISH RAN & lethal lyricist UFO FEV have “The World” in the palm of their hands!!! On a phenomenal track(that literally sounds like it could’ve been recorded on another planet)Fev rips apart the booth while reminding us that the ‘world don’t stop’ despite all the ups and downs. If there’s something we always like to see it’s a murderous mic assassin goin’ IN on an ill soundscape worthy of his merit. Ran & Fev are destined to go global on this one!
3) POUNDS & BUB STYLES go all Tony Soprano on dat ass as they trash wack MCs on “Waste Management!” The ATIMALI BANG powered explosive contains snippets from your favorite HBO gangster classic and sound effects that conjure images of cartoon birds flying around your head after ya get snuffed from behind with a blunt object! It also contains some of the rawest lyrics you’ll ever hear from 2 of the underground’s finest! Ain’t no debatin’ the brute force of this joint. Just strap yourself in & PRESS PLAY!
4) RU$H x JAY NICE are bringin’ the “Famili” back together with the third installment of their acclaimed underground series. On “RHUDE” we find the supreme spitters talkin’ reckless about the opposition as they stomp ’em out one by one. This is straight up lyrical savagery over bare bones production that will shatter your speakers! ‘Nobody f**kin’ wit’ the Famili.’ You’ll just embarrass yourself if you even try.
5) RAY SWOOPE’s “Died On Christmas Day” joint originally appeared on his 2020 platter “Thou Shall Not Kill” but this LORD HAKIM flip is on another level!!! Swapping out the ominous undertones of the earlier mix with some seriously funky steez serves the cut well by adding a dose of humor to the proceedings. It’s our recommendation that you stay inside the entire holiday season or venture out to their block & end up Dead On Arrival!
6) It’s officially “Lordy Season” & ANKHLEJOHN’s got “A Gift For You” powered by PA. DRE! On the closing cut of the MC’s holiday opus, Ankh reminds listeners of his lyrical brilliance as he somersaults across an unsettling soundscape that will be forever etched in your brain! Who’s that comin’ down the chimney? It’s Ankh Nasty baby! And Christmas won’t ever be the same!!!
7) VIC SPENCER & SONNYJIM did the damn thang again!!! You might think it would be impossible to achieve greatness 4 times in a row but the latest “Spencer For Hire” album will put your doubts to rest. One example of the duo’s limitless creativity can be found on the TWISTA featured banger “Flamboyant Waves!” The cut kicks in with a mammoth groove that Vic wraps around his finger & tames with his ice cold flow before unleashing it into the ether for Twista to dominate! It’s a good time to relish in the sounds of the underground & you can start with the dope joint below!
8) WATERR always comes across as a wise sage observing the everyday landscape we tread through on a daily basis. Thing is, his keen sense of human understanding is no act. To drive the point home, he invites listeners to gather ’round the spectacular “Tree Of Knowledge” and consume the bountiful fruit of wisdom that it bears. Only THE STANDOUTS possess the capability of crafting a production of this magnitude & they break new ground where others have failed. Dive into a master class of lyricism & allow WateRR to flow thru the deepest portals of your mind.
9) The countdown was locked until BUGSY H. & ETO bumrushed the set at the very last second & knocked a worthy competitor off the list! On “Leland’s Palm,” the rhyme warriors finesse an expertly crafted MINDFRAME arrangement while leaving listeners in awe over their high-powered flows & wondrous wordplay! “Every household has a cat that strays” but heat like this always keeps ’em coming back for more!!!
10) NAS & HIT-BOY left us “Speechless” with their latest project so we decided to bookend the chart with more “MAGIC” opulence. This joint is actually the opening cut on the supreme platter & once we heard it our souls were awakened as if a new Golden Era had arisen. Nothing else to say so we’ll shut the f**k up. Nas’ murders tracks. It’s only fitting that he gets the last word!
Well that’s it for this week. Catch ya next time and…DON’T SLEEP!
– Kevin Keith
