Insomniac’s Weekly Top Ten is brimming with new material & the lead up to the list was pure chaos as usual! Just when we thought we had the chart nailed down, a couple of last minute entries popped up on our radar that left us scrambling to make changes. A few of the staff’s personal faves had to get bounced as a result…and best believe they’re not happy campers!!! We do this on the regular so you would think that we would be used to this by now…but NAH…that’s never the case. So sit back, relax, and enjoy the list as we put on the brass knuckles & battle it out to the death!
1) There were many artists that commented on the past week’s explosive & disheartening incidents revolving around police brutality and racial injustice…but MEDICMUZIK’s powerhouse new cut featuring music mavericks, ILLPO, lit up the office like an out of control fireworks display on the 4th of July! “Armed” delivers aggressive lyrics over a hard-driving Boom Bap soundscape that relayed the frustrations felt by the community when viewing the senseless slayings of two black men by the trigger-happy machinations of the boys in blue. NOTHING will erase the horror we witnessed but Medicmuzik & ILLPO provide the perfect soundtrack to channel our rage!
2) SMOOVTH & HUS KINGPIN conjure such cinematic visuals with their rhymes that’s it’s only fitting #TheWinners lyricists’ new track would open with a memorable monologue from Morgan Freeman lifted directly from “The Shawshank Redemption.” Aside from their bars of brilliance that paint a perfect depiction of inner-city street life, the emcees are always clever about the soundscapes they choose to flow over. (Tha Connection)”Windz” represents another one of those top tier choices as SmooVth’s self-produced jazz-fueled backdrop motivates the power spitters to give it their all. Then again, they never offer anything less. Such is the life of a WINNER.
3) UZOO’s “Attack” is one of those last minute surprises we mentioned at the top of the page. Literally, out of nowhere, a crew of ill emcees consisting of new faces & a few familiar ones (Jaden Castro & The Sloth) bumrushed the show and stomped on every hip hop group that came before them to cast the artists aside & take over the throne! Imagine what would happen if Souls of Mischief merged with The Wu-Tang Clan…and you get a good idea of what this collective’s all about. If you want to get deeper, toss in some no-holds barred Troubleneck Brothers & Cold Crush Brothers group interaction and more facets of the unstoppable unit will be revealed. When a crew emerges that’s this exciting you have to take notice. We watched their debut video with EYES WIDE OPEN & simply put…we haven’t blinked since!
4) One of the main reasons VEE SKEENO amazes us is because he can flow over damn near ANYTHING!!! And it’s never just ONE type of flow because Skeeno’s got MANY! The CT super lyricist supports our bold declarations by showcasing a variety of ill cadences & vocal inflections on the supreme KingNamedTutt sci-fi soundscape, “Execution.” When the initial rhythms of the space age gem kick in, your first thought is, “there’s NO WAY anyone can rhyme on this track”…then Skeeno dives in for the attack and outright KILLS IT! Vintage Veez’s got the weekend on lock with #SkeenoSaturdays dominating your favorite playlist. “Execution” showcases the way Vee slays his competitors with his deadly delivery on the mic!
5) MINDSONE & DJ IRON contemplate the complexities of life and death on the mind-bending “Phaseology” banger, “What’s Next?!? The fantastic sonic gem is the perfect wake up call for listeners forced to constantly suffer through the dumbed down musings of any given song on commercial radio. This is a track that has enough meat on its bones to feed an entire family. What’s Next for MindsOne & DJ Iron?…Underground acclaim AND worldwide success!
6) How do you encapsulate the anger, frustration, and pure rage of this week’s tragic events at the hands of the police and convey those emotions on record? DJ DAVITO, NINE, THIRSTIN HOWL THE 3rd, RUSTE JUXX, NEMS & E. REX figured it out…AND THEN SOME!!!…on the searing 41/2 minute track, “Police Brutality.” Over a carefully constructed Boom Bap backdrop that signals danger at every turn, the sonic revolutionaries drop bombs about the often violent encounters they experienced with crooked cops who care nothing about the communities(and the people of color within them)they’re assigned to protect! The police need to be held accountable for their actions. DJ Davito & his crew will lead the charge!
7) RAS BEATS enlisted O.C. & ELZHI for a stellar cut from the forthcoming, “Control Your Own,” album called “Knowledge Of Self.” The Danish born, NYC based music maestro serves up a sonic delicacy powerful enough to move mountains and change the minds of the most steadfast naysayers who believe dope beats and rhymes were laid to rest in the 90’s. If that was the case, we’ll call this a resurrection! Ras Beats, O.C., and Elzhi bring Boom Bap back to life!
8) BLAQ POET teamed up with #TheWinners First Lady, EL AY, for a Venom laced banger from Blaq’s “The Most Dangerous” LP and showcased unparalleled mic skills on the Boom Bap power gem, “Live Warrior.” As the legendary lyricist surveys the current Hip Hop landscape & questions its validity, El Ay delivers powerful vocals to enhance the proceedings. This is that hard-edged music sorely needed by the true heads who live and breathe the culture. You might be sweating from the blazing temperature outside but Blaq Poet & El Ay are the ones REALLY bringing the heat!
9) When heads shout, “Who’s in the building?!?” MAZZI and S.O.U.L. PURPOSE emerge on stage and tear up the scene to the delight of Hip Hop fans everywhere! Speaking of “The Building,” the New Jersey spitter has a bona fide hit on his hands with a dope new cut from his forthcoming “The Building” album called “W.Y.D?” As soon as you hear the drums kick in followed by Mazzi’s impressive flow, you know you’re in for a good time! If you love What Ya Do you ain’t gotta work a day in your life…Obviously, Mazzi has a lot of free time.
10) SEAN BROWN linked up with PHIL ADE over a smoothed out track utilizing piano chords from Carl Thomas’ classic, “I Wish” to deliver a dope joint about the joys of success. “Around” comes across as a positive-thinking mantra that anyone can apply to their life. If you visualize your dreams and put in the work, your wildest fantasies can be achieved!
Well that’s it for this week. Catch ya next time and…DON’T SLEEP!
– Kevin Keith
