Insomniac’s Weekly Top Ten is back again! And if there’s one thing we’ve learned from today’s list it’s that Conway The Machine’s not to be f***ed with! The Griselda Records champ took over three prime areas of real estate on the countdown, leaving competitors bloodied and dazed on the cutting room floor. So check out Conway & Co. along with the other prestigious artists on the chart when you peep the action below!
1) DJ RUDE ONE has been extremely selective about the tracks he’s released from his forthcoming “ONEderful” project. Each joint flaunts top level lyricists & high energy Boom Bap, and the latest leak featuring CONWAY THE MACHINE is no exception. “Andre Drummond” is a horror film in the hood come to life! Rude One John Carpenter’s this b**ch as Conway goes into Michael Myers mode to slay the competition. It’s an all-out aural assault you won’t soon forget!
2) HUS KINGPIN hits listeners with a “Wave Palooza” and enlists fellow #TheWinners representative, JUNELYFE, for the hook. The Marco Polo produced gem provides a sensory overload of sinister sounds & manic beats powered forward by Lord Wavy’s immaculate flow. The lyrical onslaught never ends when Hus Kingpin enters your town. Ride the wave to a mind-bending experience!
3) Buffalo rules Hip Hop as PROGRAM links up with CONWAY for a new banger from the forthcoming “Povinelli” EP titled “Bulldog.” The soul-fueled joint lets all the wack rappers know that ‘real muthaf***ers are at their door.’ The high-powered emcees suggest that the lyrically challenged spitters should practice more. But we suggest they give up.
4) NABO RAWK took a few minutes out from “pinning chicks to the bedspread” to drop a Crate Divizion certified banger for the masses. Vic Grimes supplies the monstrous sonic backdrop CDVZ are known for to push the Boston spitter’s lyrics over the top and enhance the proceedings even further. A few seconds in & you know you’re listening to greatness. And if you think we want to hear more from these guys, you’re damn right! Is the song really that dope? Two words. “Hell Yeah!”
5) LYRIC JONES & RAH DIGGA brought all-powerful lyricism to a Backpack Beatz laced banger featuring dope cuts by DJ Eclipse on “Ski Mask Way.” Lines like Rah’s: “this rap chick lit/n***as can’t see me/need a whole biography on A & E” and Lyric’s: “Sippin’ Hennessy, f***ing up my kidneys/got these kids on they knees, I’m the Prophet Jonesy/I had a dream I was gettin’ head from Ghost/There’s POWER in the p***y dawg, I hate to boast” will resonate and rewind in our minds for months to come. It’s all about skill & technique. These heavy-hitters possess those elements in abundance!
6) EASALIO is having a “Hell Of A Time” on his new AP laced banger & we couldn’t be more grateful! The Richmond, VA super-spitter is paying the wack n***as never no mind as he delivers unimaginable levels of heat on this release. For advice on how to properly rip a track, you better call Easalio. He puts in the work & gets the job done!
7) TONE ATLAS serves a platter of “Hors D’ Oeuvres” featuring CONWAY THE MACHINE & PEDRO ESCOBAR to the listeners, then smashes the tray in the face of all opposing forces on the dope Twist L’s laced “Plata O Plomo.” Each emcee rides the menacing groove with precision, proving that they live by the underground code to deliver dope lyrics at all costs. It’s only a matter of time before Tone Atlas goes gold, so get in on the action early!
8) FIVE STEEZ is fast becoming a permanent fixture on our chart as he returns to the list this week with another mesmerizing Mordecai produced banger called “True School.” The great thing about the lyricist is that his accent and flow make him unique among the current crop of emcees. Instead of sounding like everyone else he truly possesses a style that’s unabashedly his own. The Kingston, Jamaica power spitter should be heralded based on originality alone, but as a bonus for fans he also rhymes like a BEAST! “True School” contains a haunting groove & Boom Bap backdrop you can’t stop nodding your head to. “HeatRockz” is filled with gems that are fueling the summer. We’re way past the boiling point. Just sit back & embrace the heat!
9) When KONCEPT says it’s time to go…It’s “Time To Go!” The Optiks produced gem featuring Akie Bermiss connects on all the right levels with carefully crafted lyrics, a HARDCORE beat, and a catchy hook that doesn’t seem like it was shoe-horned in at the last minute. There’s even some ill guitar work courtesy of Seandammit to add some extra spice to the aural excitement! This is one of those joints you can play all day. So start right now!
10) Sometimes tracks come thru with a limited bit of info…but that’s okay because the music should speak for itself! Atlanta’s production genius, TUAMIE, slipped in a meticulously crafted gem featuring BOOG BROWN & YAMIN SEMALI called “Orange” that couldn’t be ignored! The joint is a Jazz & Boom Bap laden work of art that soars with Boog & Yamin’s pristine rhyme flows and precision timing. If it were possible to place a digital file on an awards shelf, this track would be front & center in our display case right now.
Well that’s it for this week. Catch ya next time and…DON’T SLEEP!
– Kevin Keith
