WARNING: Insomniac’s Weekly Top Ten might be dangerous to your health! So much dope music is contained in this chart that you’re guaranteed to sprain a finger from constantly hitting REWIND! As a connoisseur of the underground, that’s just a hazard of the job. So get those ACE bandages ready & check out the list below!
1) TITO MONTANA knows the right ingredients it takes to make a dope track! You enlist Vinny Idol for top of the line Boom Bap production, incorporate profound sound bytes from legendary comedian/activist, DICK GREGORY and add a dash of DAVE EAST to the mix. The end result is a banger called “Must Be Crazy” that you’ll be pumping up LOUD to the point of hearing loss! It’s worth it though ’cause if you HAVE TO go deaf it should at least be to a track with a rhythm as pulsating as this! Tito & Dave’s lyrical contributions are nothing short of perfection While Mr. Gregory’s sampled comments drive the point home that urban style doesn’t equal criminal behavior!
2) SKIZZ is known for producing ill joints…and there are many on his star-packed “Cruise Control” album…but one of the dopest is most definitely the BIG TWINS & HUS KINGPIN featured sonic masterpiece, “Billy Ocean.” The groove is straight up 70’s soul that flips a classic Vicki Sue Robinson sample to maximum effect. The track packs so much heat that you’ll be drenched in sweat from the moment you press play! Once Big Twins’ gravelly cadence kicks in, your eyes will roll into the back of your head from the aural ecstasy penetrating your ear drums. When Hus Kingpin takes the mic, listeners will experience a full release of audio excitement as #TheWinners lyrical juggernaut massages the solid tempo with smooth vocals before eviscerating the rhythm with expert precision! THIS is how to BODY a track. It’s an all-star affair. Billy Ocean up in this b**ch!
3) CONSEQUENCE dusted off his copy of EPMD’s 1988 classic, “It’s My Thing,” and gave us “7 Minutes Of Funk” in less than 3 minutes by recruiting TY DOLLA $IGN & TONY YAYO for the intensely FUNKY party cut, “ASK SOMEBODY.” The lyricists bring high energy fun to the proceedings as Ty amps up the excitement with smooth vocals on the hook. This is that throwback type ish that NEVER, ever gets old! “Ain’t No N***as” like Cons, Ty, and Yayo. They’ll keep dropping the hits…and we’ll keep listening!
4) When Australian production powerhouse, DISCOURSE, was looking for the best emcees in the game to contribute top quality BARS for his “Megalomaniac” album, he knew he had to enlist The Don himself, AGALLAH FARO, for the super-charged MONSTER track, “Still Lettin’ It Go.” This is Agallah doing what he does best – ripping dope tracks with an unlimited supply of energy and superior mic skills others DREAM to possess! The lyrical assassin could give less than a f**k about the competition, but if you dare step to him best believe the problem will be handled…and you’ll be on the losing end.
5) What would a Top 10 list be without a member of The Griselda Records Family? CONWAY & Daringer had pots boiling to the point of overflowing as they baked a new treat for fans that was “Cooked In Hell’s Kitchen.” With dope lines like, “this n***a talkin’ like he off or somethin’/I’m like, you talkin’ to a G like you don’t respect your jaw or somethin'” and another powerful clip from Daringer’s arsenal of hits to play at full blast, it was a no-brainer that GxFR would rule again!
6) MICKEY FACTZ tapped Nottz for some ultra-funky production and aimed his new track directly at Joe Budden on the brutally scorching gem, “Eye Witness.” Anyone that respects and UNDERSTANDS what true lyricism is about will appreciate what Mickey does here. Instead of tossing out meaningless jabs that don’t connect, the lyricist appears to have taken the professional fighter approach of collecting footage to study his opponent’s weaknesses. So many video clips, tour moments, and social media stories are addressed & exploited, that it’s amazing he was able to get them all in! These guys HAVE been going at it a LONG time, but as far as we’re concerned Mickey’s the lyricist who possesses the upper hand.
7) KURTIS STANLEY’s Wally Clark laced masterwork of soul brilliance, “Right Here,” is so undeniably funky that it’s almost hard to believe a gem this pure can even exist! Repping for Gummy Soul, the Nashville titan cascades around the grooves with an effortless flow that showcases superior mic skills that CAN’T be overlooked. 615 is definitely where it is! As long as the Gummy Soul label continues to deliver music with this high level of quality we’ll be “Right Here” listening!
8) SAGEINFINITE is surveying the landscape and he’s not sure he likes what he sees. Yeah, he’s receiving plenty of affection from the ladies and dap from the homies…but he knows they only love him for his “7 Series.” That’s okay though, ’cause the lyricist is speeding toward success on his All Ceven produced gem while all you losers will be eating his dust. Lyrically he’s ahead of y’all…and ahead of the game in general. Wave as he passes you by. He ain’t stopping to pick you up. ‘Another day in the life of a WINNER.
9) This is the third release from DITC STUDIOS to feature supreme spitter, TASHANE, and as expected it delivered the goods! Showbiz once again blessed the late lyricist and his captivating co-conspirator in rhyme, A BLESS, with another banger for the streets in the form of “All Of That.” Raw energy and aggression are the calling card for the lyrical presentation that ensues and yeah, you’ll want to hear it again & again. We don’t know how many more Tashane joints Show has in his stash…but the streets say, “Keep ’em coming!”
10) FALSE IDOL make their chart debut with “No Respect” and blow up the scene with powerful lyrics & production that showcase advanced prowess from a duo who are relative newcomers to the scene. A-God drops intricate rhyme schemes and complex lyricism capably supported by Evil Genius’ dense Boom Bap soundscape. Listen to the music & look for more heat from the crew in the VERY near future!
Well that’s it for this week. Catch ya next time and…DON’T SLEEP!
– Kevin Keith
