Hey readers, we have the list you’ve been waiting for…and with artists like De La Soul, Slick Rick, and Canibus making the cut, you’ll feel like you stepped inside a time machine. Listen, it’s a WELL-OILED, WELL-DESIGNED time machine so don’t be afraid to hop right in! Push the button on your right that says “Don’t Sleep” & let’s journey through Insomniac’s Weekly Top Ten…
1) DE LA SOUL enlisted NAS for the hook of their “God It” joint that won’t be(but should be)included on their upcoming Kickstarter funded album & reminded the world that they “still got it baby boy!” The ultra-creative trio came out swinging on this joint and spoon-fed fans a small dose of sonic brilliance to keep us craving for more. Pos, Dave, and Mase never fail to bring the heat with each release & we’re proud to award these legends the #1 spot!
2) PLANET ASIA & GODFATHER PT. 3 teamed up to decimate a scorching, funk-driven DIRTYDIGGS cut from the “Nautica Nagas” album. The lyricists spit soul-fueled “Loogies” all over the track, leaving traces of highly evolved, otherworldly DNA in their wake…the kind that belongs to superior emcees! Don’t bother trying to clone these artists. They can’t be replicated. Planet Asia, DirtyDiggs & Godfather Pt. 3 are truly one of a kind.
3) HUEY BRISS joined forces with SEAFOOD SAM & SAINT ROSS for a voyage through Average Thought’s interplanetary sounding masterpiece “Run From This.” Each emcee rides the sinister sci-fi groove with laser-like precision. Alien adversaries are quickly dispatched with a barrage of sub-atomic bars on the mic. Our heroes have won! The galaxy is safe for all mankind.
https://soundcloud.com/huey-briss/run-from-us
4) Whenever BLACKALICIOUS drop a track they’re on fire! It could be today. It could be tomorrow. But let’s be more specific because they’re “On Fire Tonight!” Gift of Gab & Chief Xcel didn’t return to the scene quietly. After a ten year absence, the creative minds linked up with MYRON(of Myron & E) and delivered a serious banger to get listeners amped up for their “Imani Vol.1” album, dropping August 14th. If the feeling of triumph could ever be contained in music, people would reference this song. Welcome back!
https://soundcloud.com/reybee/blackalicious-on-fire-tonight
5) ROYAL FLUSH is another emcee who has been on a serious grind since the 90’s…and we couldn’t be happier that he brought along classic crew, CELLA DWELLAS, with JUNKY GOODS, GENESIS LXG, TOP DOG & BLEACH BROTHERS to boot! Understandably, they’re heated about the direction Hip Hop has taken throughout the years. When you have models from foreign countries parading around like rap gods and street urchins mumbling over tracks to mainstream appeal, a little anger is expected. But, to their credit, these fine gentlemen never let the situation come to blows. Nah. Why go there? Instead, they sit peacefully, merely observing the proceedings before “SHOTS FIRED!” Yep. Ya gotta hit ’em with a sneak attack!
6) DYNAS was fresh off a featured appearance on the “Another Time” album by Insomniac’s Weekly Top Ten Champ, DJ EFN, when he linked up with Miami’s production mastermind, TONY GALVIN, for “Who U?” The song has that funky 80’s Hip Hop feel with horns, shakers, and a “Tramp”-like drum machine beat. You can almost hear the guys going “Wouldn’t it be great if we could get SLICK RICK on this?” Well, VOILA’, they did! The rhymes and flow are everything you would expect from the genre’s “greatest storyteller.” Dynas and Rick have a great rapport on the mic and Galvin gives it his all behind the boards. Hip Hop has been good to us this week. Very good, indeed!
7) APOCALYPSE perfectly described the intense distrust and hostility between police officers and black males on his searing RuzBeats produced track, “Mr. Officer.” We’re directed toward instances of unnecessary violence & harassment via audio snippets of Eric Garner being approached and subsequently choked by the barbaric “boys in blue.” The lyricist delivers his content in a powerful yet even tempered tone(like a powder keg ready to explode)and reminds us that the real apocalypse is already occurring…in the urban neighborhoods of America.
https://soundcloud.com/domingomusic/apocalypse-mr-officer-prod-by-ruzbeatz-the-wake-up-call-5122015
8) AGALLAH DON BISHOP and RAS KASS merged their legendary talents on the mic to bring fans the kind of dark and gritty Hip Hop that true heads appreciate. “Rolling Stoned” detailed the journey of two gifted artists who struggle everyday to maintain their souls. The streets…and the industry can be unforgiving, but when “Agalito’s Way” drops May 5th, The Don Bishop will rise like a phoenix from the ashes to claim his rightful place on the Hip Hop throne.
9) Hip Hop doesn’t always have to be serious or even overly lyrical for that matter. Sometimes it’s just about having fun. We heard SAMUELZ D. ADLIB’s “Gawd’s New Basterd” mixtape, so we knew he had skills. But sometimes a track just calls for rhythm & flow. That’s exactly what he supplies to “Dr. Travolta,” his cut from producer, JAR HEIGHT’s “Stego” album. The joint is actually brilliant in its simplicity. It possesses a house/trance/EDM type vibe without neglecting its Hip Hop roots. That’s a fine line to walk, but Samuelz & Jar Height pull it off without a hitch. Samuelz D. Adlib is an intensely intriguing figure(watch his videos to see what we mean) and Jar Height is hording away a stash of beats awaiting major consumer consumption. These guys are getting a placement on the industry “Watch List” for sure. If Hip Hop were a movie it would be “Pulp Fiction,” with Jules played by Samuelz D. Adlib & Jar Height holding down the Vincent Vega role formerly occupied by John “Travolta.”
10) CANIBUS & KILLAH PRIEST reunite outside of their HRSMN collective to spit lyrical fire over a Bronze Nazareth produced cut called “Bronze Horses,” from the “Gone Till November” emcee’s upcoming “Time Flys, Life Dies…Phoenix Rise” album. Emcees in training, studying their Hip Hop peers, should take note of the aggression and craftsmanship that goes into every verse. Kids, this is how you BODY a track!
Well, that’s all for this week. Until next time…DON”T SLEEP!
– Kevin Keith
