Here we go again listeners. Insomniac’s Weekly Top Ten list is ready for your viewing pleasure! You’ll notice a few former countdown champs returning with new heat, as well as relative unknowns on the verge of a breakthrough. All you have to do is sit back & enjoy. Now let’s get it started…
1) CLEAR SOUL FORCES held down the #1 spot on our list in March with “BPSWR” & they’ve done it again with “Kaboom!” The unstoppable 4 man army teamed up with production mastermind NAMELESS for the “Fab5ive” album & showed the masses what true Hip Hop is really about! “Kaboom” continues their legacy of delivering dope music for the mind, body, and soul. All hail Clear Soul Forces! Hip Hop music is alive & well!
2) From his raw, underground Diamond District persona to his current alterna-soul inflected incarnation, ODDISEE, has repeatedly shown that creativity has no limits. The producer/lyricist’s track, “Meant It When I Said It,” showcases a range of musicality few Hip Hop artists can ever hope to reach. We appreciated every second of the cut & hope that the emcee will always keep fighting “The Good Fight.”
3) BOGART’s intensely powerful “Alamogordo” track knocked our staff into submission! We couldn’t believe it was floating in the ether for a month without making its way to our Insomniac HQ. One listen & we were instantly drawn in by Julio Reyes Compello’s startlingly brilliant production. BOGART’s vocals were the icing on an extremely satisfying cake sprinkled with quality Hip Hop. Note to artists everywhere: If you want fans and press to pay attention to your work – Create a track like this!
4) The name DONNY SPADE stands for excellence! If you don’t believe us, listen to the emcee/producer’s latest cut, “Wake Up Call.” Saturday we spent hours deliberating & compiling our Top Ten…extremely pleased with our decision, when at the last minute, Donny’s new song popped up on the radar. It forced us to go back, re-evaluate our list, add Mr. Spade to the action & leave another worthy track on the cutting room floor. It was a tough call, but after listening to an artist this driven and talented, ‘best believe we wouldn’t hesitate to do it all over again.
https://soundcloud.com/donny-spade/wake-up-call
5) RUSS is an anomaly in the sense that we don’t usually include freestyles on the list. There have been a lot of great ones lately, but if the beat is too recognizable, we feel it’s somewhat of a cheat. That’s why Russ’ “Brooklyn Freestyle” stands out. It’s a self-produced joint(no digging in the crates for familiar instrumentals)that allows the lyricist to go extra hard! We love the way Russ flowed on the track and hope the emcee has a lot more to get off his chest so he can continue to drop heat like this!
6) AGALLAH made our list last week with “Rolling Stoned” & enlisted living legend, BIG DADDY KANE, for his latest entry on our chart, “Get Your S@#t Together.” The Don Bishop & The Big Daddy are both coming back with a vengeance! Naysayers doubting the power of classic lyricists need to rethink their opinions. Real Hip Hop is here to stay!
7) We respect the ingenuity of 19 year old lyricist, ASOH BLACK. Instead of freestyling over a track from an old Kanye West beat tape, he actually turned the unearthed Yeezus gem into a full-fledged song. “Sway” is a fun, energetic cut that serves as a strong debut for this emcee on the rise. With or without the aid of Kanye’s production, we’re excited to hear what he drops next!
https://soundcloud.com/asohxblvck/sway
8) APOCALYPSE caught our attention & crashed our Top Ten with the abrasive powerhouse track, “Mr. Officer.” Now he returns with the Domingo produced banger, “Talk To Em.” The emcee possesses mastery over every breath, syllable, word & lyric…He bends rhymes at will! Combine that with creative mastermind Domingo’s flawless production skills & the result is…ANOTHER WINNER! This is just the beginning. When “The Wake Up Call” album drops May 12th, Apocalypse will bring destruction to all rap poseurs as he ascends to his rightful place on the Hip Hop throne.
9) CREATIVE GOLD crafted a soulful shoutout to online personality KIM J that kept our heads nodding to the YDBeatsss produced track. Playful lyrics and a catchy Ginuwine sample add up to pure entertainment. We can all expect even more when the Brooklyn artist’s “MVP Race” drops May 6th.
10) BISHOP NEHRU is a beast on the mic! Make no mistake! “Harmony In A Glass” is a throwback to a more pure era of Hip Hop. In fact, it sounds like a cut that wouldn’t be out of place on a classic Tribe album. We loved it because of the nostalgic vibe and the obvious talent flowing from this extraordinarily gifted emcee on the rise.
Well, that’s it for this week. Catch ya next time and…DON”T SLEEP!
– Kevin Keith
