When you least expect it, we sneak up on you with yet another edition of our most popular segment – Insomniac’s Weekly Top Ten. This past week has been an especially rough one. Plenty of artists dropped dope freestyles…but as a general rule, unless they’re rhyming over original music, we don’t include them on the list. This left our staff with very few options on the official track release front…but we found a handful of gems that soared high above the rest. Let’s get started.
1) CHELSEA REJECT joined forces with KIRK KNIGHT & T’NAH APEX on “47” to create a Duck Down/Pro Era collaborative masterpiece. The Dougy produced gem was able to bend space and time with its melodic & infectious soul grooves. Underground Hip Hop hasn’t been this hypnotic & compelling for a minute…but if anyone can uphold the quality of the music, it’s this artist. Chelsea Reject and “47” will stand the test of time.
2) PEN PALS represent a return to the raw, manic energy that initially drew us in to Hip Hop in the first place. They continue to pique our interest with their mysterious image(paper bags, ski masks, and even animal mascot costumes have been used to disguise the group’s appearance)and are highly skilled on the lyrical and production tip for a relatively unknown group from the bowels of Brooklyn. Speaking of bowels, this group is filthy…but proudly so…and THEY SHOULD BE! (With talent like this they can be whatever they want!) The crew’s new track (appropriately titled) “Filthy Animals”(featuring JAMII BASS)builds on the promise of their debut, “STFU.” It will make you nod your head to the beat, pay attention to the lyrics and…laugh uncontrollably! If you have to bet on one group to blow up big this year, Pen Pals should be your choice.
3) NYCK CAUTION once again proved that Pro Era is a force to be reckoned with by dropping the Chuck Strangers produced “World In Your Pocket.” JOEY BADA$$ couldn’t help but get a piece of the track, which made an already dope track even better. The Pro Era camp is unstoppable. We can’t wait to hear the rest of the heat they have in store for fans this summer.
4) CAMP LO released another cut from their forthcoming “Ragtime Hightimes” album called “Black Jesus” and it re-inforced the eloquence and mic mastery of this dynamic duo. Ski Beatz is behind the boards for the aforementioned track & handles production duties for the entire project. The group couldn’t be in better hands!
5) GIT BEATS merged his production excellence with BOB BANNER’s superior mic skills & brought the indestructible SEAN PRICE along for the ride on “Trio.” You know it’s not a basic track just from the talent involved. This is the kind of listening experience true fans will cherish forever. The trio create an auditory adventure for the ages.
6) SKYZOO gave us a taste of what to expect on his upcoming “Music For My Friends” album with his impressive new release “Suicide Doors.” MarcNfinit incorporates a sample of Mountain’s “Long Red” track to maximum effect, allowing Skyzoo to rhyme rings around the competition. It’s Hip Hop at its finest!
7) DJ EFN, the undisputed “King of The Top Ten,” lands on the list again with “When I’m Dead,” featuring JOELL ORTIZ, KEITH MURRAY, CHRIS RIVERS & SKAM 2.” Miami Beat Wave unleashes next level production on the track & brings another one home for the team!
8) CAPONE-N-NOREAGA reunite with TRAGEDY KHADAFI & add The LOX to the mix for “3 On 3.” If you want an easy breezy pop song look elsewhere. Lyrics will always be a vital component of Hip Hop music…and these artists have them in abundance!
9) MYSONNE challenged the perception of various onlookers who viewed the participants in Baltimore’s uprising as “Thugs.” We know that in many cases there’s a wide gap between perception & reality. Mysonne brings that knowledge to the forefront & expounds on it via his scorching new cut.
10) SWORDS FOR HIRE is a crew that features SLEEP SINATRA & ICHIBANHASHFACE. These underground emcees on the rise teamed up with WOOZY MEDZ to flow over an Izra produced track that provided a raw, gritty sound that is sorely missed in the modern era of overproduced “Hip Pop.” SWORDS FOR HIRE keeps things street level. That’s something we appreciate…and reward.
https://soundcloud.com/sleepsinatra/swordsforhire-outlanders-ft-woozy-medz-prod-by-izra
Well that’s all for this week. Catch ya next time and…DON’T SLEEP!
– Kevin Keith
