To all of our sleep deprived readers, here’s what you’ve been waiting for! It’s time for the latest edition of Insomniac’s Weekly Top Ten list. There were many first timers who made the countdown this go ’round as well as the tried & true artists who churn out hit after hit on a weekly basis. So grab your favorite beverage…then sit back, relax & enjoy the countdown.
1) GUILTY SIMPSON considers “Vanguard Organization” a “throwaway cut”…but he’s obviously crazy because there’s nothing disposable about this underground sonic masterpiece! Just listen to Guilty’s confident flow, that sinister groove, the triumphant horns, the spaghetti western samples…It all adds up to dope of the highest quality! Guilty Simpson is a true vanguard of the music industry. He’s at the forefront of the underground Hip Hop scene & easily earns the #1 spot!
2) PAPOOSE has received a lot of buzz this past week due to the announcement that he’ll be joining the cast of “Love & Hip Hop: New York” for its forthcoming season…but make no mistake, the REAL heat is coming from the lyricist’s DJ Premier produced joint, “The Plug.” Papoose flows over a guitar-laden track laced with that special Premo magic all listeners find irresistible! The cut is powerful enough to satisfy Hip Hop heads at the club or Rock fans at a stadium arena. Papoose & DJ Premier are power players in the game…and that’s no mere plug!
3) SY ARI DA KID & producer, TEAUXNY teamed up for 9 phenomenal tracks on their “Politically End Correct” mixtape. A stand out cut from the project was “One Life.” The song is divided into two parts. It begins with Sy brilliantly flowing over Teauxny’s clever flip of Marvin Gaye’s “I Want You” classic before transitioning into a menacing, minimalist beat featuring a tour de force of deadly bars from the lyrical arsenal of DAONE, JID, TRANSLEE & the legendary BUMPY KNUCKLES aka Freddie Foxxx. Sy & company are masters of their craft & skills like these MUST be rewarded with a top spot on our list!
4) DAVE B is always “On!” We have yet to hear a weak track from the Seattle lyricist…and pray we never do! The latest loosie from the artist perfectly illustrates the powerful presence and creativity of this star on the rise. No one can match the emcee’s melodic flow on the compellingly funky cut produced by Dave himself. If you want to hear basic beats & rhymes go somewhere else…but if you want to experience quality Hip Hop you should be listening to Dave B!
5) TERMANOLOGY & MANNY GARCIA celebrate the pride and power of their heritage with the DJ Ready Cee & Phil Coyle produced “Latino Unification.” These two Boston spitters initiate a lyrical showdown, delivering spectacular bars of pure FIRE as Statik Selektah demonstrates his handiwork on the 1 & 2’s. This is a solid cut in every sense of the word that will find all races banding together in their appreciation & enjoyment of “Latino Unification.”
6) When it comes to lyrics T.O.N.Y.’s got ’em! The Twin Cities spitter can easily body a track on his own…but this time he adds DONNY GOINES & J THE S to the mix for this ColomBeyond produced gem. “Tru Grit” is a music lover’s paradise of sharp rhythms and rhymes that you won’t be able to get out of your head for months…and possibly years to come! It’s a big win for Minnesota…and an even bigger win for Hip Hop fans everywhere.
7) CHUUWEE joined forces with TAKTICZ for the Sbvce produced “Team” and provided some high-powered Sacramento-based funk on this Lorde sample-driven cut. Both lyricists attack the track with “tunnel-vision” intensity and engage the listener with every line they deliver. It’s a certified win! Consistency is the name of the game in Hip Hop & you can always depend on Chuuwee to give it his all & emerge on top!
8) QUILLY & SPADE O brought pure heat on “Do Ya Homework” from their Don Cannon hosted, “On Dek Ent: The Album” project(featuring fellow Philly spitter, City Rominiecki). Raw rhymes…Monstrous beats…This is real hardcore Hip Hop ish!!! Never EVER count Philly out. The city is harboring some of the best lyricists in the biz…and if ya don’t know…you better do ya homework!
9) RODDY has always been the Jet Life camp’s secret weapon & the DJ Relly Rell produced “Apologies” threatens to uncover more of the mystique associated with this highly talented artist. Roddy bounces and cascades around one of the most soulful tracks to emerge in months. Thankfully he saw fit to release it to the masses, allowing us to devour every note until Roddy returns again with more sonic treats to satiate our musical appetite.
10) GANGRENE are readying the release of their new album, “You Disgust Me.” But in the meantime, ALCHEMIST & OH NO unveiled a bonus track from the project titled “Hot Pillow.” It contains a Frank Zappa sample & super-charged cuts from DJ Romes that kept our heads nodding & faces grinning with delight. It all but assured us that the super duo will be conjuring up a lot of musical magic for listeners on the new project. With tricks like these there will be no disappearing acts within their fan base. In fact, joints like “Hot Pillow” will make the listeners multiply! We can’t wait…
Well, that’s it for this week. Catch ya next time and…DON’T SLEEP!
– Kevin Keith
