What a week it’s been for Hip Hop! Just when you thought emcees forgot how to battle, Drake & Meek Mill stepped up to the plate. Of course the whole situation was admittedly one-sided as the chart-topping 6 God proceeded to demolish Meek Mill’s career. Hey, the first rule in a battle is to always come prepared. Unfortunately, Meek didn’t get the memo. In other news, we were excited by a number of first timers on the countdown. Artists are taking their time to conjure up magic in the studio & we’re happy to present the dopest jams to all our faithful readers in Insomniac Land. So sit back, relax, and enjoy the latest edition of Insomniac’s Weekly Top Ten.
1) This week brought a return to the old “Mixtape DRAKE” we were first introduced to years ago. After being repeatedly bashed by Meek Mill on social media for not writing his own lyrics, Drake set things off by releasing an appetizer called “Charged Up” on Monday before launching into Wednesday’s main entree, “Back To Back.” The end result was pure devastation as Meek’s reputation suffered a brutal beatdown courtesy of Drake’s clever punchlines. When the Philly rapper finally resurfaced, he did even more damage to his career with an unfocused and nearly incoherent response titled “Wanna Know.” We wanna know what Meek’s next career move will be. Thank God they’re hiring at UPS!
2) SILENT KNIGHT dropped an Audible Doctor produced sonic juggernaut on fans called “Walking” & made us instant believers in the master lyricist’s undeniable rhyme skills. The track is immaculate in its construction; perfectly designed with a raw beat and dark groove that channels images of the dark, foreboding city streets. The song provides commentary on the emcee’s current state of mind while also giving a nod to the past with a nostalgic Mobb Deep vibe that serves as the perfect lead-in to his forthcoming “Weaknd” EP.
3) ANGEL HAZE did the “Impossible” on her bold Tk Kayembe produced track & blew out our minds along with our speakers on this new MONSTER track. Frankly, we NEVER heard Angel go as hard as she did on this cut. She comes across like a lyrical machine gun firing blasts of rebellious mind music for the masses! Actually, scratch the “masses” part of that statement because this exciting artist could care less whether or not she’s accepted by the mainstream. The bottom line is, she knows who she is & what she wants to do. Simply put, that’s good enough for us!
4) The Maryland trio known as GODS’ILLA linked up with Grammy Award winning poet, J.IVY, for the Joe. D produced “Valleys & Peaks” and permeated our souls with impassioned, tribal music that gave us the feeling we were directly connecting to our ancestors in the motherland. We learned from this track that Gods’Illa doesn’t make music you simply listen to…They make songs you EXPERIENCE.
5) When Fresno’s MARKIS PRECISE enlisted ELZHI & FASHAWN for his album, “The Fear Of Flying,” he provided them with a funky, irresistible soundscape that forced all Hip Hop poseurs to “Kiss The Ring.” Look at the talent involved and listen to the track. It’s amazing that lesser artists even bother.
6) RODDY has been resting comfortably in our Top Ten for the past few weeks…but this time he loads up with extra lyrical ammo courtesy of FORTES & QUICK SMITH for the laid back funk of “Straight Cash.” Fortes puts in double duty as producer on the cut and the track is guaranteed to be on constant rotation in the ride or the crib. It’s certified dope! Yep Roddy, I think that makes three in a row.
7) Chicago’s VERBAL KENT teamed up with FREDDIE GIBBS to deliver an Apollo Brown produced street banger called “Suitcase Switch.” This is that dirty underground sound the Insomniac staff lives for! In fact, it’s so good we’re wondering how anything else on his forthcoming “Anesthesia” album can top it!
8) Germany’s SUPERIOR linked up with PLANET ASIA for a free download in support of his recently released “Scenes” album and it firmly established the deejay & producer as a true “Rap Champion.” Cuts by DJ Sean accent what can surely be described as a short but sweet piece of sonic perfection.
9) GANGRENE continue to push the boundaries of their psychedelic Hip Hop funk with the latest single from the forthcoming “You Disgust Me” project. “Reversals” adds some reggae flair to the mix with Oh No handling all production duties on the track. If you’re not a Gangrene fan, what are you a fan of? The duo incorporate so many different genres of music into their overall sound, no one should ever feel left out.
10) AG DA CORONER promises to shake up the industry with his Statik Selektah produced, “The Game Changer,” and we believe him. The emcee rhymes like he will stomp you out in a single breath! Of course, Statik gives him the hardest driving sonic backdrop to accompany his impressive delivery. With a cut like this we’re expecting great things from the upcoming album, “Sip The Nectar!”
Well, that’s it for this week. Catch ya next time and…DON”T SLEEP!
– Kevin Keith
