It’s Top Ten list time again Insomniac readers! These are the tracks that our illustrious staff kept on repeat all week long. We played & analyzed them so much that we even started dreaming about ’em! If music is a form of mind control, we’re all willing servants to the artists mentioned below. Now sit back & enjoy the list…
1) DJ EFN is a veteran of the Miami mixtape scene & soon he will be king of the charts, if the Killer Mike, KXNG CROOKED and Webbz featured single, “If U Run,” is any indication. The high-powered track, produced by music masterminds Davincci and Miami Beat Wave, beat the Insomniac staff into sonic submission and ensured that EFN’s “Another Time” will be one of the most eagerly anticipated albums of 2015!
2) PAPOOSE connected with major body blows to the competition on “Grimy Ass New York.” On the surface, it was his way of shouting out the 5 boroughs…but we picked up a subtle undertone of lyrical empowerment. It was as if he was daring any emcee to step to him & battle. DJ Tip re-works the classic “Apache” track & gives it a fuller sound…still danceable, yet somewhat sinister. Pure DOPE!
3) DAVE B is destined to be a superstar! We’re callin’ it now. His smooth yet lethal flow on the seriously funky Jake One produced track, “Leaves,” caught our attention & made us consider renting a home behind his studio in Seattle, so we could be the first to hear whatever he’s cookin’ up next! All we can say is, Dave B has mad skills. The B must stand for Best in the game!
4) MANI COOLIN’ & COZZ flexed true lyrical skills in the Jay Kurzweil & Meez produced banger, “Free My Mind.” The track is both moody & undeniably catchy, with a driving groove and a recurring vocal sample that sounds like a house being haunted by the evil spirits of possessed children. Creepy…but we love it! It’s just a way to wet our appetite until Mani’s “Hope 4 The Youth” album drops in March.
5) JOEY BADA$$ released an album last week & a bonus track called “Born Day” to celebrate his birthday. When Joey & Statik Selektah team up they make magic together & this track is no exception. Joey, we appreciate you!
6) WILLIE THE KID blew us away with the “Stray Blade” freestyle & he did it again with “The Watch”(featuring Royce Da 5’9”). A mellow, Budgie produced track perfectly complements the sickest flows in the industry.
7) BOLDY JAMES took over Rittz’s “In My Zone” track, transforming it into a downbeat masterpiece of the emcee’s daily hustle. With this kind of hunger and intensity we’re expecting big things from his upcoming mixtape, “Trapper’s Alley 2.”
8) JOEY FATTS created an amazing tribute to his longtime friend & mentor, A$AP Yams, with “Stevie’s World.” The track incorporates Deniece William’s “Black Butterfly,” and features such heartfelt lyrics that it would make the most stone-faced hard-rock tear up. The emcee may have lost a friend in physical form, but Yam’s spiritual essence will always live on through Joey’s music.
9) CAB’RAL totally caught us off guard! The audio for his “No Patience” video was recorded extremely low…Cab’Ral can barely be seen in the dark, murky clip…and yet we were fascinated by this mysterious new artist! This is one of those rare cases where being forced to listen to someone can work in their favor. Why? Because you have to pay attention! Is that blood on his face & hands? Well, he must’ve murdered a few emcees…because Cab’Ral’s aggressive flow and hardcore track make him invincible!
10) J DOE is the latest artist to emerge from Busta Rhyme’s Conglomerate Entertainment & if he follows in O.T. Genasis’ footsteps, his career could be huge. The staff couldn’t stop playing his Outkast(“SpottieOttieDopaliscious”) sampled track, “You Don’t Really Know”…and with Busta providing a vocal assist, how can you lose?
That’s the Top Ten for the week. Catch ya next time & Don’t Sleep on Real Hip Hop!
– Kevin Keith
