Christmas has come and gone but Insomniac’s Weekly Top Ten is always here to give you the hottest releases! So don’t worry faithful readers…If Santa forgot to put something in your X-Mas stocking, get back at the fat bastard by pumping these joints so loud it takes down the North Pole!
1) Hamden, CT’s ABSTRAKT MIND(A:M) is a master of pushing the creative envelope while staying true to the 90’s Boom Bap sound that breathes life into each release. “KTM Anthem” or the ‘kill the moment’ anthem if you prefer, blasts out of the speakers with a triumphant D-Major produced groove that caught our attention from the very first second! A:M’s superb delivery matches the track perfectly as he rails against haters while unlocking his imagination to present a 3 minute composition of sonic nirvana. Will the emcee’s forthcoming project, “The Pen To Pad Theory Vol. 1” be able to reach the heights of this track? We think so. Never doubt a born winner!
2) CHUBS’ Eitan Noyze produced power joint featuring WORLDARAMA has been floating around for awhile now, but we weren’t aware of it until it infiltrated our in-boxes this week, instantly causing them to EXPLODE! “Brad Pitt” is so phenomenally hardcore that it’s amazing it exists at all in this age of new age, airy, cry-baby rap! Chubs & Worldarama batter the mic while original X-Ecutioner, Mista Sinista, tears up the 1 & 2’s. This is pure, untainted Hip Hop in every sense of the word. Keep your “Fight Club” flick…We’ll take the Brad Pitt track over the actor’s movies ANY day!
3) NYCK CAUTION has always been Pro Era’s undisputed secret weapon…and when he released a new track on December 24th to honor the memory of mentor Capital Steez as well as his father’s birthday, the lyricist once again brought his A-Game to the table. The Slauson Malone produced “Jamal” kicks & cascades with Nyck’s flow serving as the engine that powers the entire affair into greatness.
4) RIEF RAWYAL(or Reif Rawyal, depending on the way his name appears on Audiomack & Soundcloud listings) brought the house down with his funky, uptempo Dame Grease produced banger, “Get Yours,” that kept the staff bouncing around the office the entire week. Rief’s energetic delivery is enough to turn any boring get together into A PARTY & Dame’s production is notorious for transporting listeners to a state of aural ecstasy. “Get Yours” and check out this new track!
5) HUS KINGPIN joined forces with M9 to command the countdown once again. The sinister, sci-fi sounding “HENNESSY PRIVILEGE” conjures up images of an intergalactic war that threatens our freedom & very existence on the planet. Armed with an arsenal of sonic artillery courtesy of Militia Major, Grubby Pawz, we know that our heroes will emerge victorious…but until the enemy is completely vanquished the nail-biting tension rages on…
6) LUSHWORK delivered free-flowing rhymes & powerful live instrumentation with a Boom Bap feel on “How It Used To Was.” It reminded us of exciting nights in the 90’s when The Roots would pop into town to tear ish up at the clubs for an audience anxiously awaiting the band’s new sounds and interpretations of classic hits. Lushwork definitely creates that same kind of “experience” when listening to their 4 minute gem. You’ll instantly feel uplifted by their superior talent & musicality. “How It Used To Was” serves as an excellent example of what true artistry is all about.
7) RANSOM poured his heart and soul into a track for DJ Absolut’s MixtapeMondays series called “Hate Crimes” that bodied the 19 other installments that came before it. That’s saying a lot because many top of the lines emcees have come thru with real bangers…but you just can’t deny the passion in Ransom’s delivery over a track that stomps any competition into the ground!
8) THE BARCHITECTS linked up with GORILLA NEMS to wreak havoc on a Beat Butcha laced track called “Bars Of Death.” The end result is pure devastation as each emcee spits venomous verses that DESTROY all adversaries! We don’t know why anyone would even THINK about steppin’ to these lyricists…but some emcees have a death wish. We’ll be there to deliver the eulogy.
9) Newcomer, JACOB BISSELL, steps up to take his place alongside the legendary SADAT X on the E. Smitty produced banger, “Diamond.” The soundscape is 90’s Boom Bap at its best as the lyricists flow over a groove that triggers pleasant waves of nostalgia. The track conveys raw Hip Hop at its finest while sparkling like a “Diamond.”
10) ALLEN MIKAL delivered a hardcore Lebanon Don produced masterpiece in the form of “Lord Please.” The lyricist spits fire amidst a battlefield of beats and samples that shatter any hopes the opposition may have of ever defeating him. If you’re an emcee who wants to rise to the top of the rap game get on your knees and pray, “Lord Please, give me mic skills like Allen Mikal!”
Well that’s it for this week. Catch ya next time and…DON’T SLEEP!
– Kevin Keith
