Well Insomniacs, you spent all week listening to the music…but we know what you were really thinking – “Who’s gonna make the Top Ten list?!?” We’ve got the answer for you. All you have to do is continue reading. Let’s begin.
1) The LOX are the one group you can consistently turn to when you want raw, uncut, PURE Hip Hop music. Jadakiss, Styles P & Sheek Louch crushed the competition with “Bring It Back” and once again reaffirmed their position as Kings of The Underground.
2) CHILDISH MAJOR & MATIK ESTRADA teamed up for a collabo EP called “Community Service” and immediately caught the attention of listeners by recruiting BIG K.R.I.T. & CURTIS WILLIAMS for the first single, “Keep Running.” TryBishop aids Childish Major on production duties that allow the gifted emcees to deliver lyrical gems that sound better with each play.
3) CHARLES HAMILTON is poised for an industry takeover. It’s not even something that needs to be debated. It’s obvious. First the Harlem spitter hit us with “Correct,” which topped our charts…and now he teams up with RITA ORA for a banger with serious mainstream appeal called “NY Raining.” The track is included on the “Empire” soundtrack…but long after the TV show is forgotten, Charles Hamilton’s music will endure.
4) PRETTY UGLY possesses incredible skills on the mic. His self-assured delivery and distinctive flow are sorely needed in an industry saturated with mumble-mouthed rappers and Emo emcees. The Traklordz produced “Say My Name” represents the perfect showcase for his unlimited lyrical abilities. Trust when we say, Pretty Ugly is here to stay. Listeners worldwide will be saying his name in no time.
5) CASSIDY & FRED MONEY traded bars on “MMM” and we loved every second of it! BishopMakeItKnock provided the sonic heat as the two emcees spit raw, deadly & humorous lyrics that have us clamoring for a sequel. Hip Hop at its finest.
6) BLUEPRINT has an album dropping April 28th called “King No Crown,” and if “The Talented Tenth” is any indication of what to expect, we might have a classic on our hands. The Weightless Recordings artist is one of the few emcees on the rise we’re actually looking forward to hearing more from. It’s a sad state of affairs about the industry as a whole, but a definite stamp of approval for the standard of excellence this lyricist represents.
7) THE PURIST is a production genius! His upcoming album, “Pyrex Scholar” will feature various lyricists…but no matter how great the remaining cuts are, “El Capitan,” featuring the immensely gifted, yet criminally underrated YOUR OLD DROOG, will be a stand out. Droog flows & cascades over a heaven-sent, funk driven groove that showcases two amazing artists at the top of their game.
8) KOOL KEITH delivers comical & compelling rhymes in his trademark interplanetary style over a funky Statik Selektah track for “My Sons.” It’s one of those kind of cuts you can throw on any time of the day & one of those collabos we thought we’d never hear…but damn, we’re glad it happened!
9) WESTSIDE GUNN & CONWAY joined forces for the “Hall & Nash” EP and dropped the scorching “Loganberry” as a single. The track itself is under 2 minutes, but the brevity of the cut doesn’t take away from the sheer power of another Westside Gunn masterpiece.
10) GOODBYE TOMORROW has been toying with us for months. He released a dope track & video called “JAY Z”…disappeared…then returned with another banger called “100K.” He doesn’t do interviews. He doesn’t want to be photographed. We get it…He likes playing with our minds. But who cares, as long as the music is good!
That’s a wrap for another week. Catch ya next time and…DON’T SLEEP!
– Kevin Keith
