A few months ago rumours were swirling around that Skepta, Chip & Young Adz were set to release a joint album, but we didn’t get an official confirmation till Monday (March 22nd). ‘ Insomnia ‘ brings together UK rap legends Skepta & Chip in addition to new comer Young Adz. The project comes as a surprise to many, as this is the first time three generations of rap have come together to put their efforts in to one album.
The album’s title is verbatim of what sentiments are being conveyed throughout; “ Sleep is for the weak “. Skep, Chip & Adz let us know early on that they are on a path of greatness and nothing can stop that mission, not even sleep. From my understanding listening to the album, one can only untangle what lies beneath their insomnia as an addiction to success. Insomnia interlude is a clear example of their normalization of struggling to fall asleep “ How do I got to sleep? , How do I got to sleep ?”.
The answers are right between the lines; Chip is on a mission to solidify himself as a great, Skep is far from letting go of his crown and Adz is hungry to leave the trap behind him and take a leap into superstardom.
Their greatness can easily be heard on tracks such as ‘Waze’ as Chip raps “ If three man link up and do an album, it’s not gonna’ sound like this” which is only displaying their impact and role as trend setters in the UK, as Chip further implies that every rapper is trying to imitate him, Skep or Adz. Chip then reiterates his feelings on Golden Brown “ I don’t roll with sheep, this here is three goats “ and he wasn’t lying, each of the trio have had their successful run in the rap game, with Adz being the current.
One clear highlight from the project is the trios ability to be adaptable as they go from Trap to Garage on ‘ Mic Check ‘. The track finds Adz’ humorously pay homage to Craig David comparing his 2000 single ‘ Fill Me In ‘ to what he’s going to do with the girl he just met. Skep smoothly kills his hook on Golden Brown letting us know Adz isn’t the only one who can be melodic, and Chip is truly in a class of his own as there is no beat he can’t destroy. Lastly, we need to put more respect on Adz’ pen game on tracks like ‘High Road’, because he really is elite when he decides to do so.
However not all that glitters is gold. To get to the level that these three have reached comes at a cost, and as a result they face everlasting trauma. Adz raps that he spends “10 stacks” on therapy to manage his traumas, and Skep & Chip both join in to open up about their struggles.
The path to greatness is a lonely road and it is a path that only the strong can endure.
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