This week in hip hop, we got new albums from Action Bronson (read our review), PremRock's new group Ockham's Blazer (ditto), Future, Kehlani, Ransom, and more, along with new singles from Sampa the Great/Denzel Curry, Quelle Chris, They Hate Change, IDK/Denzel Curry, Your Old Droog, Kaash Paige, Baby Tate, Lil Baby, ZORA, Flee Lord, and more, and you can read on for all the rap and R&B tracks we posted this week...
FUTURE - "KEEP IT BURNING" (ft. KANYE WEST)
Future returned today with his latest album, I Never Liked You, featuring two songs with Drake, as well as appearances by Kanye West, Tems, EST Gee, Gunna, Young Thug, and more. It wasn't prefaced by any pre-release singles, but the Kanye collab has been given the video treatment and it's easy to see why; this one sounds like a hit.
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SAMPA THE GREAT - "LANE" (ft. DENZEL CURRY)
Zambian-born Botswana-raised rapper Sampa The Great has signed to Loma Vista, and her first single for the label features labelmate Denzel Curry. The song bounces between spoken word over ominous instrumentals and melodic, hip hop-infused art pop, and Denzel changes up the vibe entirely with his in-your-face verse. Sampa was also just announced for a free Central Park SummerStage show with Pink Siifu.
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QUELLE CHRIS - "THE SKY IS BLUE B/C THE SUNSET IS RED" (ft. MORUF, PINK SIIFU, CHRIS KEYS & KNXWLEDGE)
Quelle Chris has shared the second single off upcoming album DEATHFAME (due 5/13 via Mello Music Group), and this one has a hazy instrumental co-produced by Knxwledge and Chris Keys, with commanding raps from MoRuf, Pink Siifu, and Quelle Chris himself.
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THEY HATE CHANGE - "SOME DAYS I HATE MY VOICE"
Tampa rap/production duo They Hate Change have shared a new single off their upcoming album Finally, New (due 5/13 via Jagjaguwar), and this one finds them offering up psychedelic production topped off with an equally dizzying vocal delivery.
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IDK - "DOG FOOD" (ft. DENZEL CURRY, prod. KAYTRANADA)
Maryland rapper IDK has announced a new EP entirely produced by Kaytranada, Simple., due May 6 via Clue/Warner Records. The first single is "Dog Food," which also features Denzel Curry, and those three on one track are a serious dream team. The song interpolates Lil Wayne's "Tha Block Is Hot," and Kaytranada serves up a hypnotic instrumental that both rappers sound great over.
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YOUR OLD DROOG - "MIND YOUR BUSINESS"
The insanely prolific New York rapper Your Old Droog has announced another new project, YOD Stewart, due this May, and lead single "Mind Your Business" finds him delivering one memorable punchline after another over a minimal, ambient track.
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KAASH PAIGE - "GIRLFRIEND"
Dallas alt-R&B singer Kaash Paige returns with the woozy, atmospheric R&B of new single "Girlfriend," out now via Def Jam.
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BABY TATE - "DANCING QUEEN" & "YASSS QUEEN"
Atlanta rapper Baby Tate, who wraps up her tour tour with Charli XCX tonight, has released two new songs. "Dancing Queen" is not an ABBA cover, but it is a hard, instantly-satisfying rap song, and "Yasss Queen" finds her exploring her R&B side.
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LIL BABY - "FROZEN"
Lil Baby has been rolling out new singles this month, and that continues today with "Frozen," another great example of Baby's ability to churn out larger-than-life trap-pop.
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ZORA - "HAPPIEST I'VE EVER BEEN"
ZORA will release her debut album Z1 on June 17 via Get Better Records, and it includes the dance-rap of recent single "RUNNITUP," as well as this deceptively laid-back rap song. ZORA explains, "I had a pretty jarring mental health scare in the summer of 2021, and landed myself in the hospital over the 4th of July weekend. Once I got out, I used songwriting as a way to cope with my circumstances and speak up about what I had gone through, no matter how intense it was. I wanted to make a song that sounded carefree, fun, and relaxing, accompanied by some of the darkest lyrics you’ve ever heard."
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KEHLANI - "GET ME STARTED" (ft. SYD)
Kehlani's new album Blue Water Road is out today, and it finds her duetting with fellow alt-R&B great Syd on the ethereal highlight "Get Me Started."
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AITCH x GIGGS - "JUST COZ"
Rising UK rapper Aitch teams with hometown veteran Giggs for this brazen new anthem. He'll be in NYC next week to play Baby's All Right on 5/6.
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JUSTIN BIEBER - "HONEST" (ft. DON TOLIVER)
Justin Bieber has kinda released a full-blown trap song, and, with the help of Don Toliver, he pulls it off.
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GIVEON - "LIE AGAIN"
R&B singer Giveon (who was co-signed by Drake early on and more recently appeared on Justin Bieber's chart-topping "Peaches" alongside Daniel Caesar) has shared a new syrupy slow jam, "Lie Again."
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FLEE LORD & MEPHUX - "FINAL FOUR" (ft. CONWAY THE MACHINE, ROC MARCIANO & TRAE THE TRUTH)
Flee Lord and producer Mephux's new project Pray For The Evil III arrives next week, featuring recent single "Out the Mud" and the newly-released "Final Four," a gritty posse cut with Conway the Machine, Roc Marciano, and Trae the Truth.
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OT THE REAL x STATIK SELEKTAH x MERKULES - "THE BOTTOM"
Philly rapper OT the Real has teamed up with the great underground rap producer Statik Selektah for a collaborative project, Maxed Out, due May 13. New single "The Bottom" also features Merkules, and he and OT sound great over Statik's turntablist boom bap.
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ONEDA - "VIBES"
Manchester-based rapper OneDa has just released this new single she made with Gabe Gurnsey of Factory Floor. "I believe we were placed on this earth to shine and guide," says OneDa. "This song encapsulates the essence of shining in your power and guiding.”
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UNEXPLAINED AERIAL PHENOMENON - CASUAL ABDUCTIONS
Unexplained Aerial Phenomenon have released a new abstract, psychedelic rap album featuring appearances by Open Mike Eagle, Lil B, Fat Tony, Chester Watson, Fatboi Sharif, and more. If you're into stuff like Shabazz Palaces and Deltron 3030, check this out.
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V.C.R - THE CHRONICLES OF A CATERPILLAR: THE EGG
LA singer V.C.R (aka Veronica Camille Ratliff) makes psychedelic neo-soul that should appeal to fans of anything from Minnie Ripperton to Erykah Badu to Solange to Liv.e, and she just released this very cool new album via Leaving Records All Genre, featuring guest vocals from Pink Siifu and production from Sudan Archives and Lastnamedavid.
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For even more new songs, browse our daily 'New Songs' lists. For more hip hop news, browse our 'Hip Hop News' category.
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