This week in hip hop, Kendrick Lamar's tour supporting his remarkable new album Mr. Morale & the Big Steppers went on sale (did you get tickets?), the Empire State Building lit up for what would have been Biggie's 50th birthday, and we got new albums from Ravyn Lenae and Boldy James, both of which you can read about in Notable Releases. We also got a new album from Dreezy & Hit-Boy, a new posthumous Biggie single, a new song from 2/3 of Migos, and singles from Maxo Kream, Kamaiyah, 070 Shake, Logic, Aitch, OMB Peezy, and more. Read on for all the rap and R&B we posted this week...
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THE NOTORIOUS B.I.G. - "G.O.A.T" (ft. TY DOLLA $IGN & BELLA ALUBO)
Biggie would have turned 50 on Saturday (5/21), and lots of celebrations are planned for the occasion. Also, a new posthumous song has come out (approved by his mother Violetta Wallace) that features Ty Dolla $ign and Bella Alubo.
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QUAVO & TAKEOFF - "HOTEL LOBBY"
Amidst rumors of Migos' breakup, 2/3 of the group have released this new song together, which basically sounds like a Migos song.
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DREEZY & HIT-BOY - HITGIRL
Chicago rapper Dreezy and in-demand producer Hit-Boy have put their heads together for the new album Hitgirl, and they prove to be a great pair. Appearances come from Future, Jeremih, Coi Leray, and INK.
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MAXO KREAM - "JIGGA DAME"
Maxo Kream released one of 2021's best albums with Weight of the World, and now he follows that with this under-two-minute nugget of no-nonsense rap music.
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KAMAIYAH - "F.W.I. (ft. DABOII)
Kamaiyah's been quiet for a relative while, but now she's back with "F.W.I." ("fuckin' wit it"), and it finds her catchy, bouncy brand of West Coast rap sounding as great as ever.
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070 SHAKE - "BODY" (ft. CHRISTINE AND THE QUEENS)
NJ rapper/singer 070 Shake has shared a new song off her upcoming album You Can't Kill Me, and this one's a dark, murky art pop song that was produced by Dave Sitek and Mike Dean and features Christine and the Queens.
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REUBEN VINCENT - "BUTTERFLY DOORS"
Roc Nation-signed Charlotte rapper Reuben Vincent sounds smooth as molasses over this horn-fueled, head-nod-inducing backdrop.
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HEADIE ONE - "22 CARATS" (ft. GAZO)
UK rapper Headie One, French rapper Gazo, and French producer Leo Eynard link up for "22 Carats," an instantly-satisfying drill anthem with lyrics in both English and French.
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LOGIC - "VINYL DAYS" (ft. DJ PREMIER)
Logic's new album Vinyl Days arrives June 17 via Def Jam, and he's shared the title track, which was made with DJ Premier ("that's my homie, that's my idol") and hearkens right back to the boom bap era that Premier helped shape.
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SIDESHOW - "HP SPORT" (ft. MIKE)
Sideshow and frequent collaborator MIKE team back up for the smoky, hazy "HP Sport."
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OMB PEEZY - "MUFASA" (ft. G HERBO)
Alabama rapper OMB Peezy links up with Chicago's G Herbo for this catchy, triumphant dose of trap-pop.
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AITCH - "1989"
Manchester rapper Aitch has announced his debut album, Close To Home, and new single "1989" samples The Stone Roses' "Fool's Gold" and opens with a soundbite of Happy Mondays frontman Shaun Ryder talking about sex and drugs. Read more about it here.
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RICKI MONIQUE - GOOD SEEDS EP
Twin Cities rapper/singer Ricki Monique has just released this very cool new EP, which toes the line between pensive rap music and lush neo-soul. She cites such influences as Erykah Badu, D'Angelo, Noname, and Saba (and she's been co-signed by SZA), and if you like any of those, you'll probably like this too.
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DAPPA - "SELFIES IN A WRAITH" (ft. BENNY THE BUTCHER)
Fresh off opening the Conway The Machine tour, Philly rapper Dappa has announced a new project, Thanks For Nothin 2, due June 10 via Young With Opinions Ent, and first single "Selfies In A Wraith" features Benny the Butcher.
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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.
