Today is Friday, which means there are a ton of new releases to look forward to from some of your favorite Hip-Hop artists. To help you unwind and enjoy the weekend, check out VIBE’s picks of songs and albums you should hear and add to your soundtrack of weekend festivities.
City Girls – R.A.W.
Quality Control Music/Motown Records
The City Girls are back with their new album RAW and it is aptly named. As expected, they deliver fierce bars about how high in demand they are, finessing men, and having a grand time doing it. Usher, Lil Durk, Muni Long, Juicy J, and, surprisingly, Kim Petras join the 18-track LP where the Florida duo shows off their range of talent. 2022’s “Good Love” was a deviation from their normal output, and there are more diverse sounds here. There’s power in being talented at your signature abilities, but there are also signs of growth here. It may not appeal to everyone, but the City Girls do their best to not be boxed in. – Armon Sadler
2 Chainz & Lil Wayne – “Presha”
2023 Gamebread, LLC, under exclusive license to Def Jam Recordings, a division of UMG Recordings, Inc.
2 Chainz and Lil Wayne’s “Presha” is a strip club anthem through and through. The mid-tempo, whistle-laden production has a strong bass and enough space for the two lyricists to get their bars off. Chainz offers a vintage hook, loaded with humorous phrases and simple enough to learn quickly. His verse isn’t much to write home about, but Weezy takes the track to another level with his nimble flows and wordplay. On this record, the duo’s chemistry shines through and they excel at making records for the ladies. If this is what is to be expected for Collegrove 2, then it’s a solid precursor. – AS
Gucci Mane – Breath of Fresh Air
Global Music LLC/Atlantic Recording Corporation
Gucci Mane exhales the stresses of life while making time to inhale its proverbial roses on Breath of Fresh Air, the rap vet’s latest album release. A HIp-Hop star to the public, Gucci embraces that aspect of his persona but has little issue with harkening back to his days as a drug abuser, which he does on the project’s introductory cut “Must Be Me.” Produced by JWhite Did It, the track opens the LP on a contemplative note, with Guwop rapping, “I was drinking lean like I was Pimp C/ I gotta thank God that I never OD’d,” one of many instances in which he offers transparency about his stark evolution.
A robust offering with upward of a dozen contributors, Guwop aligns with stars such as Lil Baby, J. Cole, 21 Savage, DaBaby, Kodak Black, Roddy Ricch, Nardo Wick, Young Dolph, Key Glock, and more throughout the double-album’s 24 tracks. In addition to cuts like “Internet Chatter” and the previously released single “There I Go” with J. Cole & Mike WiLL Made-It, Breath of Fresh Air includes standouts like “Mr. and Mrs. Perfect,” “Woppenheimer,” “Now It’s Real,” and “Big Boy Dreams.” – Preezy Brown
Rick Ross & Meek Mill – “Lyrical Eazy”
2023 Maybach Music Group under exclusive license to gamma.
“Lyrical Eazy” is the quintessential Rick Ross and Meek Mill track. The duo flips Jay-Z’s “Breathe Easy (Lyrical Exercise)” into a one-minute, 40-second rap sprint. Meek bats first, using his signature yell delivery and gets off punchline after punchline. It’s some of the best rapping he has done in some time. Ross follows up with his brooding voice and luxurious references. It honestly doesn’t get much better than this. The two are firing on all cylinders with this record and their previous single “Shaq & Kobe.” Their forthcoming collaborative mixtape Too Good To Be True could end up being another one of the few joint projects to deliver on their high expectations. – AS
Jim Jones – Jim Jones Presents: Byrdgang 2.0
B.G. Touring Inc./MNRK Records, LP
About a decade and a half ago, Jim Jones introduced the first incarnation of his Brydgang crew, which featured Max B, Mel Matrix, N.O.E., Stack Bundles, and more. Now, the Harlem rep unveils the second generation of the collective on Jim Jones Presents Byrdgang 2.0, a 16-track compilation that finds Capo allowing his revamped roster to take center while occasionally stepping in to circle the troops.
Featuring appearances from Dyce Payso, Keen Streetz, Yellowtapee, 34Zeussy, DramaB2R, G Mimms, Dilla Illa, and other Byrdgang members, plus guest spots from fellow New Yorkers Fivio Foreign, Melii, and Capella Grey, the project has its middling moments, but overall, has a few songs that showcase the potential of the crew. Among these selections are “Ooter Prayer,” “In The Kitchen,” “Aint Talkin,” “Warzone,” and “Duckin Smoke.” – PB
Wale – “Max Julien”
2023 Wale Music, LLC, under exclusive license to Def Jam Recordings, a division of UMG Recordings, Inc.
Rejoice, Wale is back! “Max Julien” finds him in a comfortable lyrical pocket reminding people that he is one of the best lyricists of the blog era. Give him a vocal sample, soulful drums, and time, and this is what we get. The Washington D.C. native reflects on his mental state and everything he’s been going through, but the fury he raps with feels like a firm “I’m back” moment along the vein of Michael Jordan coming out of retirement. There’s a bop to the record, too, making it easy to play in functions. However, there is depth to the content that is worth examining. There’s a storm coming. – AS
Young Scooter – Streetz Krazy
Freebandz/Empire
Three years removed from the release of Zaystreet, his collaborative album alongside Zaytoven, Young Scooter comes out of hibernation with his latest full-length offering Streetz Krazy. On the project’s title track, the Atlanta trapper reminisces on his humble beginnings, rapping “I remember, I really came up from nothing/ Ni**a, I remember falling asleep outside hustling,” atop booming production.
While the solo outings “Trap It Out,” “U Ain’t No Hustla,” and “How Can I Change” are among the highlights scattered on the tracklist, it’s the collaborative moments where Streetz Krazy truly shines, as Scooter curates a strong mix of artists from his hometown to costar. With Future, Young Nudy, EST Gee, Money Man, Peewee Longway, and NoCap backing him up along the way, Young Scooter makes a commendable return with his new offering, reminding listeners that Freebandz’s strength still remains in its talented roster. – PB
Lady London Feat. Jeremih – “Do Something”
2023 Def Jam Recordings, a division of UMG Recordings, Inc.
Lady London and Jeremih’s “Do Something” immediately grabs your attention due to the sample of Mýa and Jay-Z’s “Best Of Me Pt. 2.” You can never go wrong with the Chicago singer on a hook, but it’s the New Jersey spitter that stands out more on this record. Her delivery is that of a woman who demands a certain standard from men who want her attention yet somehow her dismissiveness makes it all the more enjoyable. Like, a man would be happy to be rejected by a woman who raps that well. This is a track for the ladies and captures how incessantly men will approach for their time and more. You’ve got to come correct for Lady London, though. – AS
Joelle Ortiz and KXNG Crooked – Prosper
2023 Hitmaker Music Group
Former Slaughterhouse members Joelle Ortiz and KXNG Crooked have remained banded together while maintaining their respective solo careers, accounting for one of the more lyrically formidable tandems in Hip-Hop. The New Yorker and Cali native team up once again on Prosper, the duo’s latest full-length release, which finds both emcees hitting on all cylinders.
Repping their respective hometowns’ musical lineage on “The Tale of 2 Citiez,” Ortiz and Crooked spend the subsequent ten tracks doing what they do best, which is dazzling listeners with complex verbiage atop sturdy drum loops, samples complimentary. While enthralling from start to finish, key selections that capture the pair at their apex include “Dodgers 2,” “War Outside,” and the svelte number “Black Tie Affair.” – PB
Roger Mooking – SoundBites
2023 Kings Court, Inc
Roger Mooking’s knack for cooking has landed him notoriety and fame, as the celebrity chef and restauranteur hosts hits shows on the Food Network and Cooking channels. But he’s also proficient in heating up when inside a vocal booth and proves this yet again on his sixth studio album aptly titled SoundBites.
Serving as the accompanying soundtrack to his forthcoming book release, Curious Sounds, SoundBites includes 19 tracks and runs just short of 20 minutes in length, resulting in a varied, yet digestible serving of beats and rhymes. “Pretty Penny,” “The City 2.0,” “Screwface Capital,” and “Black Death” captured our attention and stand among SoundBites‘ more satisfying fare. – PB
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