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.
Offset – Set It Off
UMG Recordings Inc.
Everything about Offset’s rollout for Set It Off implied that he was preparing for his solo star-making moment; all left was for him to deliver on the music. Well, he did it. This 21-track LP features some of the best rapping he has done over diverse production. There are high-energy anthems, lyrical exhibitions, Set’s version of moody ballads, and everything in between. Travis Scott hasn’t had an impressive feature in quite some time, and even he brought his A game on “Say My Grace.” It is clear that “Worth It” featuring Don Toliver will be the record to take off, but don’t sleep on “Princess Cut” featuring Chlöe. It would be easy to complain about the album length, and while it definitely could benefit from being truncated, there isn’t anything else bad to say. Job well done, Offset. – Armon Sadler
Ice Spice ft. Rema – “Pretty Girl”
2023 Dolo Entertainment, Inc., under exclusive license to UMG Recordings, Inc. & 10K Projects, LLC.
Ice Spice continues evolving into different sounds with “Pretty Girl” featuring Rema. There are EDM and dance elements to this track and she raps in the hook with a fun simile: “So out of this world like Sci-Fi.” Most impressively, she does not use any profanity in this song which opens the door for sync opportunities. It’s also enjoyable to hear her rap about love in this way, a departure from her usual maneater tendencies. While there’s nothing wrong with that, people have tried to pigeonhole her content for the last year. This record has the potential to do well domestically and globally. It’s got all of the elements of a hit. – AS
Westside Gunn – And Then You Pray For Me
Griselda Records/Empire
Talks of retirement by a rap artist is apt to garner a side-eye at this point, as the track record of those who have stuck to that declaration is porous, to put it mildly. Yet, if you ask Westside Gunn, he’s dead serious about throwing in the towel and turning his focus to the myriad of endeavors he has outside of music and behind the scenes. Prior to his potential exit, the Buffalo, New York rapper delivers a swan song in the form of And Then You Pray for Me, his fifth studio album and one that finds him relying on his strengths while exploring new creative territory.
Paying respects to Fly Gods of yesteryear on the introductory track, Westside Gunn then goes on a spree, summoning his Griselda cohorts and other frequent collaborators to join him on his final run. Aside from usual suspects like Stove God Cooks, Conway The Machine, Benny The Butcher, Estee Nack, and Rome Streetz, the streetwise curator ups the stakes with blockbuster features by Rick Ross, Jeezy, JID, Denzel Curry, Ty Dolla $ign, EST Gee, Peezy and more. Comprised of 21 tracks, And Then You Pray For Me reaches its pinnacle on the standouts “Kostas,” “KITCHEN LIGHTS,” “House of GLORY,” “Freddy Js,” and “The Revenge of Flips Leg.” If it is indeed the last we hear from Westside Gunn on a solo note, at least he went out with flair, as And Then You Pray For Me provides everything his devoted base bargained for and more – Preezy Brown
Young Thug – “From A Man”
A Young Stoner Life Records/ 300 Entertainment release, © 2023 Elektra Entertainment Group, Inc.
Young Thug’s “From A Man” finds him in a cozy pocket. Thugger skates over the mid-tempo production with elusive flows. He clearly had a lot to get off of his chest as his sole, long verse is bookended by the chorus. It is worth noting that “From A Man” is the companion track to Mariah The Scientist’s “From A Woman,” and Thug does have some bars aimed at a lover: “Your ex tryna call back, your sh*t pure crack” and “I fell in love with your thongs most likely/ A real redbone tryna come wife me/ No one night, more like nightly.” It will always be nice to hear new Young Thug music and be reminded that whether he is in jail or not, he’s one of the best rappers out here. – AS
Ken Carson – A Great Chaos
Opium/Interscope
Nearly a year after the release of XTENDED, the deluxe version of his breakout album X, Ken Carson ends the wait for its follow-up with his latest effort A Great Chaos. Suffering numerous delays throughout 2023, the project appears to be worth the patience, as Carson lives up to the expectations bestowed with some of his best work yet. Aside from the presence of his Opium crewmate Destroy Lonely (“Singapore,” “Paranoid”) and Lil Uzi Vert’s appearance alongside the pair on “Like This,” the Atlanta native flies solo, scoring early highlights with rollicking joints like “Fighting My Demons” and “Hardcore.” “Paranoid,” “Overtime,” “Vampire Hour,” “Nightcore,” a dual set of tracks that blend together in succession, are just a handful of selections on A Great Chaos that find Carson hitting on all cylinders. – PB
Key Glock – “No Hook 2”
2023 Paper Route EMPIRE
Key Glock’s “No Hook 2” is the rare sequel that lives up to the original. He raps with a cool, calm, and calculated demeanor over production that sounds like the opening soundtrack to a film. Perhaps he’s driving to a destination or going through his morning routine, but there is peace evoked from his delivery. “I got water on water, tryna hold my breath/ Money talks and it seems to me that these ni**as deaf/ This bi**h got a fat a**, I ask Glizzock for some help/ The way I beat that pu**y up, I need a championship belt,” he spits. This is as simple yet impressive as you can get. Key Glock’s lyricism should not be slept on. – AS
OT The Real And AraabMusik – Zombie
In an era where listeners are hungry for relentless lyricists who prioritize skills over mainstream frills, OT The Real has quietly kept that sect fed with a consistent stream of hard-bodied releases. OT continues to ply his trade on Zombies, the Philly rep’s latest collection and his first in conjunction with Benny The Butcher’s Black Soprano Family umbrella.
“What you know about a hustler’s karma,” he asks on “If They Coulda They Woulda,” as he basks in his evasion of the potential pitfalls laid by those opposing his success and survival. Produced exclusively by araabMUZIK, Zombies contains numerous heaters that impress, “Turning Stones,” “Strong Survive,” “JJ Redick,” and “Fade Away.” Equipped to shoulder the load solely, OT gets added reinforcement from Benny The Butcher, Conway The Machine, ElCamino, 38 Spesh, and Rome Streetz, who welcome the new inductee into BSF by adding to the firepower on Zombies with complimentary performances of their own. – PB
Paul Wall And Termanology – Start, Finish, Repeat
Perfect Time Music Group/ST. Records
Paul Wall and Termanology form an alliance on Start, Finish, Repeat, the pair’s collaborative project that finds Termanology inviting Paul Wall into his world of boom-bap driven backdrops and lyrical exploits. Fresh off the release of their debut album Start 2 Finish earlier this year, Paul Wall is in prime form on Start, Finish, Repeat from the onset, throwing down the gauntlet on the opening cut “Wall Paper (No Chit Chat).” Produced by Statik Selektah, the track finds the pair settling into their groove while making it clear that the match made between the two remains a perfect one.
Featuring additional credits by Large Professor, Buckwild, Diamond D, and Buckwild, the album includes a bevy of guest spots by veteran talent from across the country. Bun B, Big K.R.I.T., AZ, Peedi Crakk, Sheek Louch, CL Smooth, Nems and more appear throughout the album’s 14 tracks. That incredible guest line up serving supporting roles in a complimentary fashion gives Start, Finish, Repeat an additional spark that only enhances the listening experience. – PB
Jay Worthy, Kamaiyah, Harry Fraud – The Am3rican Dream
GDF/Keep it Lit Records/SRFCHL LLC
Two of Cali’s finest hit the studio with one of New York’s premier beatsmiths and the outcome is The Am3rican Dream, a collaborative long player that matches L.A. rep Jay Worthy and Bay Area spitter Kamaiyah with Harry Fraud.
Scenes of Blaxploitation flicks are conjured on “9 AM,” as Worthy gives listeners a rundown of his morning activities and interactions while Kamaiyah details illicit transactions and plans for expanding her empire.
Glorious horns are layered atop tumbling percussion and organs on “Money In The Bag,” with guest vocalist Leven Kali shining in her contributing role as Jay Worthy takes center stage sans Kamaiyah. Not to be missed for long, the melodic lyricist commandeers “Entrepreneur,” a contemplative salvo that conveys her obsession with multiplying dividends, while “Street Lights” concludes the musical journey on an aspirational note. Featuring guest appearances by Ty Dolla $ign, DRAM, Max B, Guapdad 400, Buddy, and Big Body Bes, The Am3rican Dream is easy listening that’s a perfect choice for more mellow settings. – PB
Kalii- Fck Girl Szn
2023 Atlantic Recording Corporation
Kaliii is rejecting the notion of “cuffing season” beginning in the fall and choosing to embrace the demon within. Fck Girl Szn is a four-track reminder that ladies are pimps too. She enlists the help of Young Nudy, GloRilla, NLE Choppa, and DJ Smallz 732 to help tell the story and provide the opposing perspective. Pun is fully unintended, but “Stand On It” is the standout record as Kalii shows off the full scope of her wordplay and delivery over a bass-knocking beat. This may not be what the men want to hear, meaning it is exactly what the women want to hear and could revive the war of Hot Boys vs. Hot Girls from Summer 2019. But you can’t lie and say it wasn’t fun! – AS
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