R&B/Hip-Hop Fresh Picks of the Week: Skylar Simone, Cash Cobain, Jean Dawson and more

It may be the week of the Democratic National Convention — where Vice President Kamala Harris will reiterate that “we're not coming back” — but hip-hop is very nostalgic right now.

Travis Scott's iconic 2014 mixtape Days before the Rodeo is finally set to hit streaming platforms (August 23), and Pitbull and Kesha's 2013 Billboard Hot 100 hit “Timber” is back in the news cycle after Kesh'a name mysteriously disappeared from the title of the track's accompanying music video on YouTube. With “Team Pitbull” on the case, that was quickly fixed, which is all anyone can really ask for, right? Valley!

In other news, Future & Metro Boomin showed New York that they're really 'So' with their We Trust You tour, which included a Big Apple showcase with special guests and a cameo from Travis Scott for 'Type S– t” and his “FE”! N” anthem.

Houston mourned homegrown “Scream” rapper and producer BeatKing, while Nicki Minaj announced Tyga, BIA and Skillibeng as headliners for the second leg of her Pink Friday 2 World tour starting in September.

With fresh options, Bulletin board aims to showcase some of the best and most interesting new sounds in R&B and hip-hop — from Cash Cobain and Laila's monster collaboration 'Problem' to Kalisway's witty new jam. Be sure to check out this week's fresh picks in the Spotify playlist below.

The freshest find: Skylar Simone, “Permission”

A hidden R&B gem that shines in the same genre neighborhood as Victoria Monét. Skylar Simone impresses with powerful Def Jam debut SHUDDERwhich arrived packaged in an appetizing five-pack last week. Any of the EP's tracks could make the cut here, but we'll focus on Simone's angelic vocals that swallow a guitar riff on the racy “Permission.” “Every day of the week, get skinny on your knees/ Can you do that for me? Cus' I want your addiction,” she pleads while learning her love in a game of chess in the official visualizer clip. At 22, the Florida-born singer is just coming into her own as a woman, indulging in all that life has to offer. Although, Simone isn't your typical wet-behind-the-ears early 20-something looking to find her way. She has disappointed with the release of three albums and another three EPs, which have set her up well for a quantum leap to stardom.

Lord Sko & Statik Selektah, “Lesson Learned”

Much has been made recently about up-and-coming white rappers and their place in hip-hop. As for Lord Sko, he's tastefully paying homage to the classic New York rap scene that raised him, and the 20-year-old has garnered the attention of Statik Selektah in the process. “Lesson Learned” is the latest offering from Newport Lord's upcoming 14-track PIFF project (arriving in October). He's escaped the flow comparisons to A$AP Rocky and continues to graffiti his own route from the Big Apple. Some hectic yet witty bars like Sko's plans for “savings to buy the devil's soul” make listeners do a double take while skating over Statik's knocking production. Watch him head down '24.

Jean Dawson feat. Lil Yachty, “Die for Me”

Jordan Peele just found the perfect fit for another ominous song to soundtrack the trailer for his next blockbuster. Ominous piano keys send shivers down your spine like a possible horror film score, while Jean Dawson welcomes fans to Ray of God season with fresh co-signs from SZA and A$AP Rocky. “Don't show up at my funeral unless you die for me,” Dawson says as a sobering truth. Enter Lil Yachty, who shows off his chameleon-like artistry when matching the diabolical themes Dawson was after. I'm looking for Ray of God to land this fall when JD hits the road for his groundbreaking North American tour.

Cash Cobain & Laila!, “Problem”

Move over Busta Rhymes (“Touch It”), the posse cut is back in the Big Apple. Cash Cobain and fellow NYer Laila! are warming up for their highly anticipated road projects with “Problem”, which is based on a combination of a sexy beat by Cash and Laila's single “Not My Problem”! A total of 14 different artists join the conga line with Big Sean, Fabolous, Rob49, Anycia, Kenzo B, Flo Milli, 6LACK, Lay Bankz, Luh Tyler and more spanning the nearly eight-minute gauntlet of a track. Slizzy Summer continues for CC leading to his PLAY CASH COBAIN album later this week.

Xenia Manasseh, “Bad Side”

Ahead of her upcoming sophomore album, Love/Hate, Pt. 2Los Angeles-based Kenyan-Ugandan singer-songwriter Xenia Manasseh has a simple message: don't get on her bad side. “I don't want you to get on my bad side, don't suffer for nothing/ This is my warning to you,” Xenia proclaims on a chorus that layers drums, snarling snares and tasteful cues, creating the perfect soundscape for the voice to dominate her. There's a distinct '00s R&B vibe here, but Xenia doesn't fall into the pastiche trap, instead using different vocal filters and catchy descending melodies to add some dimension to the largely understated production.

Kalisway, “Sex”

Kalisway has the funk! In this standout cut from her new one A kid from Toronto album, reminds us that 'Sex/ Is not Everything'. She uses a tone that starts somewhere between bratti and brass before reaching a vertiginous falsetto in the second half of the song, her journey through the vocal range perfectly reflecting the boundless nature of funk music. It's no secret that sex is one of the most covered topics in R&B for a reason — it's the love and pain genre for a reason! But R&B, and its sister genres funk and soul, can cover so much more, and sex isn't really everything.

“Covered feelings could make you feel blind/ You might not see it that way, then you might as well sleep tight/ Who cares if I'm feeding my fears?” I want the desire/ To have a way with life full of power,” he croons. When we treat sex as everything, it strips it of the elements that make it such a transformative experience. Everything is sex, except sex, which is power — but what good is that power if it doesn't really satisfy what you desire and lust for?