As we approach Usher's highly-anticipated Super Bowl Halftime Show, the world of hip-hop and R&B is back in full swing with major albums, singles and pop culture moments getting tons of talk on social media.
From Kendrick Lamar's new music tease to Megan Thee Stallion's surprise Saturday night live alongside Reneé Rapp for their support Bad Girls collaboration, some of hip-hop's biggest heavyweights used stealth to their advantage. In contrast, Kanye West and Ty Dolla $ign are elusive Vultures The joint album received another release date. this time, the record is set to arrive on February 9 — just two days before Usher is set to take the stage at Allegiant Stadium in Paradise, NV. There was also a hilarious Drake meme acknowledgment via the rapper's recreation of TikTok creator Drew Wall's viral videos that Target runs daily — soundtracked by the Grammy-winner's “Virginia Beach,” of course.
Of course, the R&B OGs also had an eventful week — chief among them funk legend George Clinton, who received his star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame on Friday (January 19).
With fresh options, Advertising sign aims to showcase some of the best and most interesting new sounds in R&B and hip-hop — from Anycia and Latto's new outdoor anthem to Naomi Sharon's gorgeous, acoustic paean to love. Be sure to check out this week's fresh picks in the Spotify playlist below.
Freshest Find: Anycia feat. Latto, “Back Outside”
For their first official collaboration, Anycia and Latto skate over a horn-laden JetsonMade production that perfectly complements the laid-back, yet urgent feel of each verse. When Anycia begins her pre-chorus with the lovely cavalier, “Huh? I'm back out/ Yeah, huh? N—a finished drove me crazy,” her delivery immediately sets the stage for a woman on a mission: she's back out and ready to take her lick back, but you'll never see her break a sweat. As a fellow Atlanta rapper, Latto sounds right at home on the track, bringing another punchy verse with funny lines (“And they say” that I rap my ass/ I turn like “I can't tell”) and a healthy dose of nuance ( “Walk, young b–h, I'm turned/ Took aunt hat', burned”).
Fivio Foreign & Meek Mill, “Same 24”
Reuniting for the first time since 2020's 'Demons & Goblins', Fivio Foreign and Meek Mill get introspective over a drum-heavy beat courtesy of DJ Saint Cardona and Lala. Worlds away from the Brooklyn exercise that dominated his debut studio album, 2022 BIBLE, Fivi opens “Same 24” with a stream-of-consciousness verse in which he extols his perseverance and coming-of-age journey. “We have the same twenty-four hours, n—a / Why what's mine must be ours, n—a? / I talk about n—as I need help, n—as, I was 'n—as' / But I got up from the dirt, give me my flowers, n—a,” she spits. Meek adds a characteristically powerful guest verse that celebrates his own appearance via stylish double-entendres. “My grandma home a grand, she don't even know I could kick my ass/ Are you kidding me? I was so broken, I took this cast off,” he raps.
Rob49 & Lil Wayne, “Wassam Baby”
NOLA, get up! In a week of stellar rap collaborations, Rob49 and Lil Wayne step into the ring with “Wassam Baby.” Built around a piano-based Mac Fly beat, the two New Orleans rappers wax poetic about their wealth and sexual prowess while spitting on women from all over town, as Rob points out on the chorus. If this hook sounds familiar, that's because “Wassam Baby” was leaked months ago and has been making the rounds as a viral sound on TikTok. With the addition of a strong verse from Wayne – the balance of alliteration, punch lines and rhyme scheme variations are top notch – Rob didn't just give “Wassam Baby” a second wind, he gave it a whole new life.
Andra Day, “Where Do We Go”
It's been nearly a decade since Andra Day's Grammy-nominated “Rise Up” first hit the world, and since then, the multihyphenate has won a number of major awards and honors, including a Best Actress Oscar nomination in a leading role. role for her starring role as Billie Holiday United States vs. Billie Holiday. Now, she's back with the lead single for her non-soundtrack second studio album. “Where Do We Go” is a rousing exercise in rhythm-stopping vocal performance. Day's sense of dynamism is on full display as she dissects the complicated process of seeking closure from a relationship that isn't ready to go. “I see the love in your brown eyes/ Listening to 'New Sky'/ Is everything perfect, baby?/ Like, do we really have to say goodbye?” it screams
1K Phew & Zaytoven, “Let Go Let God”
For the latest chapter in the ever-evolving relationship between gospel and hip-hop, 1K Phew has finally released his collaborative project with iconic rap producer Zaytoven. Titled Pray for Atlanta, the genre-blending set—which includes collaborations with Hunxho and Jekalyn Carr—is a heartfelt speech to the city from a rapper who clearly loves his city and a producer who has helped shape the city's modern sound. Focus track “Let Go Let God”, combines familiar Atlanta rap beats with a heartfelt gospel message, finding the common ground between the secular concept of “trusting the process” and the sacred idea of leaving things in God's hands. “I been down if it's okay, I should have learned from yesterday/ I've taken a lot of L's in my life, baby, and I'm not going back there, no way/ I've got a frozen cross on my neck right now, try to show him that he's already paid,” spits Zaytoven's trap production.
Destin Conrad, “WAR!”
Last Friday (January 19), Destin Conrad stepped down Subjunctive2the continuation of last year Submissive. “War,” the set's fourth track, is a perfect blend of the rising star's penchant for idiosyncratic Gen Z humor and sultry yet subtle R&B melodies. Obviously, the song is about the lengths one will go to for the person they want — rather, the person they want to bag — but the trick to “War” is how Destin plays into the concept's inherent melodrama. . “I'd break the windows out of your ex's car without a second thought, baby/ I'd gladly take the f–kin's charge and that's a criminal offense,” the song opens.
It's the chorus, however, that really drives Destin home. He plays with his pitch and intonation to embody different characters in a tune that plays on the bounce-rooted 'I'll do [insert outlandish thing] to set the d–k punch line. “I'll sing Adele for that d–k / Rolling in the deep for that d–k,” the voices joke. It's all fun and games until a voice proclaims that he's going to “pay for dk,” at which point Destin returns to earth and ends the song, joking, “Okay, you're buggin” (Yeah, b- ch, you dragged it) / You did too much, b–ch, too much.”
Naomi Sharon, “Nothing Sweeter”
Just months removed from the release of her acclaimed debut album, Obsidian, Naomi Sharon has revealed another new addition to her growing discography. “Nothing Sweeter” comes as the latest evolution of the more Sade-influenced edges of Sharon's sound profile. The OVO First Lady lays her elegant vocals over a sparse, delicate guitar organ that allows her plenty of room to display her sense of vocal control. Lyrically, he extols the healing power of love while returning to iconic R&B ballads of the past, singing, “Uncover my skin, undo this pain/ Unbreak my heart/
Until I remember the way.”
from our partners at https://www.billboard.com/music/rb-hip-hop/best-new-rb-hip-hop-songs-anycia-latto-rob49-lil-wayne-andra-day-1235586093/
