It may be May now, but the Great Rap War of 2024 looks like it's really getting underway. It's been a rough week for hip-hop's two biggest titans, with Drake and Kendrick Lamar getting engaged in the mud over an EP's worth of new music.
From K. Dot's smashing “Euphoria” to his instant anthem “Not Like Us” — and who can forget the chilling “Meet the Grahams” and “6:16 in LA” — the Compton MC brings the heat with every new song. Drake, to his credit, has also thrown some major punches, from the explosive “Family Matters” to the searing, yet defensive, “The Heart Part 6.”
Of course, the other big story rocking the R&B and hip-hop world this weekend was the shocking last-minute cancellation of Lovers & Friends. On Friday night (May 3), festival organizers announced that the packed one-day show would be canceled due to high wind warnings from the National Weather Service.
With fresh options, Advertising sign aims to showcase some of the best and most interesting new sounds in R&B and hip-hop — from Skylar Simone's debut single to Hunxho's latest ATL anthem. Be sure to check out this week's fresh picks in the Spotify playlist below.
Freshest Find: Ravyn Lenae, “Love Me Not”
In 2022, Ravyn Lenae enchanted music heads with Hypnos, her sensational debut LP. With the first taste of her upcoming sophomore studio album, Lenae is laying the groundwork for her mainstream commercial success. “Love Is Blind” serves more than ethereal R&B grounded Hypnos, but “Love Me Not” marks a stylish spin on a guitar-laden pop sound that harks back to longtime collaborator Steve Lacy and his runaway Billboard Hot 100 smash, “Bad Habit.” “Once you leave me, we always lose the connection/ It's messy, I think your affection/ Don't loosen your grip, you've got me/ Now, forever, let's get back together,” she croons sweetly. bike through a relationship that clearly relishes its built-in road bumps.
Baby Money, “Shinin”
Baby Money is a breath of fresh air and another shooting star from the Detroit rap scene. “Shinin” arrives just a week before the rapper HIM (Hustle In Me) project as Baby looks to fulfill his promise to Quality Control as the famed label's first signee since D. The 26-year-old bends the badge of honor and pressure that comes with the end of generational curses as his family's first millionaire . He then recalls a street story that preaches what is happening around him, as one can never be completely removed from the street life. “He got a body as a kid and tried to run off the streets/ They got his ass years later like Keefe D,” Money raps earnestly while referencing Keefe D's arrest for 2Pac's murder, well over two decades later. However, we don't recommend boiling your frozen diamond chains on the stove like he does in the 'Shinin' music video.
Coco Jones, “Here We Go (Uh Oh)”
2023 marked a milestone year for Coco Jones. From her first Grammy win to the hit “ICU,” Jones has quickly risen to some of the loftiest heights in modern R&B. For the first offering from her new upcoming LP, the Disney alum opts to double down on her smoky tone, delivering a track rooted in Jazmine Sullivan's extreme storytelling. “I was curled up in his bed, you gave me free rent in my head/ I thought I was done with it, please, please/ I wanna love another person/ Can I love another person?” begs for Cardiak and WU10's wistful, soulful production. Between the Lenny Williams “Cause I Love You” sample and Coco's seductive voice — that light vocal barrage hits all the right notes — “Here We Go” is a winner.
Hunxho feat. Mike Will Made-It & 2 Chainz“Come over”
It's an ATL affair with Hunxho, 2 Chainz and Mike Will Made-It running the three-man weave in the Georgia capital. Instead of drowning their sorrows by throwing bands in the Magic City, Hunxho and the Drench God pass the baton back and forth while gushing about how they shower their wife with lavish gifts and the best that life has to offer. “I got her every bag, I'm talking every purse,” boasts the 24-year-old as Chainz offers to go the extra mile while crunching a surf lunch lobster or styling her ponytail. and shot a Zelle remittance to boost her bank account. The only complaint about “Come Over” would be that the final moment was strictly decisive, leaving room for another verse from the Atlanta natives or another special guest that is never properly taken advantage of.
Skylar Simone, “Shiver”
To celebrate her recent signing to Def Jam, Skylar Simone enlisted renowned Grammy Award-winning producer D'Mile for her debut single under the label. Shifting effortlessly between full-body belts and soaring falsetto ad-libs, “Shiver” captures both the sweetness and sensuality that comes with the power of sexual and romantic tension. “Make it melt like ice when I shiver/ River open wide when I tremble,” he whispers. By the time those whistling notes come to a close, “Shiver” has established itself as a well-crafted ode to the sweetest pop&B confections of the late '90s and early '00s.
4batz, “act v: there goes another jar”
The Dallas native delivered his first project in his form you made me st4r Last week. The latest single evokes a 90s R&B aesthetic as the 4 batz croon about the pain of a toxic lover. (Reveal to Complex that EC was inspired by his ex Jada). “I thought we were good 'cause you blocked me/ You tell your friends 'cause you love me/ They won't understand 'cause you're perfect for me,” he sings with his heart on ice. 4batz continues his ascent with the EP on another rung to stardom – even if it means picking at the scar tissue left over from a broken relationship, which inherently helps others – including himself – heal laxatives.
from our partners at https://www.billboard.com/music/rb-hip-hop/best-new-rb-hip-hop-coco-jones-ravyn-lenae-4batz-1235674354/
