And with Al Pacino's hilariously casual announcement Oppenheimer As the winner of the Best Picture award at the 96th Academy Awards last night (March 10), awards season has finally come to an end. While there wasn't much hip-hop at the ceremony, the house band did play a cover of 50 Cent's “PIMP” – which is referenced repeatedly in the film – when Justine Triet and Arthur Harari took the stage to accept the Oscar for Best Original Screenplay for the French legal drama Anatomy of a fall.
Outside of award season closing, North West announced her debut studio album, Leaving Primary SchoolFuture and Metro Boomin announced they have two new albums on the way, and Tyla canceled her upcoming North American tour and Coachella shows due to injury.
With fresh options, Advertising sign aims to showcase some of the best and most interesting new sounds in R&B and hip-hop — from Drake's reprise of 4batz's hit to FLO's bubbly re-entry into the music scene. Be sure to check out this week's fresh picks in the Spotify playlist below.
Freshest Find: Mustafa, “Imaan”
Following the news that he had signed to Jagjaguwar, Mustafa dropped a surprisingly tender fusion of soul, American folk music and traditional Sudanese and Egyptian instruments titled “Imaan”. Backed by Snoh Aalegra on guest vocals, Mustafa's supple voice colors the soundscape as it builds into a sweeping chorus marked by his longing for “all that we have no proof of.” “You say prayer ain't easy/ And all the ways you need me is from God/ And all the ways you approach him are wrong/ I know our families will never find their way in the same living room/ All these bloodlines, all these suits,” he shouts in a cracked hoarse voice.
Sinead Harnett, “The Most”
For the third taste of her upcoming new album, Sinead Harnett does 'The Most'. Amidst a moody soundscape accented by light drums and gentle guitars, she laments an inconsistent lover who constantly upsets their relationship. “Why are you so stressed on the phone/ If it's so hard for me to be with, stay alone/ You're projecting your insecurities/ It's all about you, don't mess with me,” she sings. With remarkable vocal clarity and emotion that's palpable but not overwhelming, Sinead Harnett packs a gem of an album if “The Most” is any indication of what's to come.
FLO, “Walk Like This”
FLO are back on the road for their debut studio album. The British R&B trio are back with the first offering from their upcoming LP, the MNEK-penned “Walk Like This.” Also produced in collaboration with Kabba, Relyt, Talay Riley and Ashton Sellars, “Walk Like This” finds the girls – Jorja, Stella and Renée – doubling down on their penchant for 2000s R&B styles. a bit of sadness, their tight harmonies give body to the bubbly tune, declaring: “There's a reason I walk like this / Baby, she loves this / When she does, she works this shit / And every night she made me want more of it” .
Lola Brooke feat. A Boogie wit da Hoodie & Big Freedia, “Bend It Ova”
She's still promoting her terrific debut album, Dennis Daughter — which will release a deluxe edition on April 5 — “Don't Play With It” rapper Lola Brooke has linked up with fellow New York rap star A Boogie wit da Hoodie and New Orleans icon Big Freedia for a frantic ode to throwing it back. With A Boogie's shimmering piano keys finding an unlikely but rewarding complement to Freedia's spontaneous NOLA beat, Lola finds the perfect middle ground for everyone's sounds to converge. Of course, it's not an A Boogie track if it doesn't add a caveat of desperate realism: “Hood and mask, yeah, heart black, yeah/ You wanna throw that cash away? Better shake that ass, yeah/ I'm excited, yeah, I admit it, yeah/ And I got it out of the mud, still in the hood, yeah, yeah,” he spits on the hook.
4 batz feat. Drake, “act ii: date @ 8 (remix)”
We knew it was only a matter of time until now: Just weeks after 4batz burst into the mainstream consciousness with “Date @ 8,” The Boy added his own spin to the moody, dirty mackin' R&B track. “There's no way in hell I see you pass me by/ I almost said I liked your ass right after we fucked it/ I don't know why, girl, it was on the tip of my tongue/ Yeah, I found someone I'm fallin' for” he shouts over a familiar rapping beat that finds him trying to balance maintaining his elusive gangster image and giving into feelings his heart can't ignore. Perhaps most importantly, the “Date @ 8” remix serves as further solidification for 4batz as he continues to scale the heights of the industry with a back catalog of just three songs.
Rexx Life Raj, “Couple Months in LA”
Every aspiring creative can relate to the daunting expectations that come with moving to Los Angeles in hopes of achieving their dreams. Having been in the industry for a decade and growing up some 400 miles north of the City of Angels, Rexx Life Raj is candid about the grueling toll Hollywood takes on him mentally. “I'm tired of losing my breath, retracing my steps/ Unnecessary expectations made me feel the stress,” the Berkeley native raps wistfully. Raj takes a step back and breathes a thin crown to practice restraint, because what's ahead will be worth it: “Quiet your mind, you're too busy and worried about the time, boy, be patient/ You've got to be patient, because life doesn't always come at your own speed.”
from our partners at https://www.billboard.com/music/rb-hip-hop/best-new-rb-hip-hop-4batz-drake-flo-rexx-life-raj-1235629959/
