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.
Rapsody – Please Don’t Cry
Rapsody has left listeners in awe with previous projects like Laila’s Wisdom and Eve, but the North Carolina emcee has reached another zenith on Please Don’t Cry, a long-player that’s left us contemplating whether it’s her most brilliant offering to date. On the 22-track affair, we’re introduced to Marlanna, the woman behind the lyrical miracles and critical acclaim, and the pivotal moments that have helped shape her life.
“A real G, I’m Gucci, the pressure made a ruby/ The disrespect gon’ make you meet the rude me,” she spits on the opening salvo, as she nudges themes of underappreciation, rejection, and self-realization that loom over the album. In addition to the standout singles “Asteroids” and “3:AM,” Please Don’t Cry includes a laundry list of highlights, as joints like “Stand Tall,” “That One Time,” “Never Enough,” “He Shot Me,” and “God’s Light” bolsters the project’s replay value. Add in features by Lil Wayne, Erykah Badu, Alex Isley, and Phylicia Rashad, and Please Don’t Cry is simply first class Hip-Hop and a defining moment in a career that continues to bloom. – Preezy Brown
A Boogie – Better Off Alone
A Boogie Wit Da Hoodie has been one of the premier hood love songmakers in the last decade, but Better Off Alone shows the aftermath of the hardships of a relationship he was invested in. On “Body” featuring Cash Cobain, he tries his hand at the sexy drill movement and juxtaposes a one-night stand with the vocal sample repeating “Forever, I wanna be with you.”
On “Somebody” featuring Future, he croons about guarding his heart and a past partner choosing problems over money, ultimately leading to their demise. Young Thug, Lil Durk, Mariah The Scientist, and Fridayy join this 21-song exploration of a man trying to put the pieces back together. A Boogie hadn’t been making his best music over the last few years, but this feels like a proper return to his artistic peak given a new focus and intricate songwriting. – Armon Sadler
Mach-Hommy – #RICHAXXHAITIAN
With Haitian Flag Day going down this weekend, Mach-Hommy unleashed his latest project, #RICHAXXHAITIAN, an LP that doubles as an official soundtrack for the festive occasion celebrating the adoption of the Caribbean nation’s flag. Coming off the heels of his 2023 offering Notorious Dump Legends: Volume 2, #RICHAXXHAITIAN finds the east coast stalwart working with an esteemed list of boardsmen, as producers Conductor Williams, Sadhu Gold, Quelle Chris, and others contribute backdrops to the proceedings.
Featuring the likes of Roc Marciano (“Antonomasia”), Black Thought (“Copy Cold”), Your Old Droog (“Empty Spaces”), Tha God Fahim (“Padon”), with strong solo outings such as “Gorgon Zoe Lan,” “Aux Bon Parfums,” and “Guggenheim Jeune” rounding out the tracklist, #RICHAXXHAITIAN is an admirable body of work from Mach-Hommy. It finds him not only rising to the occasion but exceeding the lofty expectations he’s set for himself. – PB
Saweetie – “Nani”
Saweetie dips into her Hip-Hop-pop hybrid bag on “Nani.” She asserts that she is bougie and moody, and reflects those characteristics in dismissing women who keep her name in their mouths and the expensive things she purchases. This record feels like a play for a summer hit with the island-like synths. One can envision this being the soundtrack to many Instagram stories and reels women make at the beach or on vacation. There is a bit left to be desired in the actual rapping, but it is a “feel good” type of song. It’s just hard to imagine “Nani” outpacing a “Like That,” “Million Dollar Baby,” or “Okay.” – AS
Sheff G – “Everything Lit”
After his prison release and serving time over a gun possession, Sheff G wastes no time getting back into his musical groove, as he basks in his return on his homecoming anthem “Everything Lit.” Verbally sauntering over a booming drill track, the Brooklyn boss is in the mood for a good time, extending an open invitation to the baddies while rallying his winning team in the song’s accompanying music video. – PB
42 Dugg – “Win With Us”
42 Dugg is calling out the people who try to benefit from the spoils of his hard work but weren’t there when the work was being done. His latest single, “Win Wit Us,” opens with his signature whistle before getting into a dark, menacing bop. He belts over hard drums and hi-hats, making allusions to dangerous people he is around and how it may not be a good idea to try to jump on his current wave. The higher he goes, the higher the stakes become. “I missed a whole year and they still ain’t f**king with us,” he spits with conviction. Great effort from Dugg. – AS
Icewear Vezzo – “100 Yrs”
Icewear Vezzo’s “100 Yrs” is a jarring listen. Detroit rappers often revel in a rigid sound and this particular track sounds unmixed. His vocals are elevated and sound unaltered, soaring above the seemingly turned-down production. Nonetheless, he raps well and finds a way to sync with the beat despite there being a slight lack of cohesion. Vezzo has been rapping well over his last few releases, and, oddly, there hasn’t been much hype for him. Everyone can’t be a superstar, but his consistency is laudable. “100 Yrs” is a lyrical exhibition, and sometimes that is all a fan needs. – AS
Da Beatminerz Feat. De La Soul, Pharoahe Monch, Rasheed Chapell, Corey Glover – “My Year”
Legendary production duo Da Beatminerz emerge from hibernation with “My Year,” the Brooklyn reps’ lead single from Stifled Creativity, their first album in two decades. Featuring guest appearances from De La Soul, Pharoahe Monch, and Rasheed Chappell, “My Year” finds the “Boom Bap Ambassadors” serving up a rollicking soundscape backed by a vocal sample, with each emcee doling out dexterous stanzas in succession.
According to Mr. Walt, the collaboration was birthed upon the genesis of the creation of Stifled Creativity and includes a posthumous verse from De La member Dave, who passed away in 2023. “My Year” was one of the first songs we worked on when we started the album and the order you hear them in is the order we made,” he shared in a statement coinciding with the song’s release. “It took a minute to get Dave’s vocals because of his health. When we got them, We were so grateful and appreciative. He didn’t have to do the song but he came through & that the world to me.” – PB
YTB Fatt ft. Rylo Rodriguez – “In The Air”
YTB Fatt and Rylo Rodriguez reimagine Beanie Sigel’s classic record “Feel It In The Air” with their track of almost the same name, “In The Air.” They use the soulful vocals from the original record and add a trap flavor to it. There’s a level of pensiveness and somberness in their deliveries but also hope. Both rappers’ signature vocals do their best to convey the same authenticity and conviction of Beans, but of course, there’s nothing like the original. Still, they tell their stories, create relatability with the listeners, and display their resolve. Way to pay homage to a classic record and actually make a good one of their own. – AS
Doja Cat – Claude 2 (Deluxe)
Doja Cat’s Scarlet album continues to be the gift that keeps on giving, as the already reimagined project has been modified yet again with a deluxe version. Tacking on three new tracks featuring The Joy, the genre-blending vanguard provides some timely tunes for the upcoming holiday and summer festivities, as her omnipresence shows no signs of wearing away anytime soon. – PB
See More New Hip-Hop Releases Below
BIG30 – Still King
Your Old Droog – “Mercury Thermometers”
Wolfacejoeyy – Valentino
Yelawolf Feat. Jelly Roll – “Trailer In The Sky”
Blu – abc
Cory Gunz Feat. Chris Rivers – “Die Slowly”
Skylar Blatt Feat. Chris Brown – “Wake Up”
Kamaiyah – Figuring Out My Emotions
Bossman Dlow – “Talk My Sh*t”
Sid Siriam – “One Day God”
Payroll Giovanni – Have Money Have Heart
Jay 305 and Hit-Boy – Don’t Wait Until I Die