Appears to be like like January is the month of beef — and we’re not simply speaking about Katt Williams unloading the clip on Membership Shay Shay, the vigorous dancehall conflict between Jada Kingdom and Stefflon Don, or the comparatively temporary showdown between Teejay and Valiant. From Friday onwards (Jan. 26), no two artists dominated the dialog greater than rap titans Megan Thee Stallion and Nicki Minaj.
With launch of “Hiss” — her first solo single of the 12 months — Thee Stallion ripped right into a slew of high-profile opps, a few of which followers assume embody Minaj, Drake, Pardison Fontaine, and Tory Lanez. In response, following a near-48-hour spiral throughout a number of social media platforms, Minaj unleashed “Large Foot” — one half diss observe and one half unhinged spoken phrase monologue. Naturally, this all despatched social media right into a tizzy, with each artists’ respective fan bases rallying round their faves whereas extra informal listeners picked their sides.
As the meat continues to simmer, the worlds of hip-hop and R&B saved turning. Mary J. Blige pulled the final word finesse and obtained the next billing on the jam-packed Lovers & Pals lineup (Might 4), Ice Spice put her foot on the fuel with “Suppose U the Shit (Fart),” and Snoop Dogg revealed that he’s been prepping a brand new LP with contributions from Dr. Dre.
With Contemporary Picks, Billboard goals to focus on a number of the finest and most attention-grabbing new sounds throughout R&B and hip-hop — from Megan Thee Stallion’s blistering “Hiss” to SiR’s moody return to R&B’s mainstage. Make sure to take a look at this week’s Contemporary Picks in our Spotify playlist beneath.
Freshest Discover: Megan Thee Stallion, “HISS”
Tina Snow is to not be performed with. On this blistering deal with to the scores of slick speak and rumors which have hounded her because the flip of the last decade, Megan Thee Stallion delivers a masterclass in Soiled South s–t-talking realness. Over an ominous beat crafted by Bankroll Received It, LilJuMadeDaBeat and Shawn Jarrett, the H-City Hottie relishes in her courtroom victories (“I’m the Teflon Don within the courtroom/ They be throwin’ that grime, don’t s–t stick”) and calls out the hypocrisy some males function it in terms of beauty surgical procedure (“These n—as hate on BBLs and be walkin’ ’spherical with the identical scars”). With flows switching on the drop of a dime and a cadence that effortlessly shifts from threatening to unbothered, Meg pulls off the troublesome hat trick of delivering a hard-hitting diss observe that’s genuinely an pleasing tune, no matter its meant objective.
SiR, “No Evil”
For his first official single since 2022, SiR dives head first in to a grittier, extra jagged method to R&B Soundscapes. The Inglewood crooner finds solace in his lover, regardless of the unsettling issues he finds when he appears to be like inwards. “Pardon my superstition/ However with my supervision/ I see a lot of myself/ My previous, my ache, my delight and my ego,” he sings within the first verse. Taylor Hill’s brooding, dynamic manufacturing blends stuttering hi-hats with sultry guitars, making for an instrumental each bit as immersive as Sir’s lead vocal.
Breez Kennedy, “Who’s Been On Your Thoughts”
Breez Kennedy — a 17-year-old rising R&B star by means of New Jersey and Florida — simply could be subsequent up if “Who’s Been on Your Thoughts” is something to go by. Out through Commonplace Data/Def Jam Recordings, the guitar-anchored single finds Breez residing virtually completely in his falsetto as he questions his lover about who is really on their thoughts. “Could be so arduous in case you change me/ Solely involved ’trigger you been changin’ on me/ Lady, did I not do sufficient?/ Do individuals change after they say they’re in love?” he posits. Conveying a stage of ache and forlornness far past his years, Breez is laying a sturdy basis for his burgeoning profession.
Kimani Jackson, “Good Man”
Having already skilled viral success because of his show-stopping MTA performances in New York Metropolis, Kimani Jackson is prepared for his subsequent act. On “Good Man,” a booming, standout observe from his Icebreaker EP, Jackson dips right into a soulful mix of bluesy R&B with hints of gospel and jazz to soundtrack his quest to be, properly, a great man. In the identical bombastic sonic vein as towering classics like “Typically I Really feel Like A Motherless Baby” and “It’s a Man’s Man’s Man’s World,” “Good Man” is a giant swing — one which Jackson pulls off, thanks in no small half to his hovering vocals and pristine vocal management.
YoungBoy By no means Broke Once more, “Act a Donkey”
“You invited, ayy, inform Charlamange he invited to Grave Digger Mountain/ All he gotta do is pull up on me, n—a, and speak to me head to head.” That’s actually one approach to open a observe!
Though the Megan v. Nicki battle has taken up many of the final week’s dialog, a sure Baton Rogue rapper had a bone to select with one Breakfast Membership host Charlamagne tha God. Over a bouncy Hitmann-helmed beat, NBA YoungBoy unloads the clip on Charlamagne, who just lately topped him “Donkey of the Day” for his less-than-sunny outlook on fatherhood. “Look, I really like them graves, we tote them Ks, obtained Glocks with swap, they tear you up/ I’m 4KTrey, I bang for Dave, enforcement can’t do s—t with us/ Got here inside this sport and b—h, I f—d it up, I’m a donkey/ And I preserve it on me, lots cash, b—h, don’t converse up on me,” he spits.
Lyrical Lemonade feat. Teezo Landing, Juicy J, Cochise, Denzel Curry & Lil B, “First Evening”
Already one of many 12 months’s finest posse cuts, this cross-regional link-up thrives on juxtaposition. The tune — taken from Lyrical Lemonade’s star-studded All Is Yellow venture — opens with a somber piano-backed ballad courtesy of Teezo Landing. “Any person assist me sing / Any person assist me sing about me,” he coos in a pitch-perfect tongue-in-cheek tone. The observe then morphs right into a “Black and Yellow”-evoking beat over which Juicy J employs his Memphis-bred cadence to chant, “Let a n—a success it on the primary evening/ I simply wanna f—ok, I’m not tryna fall in love/ Gon’ let a n—a success it on the primary evening/ I’m an actual n—a, you recognize I’d by no means choose.” Certainly, Juicy. Certainly.
Maxo Kream, “Bang the Bus”
Maxo Kream generally is all the time a deal with. Maxo Kream soiled macking over an EvilgIAne beat? Now we’re cooking with fuel. A hilariously sexy observe, “Bang the Bus” suits properly in betwen the “Slut Me Outs” and “Pound Cities” of the previous 12 months: “Redbone, slim, petite, drop it pop it Megan knees/ I want a pound city brown ratchet ghetto bitch for me/ The police kick my door down, you gotta take these kilos from me,” he spits. Evilgaine’s beat by no means fairly settles into a gentle groove because of that well warped pattern, however these idiosyncracies provide a pleasant steadiness to the final contemplative vibe of the observe.
