As per traditional, it’s been a busy week on the earth of hip-hop and R&B. Within the first full week of December, myriad artists obtained their bulletins and releases out to keep away from the Christmas lockdown within the coming weeks. On Sunday (Dec. 10), SZA celebrated the one-year anniversary of her blockbuster SOS album with the announcement of LANA, the forthcoming deluxe model of her nine-time Grammy-nominated sophomore studio album. After all, the weekend’s most high-profile launch was from none apart from Nicki Minaj, who unleashed her long-awaited Pink Friday 2 — her fifth studio album and sequel to her 2010 Billboard 200-topping debut LP — on her birthday, Dec. 8.
Elsewhere within the hip-hop and R&B worlds, Cardi B confirmed that she is not with Offset, 2 Chainz is fortunately in secure situation after touchdown in an unlucky automotive accident, and Will Smith rocked the home on the star-studded A Grammy Salute to 50 Years of Hip-Hop telecast.
With Recent Picks, Billboard goals to focus on a number of the greatest and most attention-grabbing new sounds throughout R&B and hip-hop. From Tokischa and Sexyy Purple’s cross-genre collaboration to Usher and H.E.R.’s gorgeous Coloration Purple duet, get into these seven new picks and be sure you take a look at the remainder of our recs within the Spotify playlist beneath.
Freshest Discover: Usher & H.E.R., “Threat It All”
Because the extremely anticipated Coloration Purple film musical attracts nearer, the promotion for the flick’s two associated soundtracks is kicking into excessive gear. Usher and H.E.R. began off the weekend — which resulted in a pair of Golden Globe nods for lead actress Fantasia Barrino and supporting actress Danielle Brooks — with the discharge of “Threat It All,” their beautiful new duet for The Coloration Purple (Music From and Impressed By), due Dec. 15. Co-written by Oscar winners H.E.R. and Jimmy Napes, Usher and the “Injury” singer harmonize superbly throughout the ethereal piano-backed association. “Individuals are cryin’ for it, persons are dyin’ for it/ All the time the explanation we nonetheless imagine it/ Somethin’ that leaves us hurtin’ is price it,” the pair croon.
Tokischa feat. Sexyy Purple, “Daddy”
How do you cap off a breakout yr that discovered you opening up for Drake and collaborating with Nicki Minaj? With an infectious cross-genre collaboration, after all! For the most recent launch in her string of fiery collaborations, Sexyy Purple hyperlinks up with Latin Grammy-nominated Dominican rapper Toksicha, for a sultry, sex-positive reggaeton-meets-house quantity that performs round with gender within the realm of kink. Throughout the thumping Yeti Beats- and El Guincho-helmed beat, Tokischa assumes the position of Sexyy’s sugar daddy as they commerce hilarious verses, together with some tongue-in-cheek bilingual strains from the “Pound City” rapper herself.
Nicki Minaj, “Fallin 4 U”
After all, the Queen scores herself a slot on this week’s round-up. Her gargantuan Pink Friday 2 LP — 22 tracks and counting — options a number of tracks for each facet of her musical character, however most pale compared to “Fallin 4 U.” Positioned a number of songs deep into the album, “Fallin 4 U” is, in some ways, the defining synthesis of Minaj’s inventive hallmark. There are her impassioned, high-octane, wordplay-laden bars, emotional Auto-Tuned ad-libs and hooks, a penchant for each the introspective and the braggadocious (usually on the identical time), and a wholesome dose of melodrama by way of these background strings. If there’s any observe on Pink Friday 2 that really makes the album really feel like a descendant of its predecessor, it’s this one.
SXMPRA feat. Juicy J, “Enterprise Man”
New Zealand rapper SXMPRA combines his ominous underground phonk sound with that of ’90s Memphis rap pioneer Juicy J on the hard-hitting “Enterprise Man.” The pair commerce punchline-packed verses asserting their dominance at break-neck pace. “Stand and battle/ Folding chairs and/ Throwing them fingers/ Would’ve been the very best time of my life,” quips Juicy. The collaboration options manufacturing from Juicy J and HitKidd, who put out his personal Renegade album this week.
James Fauntleroy, “Sleigh”
Vacation music appears to be a style that is aware of no bounds given how its consumption solely will increase with every passing yr. 4-time Grammy-winning singer-songwriter James Fauntleroy took a daring stab at vacation originals by making his debut studio LP a Christmas album. A compilation of two earlier vacation EPs that includes ten tracks, The Warmest Winter Ever is chock-full of steamy between-the-sheets anthems for the Christmas season. “Sleigh,” is without doubt one of the album’s prompt standouts, with its waterfall of layered harmonies and cheeky Beyoncé shoutout: “She gon’ sleigh like Beyoncé.”
Tems, “Not An Angel”
For her newest launch, Tems subverts the gospel-bent of her previous “Me & U” single and opts for a rhythmic tackle Biblical imagery, rejecting the position of being an “angel” or “savior” for somebody who isn’t fairly but able to be saved. “‘Trigger I’m not an angel/ I’m only a woman that is aware of the reality/ And I couldn’t prevent/ You couldn’t see what I’ve been by,” she croons sorrowfully over the Sarz co-produced Afrosoul beat.
Q Da Idiot feat. Ot7 Quanny, “Wealthy Droppaz”
It’s a bit ironic {that a} link-up between a DMV rapper and a Philly rapper sounds thus far faraway from the dominant up to date sound of both area, however it undoubtedly makes for a banger of a document. A slinking avenue anthem that coasts on each the duo’s chemistry and their particular person charisma, “Wealthy Droppaz” finds the pairs buying and selling hilarious bars like, “Yeah, I like the cash, go me boo’d up/ I can’t do no Ella Mai, I ain’t ‘Boo’d Up.’” Unassuming however nonetheless pressing, “Wealthy Droppaz” is a promising lead into Q Da Idiot’s forthcoming Artwork of Ambition album.
