This week in hip-hop, a plethora of up-and-coming newcomers and well-established vets team up for some under-the-radar releases that are worth checking out. While major label darling Lil Baby is dropping his deluxe version of My Turn, there are still plenty of options, even if the week seems thin on releases.
This week is also a display of tomorrow’s talent, with half of the releases coming from young rappers in bubbling underground scenes like New York drill. If you prefer your hip-hop a little more seasoned, the other half are indie stalwarts who’ve carved out long-standing movements in the increasingly crowded landscape and still manage to distinguish themselves with creativity, drive, and quality.
Here are all the best new hip-hop albums coming out this week.
Baby Plug — Topic
Originally from Missouri but now based in Atlanta, Baby Plug makes his major debut with Topic. Judging from his name and origin, you might be expecting something trap-heavy and gritty in the vein of The Big Peach’s main artists, but a more apt comparison might be Lil Uzi Vert’s Eternal Atake — spacey beats, sing-song flows, and a unique outlook.
Dee-1 — Timeless
Uproxx profiled New Orleans teacher and independent rapper Dee-1’s community activism earlier this year. Dee-1, who’s been around for a minute, is a year removed from his latest full-length, God And Girls, and can be expected to fill his upcoming project with witty insight and smart storytelling — his signature styles.
Guapdad4000 — Platinum Falcon Tape Vol. 1
Over the past several weeks, the Bay Area’s Guapdad 4000 has been rolling out a new single every week as part of his Falcon Fridays campaign. Platinum Falcon Tape Vol. 1 is a collection of those singles, allowing fans to catch up on the scam rapper’s latest shenanigans and prepare for whatever he’s got next.
HDBeenDope — Broken Dreams
The first thing that came to my mind when I hit play on HD’s latest is a young, hungry J. Cole. While that comparison is likely not as accurate as some of us would like, it’s a good starting point for getting a handle on HD’s aggressive flow and autobiographical lyrics. He’s a contender for XXL‘s upcoming Freshman Cover and while he may be a bit under the radar, giving him a spin or two before he inevitably catches on might earn you some cool points (as long as you’re cool about it).
Jay Worthy & Harry Fraud — Eat When You’re Hungry Sleep When You’re Dead
Compton rapper Jay Worthy links up with prolific producer Harry Fraud (Action Bronson, French Montana, Smoke DZA) for a project that may fly in the face of coastal expectations.
Mozzy — Beyond Bulletproof
Sacramento’s answer to Nipsey Hussle — an independent, street-certified businessman, community leader, and powerfully sincere, gem-dropping rapper — calls Beyond Bulletproof his best project yet. In a recent interview with Uproxx, Mozzy explained how going to therapy brought out his best and why he wants fans to feel “possessive” of this album: “I want them to feel like that motherf*cker was painted direct specifically for them.”
Smoove’L — Boy From Brooklyn
The attention of the world is focused on the New York drill scene and while the majority of that attention may be going (rightfully) to Pop Smoke and Fivio Foreign, another name that shouldn’t be ignored is Smoove’L — even if he rejects the category himself. While he’s a versatile artist who can rap to pretty much anything, he knows which way the wind is blowing and shows it on Boy From Brooklyn, giving the burgeoning London-influenced style a twist of his own originality.
Some artists mentioned above are Warner Music artists. .
