The best new hip-hop this week includes albums, videos, and songs from Babyface Ray, Nas, and more.
Although it’s not technically a “hip-hop album” per se, the Barbie soundtrack stands out this week thanks to contributions from rappers like Nicki Minaj, Ice Spice, and Kaliii. Speaking of soundtracks, another movie which hasn’t received as much promotion but is equally worth your time is Netflix’s They Cloned Tyrone. Its soundtrack is also stuffed with rap mainstays like Big KRIT, Kamaiyah, Project Pat, Saba, Ski Mask The Slump God, and Trinidad James. I recommend giving it a spin.
New releases this week came from the likes of Travis Scott, Ice Spice, Jay Rock, and NLE Choppa, along with the albums and songs listed below.
Here is the best of hip-hop this week ending July 21, 2023.
Albums/EPs/Mixtapes
Babyface Ray — Summer’s Mine
The Detroit rapper makes an ambitious declaration in the title to his latest project. Fortunately, he’s mostly got the chops to back it up.
Black Milk — Everybody Good?
The J Dilla disciple digs deep on this new project, drawing out the best in himself and collaborators like Mick Jenkins, Phonte Coleman, and Quelle Chris.
Big Boss Vette — Resilience
The “Pretty Girls Walk” rapper continues to find her footing with seven new tracks highlighting her determination to embed herself into hip-hop’s collective consciousness.
Ice Spice — Like…? (Deluxe)
Is it an EP? An album? Does it even matter what you call it when what it means to hip-hop — Ice Spice’s continued dominance of our attention — seems to be more important?
Nas & Hit-Boy — Magic 2
There will likely be plenty of fans who’ll say the dynamic duo has gone to the well one too many times. To them, I say: Whatever, man. Nas owes us this for forcing us to pretend to like Street’s Disciple and Untitled. The best part might be the newly hungry-sounding 50 Cent.
Valee & Harry Fraud — Virtuoso
The slurry Chicago MC has been released from the confines of his GOOD Music deal (and from the accompanying expectations), allowing him to make indulgent stuff like this. It’s much more suited to his loose style.
Singles/Videos
ASAP Rocky — “Riot (Rowdy Pipe’n)”
ASAP Rocky’s new Don’t Be Dumb single suggests a new direction for his upcoming album that strips down the experimental formula of his last one in favor of punishing bass and an increased focus on Rocky’s fully-automatic raps.
Bas — “Passport Bros” Feat. J. Cole
The past few months have seen more and more rappers embracing diaspora sounds, and Bas’ new single featuring J. Cole slips easily into that wave — which suits the globe-hopping theme of the song itself.
Denzel Curry — “Blood On My Nikes”
The Floridian rapper gets back to his roots on his threatening new single, pulling from mid-90s goth rap tropes and his own deft lyricism to forewarn foes of his looming sequel to 13lood In + 13lood Out.
Duckwrth — “Big Bewts”
With the ongoing trend of rappers blending hip-hop and house as strong as its ever been, it’s the perfect time for what of the torchbearers of hip-house — who has been doing it before and will likely continue to do it after — to return, and he picked the perfect song to do it with.
Sam Silver & Hefna380 — “Choppa”
Take the above statement and stretch it even more into the much more glitchy sounds of 2010s EDM.
Stormzy — “The Weekend” Feat. RAYE
Stormzy’s continued rollout for his follow-up to the vulnerable This Is What I Mean brings another example of the sort of diasporic genre blending that’s been making nights out this summer sound like tropical vacations.
Some artists covered here are Warner Music artists. .
