The best new hip-hop this week includes albums, videos, and songs from City Girls, Lil Baby, and more.

Whew. What a week. The dormant music industry must have set a collective alarm clock for the third week in May to return because new releases came back with a vengeance. Sada Baby tapped into his techno roots with Big Sean on “Little While,” J. Cole continued his Off-Season rollout with the “Amari” video, Tobe Nwigwe released his new video for “Fye Fye,” Joyner Lucas recruited a few famous friends for his over-the-top “Zim Zimma” video, and Lil Tjay lent a lyrical assist to Lil Zay Osama on “Emotions.”

Friday saw the releases of videos for Polo G and Lil Wayne’s “Gang Gang,” Lil Baby’s “We Win” with Kirk Franklin, City Girls’ “Twerkulator,” and 42 Dugg’s “Maybach” featuring Future, along with the releases listed below.

Here is the best of hip-hop this week ending May 21, 2021.

Albums/EPs/Mixtapes

42 Dugg — Free Dem Boyz

Emerging Detroit superstar owes about 10 percent of his success to a fortuitous meeting with Lil Baby, who signed him to 4PF, and the rest to his own gumption and gift for narrative, as illustrated on his debut album.

Benny the Butcher & 38 Spesh — Trust the Sopranos

On this joint tape, Benny takes the lead role as the established vet, lending some of his spotlight to Rochester’s longtime underground fixture 38 Spesh. This one is their third pairing, hence the coolly connected chemistry between the two, but their first since Benny blew up, lending a lot more attention to their efforts.

FCG Heem — Neighborhood Poetry

Fort Lauderdale, Florida rising star FCG Heem casually turns traumatic tales into lyrical gold on his debut album, which features NoCap, Pooh Shiesty, and Toosii.

Icewear Vezzo — Rich Off Pints

As Michigan’s burgeoning underground scene (is it drill? is it trap? is it grime?) takes over more of hip-hop’s coverage, Vezzo arrives with a new EP to take full advantage.

Mach-Hommy — Pray for Haiti

Mach-Hommy is the latest beneficiary of the increased scope and interest in battle rap and throwback New York traditionalism, as he drops a collection of bruising punchlines over beefy, soul-loop-and-breakbeat style instrumentals.

Patrick Paige II — If I Fail Are We Still Cool?

Patrick Paige II is probably best recognized as a member of LA hipster funk band The Internet (several members of which, including Syd and Steve Lacy, make appearances here), but on this new solo effort, he more than proves he can carry his own weight.

Sa-Roc — The Sharecropper’s Daughter (Deluxe Edition)

One of 2020’s most underrated projects gets an update featuring a previously unheard verse from the late MF DOOM, giving everyone who slept not just a second chance to check it out, but also more incentive to do so.

SpotEmGottem — Most Wanted

He’s best known as the artist behind viral favorite “Beat Box,” but this Jacksonville native has a lot more to say on his latest mixtape, which sounds like a cross between millennial Cash Money favorites and fellow Floridian Kodak Black.

YG & Mozzy — Kommunity Service

West up! YG and Mozzy, two longtime fixtures of the California gangsta rap scene (and beyond), team up to double their appeal, as YG returns the increasingly thoughtful Mozzy to his grimy roots while Mozzy inspires YG to heretofore unseen lyrical heights.

Young M.A — Off the Yak

Young M.A has quietly kept up an impressively consistent stream of beats-and-bars-focused single releases, which have culminated in her latest album release featuring Fivio Foreign and Rubi Rose.

Yung Baby Tate — After the Rain (Deluxe)

Tate’s Issa Rae-backed 2020 release gets an upgrade — one that fans have been eagerly awaiting for months — with six new songs and an increased focus on singing over rapping.

Singles/Videos

Paris Bryant — “Mad Mad”

Hailing from Brooklyn, New York, this youngster introduces himself with an A Boogie/Lil Tjay/TJ Porter-esque melodic flow that portends good things in the future — especially with Cinematic Records backing him.

P-Lo — “Going Off”

After assisting fellow Bay Area FilAm fixture Guapdad 4000 on 1176, P-Lo is back showing off on vacation in Tulum.

Sean Kingston — “Darkest Times” Feat. G Herbo

It’s been a while since the girls were so beautiful they made Sean Kingston want to off himself, but he’s back, realigned, and fully locked into the modern style of melodic semi-rapping that everyone seems to be using these days, which really works for him.