The best new hip-hop this week includes albums, videos, and songs from Doja Cat, GloRilla, J. Cole and more.

Just when you thought it was going to be a chill week in hip-hop, here comes J. Cole with a surprise album release to upset the apple cart as he responds to Kendrick Lamar’s very loud call-out a few weeks before. This happened, of course, in the same week that brought us:

Latto putting the “L” back in “TLC” as she joined her fellow ATLiens onstage to perform their hit “Waterfalls“:

The official announcement of the return of NxWorries with “86Sentra“:

Lil Yachty remixing a 30-year-old McDonald’s jingle out of nowhere:

The long-awaited return of G-Eazy alongside Coi Leray and Kaliii (a true ally):

And GloRilla and Megan Thee Stallion teaming up to affirm that the “girl rapper wave” still ain’t “dead”:

Whew, what a week.

Here is the best of hip-hop this week ending April 5, 2024.

Albums/EPs/Mixtapes

Doja Cat — Scarlet 2 Claude

Doja Cat adds seven new tracks to her table-shaking fourth album Scarlet. Again, she goes out of her way to avoid categorization, despite features from ASAP Rocky and Teezo Touchdown (who are also nominally known as rappers but have run the gamut of psychedelic sounds over the course of their respective careers). No, she doesn’t diss Cardi B on the new tracks but she does continue to take fans and industry frauds to task for their meddling in artists’ lives.

GloRilla — EhhThang EhhThang

Yeah, Glo! The Memphis rapper rediscovers her groove after a successful media run that once again endeared her to the fickle hip-hop audience. More homespun wisdom and elbow swinging trap realness bounds on her latest, which features appearances from Megan Thee Stallion, Moneybagg Yo, and more.

J. Cole — Might Delete Later

Hey, man, weren’t you just working on that album you’ve been teasing for the past six years? While the world has been waiting for The Fall Off, Cole’s been building a separate body of work, which he unleashed on the unsuspecting public with no prior warning. Accomplices in this act of audio terrorism include Dreamville mainstays like Ari Lennox and Bas, peers like Ab-Soul and Daylyt, and even inspirations Cam’ron and Gucci Mane.

LaRussell — Live From The 206

It’s been hard to keep track of the Bay Area distruptor’s output, mainly because there’s been so much of it. LaRussell doesn’t sit on anything; he just drops as he goes and lets the world catch on (case in point, this is his third in less than two months). LaRussell’s independent mindset may make it tougher to keep up, but it’s always worth checking out his latest work.

Reuben Vincent — General Admission

I wasn’t looking for the 9th Wonder protege on my release radar but there he was on my Tidal this morning. I ain’t complaining; those who say “hip-hop has been boring” between bouts of high-school gossip would do well to actually, y’know, check for new hip-hop. Lots of good stuff out there… like this.

Singles/Videos

Concrete Boys — “Where Yo Daddy” Feat. Karrahboo

After officially launching his label, Lil Yachty has done a terrific job of supporting his new rap crew. Karrahboo is the obvious standout, as demonstrated by “Where Yo Daddy,” and it’ll be fascinating to see the Concrete Boys’ trajectory as they move out of the shadow of his old group Sailing Team to establish themselves in their own right.

Courtney Bell — “Word II Conway” Feat. Conway The Machine

Detroit wordsmith Courtney Bell has been on a bit of a hot streak this year. Following up January’s “Westside” with fellow Motor City motormouth Royce Da 5’9, “Word II Conway” sees him match wits with the Buffalo bully. Bell is exactly the sort of rapper who flies under the radar for a while but produces so consistently that one day you look up and he’s got a tremendous body of work, a fervent fanbase, and respected reputation among his peers, elders, and successors, just like the guys he’s been working with lately.

Lil Wayne & Wheezy — “Bless” Feat. Young Thug

I wish I could have sampled the sound my girlfriend made when Wayne suddenly popped up onscreen during our weekly watching of WWE Raw (she’s a big fan) and turned it into a beat. It was mind and eardrum-blowing. This is probably the song he’ll be performing at Wrestlemania this weekend (we’ll be watching, of course). Free Young Thug already, darnit.