The best new hip-hop this week includes albums, videos, and songs from Lil Durk, A Boogie Wit Da Hoodie, and more.
This week saw the releases of new songs from A Boogie Wit Da Hoodie, Diddy, GloRilla, Kali with Mello Buckzz, Moneybagg Yo, Sexxy Red and Nicki Minaj, and Yeat and Young Thug, along with the releases listed below.
Here is the best of hip-hop this week ending May 26, 2023.
Albums/EPs/Mixtapes
Jay Worthy & Roc Marciano — Nothing Bigger Than The Program
A cross-cultural combination of truly earth-shaking import — depending on who you ask — Nothing Bigger Than The Program connects Compton’s Jay Worthy with Long Island native Roc Marciano for 12 tracks of “Fur Coat Talk” from the pair of “Underground Legends.” A Blaxploitation movie in audio form, the dynamic duo’s criminal-minded outlook makes for some impressive chemistry and tough-nosed, unfiltered street rap.
Kari Faux — Real Bitches Don’t Die
Little Rock rapper Kari Faux follows up 2020’s Lowkey Superstar (and its 2021 deluxe edition) with this spacey, psychedelic rumination on the resilience of, well, real bitches (it’s kind of appropriate it’s coming out the same week as the trailer for Greta Gerwig’s Barbie movie). Guests include a who’s-who of funk-flavored Southern rap stalwarts like Big KRIT, Devin The Dude, and the late, great Gangsta Boo.
Lil Durk — Almost Healed
What happens when a gangster goes to therapy? Lil Durk’s latest seeks to answer that question like a south-side Chicago-centric Sopranos. And while lead single “All My Life” with J. Cole seemed to suggest a shift toward upliftment, fans worried he’d lost his edge can rest easy; not only does his latest album feature some of his most lucid rapping yet, but it also still bears all the hallmarks of a Durk classic. Gut-wrenching narratives from the trenches balance defiant boasts, but now, a glimmer of hope shines through the trauma.
Monaleo — When The Flowers Don’t Die
I’ve had my eye on Houston singer/rapper Monaleo for a minute, but this is the first time I’ve really thought that she looked like a star. Sometimes, it takes a while for an artist to hit their stride. While “Beating Down Your Block” flashed potential, Where The Flowers Don’t Die pays it off; f*ck a stride, she’s sprinting past the competition. Tracks like “Cologne Song,” “Goddess,” and “Sober Mind” display her versatility and growth and at this point, I’d be willing to bet the farm that Monaleo is going to be a household name in the very near future.
Singles/Videos
J Hus — “It’s Crazy”
The road rap staple dips a toe into a more traditional drill sound for his latest single, which comments on the madness of life on the endz. Its murky video perfectly reflects the sometimes chaotic mood faced by the lower-class citizens of the UK’s gloomy inner city.
K Camp — “Spin The Block”
The title track from the Milwaukee rapper’s new EP, “Spin The Block” presents a familiar situation for anyone who’s ever gone through a breakup that left them with some semblance of hope for a reunion. He’s just as deft as ever as he spins a personal-sounding yarn about backsliding with someone he should probably let go.
Key Glock — “Work”
The Memphis rapper credits his motivation to his drive to make late mentor Young Dolph proud. To that end, the Glockoma 2 standout gets a crisp visual dedicated to Glock’s commitment to keeping Dolph’s legacy alive.
Kota The Friend — “Hope You Hheal”
The Brooklyn artist switches lanes, embracing the modern wave of upbeat dance-inspired toe-tappers sweeping rap in the wave of Renaissance and Honestly, Nevermind to try something new. As Kota has therapized through his prior, heady works, he seems to be loosening up, encouraging listeners to do the same.
Some artists covered here are Warner Music artists. .
