Every week, seemingly a gazillion songs are released on streaming services. From SoundCloud and Bandcamp exclusives to the endless array of songs on Spotify and Apple Music, it’s a lot to take in. Additionally, some tracks aren’t nearly as good as they should be. Who wants to waste their time sifting through records in fear that some aren’t very listenable? How can one possibly have the time to even do it?
This is where Noisey has you covered. We’re saving you time in the playlist department to narrow it down to the three most essential songs in hip-hop and R&B you should hear. Maybe you’ll find a new favorite artist or album in the process.
3 of the Best New Hip-Hop Songs and R&B Records of the Week
“Respect Da Yungin” by La Reezy
La Reezy raps every verse with the bright-eyed demeanor of a kid in a freestyle circle after school. The 20-year-old New Orleans rapper lands the kind of haymakers rappers draw out in 4 bars into mere couplets. “Is it cocky to say they should have a textbook about me? ‘Cause I’m a genius live from the South, got something to say and I say it proudly,” he snarls.
His arrogance juxtaposes the next set of lines, where he muses about the effects of gun violence by referencing the iconic Tupac film Juice. “Too many Bishops runnin’ ’round/Too many Raheem’s dead, they done shot ’em,” La Reezy raps. One of the most interesting young rappers working today, jumping to the punchline in an era of dwindling attention.
“The Big 3” by Rio Da Yung OG, YN Jay, and Babyfxce E
While everyone might associate the hip-hop Big Three with Drake, J. Cole, and Kendrick Lamar, Rio Da Yung OG, YN Jay, and Babyfxce E argue their spot in Michigan’s Big Three. YN Jay forgoes some of his tried and true horny outlandishness to go bar for bar with Babyfxce E about getting rich, stunting on lame haters, and women that bore them.
But it’s Rio’s sprawling verse that steals the show, where he wheezily raps one-liners like an old man rocking back and forth on his porch. “I can never find a bad b***h who want me for me, I must be ugly, ain’t I?” He mulls. It’s his blend of sobering reality and outrageous absurdity that cements him in Michigan’s “Big 3”.
“Minty // Earth” by MIKE, Earl Sweatshirt, and SURF GANG
MIKE and Earl Sweatshirt are desperately trying to figure out why some hip-hop fans only want them to rap a certain way. In an interview with The Face, Earl shrugged, “Both of our stuff gets categorised in a pretty sombre lane. There’s still heavy stuff. Surf Gang doesn’t spare heaviness. But when you change the drums, it changes everything. People are like, ’Oh my God, what has happened to you?’” Meanwhile, MIKE quipped that half of their fanbases would withdraw once they stopped doing “real hip-hop.”
But this only limits the imagination of what a MIKE and/or Earl Sweatshirt song could sound like. Take MIKE’s half on “Minty”, where his raps are as sharp as ever but on a deafening 808 pattern. “Bro, you not a gangster, take your talents off to LinkedIn,” he snarls. “Earth” comes closer to prime Clams Casino in how Harrison of SURF GANG strips the beat back and lets the hi-hats act as footholds while rock climbing. The sound may not be what certain fans might want or expect. But experimentation is the backbone of musical creativity.
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