The Best New Hip-Hop This Week includes albums, videos, and songs from ASAP Rocky, Big Sean, and Ice Spice.
This week of hip-hop has been both celebratory and somber, as fans were forced to say goodbye to underground rap mainstay Chino XL, who passed at age 50, and DJ Polo, who died over the weekend. However, contemporary figures in hip-hop continued to show the genre’s versatility, adapting Charli XCX’s hyperpop for freestyles, as shown by Aminé and his “360.5” video, and reflecting on lost love (Kevin Abstract’s “Big Dog“).
Meanwhile, ASAP Rocky made a triumphant comeback with “Highjack” featuring the surprising collaboration with Jessica Pratt.
Big Sean reveled in fatherhood with the video for his latest Better Me Than You single, “On Up.”
Ice Spice extended her debut album Y2K! with the bonus track, “Gyatt.”
Polo G followed up the official release announcement for his long-delayed album H.O.O.D. P.O.E.T. with new single “We Uh Shoot” featuring fellow Chicagoan Lil Durk.
Here is the best of hip-hop this week ending August 2, 2024.
Albums/EPs/Mixtapes
Emilio Rojas — It Always Gets Better
This is kinda wild, but I had almost forgotten about the Rochester rapper, despite being a fairly fervent supporter in his early career. His mixtapes A Breath of Fresh Air and The Natural stayed in rotation throughout the so-called “blog era” for me, but then, he seemed to sort of fall off the national scene for a bit. I was surprised — pleasantly so — to see his name pop up in my inbox this week. I’m equally pleased to report he’s still a fantastic rapper, with observational skills as deft as his writing and delivery. The pictures he paints are as crisp as they were a decade and a half ago, and his latest deserves a listen.
Jpegmafia — I Lay Down My Life For You
There’s nobody in hip-hop making music like Jpegmafia. Yeah, there are plenty of rappers who adopt a thrash rock aesthetic, but I’ve yet to hear anyone else literally rapping over hardcore and metal riffs, melting those genre deconstructions down alongside glitchy noise and industrial rap beats. Naturally, guests on the album include Denzel Curry and Vince Staples, the two other rappers who get the closest. Then there’s “Exmilitary,” a straight-up bar fest. There’s something for — if not everybody, then anyone with an open mind.
Killer Mike — Michael & The Mighty Midnight Revival: Songs For Sinners And Saints
Conceived as an “epilogue” of sorts for Mike’s Grammy-winning(!) 2023 album Michael, this new 10-song collection was called a “testimonial” in its press release. “When I was growing up, an important part of church service was people having the opportunity to stand up and give public testimony on their trials, tribulations, and triumphs,” Mike explained. “After the celebratory atmosphere that followed MICHAEL I was reminded that tribulations never cease, but God is always with me and this is a testimonial of my tumultuous times, my trials, and my continued triumph in spite of doubt, outright hate, and fear.”
Navy Blue — Memoirs In Armour
Skater turned rapper Navy Blue (also known as Sage Elsesser), is back independent after releasing his last project through Def Jam and his latest release finds him back in the mode we’ve come to expect from the underground champion. Soulful production backs heady, intricate, stream-of-consciousness raps that’ll be a hit with fans of longtime collaborators like Earl Sweatshirt, Mach-Hommy, and MIKE.
Singles/Videos
42 Dugg — “Wrong Right”
Coming off the release of his album 4eva Us Neva Them Detroit breakout 42 Dugg shares a mellow video for album standout “Wrong Right.” It’s a departure from a lot of his prior singles, embracing a more reflective direction that adds depth to his current oeuvre.
Boldy James & Harry Fraud — “Cecil Fielder” Feat. Tee Grizzley
Boldy James is, to me, like the Motor City version of someone like Curren$y, Dom Kennedy, or Larry June, but way grimier. Teaming up with Harry Fraud only strengthens those comparisons, creating a deceptively smooth groove for Boldly’s coke raps. On Cecil Fielder, Tee Grizzley offers a rougher edge that breaks through the dreamy atmosphere to remind listeners that Tony definitely dies at the end. Even better: It’s only the first single from a Boldy/Fraud collab project called, hilariously, The Bricktionary.
Kaliii — “Big One” Feat. Monaleo (From The Block performance)
Performances like this usually don’t make it to this list — mostly because they are usually of songs that have been out a while — but this one’s special because Kaliii uses it to reveal the sex of her recently revealed pregnancy. Congrats to our former cover artist and good luck as she continues her career while embarking on this adventure.
Mutant Academy — “Liberation” Feat. Quelle Chris
The Richmond, Virginia rap collective has been steadily releasing music for a decade, but only announced their debut group album, Keep Holly Alive, today. The timing is fortuitous; group member Fly Anakin received a wave of critical support for his 2022 album Frank, bringing residual attention to his wider crew in the process. “Liberation” proves it’s well-placed.
Saweetie — “My Best”
Saweetie’s music has taken on a motivational bent over the past year or so, but also a bit of a nostalgic one, as in this video for “My Best,” which reproduces Saweetie’s academic experiences. She recently told Complex that she feels she has begun to reveal more of herself in her latest output and honestly, that could almost never be a bad thing.
Tay B — “All Ten” Feat. Lil Baby
The main co-sign any street rapper would want to have these days is Lil Baby, because he’ll not only bring his own grit to your tracks, he’ll also bring a certain degree of polish that shows that no matter how grimy your origins, you can always be palatable for the masses. Case in point.
Wiz Khalifa — “Baby Girl On The Way”
I guess the theme for this week is babies, because between Big Sean, Kaliii, and Wiz Khalifa, we’ve got the prospect of parenthood covered from seemingly every angle. Oddly enough, this track contains some of the best technical rapping we’ve heard from Wiz in a long time.
Wynne — “Dog In Me”
While Portland rapper Wynne has built a reputation on her deft lyrical skills, recently, songs like “Dog In Me” have added a new dimension to her discography, allowing her to delve into subjects that might surprise rap fans with strong feelings about separating female rappers into two disparate camps.
YG — “Love Make”
The latest single from the Compton rapper’s upcoming Just Re’d Up 3 samples Avant(!!)’s “Makin’ Good Love,” for what is as close to a romance ballad as he’s ever gotten. Of course, because it’s YG, it’s raunchy and uninhibited, but there’s a time and a place for everything. Hopefully, I don’t have to explain when or where it is for this sex anthem.