R&B/Hip-Hop Fresh Picks of the Week: Cochise, Mac Ayres, Leon Bridges, Toosii & More
Outside of the ever-unfurling Offset–Cardi B breakup, the worlds of hip-hop and R&B spent the past week preoccupied with the fallout of various kinds of relationships. Streamer and rapper DDG announced his split from Grammy-nominated singer and actress Halle Bailey, revealing they would strive to co-parent their son Halo amicably.
In the aftermath of Diddy’s federal indictment, social media has quickly created their own narratives about the countless individuals who were in the disgraced mogul’s orbit — and some of them are keen to set the record straight. On Sunday (Oct. 6), Billboard 200-topping rapper Foxy Brown took to her official Instagram Story to once again shut down the long-gestating rumors that she slept with Jay-Z (and signed an NDA about it) when she was underage. “Stop playin’ wit me name dyin’ for a comment!” Brown wrote underneath a screenshot of a YouTube video discussing the allegations. “Can’t spin me with the sucker shit to take Hov down. Betta ask ‘bout tha cloth I’m cut from.” She later added, “Y’all want me to be anti-Hov so bad.”
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Speaking of Diddy, his mother released a statement in his defense on Sunday night, writing, “To bear witness [to] what seems to be like a public lynching of my son before he has had the opportunity to prove his innocence is a pain too unbearable to put into words. Like every human being, my son deserves to have his day in court, to finally share his side, and to prove his innocence.” In addition to last month’s federal indictment, Puff will also face lawsuits from 120 additional accusers for alleged incidents dating as far back as 1991.
With Fresh Picks, Billboard aims to highlight some of the best and most interesting new sounds across R&B and hip-hop — from Cochise and Aminé’s unruly new link-up to Leon Bridges’ ode to God’s love. Be sure to check out this week’s Fresh Picks in our Spotify playlist below.
Freshest Find: Cochise & Aminé, “Nasty”
Cochise has already announced that an album is on the way, and “Nasty” — his new collaboration with Aminé — is just the latest in a string of 2024 releases that promise a banger full-length project. Produced by ChaseTheMoney, “Nasty” boasts a skittering, bass-heavy beat over which Cochise and Aminé trade bars about just how nasty they can get. “When I was in high school, n—a, I was nasty/ And I got some sloppy, I recorded, that was nasty,” Cochise spits in his verse, before Aminé raps, “Just got to the party, I’m like, where the f–k the thots?/ This s–t way too dry and a n—a like me need the WAP.” Between the high drama of the hectic synths and hi-hats and the two rappers’ clear chemistry, “Nasty” is a match made in heaven.
Star Bandz feat. Veeze, “Yea Yea (Remix)”
The Gen-Z drill movement is here. Star Bandz is paving the way as a teenaged rapper hailing from Chi-town as a rose of the drill scene that was born when she was still in diapers. Star’s slick rhymes get a second life with Veeze lending his stamp of approval on the official remix. “Star Bandz just like D. Rose, youngest ever MVP,” he salutes the 16-year-old’s ability, while comparing her to Chicago Bulls legend Derrick Rose, who recently retired from the NBA. Bandz continues her ascension when she’ll join fellow teenage sensation Luh Tyler on tour, with her debut project Estrella slated to drop on Nov. 8.
Leon Bridges, “God Loves Everyone”
Leon Bridges has been one of the torch-bearers of soul since his nearly decade-old debut LP (2015’s Coming Home) and his new self-titled record keeps him in that tradition. With “God Loves Everyone,” a poignant piano ballad that stealing incorporates a sweeping string arrangement, Bridges closes his fourth studio album with a paean for God’s love and peaceful world. “God sees all the folks on their own/ God knows what it’s like to bе cold,” he croons in the third verse, somehow making base-level Evangelical platitudes listenable thanks to his silky, earnest tone — which perfectly encapsulates the warmth of his hometown of Fort Worth, TX, the place that inspired most of the LP.
Powers Pleasant & DC the Don, “Know Me Now”
A relationship slipped through DC the Don’s grasp and the Milwaukee rapper is looking for a second chance. Powers Pleasant invites Don’s singsong flow to glide over the stripped-down guitar riffs for the poignant “Know Me Now.” The Life Sucks project standout finds Don at his most brutally honest, hoping to win over her love and adoration. His relentless pleading ends up paying dividends while getting him the answer he wanted to hear all along. But it’s still a delicate situation when she invades the outro asking, “Is it still love when it’s not convenient?”
Mac Ayres, “Alone With You”
A 2017 SoundCloud loosie that has finally made its way to streaming, Mac Ayres’ “Alone With You” is a luscious amalgam of twinkling piano, steady percussion, and a lead vocal that prioritizes highlighting standard R&B chords with a delicate approach that forgoes the flourishes of attention-grabbing riffs and runs. “You came out of nowhere and just knocked me off my feet/ It’s true that I’d rather be alone with you,” effortlessly capturing the singular feeling of being genuinely surprised by a new, unexpected love.
Toosii feat. Muni Long, “I Do”
Toosii and Muni Long get their Bonnie and Clyde on for “I Do.” The Syracuse native details the great lengths he’ll go to just to win over his love interest. The starry ride or die anthem serves as a bright spot on Toosii’s JADED album, which saw the 24-year-old take a creative leap of faith straying from the typical melodic sound his day one fans became used to. Tied together by Muni’s honeyed vocals, “I Do” is as catchy as it is dreamy and a welcomed duet pacing the project.
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