R&B/Hip-Hop Fresh Picks of the Week: 310babii, Veeze & Rylo Rodrgiuez, BLK ODYSSY & More
As heat wave after heat wave continues to pummel the country, so does the world of politics, which feels suspiciously written by Shonda Rhimes at this point. With the attempted assassination of former President Trump thrusting debate over President Biden’s viability as a 2024 candidate out of the picture, naturally, 50 Cent has found himself in the eye of the storm. The Grammy-winner’s classic “Many Men” has emerged as a semi-ironic anthem of the assassination attempt, earning an acknowledgment from the man himself.
“Trump gets shot and now I’m trending,” he captioned a meme of Trump’s face superimposed over his iconic album artwork for 2003’s Billboard 200-topping Get Rich or Die Tryin’, which landed at No. 11 on Billboard’s Greatest Rap Albums of All Time ranking.
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In other major hip-hop and R&B news, Eminem‘s countless namedrops on his new The Death of Slim Shady (Coup de Grace) LP continue to stir up social media conversation, Ice Spice and Central Cee further stoked romance rumors with the release of their new “Did It First” single and Buju Banton performed his first U.S. shows in 13 years at New York’s UBS Arena.
With Fresh Picks, Billboard aims to highlight some of the best and most interesting new sounds across R&B and hip-hop — from 310babii’s latest banger to Veeze and Rylo Rodriguez’s grimy link-up. Be sure to check out this week’s Fresh Picks in our Spotify playlist below.
Freshest Find: Camper feat. Ari Lennox & Jeremih, “War”
Last year, with Coco Jones’ “ICU” and Maeta & Free Nationals’ “Through the Night,” Darhyl “DJ” Camper scored a pair of chart-topping R&B hits that played to the genre’s traditional elements of evocative, soulful balladry. For “War,” his new single with Grammy-nominated R&B stars Ari Lennox and Jeremih, Camper continues to play on those fundamentals. “I ain’t got time to lose with you/ All I know is that I miss you/ Bring grenades to your door/ For your love I’ll go to/ For your love I’ll go to war,” Jeremih sings over Camper’s amalgamation of warbling, gospel-inflected chords and a ’70s soul-evoking bass section. With both singer’s verses playing on the classic benchmarks of romance (“Kept you past your curfew/ Bought you your first of Nikes/ Heard your Daddy don’t like me/ Brother wanna fight me”), these three R&B heavyweights have crafted a song whose reverence for the classics permeates both their lyrics and instrumentation, ultimately making for a song that harkens to the past while feeling distinctly modern by way of their stylish vocal deliveries.
Lexa Gates & Billy Lemos, “I Just Can’t Be Alone”
Lexa Gates is one of the can’t-miss emerging artists coming out of NYC. With an aesthetic as refreshing as she is unique, the Queens-bred singer-rapper blends the adjacent worlds in poetic fashion. On her latest single, “I Just Can’t Be Alone,” Gates vulnerably grapples with a yearning for romance and isolation. “Should I really be a douchebag? I’m indifferent, ha, you mad,” she intones to start the jazzy tune. West Coast fans can hear the soulful track’s live debut when Lex takes the Echoplex stage in Los Angeles on Aug. 14.
310babii, “Pink Whitney”
As the West Coast continues to bask in their summer on top, 310babii is keeping the hits coming. After scoring a topline breakthrough moment with “Soak City (Do It)” and a follow-up hit in “Rock Yo Hips,” the recent high school graduate is ready for a few sips of “Pink Whitney.” “Pink Whitney, said she don’t drink Casa’/ Baby bad, p—y good, put her in Prada/ Bae, I gotta buy you YSL, it’s only right/ She got designer p—y, only right I bought her flight,” he spits over Beatsbyturk’s bouncy production. Less focused on packing the dancefloor with bodies and more occupied with lauding the girl with the “bеst head in the city,” “Pink Whitney” marks a slightly different direction for the rising star — but it still hits.
SoFaygo feat. Don Toliver, “Precision”
Don’t try to play games with SoFaygo because he’ll call out the “bulls–t with precision.” Lil Tecca hops behind the boards to serve up the blistering production that lives in the realm of Playboi Carti’s Whole Lotta Red. “I never ate at Denny’s, I hate to shop at Lenox/ I’m picky with my women,” FayGo rambles. The Cactus Jack artist lets the ladies know anyone riding with him doesn’t need to turn to having an OnlyFans since he’s got the finances taken care of. Fellow Cactus Jack running mate Don Toliver invades the scene and gives a NSFW shout-out to his wifey. “Damn, she got a big booty/ Kali Uchis, I’ma stuff my face in her coochie,” he promises on the raunchy assist. Hopefully, it isn’t the last time this trio joins forces.
BLK ODYSSY, “Changes”
Ahead of his third studio album — 1-800-FANTASY (due July 19) — BLK ODYSSY has unveiled another single from the project. “Changes,” a jaunty pop-rock-infused jam that evokes the freewheeling feel of Steve Lacy’s Gemini LP, finds BLK ODYSSY lamenting over the different ways love can warp your sense of routine and normalcy. “Can’t take all these changes, thought it would be painless,” he sing-chants, effortlessly capturing the emotional turbulence of heartbreak and how life-altering the end of a relationship can be. With percussion and guitars holding down the rock ‘n’ roll vibes, it’s his melancholy timbre that keeps the soul front and center.
Veeze feat. Rylo Rodriguez, “F****d A Fan”
Someone could write a fascinating book about rappers and their romantic fan escapades. Rylo opens up about having a girl with him at a five-star hotel while Veeze leans on his designer addiction and letting his partner run up unlimited shopping spree tabs with ease. Although, the Detroit rapper knows his luxury taste and spending habits could catch up with him if he doesn’t continue to level up. “My jacket, my pants, it cost me a dime/ I need to go get an endorsement with Sprite,” he admits with some sound financial advice. As for the 4PF rhymer, Rylo doesn’t believe the ride-or-die women are out there for him. “If I had a dollar for every faithful b—h in the world, my account would be empty,” he raps before painting the bizarre visual of a girl wanting him to autograph a Trojan condom. Just press play and enjoy the journey.
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