Doja Cat, Moneybagg Yo, Lola Brooke, And More Sizzling New Music Friday Releases You Can’t Miss
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Today is Friday, which means there are a ton of new releases to look forward to from some of your favorite Hip-Hop artists. To help you unwind and enjoy the weekend, check out VIBE’s picks of songs and albums you should hear and add to your soundtrack of weekend festivities.
Doja Cat – Scarlet
Scarlet feels like a side quest for Doja Cat fans who have known her for having a myriad of sounds. There is a feeling of needing to prove something here, and it unfurls into quality music. On “Wet Vagina,” she focuses on how fly she is. She utilizes her endearing singing voice on “Shutcho” and doubles up on her aggressive rap tone all while telling people to quiet down. “97” has a soulful element to it and honestly sounds like something she and JID would have traded fierce bars on. Overall, Scarlet shows why Doja Cat deserves to be viewed as a rapper and she can hang with the best of them if that time ever comes. – Armon Sadler
Moneybagg Yo, Sexyy Red – “Big Dawg”
“Big Dawg” is a fun call-and-response type track from Moneybagg Yo and Sexyy Red. The St. Louis rising star expresses her desire for a boss, and Bagg lets her know why he fits the part. “She want a G, don’t want no ni**a that’s a square, she want a P,” he raps. “Give her that d*ck soon as she wake up and before we go to sleep/ She like my grill, so when we f**k and I’m on top, she lick my teeth, I’m the largest, ‘What that mean?’/ It don’t get no bigger than me.” The mellow trap production fits both of their flows and cadences well and honestly leaves one to wonder what a small EP between these two could sound like. Their styles mesh very well. – AS
Lil Tecca – Tec
Lil Tecca’s TEC is further proof that he has become a voice for the youth. The opener “Yves” produced by BNYX is a midtempo boastful record. “You said your name, I don’t know who you is/ Got a new number, who is this?” he croons. “Fell In Love” featuring Ken Carson is a chaotic record in all of the best ways, a truly unconventional love song given the mosh-worthy production. “Trippin On U” is a standout ballad where Tecca discusses drinking away his fears and smoking to heal all while going through it with his lover. TEC is a fun buffet of different types of records that capture what he’s delivered his entire career. – AS
Lola Brooke Feat. Bryson Tiller – “You”
Lola Brooke and Bryson Tiller link up for “You,” an homage to Lola’s muse Foxy Brown and her classic song “Get Me Home” featuring Blackstreet. “You” is a testament to how versatile the Brooklyn rapper can be; she maintains her assertive tone on a love song fit for slow dancing and googly eyes. They don’t depart from the original production too much, but they add their own spin with Tiller’s hook: “I’m yours for the summer, I wanna/ Drinking ‘til we drunk, I’m choosin’ you, baby/ Things I wanna do to you, baby, you say he crazy so I gotta take a risk on you/ Like why would I lie when I’m tryna put this on you, baby?” Lola oozes with confidence, reminding men she’s one of one so the right suitor comes correct. Simply put, this is all very well done. – AS
Doe Boy X Skilla Baby – “Smack Sh*t”
Doe Boy and Skilla Baby’s “Smack Sh*t” is all about self-preservation, self-defense, and self-confidence. Skilla Baby raps about keeping his blicky for when things get sticky and his girl being secure. Doe Boy calls himself “Beezy with the switchy” and bringing a gun with him the first time he met Diddy. While the chorus is about how they won’t hesitate to bring static to someone’s front door, they walk around guarded because they know they are hot commodities. The rapid production loaded with hi-hats and drums makes for a frantic soundscape, fitting for their erratic rap styles. Someone can try them if they want to, but it likely wouldn’t end well. This is the anthem for their menacing activities. – AS
Torae And Marco Polo – Midnight Run
Brooklyn rhymer Torae and Canadian producer Marco Polo reunite for their new album Midnight Run, as the dynamic duo pick back up where they left off on their 2009 release Double Barrel. Having both stayed active while evolving in their artistry, the pair form an explosive tandem, coming out the gate swinging on the bruising into “The Return.”
Referencing their previous offer while boasting that he and Polo “dropped the hardest sh*t that you ever heard,” Torae makes it clear he’s not for frills on this outing, as he abuses the succession of instrumentals with reckless abandon. “This rap sh*t is a circus, it need some C.I. in it,” he barks on the gritty number “Wakin’ Up,” as the Coney Island, Brooklyn rep wears his rugged ways on his chest. Rounded out by “Oh No,” “Life Behind Bars,” and “Rap Sh*t,” Midnight Run is a worthy sequel to accompany its predecessor and hopefully marks the first of many more joint efforts by Polo and Torae. – Preezy Brown
The Alchemist, MIKE and Wiki – Faith Is A Rock
The Alchemist shows no signs of curtailing his avalanche of collaborative albums, as the boardsman teams up with MIKE and Wiki for Faith Is A Rock, a body of work that captures the rhymers cascading across airy, boom-bap driven backdrops. Highlights abound, as the pair put forth starring performances on “Stargate,” “Mayors A Cop,” “Pray For Him,” and “Scribble Jam,” which finds Wiki lamenting sleepless nights with his future in balance. On “Memory Loss,” MIKE acknowledges his inner growth, rhyming “I took a fall, was tripping ’cause I lost patience.” Wiki muses over his cannabis indulgence on the closing number “One More,” which Faith Is A Rock will leave you asking for by album’s end. – PB
Ransom – SPARE THE ROD, SPOIL THE CHILD
One holdover from last week that initially missed our radar, but deserves your attention is Ransom’s new EP SPARE THE ROD, SPOIL THE CHILD, where the New Jersey native drops rewind-worthy couplets aplenty. Consisting of five tracks, Ransom wastes no time attending to the matter at hand. He addresses “The Powers That Be” on the projecting opening salvo, riddling listeners with clever punchlines and metaphors. Joining forces with 38 Spesh and Che Noir on “Scape Goats” before closing out the proceedings with lyrical miracles on “Hymns,” Ransom goes straight for the money on his latest. SPARE THE ROD, SPOIL THE CHILD further solidifies his standing as one of the more rugged rhyme pugilists out of the east. – PB
EARTHGANG – RIP Human Art
After reminding us of their status as one of rap’s more inventive duos with their acclaimed 2022 release GHETTO GODS, EARTHGANG gives fans a stimulus package with RIP Human Art, an EP that delights while leaving them clamoring for me. Joined by Spillage Village, Olu and WowGr8 craft breezy grooves like “Die Today” before ratcheting up the tempo with “Flavors Of Karma,” a jittery composition with rollicking instrumentation. Running five tracks in length and devoid of any features, RIP Human Art may be a nod to the signs of advancements in technology, but nothing is artificial about the vibes conjured by EARTHGANG and crew. – PB
Nick Grant – Sunday Dinner
Nick Grant continues to trudge forward after catching his second wind with last year’s Welcome to Loveland project and unleashing his latest offering Sunday Dinner. Filled with food for thought meant to touch the soul, the longplayer finds the southern native delivering poignant rhyme spills based on slices of his life and formative surroundings. Starting strong with the introductory number “WORRYIN’ BOUT A CLASSIC,” Grant sustains that momentum while harkening back to lessons learned as a young lion on subsequent cuts like “BRAVO,” getting the proceeds off to a impressive start. Featuring appearances from Ransom (“Art Dealer”), Tweet (“CONCEIVE”), and Uncle Chucc (“LAST JAM”), Sunday Dinner also includes treats like “HEARD ABOUT US” and “TWO SIDES” resulting in an applaudable number from a skillful wordsmith. – PB
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