Hit-Boy, 03 Greedo, Jae Skeese, Juice WRLD, Lola Brooke, And More New Music Friday Rap Releases

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.

Hit-Boy – Surf Or Drown

Hit-Boy has been on the run of a lifetime as a producer and flexing more of his rapping chops along the way. Surf Or Drown is his assertion that he can swim with the lyrical sharks while helping them navigate their yachts. The GRAMMY winner holds his own alongside his constant collaborator Nas, Dom Kennedy, Curren$y, Avelino, and more. He also enlists the vocal greatness of James Fauntleroy and master beatmaker The Alchemist to push this album beyond any boundaries people may have set for him. The standout records are “Corsa,” “The Tide,” “Nu.Wav,” and “Composure, Pt. 2” If those aren’t enough, he takes a shot at his producer peers on “Slipping Into Darkness” for some added spice. – Armon Sadler

Juice Wrld – “The Light”

It will always feel eerie yet comforting hearing new music by Juice WRLD. “The Light” is true to his alternative Hip-Hop brand, employing his croak-like vocals and bright production. “When it’s dark outside, you’re always the light/ This heart of mine was once cold as the ice,” he posthumously raps. “The more I try, the more I open my mind, for you to find/ The demons hidin’ deep inside.” The late rapper discusses his mortality and how the devil claims he owes him, but God is on his side. His deity shows this by sending him a lover, and though things aren’t perfect between them, she always makes everything okay. In the second verse, he switches his flow to one more rapid. “Been through it, I don’t really wanna get into it/ Throwin’ out your heart’ll break mine, so I won’t do it,” he raps. “Also, baby, you’re my lifeline, you’re a influence / All the times you was mad, I was over under your influence.” Again, it is ghostly hearing Juice compare a lover to drugs knowing that caused his mortality, but it just goes to show the depth of his emotions and how they affected him. – AS

03 Greedo – Halfway There

As 03 Greedo further reacclimates himself to the free world, the Cali rep unleashes yet another project with Halfway There, a super-sized body of work spanning 33 tracks, with a handful of stars occasionally stepping in. On “Big Gang,” the Grape Street luminary gets trigger-happy, saluting his “hitters in the cut” while voicing his carefree attitude towards conflict and opposition. Terse keys lay the groundwork for “Hummers,” as the rapper cascades atop a sinister backdrop with menacing intentions, while he runs up his jewelry store tab on the aptly titled “Glass.”

Guest spots by Babyface Ray (“Dada”), Rich The Kid (“Forever Millionaire”), Ty Dolla $ign (“Coi Leray Diamonds”), and more all serve as highlights. However, Halfway There‘s finest moments come when Greedo is left to his own devices, such as on “Industry,” which laments the gun violence and treachery rap artists can be subjected to. Additional standouts like the romantic numbers “Spend Time Pt 2” and “I Don’t Wanna Fight” showcase his more svelte side, which doubles as reminders that even goons have emotions, too. – Preezy Brown

Lola Brooke Featuring Latto and Yung Miami – “Don’t Play Wit It (Remix)”

Just when you thought Lola Brooke’s “Don’t Play With It” couldn’t get any bigger, she taps two of rap’s hottest women to take the record to another level. Latto is the first new voice we hear, and she brings her Soul Food Sunday energy to the Dizzy Banko production. “I just want a ten piece, make it all flats/ He just want a phone call or a text back,” she raps. “Never got touched but a bi**h stay smacked/ Why would I DM a ni**a first when I’m the catch?” The RCA artist addressed a lot of the hate she’s received lately, saying, “They can’t stand to see me winnin’, so they blame payola.” Yung Miami is the next guest star who closes the track appropriately. “Uh uh, get somebody else to do it/ Posted in New York at Bottega like I’m Ewing,” she spits. “I taught you how to get ‘em for the check, what we doin’?/ I ain’t got a hundred mil, but I got it once I flew in.” It’s a line that may cause some commotion is her announcement that she’s single despite her and Diddy speaking publicly about their relationship. Whatever the case may be, these two women made “Don’t Play With It” an even more fun record and lived up to the song’s title; they are not to be messed with. – AS

Jae Skeese – Abolished Uncertainties

Drumwork Music Group signee Jae Skeese extends his year’s strong opening with Abolished Uncertainties and the rapper’s first solo effort of 2023 finds the rising spitter taking center stage. Running 13 tracks in length, the project opens with “RVLVR,” where the Buffalo spitter allows the pain gleaned from his hunger for rap supremacy. He growls atop the grand production by AGE., setting the tone for fireworks to ensue. While listening to Abolished Uncertainties, it doesn’t take long to realize that Skeese is a student of the game, as he goes out of his way to tackle heady conceptual topics. He views the world from the vantage point of a cellular phone on the aptly titled “Burner,” which takes a page out of the book of classics like Nas’ “I Gave You Power” and 50 Cent’s “Baltimore Love Thing.”

Conway The Machine plays costar on “Symmetry,” a stellar moment that finds the rhymer hitting on all cylinders. Bringing listeners to the “Lunch Table” for a serving of boom-bap and hearty raps, the upstart skates on the opulent “EKIN 3,” where he lyrically lets loose about his affinity for footwear. With multiple projects dropped by first quarter’s end, Jae Skeese appears well on his way to more recognition with this stacked offering. – PB

NLE Choppa & Lil Wayne – “Ain’t Gonna Answer”

NLE Choppa and Lil Wayne interpolate the 2006 hit “Stuntin’ Like My Daddy” on their new single “Ain’t Gonna Answer” and it goes over very well. “Don’t be worried ‘bout what we doing/ What we doing? Makin’ money/ What they doing? Hatin’ on us/ If they want it, take it from me.” Choppa brings the fury to the first verse, with references to the Hot Boys, high school track, and very explicit sexual activities. Weezy F Baby follows suit with his vintage wordplay. “Call him NLE, you can call me ‘Machiavelli’/ Shirt off, Choppa on, Weezy baby, Babylon,” he raps. “I’m greedy, baby, Ramadan, I got my slimes with me, it’s a slimeathon / Wake up Balenciaga, pajamas on with two bi**hes.” This is a duo that could really do some damage if they locked in for a full project. Just two lyrical menaces attacking any and every beat they’re given. – AS

Internet Money Featuring Roddy Ricch and Kodak Black – “I Remember”

Roddy Ricch and Kodak Black reflect on their trauma on Internet Money’s “I Remember.” Roddy handles the hook, crooning, “I can tell you what I’ve done been through/ Now I done made my way back in the coupe/ I ain’t tryna make it back in the news/ I remember when the water bill was due.” Through it all, he’s stood tall, hasn’t felt sorry for himself, and won’t let people take advantage of him either. Kodak jumps in for the second verse, taking a more aggressive approach to how he handles his enemies. “Every Halloween, me and my zombies leave blood on the floor/ I’m the zombie on Earth, I’m a ‘zo, I be on overseas hoes,” he raps. “They never know what they worth, I left a ghost on they curb/ In the projects, I’m Malcolm X, I’m froze/ Keep a few shooters at my shows, some with me, some at the door.” Trauma affects people in a variety of ways, even with the riches these rappers have amassed. Through it all, they remain on the defensive and are intent on not going back to harder times. – AS

Swavy – “Side Eye”

Toronto continues to churn out melodic-minded artists with Swavy among the most promising of the latest crop. The Columbia Records signee drops off “Side Eye,” his latest release and second single of the year, on which he belts out heartfelt lyrics of disappointment and distrust. Produced by M3rge, the melancholy track finds Swavy detailing the trauma endured and the effect it’s had on his psyche. “I supported you and all the sh*t you did just for you to get up and leave me/ I supported you and all the sh*t you did for you to be acting so greedy,” he laments, questioning the merits and tenets of love while accounting for the effort given during their union. Featuring additional vocals from PND, “Side Eye” is a somber thumper that allows Swavy the space to emote and convey his vulnerabilities. – PB

Lil Eazy & Daz Dillinger – The Legacy

Lil Eazy-E and Daz Dillinger partner up for The Legacy, an album celebrating both Ruthless Records and Death Row Records’ musical and cultural contributions. Beginning with the album’s titular track, Lil Eazy-E, the son of Ruthless Records founder and N.W.A. member Eazy-E, speaks on his lineage and the rite of passage of walking in the footsteps of icons. “Born and raised in this sh*t/ Took all the steps, now I’m blazing this sh*t/ When I’m on stage, you ain’t fading me, sh*t/ NWA paved the way for this sh*t,” the legendary descendant raps atop a track produced by Daz Dillinger and featuring RBX.

While West Coast rap’s calling card may be gangsta stylings, that’s by no means an afront to its musical stars’ ability to enjoy the serene surroundings, as evidenced by the breezy standout “Just Like Gz.” On the dedicatory “Eazy,” Lil-Eazy and Daz try their hand at the elder Wright’s classic 1988 hit “We Want Eazy,” delivering bounce to the ounce over a pulsating jam. “Gangsta Memories” and “Make Believe” are also slappers that could pique your interest upon pressing play, making this prideful longplayer a worthwhile one. – PB

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