Baby Keem’s most recent new album The Melodic Blue dropped back in 2021. The project was led off by some high-profile collaborations. Keem lured his cousin Kendrick Lamar away from some time off of music for a killer collab with “family ties.” He also teamed up with Travis Scott on the single “durag activity” and recruited Don Toliver for a deep cut called “cocos.” He’s gotten quite a bit of mileage out of the record with a deluxe edition and even a short film he dropped last year.
But now Keem is shifting his focus onto his next era. His next album is reportedly going to be called Child with Wolves and he recently took to his Instagram story to tease the record. “Child with Wolves Living with imperfections back to you all so soon. LUV,” he captioned his Story post. The caption is attached to a pretty simple picture of Keem himself that doesn’t reveal any information about when fans may actually get the chance to hear the album. Despite the lack of info, fans took to the comments in bulk to express their excitement. Check out the post and the fan responses to it below.
Keem’s new era is already off to a great start. Last year, he teamed up with Kendrick Lamar once again for the irresistibly fun single “The Hillbillies.” The pair teamed up under the same name to headline Tyler, The Creator’s “Golf Wang” music festival last year.
Keem and Kendrick also popped up together in Las Vegas earlier this month. The duo were performing some of their songs together at an F1 event ahead of this year’s Super Bowl. Keem hasn’t revealed any details on the content of this new album but fans are hoping whatever it is they can hear it soon. What do you think of Baby Keem teasing fans that his new record is coming soon? Are you excited about the forthcoming album? Let us know in the comment section below.
Someone who has consistently impressed us with their recent output has been Erick the Architect. The Flatbush Zombies affiliate started the rollout for his debut album I’ve Never Been Here Before last July with the lead single “Parkour.” It would not be until October that he would continue to tease it with the release of “Ambrosia” featuring Channel Tres. That leads us to November, where Erick would go on a torrent run in which it seemed he could not miss.
“Shook Up,”“Ezekiel’s Wheel,”“Instincts,” and “2-3 Zone,” all offered up some of Erick’s waviest performances. He was really able to lock in on his soulful, psychedelic, and jazzy side. All of these captivating singles have led him to delivering I’ve Never Been Here Before. Erick spoke with Notion about spoke about the true amount of time it took make this piece of art.
Listen To I’ve Never Been Here Before By Erick The Architect
“I’ve felt so many different emotions while making this project. When people ask how long it took to make, naturally I say five years. But truly, I’m 35, so it took 35 years to do my debut album: you have to give yourself grace for the time that you put into making something that you believe in,” Erick said. Well, we are glad he took his time with it because this a truly a treat of a listen. It might go down as one of the more underrated releases of the year for most. But this a true AOTY contender in our book.
What are your thoughts on this brand-new album, I’ve Never Been Here Before, by Erick the Architect? Is this one of the more impressive debuts in recent memory? Who had the best feature on the record and why? What songs are you gravitating toward the most right now? We would like to hear what you have to say, so be sure to leave your takes in the comments section. Additionally, always keep it locked in with HNHH for all of the latest news surrounding Erick the Architect. Finally, stay with us for the most informative project posts throughout the week.
USHER has been on top of the music world for the past few months. The Super Bowl LVIII performer has been a busy man this last month and a half with interviews. Of course, they are all centering around his Halftime Show which accumulated adoration and criticism. But, the longtime R&B singer also dropped his first solo record in eight years. Today, USHER is back to update it with the COMING HOME (Expanded Edition).
It has been about two weeks since the original version came out. It featured 20 songs with tons of respectable features. Burna Boy, Summer Walker, 21 Savage, H.E.R., The-Dream, Pheelz, and Jung Kook are all here. The singles that made the cut were “Good Good,” “Risk It All” from The Color Purple film adaptation, and “Standing Next to You.”
For this COMING HOME (Expanded Edition), USHER is adding to extra songs into the fold. They do not interfere with original order of the tracklist in this case. Both “Believe” and “Naked” are tacked on after the Jung Kook collab. You can stream the new version with the links above.
What are your thoughts on the COMING HOME (Expanded Edition)by USHER? Is this the better edition over its predecessor? Who had the best feature on the record and why? What songs are you gravitating toward the most right now? Which of the two new additions are better and why? We would like to hear what you have to say, so be sure to leave your takes in the comments section. Additionally, always keep it locked in with HNHH for all of the latest news surrounding USHER. Finally, stay with us for the most informative project posts throughout the week.
COMING HOME (Expanded Edition) Tracklist:
Coming Home with Burna Boy
Good Good with Summer Walker, 21 Savage
A-Town Girl with Latto
Cold Blooded with The-Dream
Kissing Strangers
Keep On Dancin’
Risk It All – From the Original Motion Picture “The Color Purple” with H.E.R.
French Montana is an artist who has received quite a bit of criticism over the years. However, this criticism hasn’t always been warranted. For some reason, he has become a punching bag for some rap fans. Overall, his fans certainly love him and they will listen to anything he puts out. Moreover, he has been able to secure features from some of the biggest artists in rap. He is extremely talented when it comes to curation and its clear that he is one of the best networkers in the entire game.
Today, French dropped off Mac & Cheese 5. This 21-track album had quite a bit of hype around it thanks to the fact that there are two features from Kanye West. However, some fans noticed that the album has an extended version with a whopping 126 tracks. Unfortunately for French, this rollout plan has a lot of people making fun of the artist. As you can see below, this version of the album has numerous acapella, sped up, slowed down, and even instrumental versions.
On social media, fans were quick to rip French Montana to shreds over the decision. Overall, numerous artists have been doing this kind of thing as of late, however, they do it for singles and not whole albums. For many, 126 tracks is simple unnecessary streaming bait. Some even likened it to a desperate ploy for more streams and increased revenues. Needless to say, this new release strategy is pleasing no one. Although as one fan pointed out, you can always just listen to the OG version.
Fans React
Let us know what you think about all of this, in the comments section down below. Additionally, stay tuned to HNHH for the latest news and updates from around the music world. We will continue to keep you informed on all of your favorite artists and their upcoming releases. There are a ton of great albums to come in 2024.
This looks like a cry for help! Like damn you must really need streams. https://t.co/O5hC3NCoLr
“Oh how u all will feast again very soon.” That was Kid Cudi on X (Twitter) back in late January after not being able to get his “deluxe” of INSANO out on time. Well, that time has come as the Cleveland native is here on February 23 to deliver INSANO (NITRO MEGA). As he initially promised, fans now have nearly 40 new tracks to indulge in throughout the rest of the year and hopefully beyond.
After NITRO MEGA‘s predecessor got slightly unfavorable reviews from critics and fans, maybe this will make fans a little happier. On this sequel of sorts, Cudi is going back to his experimentative roots. While it is still filled with bangers, it is not nearly as heavy on the trap/psychedelic sounds. Just listen to “ELECTROWAVE BABY 2.0” and you will see what we mean.
There are still some tracks that will most likely still up controversy such as “WILLIS” for example. But again, there are still some nice highlights on INSANO (NITRO MEGA). One of them has to be “HUMAN MADE.” It appears that Tame Impala’s “One More Hour” is the song to sample in 2024 so far if you want pure fireworks. Be sure to check out the record with the links to find out for yourself which album is superior.
What are your thoughts on this brand-new album, INSANO (NITRO MEGA), by Kid Cudi? Is this the better project over its predecessor? Who had the best feature on the record and why? What songs are you gravitating toward the most so far? We would like to hear what you have to say, so be sure to leave your takes in the comments section. Additionally, always keep it locked in with HNHH for all of the latest news surrounding Kid Cudi. Finally, stay with us for the most informative project posts throughout the week.
Offset teased new music from Cardi B on social media, on Monday, and remarked that her upcoming album “goes crazy.” While he muted the video of him listening to the project, he can be seen bobbing his head up and down in the studio while it plays. “Stop being scary and drop the album s**t goes crazy,” he captioned the clip with several fire emojis.
Cardi has been teasing her highly-anticipated sophomore album for years. It’ll be her first full-length effort since her critically acclaimed debut, Invasion of Privacy, back in 2018. That project notched her a Grammy Award for Best Rap Album.
PARIS, FRANCE – JULY 05: Cardi B and Offset attends the Balenciaga Haute Couture Fall/Winter 2023/2024 show as part of Paris Fashion Week on July 05, 2023 in Paris, France. (Photo by Arnold Jerocki/Getty Images)
As for why the album is taking so long, Cardi explained on social media in 2022 that she was suffering from anxiety due to the separation its promotion will lead to her having from her kids. “I do have anxiety,” Cardi said at the time. “I’ve been having a lot of anxiety ’cause I know right after I drop my album I have to go on tour. And I have bad separation anxiety from my kids. When it comes to the music, I just be feeling like I don’t be liking anything. I feel like I got so many songs, I just don’t like nothing. Like nothing is good enough. I got so much f**king money saved up, I be like, ‘Yeah, whatever the f**k.”
Offset Teases Cardi B’s New Music
Offset encourages Cardi B to “stop being scary” and drop her new album while previewing the project on Instagram Live.pic.twitter.com/CHUXSfsB7o
Regardless, Cardi confirmed last year that the project will officially be dropping in 2024. Be on the lookout for further updates on Offset and Cardi B on HotNewHipHop.
Music fans are always looking for the new wave to hop on, and with so much amazing material dropping every day, these trends could dominate and vanish within months. Many folks out there thought Yeat would suffer this fate. His arrival on the scene, paired with the wider emergence of rage, brought a lot of buzz, an instant cult fanbase, and even a Minions collab. But with four albums under the Portland MC’s belt now, plus a wealth of mixtapes, he’s had plenty of time to capitalize on this hype. However, this didn’t answer the question that many fans still have: is he here to stay? Will this sound and approach age like fine wine or is it just a passing fad while we wait on the real future? Well, speaking of the future, the AftërLyfe visionary is here to take us to 2093.
This new album aims to provide a forward-thinking, fresh, unique, and alien artistic statement. Its 24 tracks (including the two “Phase 2” extras “As We Speak” with Drake and “Never quit”) are defined by buzzing and soaring synths, distorted percussion, a lot of reverb atmosphere, and a slew of verses, ad-libs, and vocal effects battling each other for your ear. Unlike past material, the lyrics here are actually highlighted quite intently, and this overall sets 2093 up as the most idiosyncratic release in this catalog. Fortunately for fans and new listeners alike, it’s also its best project yet. Although it’s not perfect, this is a truly definitive, impactful, and above all needle-pushing record that will probably join the likes of Whole Lotta Red, Yeezus, and even Exmilitary as aggressive and industrial benchmarks in hip-hop. But it’s clear that Yeat is in a class of his own.
Yeat’s Performance
If you want proof of that, look no further than his performance on the mic here -– and behind the board. If you recall last week, we published a list of five “wants” from this album, one of which was that Yeat would prioritize and focus on his best weapon in his arsenal: his voice and his delivery. We’re glad to say that he’s still got it. Through a lot of vocal layering, woozy effects, energetic ad-libs, and switches between slurred deliveries and clearer high notes, the 23-year-old maintains what makes him such a memorable and captivating artist. He switches between frantic flows, measured croons, and passionate screams with ease on any given track. The “Nun id change” creative feels so comfortable and seamlessly integrated into his sonic vision, which is the second-most important achievement of 2093. We’ll mention the top priority later.
He also takes over most of the production here, with credits on 13 tracks of its 24 offerings. In fact, one of the best songs here, “Riot & Set it off,” is produced entirely by the California native, and that speaks for itself. His vision is able to meld a lot of different influences together and make something new out of them. There’s a lot of Travis Scott and Kanye West worship here, distorted vocal treatments akin to Sematary, industrial tones and timbres that you might catch on material from Death Grips or HEALTH, and sci-fi soundscapes that seem more like scores than streaming success stories. But they all fit under 2093‘s universe like a glove, and have Yeat’s special touch all over them. It’s the most impressive part of this album.
This high praise is thanks to the cavalcade of producers here, of which there are too many to shout out individually. Key players, though, include Synthetic (7 credits), Dulio (5), GeoGotBands and Perdu (4 each), and LRBG, Radiate, and WhoIce (3 each). Together, they all execute Yeat’s vision in a cohesive way that also leads to another big strength on 2093: its engaging and well-paced flow. The dreamy and atmospheric outro on “Bought The Earth,” which is a nice cool-down moment on the LP, leads right into the rambunctious trap on “Nothing Changë.” Clubby rhythms and dance inspiration take center stage on “Breathe” (another absolute standout), “Shade,” “Keep Pushin,” and the title track. Most importantly, the distortion, synth variety, noisy mixes, and string embellishments all fuse in an epic and entrancing way.
Still, not every beat is a hitter. 2093‘s length means that cuts like “Tell më,” “Stand On It,” and “Psychocainë” feel repetitive. Regardless, this isn’t a sign of the album taking significant quality dips, as there are amazing records all the way to the last song. Also, there is so much quality behind Yeat’s production choices that, even if they sit in the same space, they don’t feel diluted in their impact. “U Should Know,” “ILUV,” “Mr. Inbetweenit,” and “If We Being Rëal” are just a handful of progressive, crunchy, well-structured, and thoroughly immersive beats. “Familia” is one of the most overtly psychedelic moments here, and “Never quit” ingeniously flips a guitar-driven beat into something more than a rock-rap fusion. Overall, this album is a true auditory treat, and likely a very influential one. The cherry on top? How they effortlessly set up his verses.
Lyrics never define any Yeat album, but this album takes his success and paints a dark picture with it. “I’ma cut you off, cut you off when you talkin’ to me,” he raps on the opener “Psycho CEO.” “I’m in 2093, where your life at?” The now-established Drake collaborator focuses a lot on financial success, loyalty, material wealth, substance use, and not feeling human. But he contrasts this with murderous thoughts, admissions of his own dishonesty, his apathy, and nihilistic remarks on what all this money and status even means. Through jumbled trains of thought, loose verses, and consistently catchy refrains, these themes become almost contradictory, yet never inauthentic. There’s a lot of CEO talk on 2093, and it seems like hedonism eats at its own tail here. The salient point is that these pleasures make this darkness worse, but also give it the freedom to roam freely.
Particularly sharp meta bars on “Run Thëy Mouth,” like, “I got four rings, four albums, b***h, I’m out / I was alivе for 4L, but it’s up to me for after now,” embody this theme well. It’s a scary picture, and one that Yeat paints with a “less is more” brush. While these topics and expressions are always compelling, they can feel like retreads.
Similarly, there are a few moments in 2093 that don’t match up to its futuristic vision. For example, the features are 50/50. Lil Wayne drops a good verse on “LyfeStylë,” but it feels a bit mismatched from the album’s established energy. Future’s appearance on “Stand On It” is mixed way too low, but he does his thing. More impressively, “As We Speak” is probably the wildest beat Drake’s ever been on, and he’s much more charismatic and well-presented here than on their previous collab, “IDGAF.” Childish Gambino’s uncredited vocals on the outro of “Power Trip,” though, are the only guest contributions that truly feel futuristic and wholly connected to this project. Since Yeat is so standoffish, homicidal, and downright misanthropic from a lyrical standpoint, this makes these inclusions a bit more out of place. That being said, it’s still a small blemish.
Otherwise, what keeps 2093 out of the higher echelons of hip-hop albums in their respective eras is its consistency. The aforementioned reruns of aesthetics and song structures, plus static lyrical focuses and underwhelming feature verses, bring things down a bit. But we want to emphasize that it’s only a bit. An overwhelming majority of this LP took Yeat to the next level in our eyes. In particular, his character portrait here is the most understandable, clear, and un-replicable. It seems like the Gen Z leader is embracing the villain role here, and his contradictions and extraterrestrial imagination -– or rather, reality -– seem just like they were there before the fame. Power is another central idea, one that seems just as indebted to physical possessions as it is to primal proclivities. Bloodlust and existentialism are palpable, and don’t aim for anything else but to shock, inspire, and evoke.
So, how exactly does 2093 shock, inspire, and evoke indescribable feelings of ambition and dominance in its listeners? Much like its creator, the album shrouds itself in a lot of mystery, both through its muddy and aggressive production and the varied rhythms and sonic worlds that it cycles through. The beats here progress, evolve, and keep ears locked in from song to song, and don’t allow for even a second to free you from its spell. Yeat is right at the center of the chaos, and gives up control to tap into his demons and desires as a dead man walking. He doesn’t mind calling others out for being dead too, as long as they know who is on top of the graveyard. The totality of these elements achieved the most important thing this record had to represent: evolution. Progress. The next step. The future.
The artist’s unique musical identity preserves and develops itself further into idiosyncrasy; the consistency and intent make this a fully satisfying listen; the rap styles of tread, witch house, rage, and more push forward; he might see his first No. 1 album of his career with a watershed moment of an LP; and the features… at least Donald Glover killed it. Jokes aside, they still played their role well and allowed Tonka’s biggest fan to take the whole spotlight. With all this in mind, did 2093 take us to 2093? Absolutely. It’s so exciting to see an album this mainstream be so challenging, so masterful with its influences, and so fun all throughout. Yeat’s come a long way, and he fully cemented himself as a legitimate mainstay and leading face of hip-hop today. Well, 70 years from now, anyway.
Heems has returned with his first solo album in nine years, LAFANDAR. To do so, he’s teamed up with producer Lapgan, who is signed to his label and lifestyle brand, Veena Sounds. The 12-song tracklist encompasses collaborations with Open Mike Eagle, Quelle Chris, Your Old Droog, and several more artists.
In a press release, Veena is described: “An ode to the collision of his South Asian heritage and New York roots, Veena is dedicated to and named after his mother, and explores the implementation of self-care through Heems’ passions – fashion, flows, and food. In celebration of its launch, Veena is releasing a product offering encompassing all three of its core tenets — Sounds, Wears and Naturals — including physical editions of both 2010 Das Racist mixtapes Shut Up, Dude and Sit Down Man, which are being made available on vinyl for the first time. Veena is also releasing two tees designed by Himanshu Suri and Peter Chung (Supreme, Polo) and 100% organic cold-pressed virgin coconut oil made in India.”
Heems also explained how his music relates to the brand in the release. “My world was one of graffiti and golgappas, skateboards and saris, music and Mughals, and so on. This is what my music sounds like,” he said. Heems began promoting the new project with the single, “Accent” with Saul Williams, last month. He also dropped the Your Old Droog collaboration, “Sri Lanka,” on February 5. Heems was previously a member of Das Racist but currently performs with Riz Ahmed in Swet Shop Boys. His last solo album, Eat Pray Thug, dropped back in 2015. Check out the tracklist for the new album below and be on the lookout for further updates on Heems on HotNewHipHop.
One of the most exciting things about contemporary hip-hop is the widening of opportunities for artists to pull from whichever style they wish and not be so beholden to sticking to their rap roots. Of all examples of this in 2024, Quadeca is not only one of the most exciting, but among the most established. The 23-year-old started out as a rap and soccer YouTuber, moved into Internet rap lyrical miracles, and is now making the type of critically acclaimed fusions that could only be described by pretentious genre mashes. The bottom line is that Quad’s been making music for years now, and his 2022 album I Didn’t Mean To Haunt You was his most unique, compelling, boundary-pushing, and definitive effort yet.
Now, he just dropped the full version of his mixtape SCRAPYARD after already releasing three of its five mini-divisions in 2023. In fact, if you’ve never heard of Quadeca before, this album is a great balancing act of his very personal, often cheeky, but always raw writing approach, his eclectic and versatile rap flows, and his wider sonic influences from hip-hop’s many styles, lo-fi indie, chamber pop, industrial, folk of all kinds, and so much more. As a taster, look no further than the Los Angeles native’s collaboration with former BROCKHAMPTON mastermind Kevin Abstract on “TEXAS BLUE.” If you liked Kevin’s last album Blanket, then this new offering is right up your alley.
Quadeca’s “TEXAS BLUE” With Kevin Abstract: Stream
There are a lot of production and songwriting elements to this song, but the most salient of these might be the looping, showtime-esque piano that kicks us off all the way to the fade-out. Quadeca builds on Kevin Abstract’s vocals (which dominate much of the lyrics here) with haunting harmonies, rustic percussion, gorgeous string arrangements, and many other embellishments like sudden hits of noise and guitar tones hanging in the back. While it’s definitely more of a ballad, the quick verses and blunt lyrical treatment of its romantically struggled theme do evoke some of the impactful writing and deliveries that they excel with in their rap material. However, what really sets “TEXAS BLUE” apart is how well it structurally comes together in such a gorgeous, weighty, progressive, but still catchy way.
If you couldn’t tell already, there’s a lot to love about Quadeca’s music, and we guarantee you’ll like the rest of SCRAPYARD even more. Whether you’re a fan of the most accessible sounds of the genre or its most experimental corners, it’s an impressive listen that turns so many influences into something completely new. If you haven’t heard it, or “TEXAS BLUE” with Kevin Abstract, find it on your preferred streaming service and check out some notable lines down below. As always, check back in with HNHH for more great music releases around the clock.
Quotable Lyrics Syrups and syndromes, all the beasts in the jungles Under covers, undercover, seeing you in flashes Old photos and boxes of matches Red button icon, eye lashes, memories I don’t wanna see
Yeat’s 2093is out now, and a lot of fans are really loving the new directions and evolutions on display here. A lot of folks are fully into the project’s futuristic vibes and think that it’s the perfect fit for his style, presence, and overall artistic vision. Sure, the album is not a hit with everyone, but it seems like even some of his most ardent doubters online have some light praise for it. At least, that’s what the Twitter and social media conversations are leaning into these days, and we haven’t even wrapped up a whole weekend with it.
Furthermore, Yeat’s 2093 represents a chance for him to level up once more in his career. He already took things to the next level sonically, the fan reception is already there, and with features from Drake, Future, and Lil Wayne, his place in the game is more established than ever. But the California native might also do something that he had never done before with this LP. According to HITSDailyDouble, we already have early first week sales projections for the new album, and they point to a potentially historic debut for him.
Apparently, Yeat is expected to move between 65K and 75K units in its first week, which puts it up for contention for the No. 1 spot on the Billboard 200. Another main competitor in this race is Morgan Wallen’s One Thing At A Time, which has been a dominant presence in the charts for about a year now. Also, there’s the second week of Kanye West and Ty Dolla $ign’s Vultures to consider, although Billboard didn’t seem to chart it at all. Both will reportedly move between 60K and 70K, and if 2093 surpasses them, it would be the “Lyfestylë” MC’s first number one of his career.
Of course, this would be really exciting to see, especially for the new generation. We wonder, though, if the Drake collab added to the album, “As We Speak,” will improve the album’s chart performance as a whole. We wouldn’t complain, though, as 2093 is worthy of the future. For more news and the latest updates on Yeat, come back to HNHH.
(@robbyhask) 
Kanye West & Ty Dolla