song

R&B fans are gearing up for the release of Ari Lennox’s next effort, Age/Sex/Location. The project is a long time coming for the songbird who has been carefully crafting the album for what seems like years. There have been setbacks and delays—something not uncommon in the industry—but finally, Lennox recently announced that Age/Sex/Locationwill arrive on September 9.

As the rollout has officially been set in motion, we eased into this Wednesday (August 31) afternoon with a new single from Ari, “Queen Space,” that arrives with a feature from Summer Walker.

Lennox previously stated that her new album would be a Soul record, and in a text shared by J. Cole, the singer explained what the project means to her.

“Transitional space. Very vulnerable codependent and validation seeking part of my life. I remember the countless times I was kicked out of dating apps because they didn’t think I was really myself, it reminded me of those age/sex/location days where I actually wasn’t being myself in those chat rooms.”

“No more tip toeing. No more docile. Providing grace and compassion to myself. Blocking those that no longer serve me or just literally not responding. Blocking the resistance to heal. Allowing accountability and maturing. Allowing growth to happen. Allowing self worth and self love and inner work to happen. Allowing therapy. Allowing dating me to happen. Doing things I like to do whenever I want.”

Stream “Queen Space” and let us know what you think.

Quotable Lyrics

I told you to be here (Ah)
Come correct or disappear
I said smooth when it go down like some Belvedere (Ooh)
Don’t let doubt interfere (Ooh, ooh)

GloRilla’s had the summer on smash with the release of her single, “F.N.F.” It became the quintessential City Girl anthem for summer 2022, earning praise and co-signs from artists like Yo Gotti and Travis Scott. However, with her newly announced deal with CMG, it looks like she’s revving up for the release of her debut project.

Today, GloRilla connects with Yo Gotti for the release of her new single, “Blessed.” The Macaroni Toni-produced record finds GloRilla’s tackling rattling 808s and an infectious whistle as she reflects on her journey. She details the trials and tribulations she’s faced in amazement as she basks in her current success. Gotti slides through to represent his stomping grounds of Memphis and declare his status as a boss. 

Following records like “Tomorrow” and “Big Shit,” GloRilla’s latest effort is bound to secure her name as one of the most promising artists to blow up in 2022.

Check the record out below. 

Quotable Lyrics
Get that p**sy wet
N***a, you a gangster on the internet
99 opps, but where your shooters at? What y’all shootin’ at?
I got 99 soldiers, I could feed every one
All the guys that got a bond, I freed every one 

G Perico has been coming through with heat in the past few years. Since the beginning of 2021, he unveiled eight projects in total with no signs of slowing down. This week, he slid through with his latest release, “I Pray.” The rapper takes on a sleek beat where he paints a portrait of the bleak streets of Los Angeles. “The city do the same shit every single year/ That’s why I stand alone, on my own, facing fears,” he raps on the song. The record not only finds Perico reflecting on the evolution of the Los Angeles streets but also, on the risk of being a rapper from the city. 

Perico’s new song comes shortly after he blessed fans with his new project, 111th East at the top of July. Prior to that, he teamed up with Gotdamnitdupri for Tango.

Check out G Perico’s latest single, “I Pray” below.

Quotable Lyrics
If you Black and you rap, they gon’ play it back in trial
Guess the rap game is the new streets now
I be lookin’ at life, I got a new lease now
It’s a war in my mind, I need a new piece now

Gucci Mane re-established his record label in the past few years. While we haven’t heard a ton of solo music from him, the intention of his latest projects is to propel the artists on his label. Big Scarr may have been a bubbling force throughout 2021 but he’s coming into his own these days. He earned a spot on the XXL Freshman list this year while continuing to expand his catalog.

This week, the rapper came through with some new heat on his latest single, “First Time In Vegas.” The eerie production finds Scarr basking in his success while acknowledging the difficulties to shake off his habits. It’s another solid offering from Scarr, who came through with Big Grim Reaper: The Return earlier this year.

Quotable Lyrics
Ice on my teeth, she can’t see when I’m cheesin’
Can’t save her, hold on, mistake me for Jesus
I’m player, I might show you some shit, you can’t tell
Free all my n***as locked up with no bail 

Pink Siifu’s been on a great run this year. He dropped off GUMBO’! and its deluxe edition in February but he isn’t done just yet. Last week, he announced a collaborative compilation project alongside Real Bad Man titled, Real Bad Flights. As the two gear up for the project’s release, they unloaded a new single today titled, “Looking For Water” ft. Boldy James. Pink Siifu and Boldy take on the dreamy production with ease, detailing the paranoia that comes with the streets.

Prior to announcing Real Bad Flights, Real Bad Man and Boldy James established a strong bond on wax through their two collaborative project, Real Bad Boldy and Killing Nothing, which arrived earlier this year.

Check the new song below and sound off with your thoughts in the comments.

Quotable Lyrics
N***as comedians, I don’t need to laugh
I already did
Playing cards, you can’t show your hands
Money on the table, look again

It’s been roughly five months since Yung Lean blessed fans with his latest album, Stardust but he blessed fans with a quick two-song pack this morning as the summer comes to an end. Lean shared “Lazy Summer Day” and “Chinese Restaurant” on streaming services on Monday morning. The former is a breezy record that captures the calm of the final days of summer. Truly, there isn’t a better time for this record to drop. “Chinese Restaurant” is a shorter record at 1:16 minutes. Lean’s more charged up on this record in comparison to “Lazy Summer Day” as he takes on soulful production.

Check out the latest two-song offering from Yung Lean below and let us know which one of his two records you prefer the most.

Quotable Lyrics
Same shit, new day, money in the suitcase
Memories do fade, yeah, they do fade
I’m alone at a Chinese restaurant
Late nights, same flights, shiny emeralds

Five years after sharing his debut album, The Never Story, 31-year-old J.I.D has returned this New Music Friday with the project’s highly anticipated prequel album, The Forever Story.  

The new arrival’s tracklist is loaded with 15 songs, including the previously released “Dance Now” featuring Kenny Mason as well as “Surround Sound” in collaboration with 21 Savage and Baby Tate. On top of those noteworthy features, the Atlanta-born entertainer also worked with Chicago’s Lil Durk on the eighth title, “Bruddanem.”

The joint song was produced by DJ Khalil, TU!, Christo, and Yuli, and finds the two rappers trading verses about how loyal they are to their brothers. “If you my n*gga, you my n*gga then / Twin, thick or thin / I was a kid when my brother went in / Now he lil’ brother to man,” J.I.D reflects on the first verse.

For his part, Durkio rhymes, “I get rich, you get rich, I got rich, you rich now / F*cked the opps up so bad, they tryna establish a sit-down / But he can’t sit, brrah, buddy got hit, brraow.”

Prior to The Forever Story‘s arrival, J.I.D met up with Complex to detail the making of his album – read more about that here, and stream “Bruddanem” on Spotify, Apple Music, or Soundcloud below.

Quotable Lyrics:

From the minute I got in trouble
Got a whippin’ for nothin’, that’s somethin’ my brother did
I never snitch, I never done no sucker shit
‘Cause he’ll hush for me if it was him
He’ll bust for me if it was him
So you know it’s all toes ten
When it come to my bruddanem
I’ll whirlwind, spin your block again

Joji, whose real name is George Kusunoki Miller, is a 29-year-old singer from Japan. He’s best known for his music style, as he’s been able to work across multiple genres like R&B, trip-hop, and lo-fi . His previous album, Nectar, dropped in 2020 and brought him plenty of traction, but now, he’s returned to give his fans what they’ve been begging for. 

On November 4, the artist will release his newest project SMITHEREENS. Double-sided, the tape is made up of nine records in all. In June, he dropped one of the songs, “Glimpse of Us.” Recently, though, he released his soothing single “YUKON (INTERLUDE).” Two-minutes long, the track is filled with piano sounds that allowed Joji to serenade listeners with his voice.

He started the song with a calming hook, singing, “And my eyes get low in that all white truck, I can barely see sh*t.” As he sang, the beat went in and out, giving the effect that the record was skipping.

Aside from the song, Joji also uploaded trippy visuals to YouTube which have already garnered over a million views. Check out the video and song below. 

Quotable Lyrics

Hit the fas like you wouldn’t believe it
Thank God I was always healing
In a time so slow I was thinking ’bout us, rearranging pieces
Speeding up on that all black demon

The Black Soprano Family, often referred to BSF, is a music collective composed of several esteemed rap artists. Together, Rick Hyde, Heem, LoveBoat Luciano, Jonesy, FlexxBaby, and Young World make up the group. After releasing their first project back in 2020, the crew has come together to pay homage to one of their members.

On September 9, their newest tape, Long Live DJ Shay, will be released on all streaming platforms. DJ Shay, born Demetrius Chawton Robinson, was a prominent producer who worked with all the artists of BSF. Unfortunately, he passed away in 2020– shortly after the group released their first project.

Nonetheless, the guys have returned to make sure his name lives on. Although their project hasn’t dropped yet, they’ve teased its release by revealing a couple of the tracks. One song is “297 Parkside.” Aside from Rick Hyde, the nearly four-minute track featured Elcamino and Stove God Cooks. The somber beat allowed the rappers to deliver their bars efficiently, as they rapped about their upbringing and current life.

A visual was also provided for the record. Check it out and stream the track below.

Quotable Lyrics

Shooting dice with the killers, from the streets now we corporate
Still got pounds for the low, but that’s just a nail in the coffin
Still keep one in the head and I leave the rest in the cartridge
We used to run the streets, now we rich so we be jogging

Nicki Minaj isn’t letting up when it comes to releasing new music. Earlier this month, the Harajuku Barbie dropped “Super Freaky Girl,” the upbeat record which sampled Rick James’ “Super Freak.” The track did miraculously well on Spotify, becoming the largest solo debut for a female artist’s rap song in the platform’s history.

Now, she has returned with another drop for her fans. The mother of one took to Twitter to tell her supporters that she had a surprise for them, and later revealed that a new song was added to her Queen Radio Album. Titled “Likkle Miss (Remix),” the song featured Skeng, a dancehall artist reigning from St. Catherine, Jamaica.

The two artists took turns delivering bars over the rhythm-infused beat, rapping about various topics from sexual intercourse to being confident in their appearance. Though it was released only a few hours, the song has already begun climbing the charts.

Stream the record now on the platforms below.

Quotable Lyrics

Dancehall need this, the whole place shake it
Boom boom, that a** clapping on his d*ck all night
He in Jamaica moving bricks, all white
Soon as I see him, Ima f*ck him on sight