R&B/Hip-Hop Fresh Picks of the Week: JPEGMAFIA, JT & Stunna Girl, Blxst & More
Written by djfrosty on July 22, 2024
From President Biden dropping out of the 2024 presidential race and endorsing Vice President Kamala Harris to Cardi B and Joe Budden‘s heated back-and-forth, it truly does feel like we collectively fell out of a coconut tree and into the most melodramatic timeline possible.
Not only has Harris — now the presumptive Democratic presidential nominee — already secured an endorsement from Billboard cover star Charli XCX, but she also received a gushing method of support from businesswoman (and Beyoncé‘s mother) Tina Knowles.
“New, youthful, sharp, energy!!!! You asked for it and our President Biden did what was best for the country! Putting personal ego, power, and fame aside. That is the definition of a great leader,” Ms. Knowles wrote. “Thank you, President Biden, for your service and your leadership. Go Vice President Kamala Harris for President. Let’s Go ❤️❤️❤️❤️ #kamala2024”
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Elsewhere in the worlds of R&B and hip-hop, U.S. Rep. Ayanna Pressley quoted GloRilla‘s viral “TGIF” during an address about the effects of urban heat islands on lower-income communities, Latto revealed how she snagged Usher‘s original “U” chain for his 2024 BET Awards Lifetime Achievement tribute performance, and Donald Glover dropped Bando Stone and the New World, his final album under the “Childish Gambino” moniker.
With Fresh Picks, Billboard aims to highlight some of the best and most interesting new sounds across R&B and hip-hop — from Blxst‘s breezy West Coast bop to JT and Stunna Girl’s shot-firing link-up. Be sure to check out this week’s Fresh Picks in our Spotify playlist below.
Freshest Find: 4batz & Usher, “Act IV: fckin u again (18+)”
For his third high-profile collaboration in basically as many months, enigmatic R&B crooner 4batz taps music icon and fellow Dallas-born crooner Usher for a remix of his NSFW cut “Act IV: fckin u again (18+).” The ski mask-clad singer keeps the same bars as the original, singing, “Can’t stop f–kin’ you/ ‘Cause your body drops like a prostitute/ And I cannot get enough of you/ ‘Give me a break,’ f–k is a break?/ I swear” over Nic Dreams’ unchanged production. Where 4batz’s tone can sound a bit steely at times, Usher’s voice provides a much-needed dose of warmth and seduction as he proclaims, “Gotta say, I’ll make sure you know a n—a name/ Usher, don’t forget the Raymond/ I pull up and blow it out the frame/ Roll with me, I’ll make you famous.”
Rayana Jay, “Garden”
Water Rayana Jay’s garden and watch her blossom. The Bay Area singer knows what she’s looking for and is intentional with her love, as she wants to be handled with care. “I don’t want anybody but you, because you’re the only one that can make me bloom,” she lusciously professes. Rayana takes romance into her own hands with her next chapter and upcoming Temple album, which arrives later this year via EMPIRE.
JPEGMAFIA, “Sin Miedo”
If there’s anyone in rap who is still fearlessly pursuing new ways to completely disassemble classic tracks and fashion them into a gloriously unique musical experience, it’s JPEGMAFIA. The Baltimore rapper calls on 2 Live Crew‘s “Hoochie Mama” for an endlessly shape-shifting amalgamation of thrashing metal guitars, stabbing house-inflected synths and rage rap. It’s complete hedonism and pure balls-to-the-wall madness; he raps, “She had issues with her father!/ I had issues with my barber!/ She off all of these drugs!/ Coke in her butt, RIP Aaron Carter!” With his Lay Down My Life Tour set to commence next month (Aug. 7), Peggy is making sure his crowds are pumped up with some relentlessly high-octane head-bangers.
Rob49 with Cardi B, “On Dat Money”
If you ever imagined Rob49 and Cardi B colliding on a track, “On Dat Money” is probably exactly what fans envisioned, and that’s not meant to be a slight. The New Orleans rapper’s raunchy fantasies combined with Bardi’s explicit bedroom exercises are going to make nuns cover their ears, but welcome to hip-hop. Rob made his debut on the Billboard Hot 100 last year with his guest appearance on Travis Scott’s UTOPIA album, and he looks to notch a first entry as a lead artist with the Cardi stimulus package.
Blxst, “Private Show”
Last week (July 19), two-time Grammy nominee Blxst dropped his long-awaited debut studio album, which featured collaborations with Anderson. Paak, Kamasi Washington, Feid, Becky G. and more. Despite the plethora of star-studded link-ups, one of the standout moments on I’ll Always Find You comes courtesy of “Private Show,” a slick slow jam that attempts to make sense of the cognitive dissonance between the innate intimacy of a slow jam and the feigned intimacy that comes with paying for a private show. “I might jump off the ledge with you/ Ain’t no telling where I’m headed in that bed with you/ Make it hot and spin the block like I ain’t never done/ Like it’s money on your top, just want some head or sumn,” he croons in the second verse, ultimately allowing himself to play pretend for a few hours at a time.
JT feat. Stunna Girl, “Lemon Pepper”
JT completed her City Girls departure with City Cinderella’s arrival. The brash Miami rapper delivers a hypnotic chorus over doomy production and gets busy stepping in designer boots on her haters. JT shrewdly flips Cardi B calling her “prison pants” into a positive flex. “JT a convicted felon and I’m still on they a–/ These Rick Owens, boo, these ain’t prison pants,” she raps. Stunna Girl steps in and raises the stakes with a braggadocious assist. Don’t take her velvety flow lightly because the 26-year-old will puncture hearts quicker than Rick Ross downs lemon pepper wings from Wingstop.