R&B/Hip-Hop Fresh Picks of the Week: VEDO, Aminé, Yoshi Vintage, SKEETE & More
Written by djfrosty on November 25, 2024
Did anyone have a better week than Kendrick Lamar? To cap off one of the best years for any artist, the Compton MC pulled a Beyoncé and surprise-dropped his sixth studio album, GNX. Upon release, the album immediately dominated the new cycle, with Lamar’s latest record simultaneously serving as a love letter to West Coast hip-hop, a treatise on integrity, hypocrisy and celebrity, and a victory rap for his ruthless 2024. Featuring SZA, Roddy Ricch, AzChike and more, expect GNX to shake up the Billboard charts in the coming weeks.
Outside of Kung Fu Kenny’s new drop, the Big Three continued to play their respective hands. J. Cole has continued the rollout of his Inevitable audio series alongside a streaming release for his 2009 Warm Up mixtape, while Drake used XQC’s stream to announce an Anita Max Wynn Tour set to to kick off in Australia on Feb. 9 — the same day K. Dot headline’s the 2025 Super Bowl Halfltime Show.
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The past weekend also brought along a 10-year anniversary reissue of Nicki Minaj‘s The Pinkprint, Juice WRLD‘s final posthumous album (The Party Never Dies) and new releases from Ice Cube (Man Down), Wizkid (Morayo) and Kenny Mason (Angel Eyes).
With Fresh Picks, Billboard aims to highlight some of the best and most interesting new sounds across R&B and hip-hop — from VEDO’s new bedroom banger to Lila Iké and Joey Bada$$’s sultry new duet. Be sure to check out this week’s Fresh Picks in our Spotify playlist below.
Freshest Find: PxRRY, “Hideaway”
Hailing from Hartford, Conn., rising R&B singer PxRRY is back with an eerie, atmospheric new single titled “Hideaway.” With haunting piano keys and ’90s-evoking melodic choices, PxRRY succinctly showcases his Usher influences as he sings, “You relax and you let me take control/ ‘Cause I know that you like it nice and slow,” nodding to the R&B icon’s 1998 Billboard Hot 100-topping “Nice & Slow.” PxRRY’s earnest voice is wrapped in filters that accentuate the murky synths that decorate Richbreed’s brooding production. For his first solo single since his May re-issue of this year’s FairXchange, PxRRY is laying very strong groundwork for 2025. — KYLE DENIS
Yoshi Vintage & Ab-Soul, “Short Temper”
Yoshi Vintage has come a long way from Flint, Michigan. Starring in season two of Netflix’s Rhythm + Flow, Yoshi capitalized on her competition appearance with the release of her Alpha project. An early standouts features one of her mentors, Ab-Soul, who puts one of the sharpest pens in rap to the test on the hard-hitting “Short Temper.” Don’t let the butterfly neck tattoo fool you, as Yoshi goes toe-to-toe with the lyrical savant while detailing her explosive rage. — MICHAEL SAPONARA
Lila Iké & Joey Bada$$, “Fry Plantain”
The Jamaican new-reggae queen Lila Iké offers another glimpse into her forthcoming album with the release of “Fry Plantain,” a track that surprises listeners with a rugged 90s-style feature from Joey Bada$$. Together, Iké’s gentle reggae flow and Joey’s gritty verses create a captivating blend. “Fry Plantain” is a joyful, sensual celebration of connection, love and cultural roots, with the imagery of frying plantain on a Sunday morning serving as a central motif. The lyrics intertwine food and affection, using cooking as a metaphor for love and care. Throughout the track, Lila and Joey celebrate traditional meals as a symbol of a relationship grounded in warmth and mutual appreciation. Their blend of playfulness and emotional depth adds richness to this soulful and heartfelt piece. — CHRISTOPHER CLAXTON
VEDO, “Take It Slow”
VEDO has a new album coming next year, and “Take It Slow” is the first taste. “Baby, what if time stood still?/ Would you be in a rush? Is this lusting or love?/ And if none of this is real/ Don’t wake me up, I wanna feel your touch forever, babe/ Can we take it slow?” he seductively croons in the chorus over AKel, Vontae Thomas & Keyman twinkling production. Obviously crafted with bedroom activities in mind, “Take It Slow” also doubles as a reminder to soak up the life’s most beautiful moments as they tend to be the most fleeting. — K.D.
Bossman Dlow, “The Biggest Pt. 2”
If you’re a person in need of a natural dose of motivation, Bossman Dlow is the guy for your headphones. The Florida rapper looks to cap off his 2024 Rookie of the Year campaign with “The Biggest Pt. 2” sequel. “I don’t give a f–k about nothing but gettin’ paid,” Dlow bluntly raps about his sole mission in life. Well if he continues to rhyme like these, he’ll have no issue stacking paper or buying more mink fur coats and icy AP watches like those he rocked in the track’s party-starting visual. — M.S.
Zefaan & Timbaland “If It Wasn’t Up to Me”
Who would have expected the legendary Timbaland to team up with rising star Zefaan? This collaboration wasn’t on my 2024 Bingo card, but it’s exactly the unexpected pairing we didn’t know we needed. The duo’s new track, “If It Wasn’t Up to Me,” is a Timbaland-produced exploration of a tumultuous relationship, oscillating between tension and reconciliation. Zefaan’s poignant lyrics tell the story of someone holding a fragile relationship together, clinging to hope despite constant challenges—a feeling many can relate to. With Timbaland’s signature beats driving the narrative, this track is as emotionally resonant as it is sonically captivating. — C.C.
SKEETE, “Don Dada”
With “Don Dada,” Skeete has provided the perfect song to keep the fetes slow-whining as winter’s coldest stretched draws nearer. A sleek blend of dancehall delivery, Afrobeats-nodding drums, and R&B-steeped falsetto, “Don Dada” is slinky, sexy ode to liquor-feuled nights of passion and lust. “Yuh too good from the front, from the back/ Bend it pon di wall, right next to the plaque/ Make her seh ‘Wooiii’/ She call me ‘Don Dada,’” he croons over PB’s slow-bruning guitar-inflected production. Colder weather doesn’t mean the party has to die, it just has to slow down for a bit. — K.D.
Amine & Cardo Got Wings, “Wingz”
Quiet as kept, Aminé has come alive to heat up in the year’s fourth quarter. Never one to boast loudly, but like real Gs, Aminé moves in silence. The Northeast Portland native teams up with Cardo and we’re going to need more collabs from the productive duo in the future. Cardo’s woozy production aided Amine’s syrupy chorus and led to more braggadocios bars from the 30-year-old. “Literally put my city on the map/ I feel like I’m Gucci without all the straps,” he brags in a shout-out to the Rose City. — M.S.
Mack Keane, “All Talk”
“ALL TALK” is one of two tracks from Mack Keane’s mixtape Y? / ALL TALK, inspired by personal journal entries, as shared in his Instagram teaser. The track showcases Keane’s continued evolution in R&B, pairing his velvety vocals with dynamic production elements. Lyrically, it delves into the complexities of relationships and self-worth, capturing an internal struggle marked by fear, indecision, and the pressure to meet others’ expectations. “Try to please everybody, probably why I been freezing up,” Keane sings, reflecting the emotional toll of external demands and the hesitation they create. The song’s interplay of gratitude and regret adds depth, making its message both introspective and universally relatable.