R&B/Hip-Hop Fresh Picks of the Week: Normani, Chow Lee, Marsha Ambrosius & More
Written by djfrosty on June 18, 2024
With just two days to go before Kendrick Lamar‘s highly anticipated The Pop Out: Ken & Friends concert (June 19), all eyes are on the West Coast for what’s expected to be a victory lap for the Pulitzer Prize-winning rapper, following his heated beef with Drake this spring.
As usual, the South also has something to say, with Megan Thee Stallion‘s Hot Girl Summer Tour still going strong. In the past week, the “Hiss” rapper has brought out scores of fellow Southern rap stars — including Paul Wall, Z-Ro, Bun B, Slim Thug, Lil Keke and Monaleo. Never a region to be left out, New York took a sweet trip down memory lane at Sunday night’s Tony Awards (June 16), with Alicia Keys and Jay-Z performing “Empire State of Mind” in celebration of both Keys’ new Tony-winning Hell’s Kitchen musical and the song crossing the one billion streams threshold.
With Fresh Picks, Billboard aims to highlight some of the best and most interesting new sounds across R&B and hip-hop — from Normani’s ’00s Southern fantasia to Chow Lee’s latest addition to the “sexy drill” lexicon. Be sure to check out this week’s Fresh Picks in our Spotify playlist below.
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Freshest Find: Marsha Ambrosius, “Greedy”
Nine-time Grammy nominee Marsha Ambrosius offers the latest taste of her forthcoming Casablanco album with “Greedy.” A gorgeous amalgamation of neo-soul and hip-hop, “Greedy” combines samples of Leon Russell’s “This Masquerade” and OutKast’s “SpottieOttieDopaliscious” with lush orchestration (the cellos are particularly gorgeous here) for a rumination on a partner who takes more than then give. “How much do I owe you? It’s like I don’t know you/ Go ‘head, I don’t own you, now you on your own now/ I’m remembering that you’re so hard to trust/ Just tell me, baby/ When is enough, enough?/ ‘Cause it’s never enough,” she croons in the second verse. Produced by Dr. Dre, “Greedy” previews what is sure to be a record full of smart arrangements and evocative vocal performances.
Donte Thomas, “Sayonara”
Drake has compared the last verse on his albums to performing surgery. Fortunately for Donte Thomas, the Portland-bred rapper keeps the doctor away thanks to An Apple a Day. Thomas puts a bow on his introspective album, which arrived on Friday via Skyzoo’s First Generation Rich imprint, with the starry project closer “Sayonara,” featuring Shelby Swims. Thomas candidly comes to terms with his journey and knows it’s going to be a laborious brick-by-brick grind to get to the top, but at least the ship’s back in motion. “This is my life ain’t no part of no image/ Out of control it’s only beginning/ Out on the road you know that we winning,” he raps.
Chow Lee feat. Cash Cobain & Bay Swag, “Act Bad Twin!”
As the Slizzy Summer of 2024 begins to hit its stride, New York rapper Chow Lee recruits fellow “sexy drill” flagbearers Cash Cobain and Bay Swag for his new single, “Act Bad Twin!” “She think she know me/ Well she kind of do ’cause I f–ked her/ She still the homie, we keep it P/ When I see her that’s the sis, I’m the brodie,” he spits, seamlessly adding new punchlines and one-liners to the sleazy casual sex that grounds the “sexy drill” subgenre. Cash and Bay Swag deliver characteristically strong verses that play up the different pockets on the spacious hi-hat-accented mix. If the year’s earlier “sexy drill” hits presented a stark male perspective, then Chow Lee’s new joint gives the ladies some time in the driver’s seat of these semi-grimy pursuits.
Forest Claudette, “Moonlight”
Moonlight won best picture at the 2017 Academy Awards – with a botched presentation nobody will ever forget – and inspired millions of viewers across the globe. One of those acolytes was Forest Claudette, who picked up their guitar after the life-changing experience and grappled with their gender identity, which turned into a poignant alt-R&B track inspired by Barry Jenkins’ film. “I been thinking ‘bout moonlight, I been thinking ‘bout the boys in my life again/ It’s not like me to be keeping quiet, no silence,” the Warner Records artist croons with angelic vocals floating over soothing strings. Next up, the Australian-American singer heads home to the Land Down Under where they’ll open up for Omar Apollo on the Australian leg of his tour.
Normani, “Still”
Last week (June 14), Normani finally dropped her long-awaited debut solo studio album, Dopamine. Alongside collaborations with James Blake, Starrah and Gunna lies “Still,” perhaps the album’s best stab at combining the ’00s Southern hip-hop of ‘Mani’s childhood with the Brandy and Michael Jackson-influenced vocal layering that’s become a cornerstone of her sound. “Still goin’ up in the section/ Standin’ on the couch, gettin’ reckless/ I be saucin’ nigga like dressin’/ In Christian Dior, I’m a blessin’” she croons across the Tommy Brown- and Leather Jackettt-produced banger. Featuring an interpolation of Mike Jones’ classic “Still Tippin,” Normani’s new track achieves the increasingly rare feat of mining the past and truly innovating on what is found.
Rexx Life Raj, “Blame the Bad B—h”
Rexx Life Raj puts his own twist on Layton Greene’s “Leave Em Alone” with his gentle croon on the woozy chorus. The California native wrestles with settling down with a “good girl” or running through a plethora of “bad b—hes.” He keeps it real when admitting people are only as faithful as their options, and Raj boasts that he’s got plenty of applications at his desk these days. “I tried that good girl s–t, but the bad b—h turning me on,” the former college football player sings. “Got a solid one, but this sea of h–s making me question it.” The contemplative single is the final tune-up for Rexx Life Raj before the 34-year-old gets into album rollout mode later this year.