R&B/Hip-Hop Fresh Picks of the Week: Jordan Adetunji, Nija, Ari Lennox & More
Written by djfrosty on October 21, 2024
Between Megan Thee Stallion‘s “Hiss” and Future, Metro Boomin and Kendrick Lamar‘s “Like That,” hip-hop rang in 2024 with war. Now, as Halloween approaches, peace might be the new name of the game.
On Friday (Oct. 18), Young Thug wrote on X, “@Drake @1future @MetroBoomin we all bruddas. Music aint the same without us collabin.” The Billboard Hot 100-topping rapper — who has collaborated with all three of the rappers he mentioned — appeared on We Don’t Trust You, the Billboard 200-topping joint album between Future and Metro, which ignited the Lamar-Drake feud by way of “Like That.” Future did not respond to Thugger’s post, but he did share it on his own page, prompting fans to speculate about a truce that would bookmark one of the most shocking battles in modern hip-hop.
Lamar, for his part, did not acknwoledge the post — but he did sit with SZA for an interview in the latest issue of Harper’s Bazaar, in which he details what “Not Like Us” means to him. Megan, whose “Hiss” also took aim at Drizzy, announced the release of Megan: Act II, a deluxe reissue of her self-titled June LP, which topped R&B/Hip-Hop Albums. Out Oct. 25, the revamped set will arrive just six days before her In Her Words documentary premieres on Prime Video on Halloween (Oct. 31).
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In legal news, Diddy was hit with yet another round of lawsuits on Sunday (Oct. 20), including one shocking allegation that he “drugged and raped a thirteen year-old girl at a house party” in the presence of unnamed celebrities (who also participated in the assault) following the 2000 MTV Video Music Awards.
With Fresh Picks, Billboard aims to highlight some of the best and most interesting new sounds across R&B and hip-hop — from Dajah Dorn’s ode to the ’90s to Jordan Adetunji and Lil Baby’s new link-up. Be sure to check out this week’s Fresh Picks in our Spotify playlist below.
Freshest Find: Dajah Dorn, “90s Fine”
The current era’s obsession with the ’90s is already insufferable, but if it gives us more records like Dajah Dorn’s “90s Fine,” then, by all means, let it continue. “They love my Southern demeanor/ Doing what I want, I’m a R&B diva, okay/ I’m just having my way/ Ain’t nothing bringing me down, I’m up now,” rap-sings over a laid-back drum-heavy hip-hop soul beat reminsicent of the subtle sensuality of ’90s Mary J. Blige. As the pre-chorus comes in and morphs into the hook, Dajah sharpens her delivery into straight singing, her honeyed tone and gentle vibrato complementing Buda and Grandz & Saint Cassius’ unfussy soundscape. It’s not often that a song inspired by the ’90s doesn’t sound like paint-by-numbers creation of a track from that era, but leave it to Dajah to truly deliver.
Nija, “Unruly”
In between penning Hot 100-topping hits for Ariana Grande (“Positions) and tracks for Beyoncé’s Grammy-winning Renaissance LP (“Cozy”), New Jersey multi-hyphenate Nija still finds time to write some bangers for herself. “Unruly,” her first solo offering since 2022’s “Love Like This,” extends her stay in the moody drill-meets-R&B lane she helped cultivate with 2022’s Don’t Say I Didn’t Warn You. “Rude, unruly/ They don’t come as bad as this, no/ One of one,” she proclaims over a skittering beat that nods more to sexy drill than its brasher forefather. With her lyrical embrace of raucous freedom when it comes to her love life — and life in genreal — Nija offers up a worthy female perspective to the still-raging slizzy era of New York drill.
Ari Lennox, “Smoke”
Back with her first solo singe of the year, Ari Lennox is throwing it back to Motown. Lennox has been open about both her struggle with social media and her sobriety journey, and she lets out all of her frustration on “Smoke.” “Talk shit now/ I might just slap a bitch in the face/ It could blow up/ You’re lucky I’m just lightin’ my sage,” she promises in the second verse of the doo-wop-infleceted, BongoByTheWay-helmed track. The driving force of “Smoke” is Ari’s impassioned vocal performance, her piercing timbre ringing across the track and nailing the sense of urgency that the hook is anchored by. “Save all your f—s for me/ I want all the smoke,” she proclaims — and she gives us no choice but to wholeheartedly believe her.
Lexa Gates & Zeelooperz, “Sweet.. Time”
Lexa Gates is here with her Elite Vessel debut album after spending the final 12 hours until the project’s arrival inside a glass box case in the middle of an NYC park. Brass woodwinds produce a jazzy backdrop for Gates to nestle her way through a timeless beat that could’ve arrived any of the last few decades. “Sweet.. Time” displays Gates’ full repertoire as a talented singer-rapper and she doesn’t waste a second packing a punch through listeners’ chests. “I love you so much I want to kill myself,” she pleads, before eventually handing the baton to Detroit’s Zeelooperz for a spicy assist.
Jordan Adetunji & Lil Baby, “Options”
If something’s not broken, don’t fix it. Jordan Adetunji builds off of the massive success of his Billboard Hot 100 hit “Kehlani” with “Options,” featuring an appearance from Lil Baby. JA continues experimenting with melodies, but installs a similar bass drum pattern that became looped in fans’ heads on “Kehlani.” Partners are only as faithful as their options and Adetunji has plenty of avenues to explore, but he prefers to hone in on a certain love interest. Lil Baby makes it two for two when connecting with singers recently following his 4batz collaboration last month.
Sofia Ly, “Needy”
Romance and an acoustic guitar have been a cathartic formula for R&B success throughout the genre’s existence. Sofia Ly returns with her second single “Needy” as the Cambodian-Canadian singer peels back the layers of a turbulent relationship while vulnerably sifting through her insecurities. “I wanted Needy to feel like having a conversation with myself,” she says about the poignant track. “It’s about battling that inner voice when you’re not sure if someone still cares, and how easy it is to second-guess everything when they start pulling away.” Essentially, love fades but the scars last forever. The 19-year-old recently inked a deal with LiveHelpLive/Pulse Records and is a name to keep an eye on going forward.