R&B/Hip-Hop Fresh Picks of the Week: Central Cee, Daniel Caesar, Kash Doll & More
Written by djfrosty on February 13, 2023
It’s Monday so you know what that means: new Fresh Picks! This week we’ve handpicked the sweetest releases from emerging R&B/hip-hop acts to fulfill your every need during this Valentine’s week.
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Whether you’re in love, scorned, or unbothered, tap into the best of this week’s releases, featuring artists like Rini, Baby Rose, Daniel Caesar, Kash Doll and more — and don’t forget to share the wealth with the Spotify playlist of this month’s picks below.
Freshest Find: Daniel Caesar, “Let Me Go”
Daniel Caesar is on a roll(out schedule). After releasing the pleading “Do You Like Me?” the Canadian alt-R&B crooner is back with another win, “Let Me Go,” presumably setting up an upcoming album. The track centers Caesar’s signature thick-layered harmonies and ever-present organs, reflective of his church upbringing. “Let Me Go” is an acceptance of defeat when it comes to love, a hard pill to swallow for everyone. Luckily for listeners, Caesar conveys the depleting pain of heartbreak with the utmost care, beauty and replay value.
Rini feat. Bibi Bourelly, “My Luv”
Rini drops off a sexy single in time for Valentine’s Day. “My Luv” is rooted in traditional R&B, built around a bluesy guitar and a warm bassline that sets the tone for an after-hours escapade. The song is the Filipino-Australian’s singer first song of the year.
Nnena, “Dayedreaming”
On “Dayedreaming,” Nnena has to go. The rising neo-soul singer samples Aretha Franklin’s 1972 song of the same name (styled “Day Dreaming”), singing about the cycles of love and ultimately concluding that self-love is the best type there is.
Baby Rose feat. Smino, “I Won’t Tell”
On “I Won’t Tell,” Baby Rose sounds like we’ve never heard her before. The singer-songwriter is playful and bold on the funky new track, an intentional move as she ushers in a new sonic era and celebrates her newfound sense of self. Rose tapped Smino for the song and also announced Through and Through will be released on Apr. 28. “‘I Won’t Tell’ is a fun record that came out of a sleepless night in L.A. jamming with friends,” she says in a press release. “When I began to write it out, I wanted to embrace my own chaos, my shadows. Then Smino slid into it effortlessly and that’s just what this song is, effortless.”
Central Cee, “Me and You”
Central Cee is no stranger to sampling past hits. The U.K. drill rapper surprise-dropped a new single called “Me and You” where he samples Donell Jones’s “Shorty (Got Her Eyes On Me).” Cench taps into his romantic side, rapping “your love is a contagious feeling” and “what’s mine is yours/ it’s not me, it’s us.”
Jordan Ward, “Cherimoya”
Jordan Ward likens his crush to a rare fruit on “Cherimoya.” A bonus track from his upcoming debut album FORWARD (out March 3), the acoustic song is a sweet ballad like its title suggests.
Babyface Ray feat. 42 Dugg, “Ron Artest”
“Live in the flesh, Ron Artest/ Counted me out, came back, I’m a champ,” raps Babyface Ray, paying homage to the basketball icon. The laid-back single is performed in true nonchalant Detroit fashion, but where the delivery is quiet, Ray and 42 Dugg’s confidence is loud. “4 Pockets Full and they ain’t CMG/ Put the music to the side, b—h, I’m signed to the streets,” declares Dugg atop the bouncy synth loop.
Saint Harison feat. Tiana Major9, “homies”
Shining a spotlight on U.K. artist Saint Harison’s rich tone, “homies” captures hearts both sonically and lyrically, as the singer-songwriter uncovers the story of a friendship that went too far. “I think we should’ve stayed homies/ Shoulda never let you in/ Now I’m in my feelings/ I really wanna go back to being just friends,” Harison belts. Joined by Tiana Major6, the pair captivatingly deliver the heartfelt regret of crossing a romantic line that leads to losing a friend.
Kash Doll feat. Peezy, “HEAVY”
At long last, she’s back. Detroit’s leading lady of rap, Kash Doll, delivers a heavy punch with the release of her latest album, BACK ON DEXTER: A GANGSTA GRILLZ MIXTAPE, following a four-year-long hiatus. While tracks like “OH BOY,” featuring a plethora of the city’s finest stand out, “HEAVY” takes a less-is-more approach, the new mom enlisting rising rapper Peezy. Sonically, the track is perfectly Detroit, as Kash taps into heavy braggadocio, rapping, “I just made a hundred chillin’ in the crib restin’/ If you can’t walk on water, you can’t do s–t to impress me.”
Lance Skiiiwalker, “Where to With You”
After seven years, avant-garde multi-hyphenate Lance Skiiiwalker returns with his latest album, Audiodidactic. The project is tailor-made to soundtrack a variety of experiences, drawing on environmental sounds and ambient elements that define the Chicago native’s eccentric sound. “Where to With You” combines elements of jazz, hip-hop and R&B, a perfect addition to any music lover’s playlist.