R&B/Hip-Hop Fresh Picks of the Week: Gabriel Jacoby, Lola Brooke, Alissia, Wale & More

South Carolina native Gabriel Jacoby has finally shared his debut project — and the title track is an instant contender for one of the year’s grooviest R&B songs. Centered on Elie Rizk’s earthy, D’Angelo-evoking production, “Gutta Child” finds Jacoby crooning of his “dirty south” roots. In the same breath that he breaks down his origins, he also finds time to dirty-mack, singing, “If you ain’t gon’ be my woman/ I at least need you undеrstand/ You ain’t ever gon’ find another man like me,” as Tom Levesque’s punchy trumpets keep up the funk. — KYLE DENIS

GENA stands for “God Energy, Naturally Amazing,” and the duo consists of Dallas native Liv.e on vocals and Detroit native Karriem Riggins on production. Last week, they dropped off the first single and video for their upcoming The Pleasure Is Yours project, which will make sense as an album title once you hit play because we most certainly aren’t worthy of such a jam. — ANGEL DIAZ

Co-written and produced by Alissia, “Hypnotic Night” pulses with sultry R&B vibes, while EARTHGANG’s playful, experimental verses push the track into a hypnotic, psychedelic space. Dylan Wiggins, Eian Parker, and Olu Fann help shape the dreamy instrumentation and seductive rhythms, creating a soundscape that feels like a night of desire and indulgence. Now out on all platforms, lush synths, guitars and entrancing percussion mirror the intoxicating emotional highs of the evening, making for a reckless, mesmerizing celebration of love, lust and indulgence that lingers long after the music fades. — CHRISTOPHER CLAXTON

Following a string of singles, Brooklyn rap princess Lola Brooke has finally unveiled her latest project, Iight Bet! A seven-song set with just one collaboration (N3WYRKLA appears on the penultimate track), Iight Bet packs a hearty punch in a short amount of time — and “Pain” is one of its strongest offerings. Built around a sample of Mary J. Blige’s classic “No More Drama” that quickly morphs into a stuttering house beat, “Pain” finds Lola delivering textbook affirmations for women who want to keep a do-nothing man out of their lives for good. “Tryna nut inside a b—h but don’t got nothin’ to lose/ Why I ain’t giving n—as nothin’, he got something to prove/ I got too much money to be fucking with you/ I got plenty options, there’s a 100 of you,” she spits. — K.D.

We highlighted the lead single from Sincere and Thelonious’ collaborative Where the Wind Blows mixtape back in May, and the project is finally here. Released on Nov. 11, “Didn’t I” immediately stood out to me, especially where he flips raps about the Fantastic Four during the second verse. — A.D.

Chicago rising talent MIRIAH. delivers a moody, slow-burning standout with “Maybe I Do,” co-written with Matthew Wrothem and produced by Mat1k and TeeUppZay, whose hazy synths and understated percussion give the track its intimate glow. MIRIAH.’s feather-light vocal drifts between confidence and hesitation, capturing the push-and-pull of wanting to let someone in while still guarding her peace. She sketches the tension early, a magnetic pull toward someone whose intensity feels both thrilling and disarming, before softening into the pre-chorus, where desire edges past fear. With its cinematic production and emotionally precise writing, “Maybe I Do” positions MIRIAH. as an emerging R&B voice who can turn vulnerability into something beautiful. — C.C.

Wale returned with his Everything Is A Lot album, and Folarin goes deep while looking inward and examining the crossroads of life. On album standout “Power and Problems,” the D.C. rap veteran juggles the duality of solitude, which finds him grappling with the power of being able to survive on this journey alone, but also the limitations due to the emotional damage that comes with it. “My power, I’ll never need no one/ My problem, I’ll never need no one/ My trauma, I’ll never be comfortablе,” he vulnerably raps on the hook. — MICHAEL SAPONARA