R&B/Hip-Hop

Hip-hop’s biggest story of the week is technically a year old.
From May 3-5, 2024, Drake (“Family Matters” and “The Heart Part 6”) and Kendrick Lamar (“6:16 in LA,” “Meet the Grahams” and “Not Like Us”) traded the last five songs of a battle that changed the course of hip-hop history and popular music forever. In the year since, Lamar won five Grammys for “Not Like Us,” dropped his monster GNX LP, spun out two additional Billboard Hot 100 chart-toppers (“Squabble Up” and “Luther,” launched a massive stadium tour alongside SZA, and scored the most-watch Super Bowl halftime show of all time. For his part, Drizzy added another Billboard 200 No. 1 album (the Partynextdoor-assisted $ome $exy $ongs 4 U) to his arsenal and a No. 2 hit in “Nokia.”

In 2025 news, Doechii teamed up with Westside Gunn to remix the latter’s “Egypt.” The new collaboration arrived as the Swamp Princess’ “Anxiety” returned to the Hot 100’s top 10 — and just a few days before her stint on this year’s Met Gala hosting committee. With a rich theme of “Superfine: Tailoring Black Style,” Monday night’s Met Gala steps (May 5) featured eye-popping looks from several of hip-hop’s biggest fashionistas, including Teyana Taylor, Pharrell Williams, Tyla, Doja Cat and more.

With Fresh Picks, Billboard aims to highlight some of the best and most interesting new sounds across R&B and hip-hop — from Jorja Smith’s new banger to Benny the Butcher and Styles P’s latest link-up. Be sure to check out this week’s Fresh Picks in our Spotify playlist below.

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Freshest Find: Jorja Smith, “The Way I Love You”

U.K. garage and Jorja Smith are a match made in music heaven. J Money gets back in her bag to get the party started just in time for the summer, as “The Way I Love You” should be part of every DJ’s set list, looking to fill the dance floor. The 27-year-old does just that as she throws a rave at Club Nice in the single’s blue-tinted visual. It feels like you could draw a line from “The Way I Love You” to her breakout “On My Mind” anthem that introduced J Money to droves of fans back when she was an emerging star in 2017. At this point, we need a UKG-grime album from Smith in the future. — MICHAEL SAPONARA

Tiana Major9, “Money”

Tiana Major9’s “Money” is a soulful, witty, and emotionally layered meditation on her complicated relationship with wealth. Framed as a love song to money — personified as a flirtatious, fickle, and sometimes cruel partner — Tiana’s new joint explores how financial security, desire, and personal history collide. Tiana highlights how money can feel loving when it’s present, but also how quickly it disappears, reinforcing that “money knows who needs who more.” “Money” is about more than just wealth — it’s about survival, self-worth, and learning how to have a healthy relationship with abundance without letting it define your identity. Tiana brings humor, heart, and honesty to a topic that affects everyone, making the song both relatable and deeply personal. — CHRISTOPHER CLAXTON

Benny the Butcher feat. Styles P, “Toxic”

Produced by BSF, Buffalo rapper and Griselda stalwart Benny the Butcher taps the Ghost in Styles P to give us some of that good old-fashioned hard s–t. The beat sounds like concrete and has an infectious hook that’ll make you nod your head into oblivion and give you the ugly face. — ANGEL DIAZ

Yeat, “Feel No Wayz (Yeat Mix)”

Yeat shocked fans at his Coachella set last month when he performed a cover of Drake’s fan-favorite “Feel No Ways.” Instead of the melodic rapping mixed with Drizzy’s R&B sonic, the Oregon native leans heavily into the AutoTune for an electronic spin on the classic VIEWS deep cut. The official track that landed on DSPs sounds much cleaner than the edition Yeat initially previewed on social media. Drake even lent his stamp of approval with a text to Yeat, which he fittingly turned into the cover art for the single. It might be time for another a Twizzy x The Boy link-up. — M.S.

Girlfriend, “Come Thru”

Mississippi-born singer, songwriter, and rapper Girlfriend (Kenya Edwards) returns with her new EP It’s Complicated, led by the standout track “Come Thru” — a sultry, emotionally raw anthem exploring intimacy, secrecy, and the longing for genuine connection in a situationship. The line “middle of the summer, it’s cold” captures the emotional disconnect between seasons and feelings — even when life should feel warm and full, something is still missing. That “cold” feeling symbolizes loneliness or emotional distance, hinting that both people involved are longing for closeness but are hesitant to fully open up. At its core, “Come Thru” is about vulnerability masked by sensuality, navigating desire in a relationship that lives in the grey area between love and lust, cold and warm, commitment and secrecy. — C.C.

A$AP Nast, “No Hammer”

Nast is back, and he dropped a movie. No, seriously: He and director Dexter Navy gave fans a crime drama set in London, as the Harlem rapper does his thing over Drumatik production. Maybe this means we’ll be getting that song he has with Playboi Carti that was apparently produced by The Alchemist. — A.D.

Mariah the Scientist, “Burning Blue”

Mariah the Scientist ignites her next era with the intoxicating “Burning Blue.” The Atlanta native puts a soulful spin on her unique perspective on the trials and tribulations of romance. Even with the chaos around her, Mariah feels at ease with her man by her side. But her submissive lust will only remain if he holds up his end of the relationship bargain. The 27-year-old’s vocals remain as soothing as ever, with “Burning Blue” reaching a crescendo in its closing moments. Keep fanning the flame, Thugger. — M.S.

GRiMM Doza, “Bullet Train”

Influenced by the Jersey producer’s trip to Tokyo, Grimm Doza paints a soundscape with a beat tape — a format that has become something of a lost art these days. I wanted to highlight this after a conversation I had with Conductor Williams, where he mentioned Dilla’s classic instrumental album Donuts felt like a jazz record. You can check out Tokyo Transit on streaming services. Here’s the YouTube playlist. — A.D.

Samara Cyn, “Bad Brain”

Samara Cyn is a breath of fresh air in rap. The burgeoning rhymer delivered her introspective “Bad Brain” single last week, which finds Cyn battling the voices in her head while combing through the mental gymnastics she has to hurdle to get by. Enclosed by a Thee Sacred Souls sample, Cyn’s wispy flow weaves around the dreamy production as she gives listeners a peek into the warfare she’s dealing with on a day-to-day basis as a rising star. “All these little voices in my voice gon’ drive a b—h insane/ As I’m talking, feel exhausted, think a b—h gon’ pop a vein,” she raps. — M.S.

Roc Marciano, “Period Blood”

To celebrate the 15th anniversary of his seminal work Marcberg, Roc Marciano dropped a special edition of the album that included a brand new song in this insanely titled track. Produced by the man himself, “Period Blood” is standard-issue Marci with a soulful loop and sharp lyrics that have helped make him one of the more influential artists of the last decade and a half. When it comes to underground East Coast rap music, we’re living in his era. Don’t let anybody else tell you different. — A.D.