R&B/Hip-Hop
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And we’re back! After a very Cowboy Carter Christmas courtesy of Beyoncé — and a New Year’s Day that quickly gave into allegedly LeBron James-subbing Drake freestyle by way of Conductor Williams — it’s time to start 2025 off on the right foot when it comes to running down the latest in new hip-hop and R&B music.
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Lil Baby (WHAM) and Bad Bunny (Debí Tirar Más Fotos) kicked off the new year with two major full-length releases that are sure to battle for the top of the Billboard 200, while Ice Spice (Y2K: I’m Just A Girl) and SZA (SOS Deluxe: LANA) offered expanded editions of their own hit records. The holiday period also saw the arrival of Young Thug‘s first two Slime Season mixtapes on streaming, as well as a star-studded “Denial Is A River” music video from Doechii.
Things will pick up in February between the Grammys and the Super Bowl, both of which will surely be major moments for Kendrick Lamar ahead of his forthcoming North American Grand National stadium tour.
With Fresh Picks, Billboard aims to highlight some of the best and most interesting new sounds across R&B and hip-hop — from GloRilla’s reboot of a years-old OMB Peezy banger to G3’s instantly viral new track. Be sure to check out this week’s Fresh Picks in our Spotify playlist below.
G3 (LiAngelo Ball), “Tweaker”
If “Tweaker,” is anything to go by, 2025 is shaping up to be another Y2K-obsessed year. After a snippet of the early ’00s hip-hop-informed track went viral, G3 (aka LiAngelo Ball, the second of the three Ball Brothers) uploaded the full joint on WorldStarHipHop’s YouTube channel — a move that’s poignantly reminiscent of the pre-streaming days, just like the song itself. “I might swerve, bend that corner, woah-woah/ B—h, hold on tight ’cause I tweak and this b—h, start lettin’ s—t go/ And I heard that she wanna show-ow/ Me who she be, I’m kinda f—kin’ with it, show me some mo’,” he spits over production that recalls ’00s NOLA rap and begs for a remix by an artist of that era. It may be too early to tell if “Tweaker” is the start of a fruitful rap career for Ball, but he undoubtedly has scored the first viral hip-hop hit of 2025. — KYLE DENIS
SahBabii, “Show Off”
It’s beautiful to see SahBabii getting his flowers. NFL star Jahmyr Gibbs even hit Sah’s “Viking” dance in the endzone after scoring a touchdown. King Squad delivered his Saaheem (A Lu Bit More) deluxe, and he shocked the music community when teaming up with an uncredited Clairo for the unlikeliest of collaborations on “Show Off.” The alt-pop singer-songwriter’s soothing background vocals blend with SahBabii’s croon, as the ethereal single feels like a branch off Young Thug’s pioneering Beautiful Thugger Girls tree. — MICHAEL SAPONARA
OMB Peezy & GloRilla, “Lay Down” (Remix)
Late last year, OMB Peezy’s seven-year-old breakout song, “Lay Down” experienced a streaming resurgence thanks to a viral TikTok dance trend. That momentum turned into a genuine revival of the song, culminating in a new Glorilla-assisted remix, which arrived on Dec. 27, 2024. “All of that cheatin’, lyin’, connivin’ s—t, had to drop that b—h/ He must’ve thought I was gon’ stay ’round,” Big Glo spits in the intro to her brief, but effective, verse. Her Memphis accent sounds right at home next to Peezy’s Mobile, Ala. drawl over Drum Dummie’s synth-laden beat. — K.D.
Mozzy & Kalan.FrFr, “Where I Come From”
Sacramento meets Los Angeles here, as Mozzy’s grimy street tales mesh with Kalan.FrFr’s melodic croon for the 10 tracks making up Lucky Her. The sentimental “Where I Come From” finds the duo putting their West Coast ties on the table and thanking the harsh times in the Golden State for molding them into the successes they are today – in a way that doesn’t border on being corny, either. “I left the hood in my 30s/ Feel like I’ve seen enough,” Mozzy admits about turning a new leaf in life. He could’ve spun the block for a second poignant verse too. — M.S.
Little Simz, “Hello, Hi”
After landing on Billboard’s Best Rap Albums of 2024 with her genre-expansive Drop 7 mixtape (No. 12), Little Simz kissed 2024 goodbye with a new straightforward rap tune called “Hello, Hi.” “I ain’t gotta be what they on or be in the latest drop/ I just want my ends, and I want Miu Miu with the same damn bop/ Tell me, why they all dress the same? Carbon copy thesis/ I cut you with a Japanese silhouette, I know you ain’t never seen these pieces,” she rhymes over SHYY and Rigas’ guitar-inflected, London hip-hop production. Drill snares ricochet in the background as Simz draws parallels between her ascendance in music and high fashion, setting the stage for even more career milestones in 2025. — K.D.
Joey Bada$$, “The Ruler’s Back”
Joey Bada$$’s poetry in motion mixed with Conductor’s grainy yet gleaming production is like a match made in heaven. Hopefully, there’s an EP in the stash of the bodega basement. Joey set the tone with “The Ruler’s Back” putting the rap game on notice as the West Coast’s ears collectively perked up. “Too much West Coast d–k-licking, I’m hearin’ n—as throwin’ rocks, really ain’t s–t sticking,” he raps in an homage to fellow Brooklyn legend Jay-Z’s 1996 track “22 Two’s.” Last year brought the competitive spirit back to hip-hop, and that has spilled into 2025. — M.S.
Hurricane Wisdom & Polo G, “Giannis Remix”
Nothing was promised for Hurricane Wisdom hailing from North Florida. The Havana native broke down the regional barriers of Tallahassee with the twitchy “Giannis” in August, which picked up momentum like the Milwaukee Bucks superstar on a fast break to close out 2024. Hurricane narrates his gritty come-up but also delivers witty one-liners making light of his situation. He compares guns to the size of Giannis Antentokounmpo and jokes about not being good at math, but keeping problem-solvers around – if you catch his drift. Wisdom caught the ear of Polo G, who connects Chicago to Florida with a glossy assist to power the “Giannis Remix,” and ensure Hurricane gusts into the new year. — M.S.
King George & Snoop Dogg, “Unbelievable”
It’s not the star-studded menacing cast from Death Row’s 90s golden era, but Snoop Dogg has assembled a strong roster of versatile artists for the revamped label, with the West Coast icon at the helm. The Death Row Revue compilation project arrived last week and Snoop makes an appearance on the groovy “Unbelievable” alongside South Carolina’s King Geroge, which finds the Doggfather harping on the importance of loyalty. “Loyalty is rare/ So when you find that special someone, makes sure you stay locked and loaded/ Because it’s unbelievable what could happen,” he says. — M.S.
Naomi Osaka and Cordae have broken up after more than five years together, the tennis champ announced Monday (Jan. 6). In a straightforward letter posted to her Instagram Story, Osaka revealed that she and the rapper — with whom she shares 18-month-old daughter Shai — have called it quits, but emphasized that there’s “no bad […]
SZA is keeping fans on their toes to kick off 2025. While the Lana deluxe is expected to receive new songs and mixes in Monday’s update (Jan. 6), she also teased a separate fresh track on Instagram. Explore Explore See latest videos, charts and news See latest videos, charts and news Solana posted the unreleased […]
Vybz Kartel is adding his voice to the Drake vs. Kendrick Lamar debate — and he’s firmly on Team Drizzy.
While speaking to Billboard‘s Kyle Denis for a cover story published Monday (Jan. 6), the dancehall artist didn’t hold back when prompted to share his thoughts on rap’s biggest feud in recent memory. “I’m not a fan of Kendrick,” Kartel began frankly. “I don’t even listen to Kendrick, so I wouldn’t know.”
“What does he rap?” the “Ramping Shop” musician continued. “I saw it on the internet, but no disrespect to the dude, I hear him, but I don’t listen to him. Drake is more in tune with Jamaica and the culture.”
Kartel added, “Drake is a better and bigger artist.”
The reggae star’s cover story comes less than a week after he made his grand return with a massive Freedom Street concert in front of more than 35,000 people at Kingston’s National Stadium in Jamaica on New Year’s Eve, performing for the first time since his July prison release. Kartel had served a 13-year sentence for the murder of Clive “Lizard” Williams, for which he and his co-accused — Shawn Campbell, Kahira Jones and Andre St. John — have always maintained their innocence.
During the tail end of Kartel’s sentence, Drake and Lamar’s beef simmered over into an explosive rap back-and-forth that fans are still talking about months later. The beef started with the Toronto artist dissing Dot on “Push Ups” and “Taylor Made Freestyle” in April. Lamar clapped back with a slew of searing response tracks including “Euphoria,” the Billboard Hot 100-topping “Not Like Us” and more, while Drake added fuel to the fire with songs such as “Family Matters” and “The Heart Pt. 6” in May.
Lamar is now set to headline the 2025 Super Bowl Halftime Show, while Drake is in the midst of taking legal action against Universal Music Group for allegedly conspiring to “artificially inflate” the Compton musician’s streams on “Not Like Us” and for allegedly allowing Lamar to defame Drake on the track. In November, UMG denied the accusation — which the company called “offensive and untrue” — and added in a statement to Billboard, “We employ the highest ethical practices in our marketing and promotional campaigns. No amount of contrived and absurd legal arguments in this pre-action submission can mask the fact that fans choose the music they want to hear.”
As for Vybz? He’s in the running for the best reggae album Grammy for Party With Me, which was “done in prison,” the artist tells Billboard. “I was writing to keep my mind occupied, ended up with these songs and said, ‘Let me just put them on a little EP.’ Bam, Grammy.”
The ceremony airs Feb. 2 on CBS.
Footage of a 2024 traffic stop between Ice-T — born Tracy Marrow — and a New Jersey police officer surfaced earlier this week. The contentious exchange reportedly went down in May in Hudson County when bodycam footage showed the “Cop Killer” artist was stopped mere feet away from the Department of Motor Vehicles as he […]
After closing the book on a turbulent 2024, Drake may be looking to make the most of a clean slate in the new year. Conductor Williams, a producer who has worked with the OVO boss, released a brand new Drizzy freestyle on his YouTube page on Friday (Jan. 3).
While the video was quickly taken down, fans grabbed the “Fighting Irish” freestyle and spammed the viral clip across social media. The visual captures Drake’s side profile as he raps through a small, grainy TV screen.
On the track, the 6 God gets introspective about the trials and tribulations of his 2024 over Conductor’s gleaming production, and seemingly blasts those who switched sides on him throughout the Kendrick Lamar feud.
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“The world fell in love with the gimmicks, even my brothers got tickets, seemed like they loved every minute/ Just know the s–t is personal to us and wasn’t just business/ Analyzing behavioral patterns is somewhat suspicious,” he raps.
Drake appears to be targeting those he considered close friends, such as NBA stars DeMar DeRozan and LeBron James, who were in attendance for Kendrick’s Pop Out concert in June. The Fighting Irish was also the mascot for LeBron’s high school team when he attended St. Vincent-St. Mary High School in Ohio.
Drizzy also dispels on the track Kendrick’s notion that he has a drinking problem, which Lamar alleged on the diabolical “Meet the Grahams.” “I don’t have a drinkin’ problem, I got a subtle addiction/ I got my father’s habits and I got my mother’s permission,” Drake rhymes.
He also sent a possible subtle jab at Universal Music Group regarding his legal actions alleging that his parent label artificially inflated the popularity of Lamar’s “Not Like Us” diss track. “I hate to see their empire crumble on judges’ convictions,” he spews. (UMG denied his allegations, calling them “offensive and untrue” in a November statement to Billboard.)
Drake and Conductor have connected in the past on For All The Dogs tracks such as “8am in Charlotte” and “Stories About My Brother.”
Billboard has reached out to Drake and Conductor Williams for comment about the track and its removal.
Young Thug made his return to music on Friday (Jan. 3) when he appeared on Lil Baby’s new album WHAM for an assist on “Dum, Dumb, and Dumber” with Future.
Thugger doesn’t waste any time addressing his two-plus-year jail stint as part of the enduring YSL RICO case.
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“Yeah, n—a, King Spider back/ I don’t even believe I was locked up, for real, for real/ I was havin’ my way the whole time, fool, you know what I’m saying,” Thug raps about the jail bid over Wheezy’s skittering production.
Young Thug was arrested on racketeering charges in May 2022 and remained behind bars while the longest case in Georgia’s history yet unraveled.
He finally reached a plea deal and secured his release in October, when he was sentenced to 15 years of probation as Thug pleaded guilty to possession of drugs and firearms charges while pleading no contest to a handful of others.
Gunna was also arrested with Thug and 26 others in May 2022 as part of a sprawling 56-count indictment. However, he reached an Alford plea agreement in December 2022 and was released.
In the time since, Gunna has continued to battle allegations of snitching from fans, and Lil Baby, once a sidekick, has distanced himself from affiliating with the YSL rapper. Attorney Steve Sadow, who represented Gunna in the case, has vehemently insisted his client did not cooperate with authorities and had no impact on Young Thug’s case.
“This long post is solely to set out the truth. Gunna did NOT cooperate, and did NOTHING and said NOTHING to cause harm to Thug’s case,” Sadow tweeted in part on Friday (Jan. 3). “He spent 8 months in jail and was released in Dec. 2022 after entering an Alford plea. Gunna’s plea could not and was not used at Thug’s trial and he was never even named as a witness.”
He concluded his message: “THOSE THAT HAVE AND CONTINUE TO BAD MOUTH GUNNA, GET OVER IT. NUFF’ SAID.”
Young Thug hasn’t addressed his relationship with Gunna since his release outside of a since-deleted November tweet snipingat the Atlanta rapper. “Gunna stop acting like we friends on the internet, I don’t know you my guy,” he cryptically penned at the time. Minutes later, the tweet was gone.
Listen to Young Thug on Lil Baby’s “Dum, Dumb, and Dumber” below:
After lying low, Lil Baby said it was his turn to kick off 2025. The Atlanta rapper sets the tone for the year with the arrival of his WHAM album on Friday (Jan. 3). Short for Who Hard As Me, WHAM serves as Baby’s fourth studio album and features a loaded cast of Young Thug, […]
A quarter-century after Boy Meets World ended, 50 Cent is finally meeting the girl. Following his recent show in Las Vegas, the rapper posed with Danielle Fishel — who played Topanga Lawrence on the iconic series — and wrote afterward on Instagram that the actress is going to be “fine” forever. In a photo posted […]
Diddy will remain behind bars until his sex trafficking trial begins in May, but those closest to him have broken their silence. Peacock released the shocking trailer to the Diddy: The Rise of a Bad Boy documentary on Thursday (Jan. 2), detailing the embattled Bad Boy mogul’s rise to fame, transformational years in the spotlight […]