19 New Albums You Should Listen To Right Now (Week Of March 5)
This week's new albums include a ton of EPs, group projects, and albums from underground legends.
Every Friday at Okayplayer, we gather the best new albums for your listening pleasures. With dozens of projects dropping every day, and every day blending into the next, we know it can be tough to get around to finding new artists.
This week brings a ton of new EPs from artists making their debuts, compilation albums from YG's 4Hunnid label and Lil' Durk's Only the Family collective. Tek from Smif-N-Wessun drops a long-awaited dedication to Sean Price, while Denzel Curry enlists heavyweights like Robert Glasper and The Alchemist for a deluxe version of his UNLOCKED album. Stream all the new albums below.
Drake — Scary Hours 2
Everyone's favorite Canadian returns with a three-track offering in time for All-Star Weekend. The project includes features from Rick Ross and Lil' Baby, as well as production from Noah "40" Shebib and Boi-1da.
Denzel Curry and Kenny Beats — UNLOCKED 1.5
In a special deluxe edition, South Florida MC Denzel Curry teams up with all-everything producer Kenny Beats, Robert Glasper, The Alchemist, Sango and more to remix tracks from their February 2020 album.
Quinn XCII — Change of Scenery II
Detroit-bred singer-songwriter Quinn XCII relocated from Los Angeles to Newport, Rhode Island with his producer ayokay for his fourth studio album. The result is a folksy, upbeat 12-track project.
Tree — SOUL TRAP
Chicago stalwart MC Tree returns with his first project since 2019. The 11-track album is a gruff, soulful collection with guest appearances from King Louie and Roc Marciano.
Tony Shhnow — Dis Should Hold You Over 2
The production on Atlanta MC Tony Shhnow's Dis Should Hold You Over covers a wide sonic landscape, from the familiar bouncy Zaytoven-inspired trap drums we all know so well and zoned-out psychedelic tracks straight out of a video game.
OMB Peezy's at his best when he makes heartfelt and weary street anthems. As the title of his latest offering, Too Deep For Tears, suggests, you should expect more of the same here. The album features guest appearances from Blac Youngsta, Rylo Rodriguez, Jacquees, and more.
YG, Day Sulan, & D3 — 4Hunnnid Presents: Gang Affiliated
On Friday, YG released his 4Hunnid labels first compilation project, Gang Affiliated. Just seven tracks, the project is a solid introduction to the label's roster: Day Sulan, D3Szn, Mitch, and Tay2x.
TEK of Smif-N-Wessun — Pricele$$
On Friday, Tek of Smif-N-Wessun dropped Pricele$$, the long-awaited dedication to the late Sean Price. The project features a posthumous verse from Sean P and guest appearances from Conway the Machine, Statik Selektah, and Buckshot.
YBN Almighty Jay — Battling My Spirit
After the mysterious breakup of his YBN crew, Houston MC YBN Almighty Jay has dropped his first solo project, Battling My Spirit. The eight-track EP finds Almighty Jay discussing disputes with his label, struggling to connect with family, and more.
Jaz Elise — The Golden Hour
On her debut EP, Kingston, Jamaica singer Jaz Elise blends R&B and reggae seamlessly in less than a half-hour. "The feelings and emotions that manifest for me when I'm looking at the sky during the golden hour," she said in a press release, "is how I want people to feel when listening this body of work."
Jon Hope — Hope All is Well
Providence, Rhode Island reflects on fatherhood, his journey as an artist, and growing up as a first-generation immigrant on this nine-track EP. The project features a spoken word intro from Jim Jones.
YUNGMORPHEUS x ewonee — Thumbing Thru Foliage
Miami-bred rapper/producer YUNGMORPHEUS teams up with New York producer ewonee for Thumbing Thru Foliage. "This album is a call to action of sorts," YUNGMORPHEUS said. "The world is rife with distractions and oppressive tactics but niggas move through it nonetheless!"
Los Angeles-via-Texas MC Jahmed describes his second EP as "love, betrayal, resentment, the current state of the world, how it made me feel, and how I overcame it." The project features cameos from Suga Free and Freddie Gibbs.
Jesswar — TROPIXX EP
Fijian-Austrailian rapper Jesswar has been working towards this moment for years. On Friday, her efforts culminated in the TROPIXX EP. "I was being overlooked and talked down to a lot," she told MTV News. "Writing this project was a complete retaliation to that treatment."
New York rapper Curly J has dubbed himself the King of Melodies. On his latest EP, Kingdom, he croons over acoustic guitars and trap drum patterns without missing a beat.
Genesis Owusu — Smiling with No Teeth
Ghanaian-Australian MC Genesis Owusu blends post-punk and new wave on his debut album, Smiling With No Teeth. In a recent interview with The Guardian, he described himself as Prince, if he were a rapper, in 2021 in Australia."