Jesswar
Photo Credit: James Hornsby and Georgia Wallace
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
Photo Credit: OVO
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
Photo Credit: PH Recordings
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
Photo Credit: Columbia Recordings
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.
Coming 2 America Soundtrack
Photo Credit: Def Jam
Afrobeat artists like Tiwa Savage, Davido and Tekno, as well as hip-hop and R&B royalty like Public Enemy, Gladys Knight and En Vogue make the official Coming 2 America soundtrack an inclusive diasporal affair.
Tree — SOUL TRAP
Photo Credit: Tree
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
Photo Credit: Tony Shhnow
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 — Too Deep For Tears
Photo Credit: Overkill Ent.
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
Photo Credit: Epic Records
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$$
Photo Credit: D4D Records
On Friday, Tek of Smif-N-Wessun dropped Pricele$$, 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
Photo Credit: Atlantic Records
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.
Only The Family — Lil Durk Presents: Loyal Bros
Photo Credit: Only the Family
Lil Durk gets in on the crew album wave with his OTF collective's first group project Loyal Bros. In addition to verses from the late King Von, the album features guest appearances from Tee Grizzley and Lil Uzi Vert.
Jaz Elise — The Golden Hour
Photo Credit: In.Digg.Nation
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
Photo Credit: Zayn Butler
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
Photo Credit: Okey Ofomata
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!"
JAHMED — ARMANI
Photo Credit: JAHMED
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
Photo Credit: Inertia Music
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."
Curly J — KINGDOM
Photo Credit: Kingdom
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.
Mia Ariannaa — I'm A Good Girl..... Do You Believe Me?
Photo Credit: Epic
Charlotte singer/rapper Mia Ariannaa got her start via two viral rap challenges. On her debut studio EP, she flexes her vocal chops on tracks like the Ginuwine-inspired "#AnxiousAF" and a sharp lyrical tongue on tracks like "What Was I Thinking?"
Genesis Owusu — Smiling with No Teeth
Photo Credit: House Anxiety
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."
