Happy Monday! With new R&B/hip-hop releases dropping left and right, it can be quite overwhelming navigating the newcomers in the genre. But that’s why Fresh Picks exists! This week, we have an eclectic array of sounds, from alt-R&B and Jersey club to jazz rap — everything you need to get you through this second week of July.
And of course, don’t forget to check out this month’s Fresh Picks (so far) in our Spotify playlist, linked below.
Freshest Find: Dominic Fike, “7 Hours”
This week’s Freshest Find goes to alt-rock/rap/pop straddler, Dominic Fike: last Friday (July 7), the multi-hyphenate released his second album, Sunburn, a collection of older songs that explores themes related to his past. Fike explores his alt-R&B side with standout album cut, “7 Hours,” where he sings about driving seven hours to see his lover, only for them to not give him the time of day.
FendiDa Rappa feat. Cardi B, “Point Me 2”
Cardi B is continuing her outstanding feature run by hopping on FendiDa Rappa’s “Point Me 2.” The collab comes after Fendi’s viral Jersey club-inspired single, “Point Me to the Sl-ts,” where she calls out her male counterparts (“N—-as dissing when they rap, should we call it drill?/ N—-as capping in they raps, should we give ’em deals?”) and proudly showcases her lust. Here, Cardi checks in around the 2:20 mark and wastes no times matching Fendi’s energy, rapping, “B—hes talkin’ all that rah rah, I don’t feel it though/ Like the Plan B didn’t work, baby, I’m in this hoe.”
LUCKI, “2021 Vibes”
The Cash Cobain-produced track “2021 Vibes” sees LUCKI delving deeper into his world of hazy hedonism. Through a drowsy delivery, the Chicago rapper calls himself the “codeine cowboy in the flesh” — which makes sense given the title of its parent album, s*x m*ney dr*gs.
Mick Jenkins feat. JID, “Smoke Break-Dance”
Mick Jenkins and JID linked to take a smoke break: this bass and piano-driven jazz rap song is particularly introspective, with an accompanying video that shows scenes of Jenkins unbothered amongst chaos and young Black men succumbing to societal pressures. “Smoke Break-Dance” acts as a conversation piece about Black male plight in America, with the end of the video including a bell hooks quote that reads, “The first act of violence that patriarchy demands of males is not violence toward women. Instead patriarchy demands of all males that they engage in acts of psychic self-mutilation, that they kill off the emotional parts of themselves. If an individual is not successful in emotionally crippling himself, he can count on patriarchal men to enact rituals of power that will assault his self-esteem.”
Avenoir, “WHO DO U LUV”
Slowing things down a little, Avenoir goes deep in his bag on his new single, “WHO DO U LUV.” The Canadian singer questions his lover’s feelings towards him, but also assures that the two can rekindle their emotions by making love, before the four-minute song concludes with an electric guitar solo.
AntsLive, “Ooh La La”
UK rapper AntsLive is practicing his French on “Ooh La La.” With his (not actual) grandfather in tow in the video, the rising rapper shows a chic side to his repertoire, with his trademark tongue-in-cheek vocals about ongoing relationships and international love interests.
Marques Martin, “Butterfly”
Brooklyn-based musician Marques Martin collides synths and deep bass lines for a chaotic, yet somehow cohesive, new offering called “Butterfly.” “The beat at most points feels heavy, but then the synth floats euphorically in and out of the song,” he told Billboard about the song’s productions. “The combo gives the track gravity and lets it sit in a middle ground of aggressive/assertive but uplifting.” “Butterfly” appears on his new EP, sex on the first.
