Source: @PhotosByBeanz / @PhotosByBeanz
Future & Juice Wrld — Wrld on Drugs
Two worlds collide on Wrld on Drugs, a new collaborative project from Juice Wrld and Future. The Illinois rising star teams up with the veteran Georgia hitmaker for an unexpected duets LP full of references to addiction.
As if Juice Wrld and Pluto weren’t enough star power for this 16-song LP, the guys nabbed high-profile features, including Nicki Minaj, Young Thug, Lil Wayne, Gunna, Yung Bans, and Young Scooter. Wheezy, Murda Beatz, ATL Jacob, and Oogie are among the set’s producers.
Future announced the project earlier this week. “Me & @JuiceWorlddd in the studio rite now…we jus did enough heat to drop a tape this week,” he tweeted. “Get a fan to make the cover artwork, pick the songs and put it out ASAP.” Then, the duo did just that.
But this was more than just a new tape for Juice. In fact, it was a full circle moment for the young gunner, who broke onto the scene with “Lucid Dreams” and “All Girls Are the Same,” among other tracks more recently. “The day I make a collab tape with @1future is the day I made it,” he tweeted last year. Looks like that dream came true.
Explore Wrld On Drugs below.
Lil Yachty — Nuthin’ to Prove
Lil Yachty has Nuthin’ to Prove, but that isn’t stopping him from dropping a steady stream of new music. Just a few months after Lil Boat 2, the Quality Control MC returns with his latest release, a 15-song effort full of marquee co-stars.
Playboi Carti, Juice Wrld, Lil Baby, Young Nudy, Offset, Cardi B, Kevin Gates, and Gunna are all among the features here. Meanwhile, several producers add booming beats to the project, including Tay Keith, Earl The Pearll, MitchGoneMad, 30 Roc, Jake Gone Digital, and more.
Boat sets sail on this outing by breaking down his stance on his place in the game. “What the fuck’s going on? “ he asks on the intro, “Gimmie My Respect.” “Niggas gon’ keep forgetting about who goddamn started this motherfuckin’ new wave shit? Come on, man. Give me my respect, bitch.”
Khalid — Suncity
It’s the dawn “of a new era” for Khalid. One year after breaking out with American Teen, the R&B crooner unveils his new surprise EP, Suncity.
The rising singer goes it alone for the majority of the 7-song project, which kicks off with “9.13.” He does the same on cuts like “Saturday Nights,” “Motion,” Vertigo,” and “Better,” before closing things out with the Empress Of-assisted title track, which boasts English and Spanish lyrics.
“More than anything in life, I want growth,” said Khalid in a preview clip on Instagram. “I want my city to grow, I want my music to grow, I want to grow, I want my friends to grow. I’m in the process of growing up.” Later on social media, he called it the “start of a new era.”
Travel to Suncity below.
Roc Marciano & DJ Muggs — Kaos
Future and Juice Wrld aren’t the only powerhouses teaming up this week. In fact, venerated producer DJ Muggs is also joining forces with celebrated artist Roc Marciano for a potent one-two punch on Kaos.
Muggs supplies some soulful instrumentation across the board, as he’s known to do. That’s evident on joints like “Dolph Lundgren” and “Rolls Royce Rugs.” The Cypress Hill beatsmith also brings out the grimy rock guitars for tracks like “White Dirt” and “Wormhole,” blending all of these styles with grimy drums.
For his part, Roc Marciano drops street savvy bars over those gritty instrumentals. “Muggs provides the backdrop,” he raps on “Aunt Bonnie” with a seriousness in his voice. “I’ll crack your top.” Later, he adds: “They gentrified the game / That’s when the God came in Cartier frames.”
Control the Kaos with Muggs and Marciano below.
Amerie — 4am Mulholland & After 4am
Amerie drops more than “1 Thing.” On the heels of a major musical hiatus, the R&B songstress unloads a double dose of material comprised of two new projects, 4am Mulholland and After 4am.
The first of these projects is naturally 4am Mulholland, which features seven songs including “Curious,” “Amnesia,” and Not a Love Song.” Six cuts follow on After 4am, including “4thelovers,” “Midnight Rain,” and “Don’t Say a Word.” Each one was crafted with a different vibe in mind, according to Amerie.
The “1 Thing” singer, who took a break to write six novels, has not released a new album since 2009’s In Love & War. During that hiatus, she also gave birth. “Everything on the album was recorded from when I didn’t know I was pregnant to eight, nine months [along],” she told Billboard.
Moreover, Amerie has taken full control of her career at this stage. “I record, engineer and do my own vocals and rough mixes,” she explained. “It was really creatively freeing.” Part of that creativity included crafting two separate projects with cohesion in mind. Listen to 4am Mulholland and After 4am below.
Dem Atlas — Bad Actress
Dem Atlas is part of a new generation of Rhymesayers Entertainment. The rising rapper/singer delivers his full-length debut LP on the celebrated independent hip-hop label, which is best known for works by Atmosphere, Brother Ali, Evidence, and Aesop Rock. Dem carries the tradition, delivering Bad Actress, which was entirely produced by Atmosphere’s Ant.
Atlas bares his soul over that instrumentation, including introspective lyrics on songs like “Let Down.” “I’m convinced this place is full of demons,” he raps on the track. “When they smother each other, my dad whooped my mother, and in retaliation, she’s always leavin’ / I’ve been let down before.”
Later, he reflects on his own journey on “Born Yesterday.” “I’ve been trying to find my purpose, but I’ve been getting in my own way,” he raps. “Wondering where all my passion went / They put me here to represent…Gotta stay inspired, but the vision gettin’ cloudy.”
The new LP follows Dem’s recent Bad Loves Company visual EP. Listen to Bad Actress below.
