Every week, seemingly a gazillion songs are released on streaming services. From Soundcloud and Bandcamp exclusives to the endless array of songs on Spotify and Apple Music, it’s a lot to take in. Additionally, some of the tracks aren’t nearly as good as they should be. Who wants to waste their time sifting through records in fear that some aren’t very good? How can one possibly have the time to even do it?
This is where Noisey has you covered. We’re saving you time in the playlist department to narrow it down to the three most essential songs in hip-hop and R&B you should hear. Maybe you’ll find a new favorite artist or album in the process.
3 of the Best New Hip-Hop Songs and R&B Records of the Week
“Break Me In” by Joyce Wrice
When artists signal their influence, many make it too obvious. Sometimes, it’s a sample that’s way too on-the-nose to even be called one. Other times, a relatively active listener can point out a vibe or a reference point. But the best artists obscure their source material or pull from a deep enough place where it feels wholly original.
For Joyce Wrice, her dive into prime 2000s R&B feels natural. Anybody can pull from the essence of the hits, but “Break Me In” feels like Wrice vocally channeling Amerie or Teedra Moses. Meanwhile, the songwriting digs into a tried-and-true well: yearning. “I hate it when you make me wait. When I touch myself, it’s not the same. I need you to break me in,” she sings like she’s in heat. If this were 2008, there would be a rap feature on here and a guaranteed placement on 106 & Park.
“Flo Jackson” by Flo Milli
Flo Milli is the rap game Regina George. Female rappers like Cardi B and Megan Thee Stallion rap about dominating a man with the same energy as Godzilla terrorizing a city. But Flo is all sass. The idea that even dominating suggests too much effort. A man doesn’t deserve all that energy. He already knows.
If he doesn’t, it’s straight to violence. Flo Milli says she’ll put the paws on him like Joe Jackson beat his children. It’s a darkly hilarious comparison, even funnier with the sass and disgust in her voice. She’ll put those hands to use for a fight and the Burn Book alike.
“Candy Paint” by PayGotti & Shoreline Mafia
Few artists embody modern Los Angeles hip-hop like Shoreline Mafia. If you listen to three of their songs in a row, you spawn at the Slauson swap meet in a Pro Club t-shirt and Dickies suit. The thunderous thump in their production and their thick Cali accents signal Del Tacos and palm trees standing like skyscrapers.
Their collab with PayGotti on “Candy Paint” is another anthem added to the catalog. “Good pills, good coke on a n**** resume, pull the choppa out, then let it sing, Ella Mai,” OhGeesy snarls. Give it a week, and you’ll hear this in an L.A. DJ’s set list.
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