As the debate surrounding whether Hip Hop, now in its 50s, needs an official “adult contemporary” category continues, a reinvigorated LL Cool J proves that age ain’t nuthin’ but a number as he headlines this week’s New Music Friday albums list with his first project in over a decade.
Fellow rap veteran Conway The Machine forms yet another partner-in-rhyme alliance with Ransom on his latest collaborative project, while old soul G Herbo reconnects with Southside and evolves into Big Swerv.
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There’s also plenty of new blood in the mix as Destroy Lonely expands his recently released Love Lasts Forever by dropping the deluxe version, rising star Laila! capitalizes on a recent Cash Cobain co-sign and looks to kickstarts her own wave with her debut LP, and Kansas City’s SleazyWorld Go proves he’s More Than Just a Shooter on his latest post-prison project.
Check out the full list of new albums below and peep this week’s best new singles here, which features a first-ever collaboration between A$AP Rocky, J. Cole and The Alchemist.
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LL Cool J — The FORCE
Features: Eminem, Nas, Snoop Dogg, Rick Ross, Fat Joe, Busta Rhymes, Saweetie
Producers: Q-Tip, Eminem, Sona jobarteh, J-S.A.N.D., Kizzo
Label: LL Cool J, Inc.
After an 11-year wait, the self-proclaimed G.O.A.T. finally returns with his 14th album. Short for Frequencies of Real Creative Energy, The FORCE certainly packs a punch as LL trades bars with fellow lyrical heavyweights like Eminem, Nas, Snoop Dogg, Fat Joe, Busta Rhymes and Rick Ross. Anchoring it all is experimental production from one of the game’s greatest ever sonic innovators: Q-Tip.
G Herbo — Big Swerv
Features: 21 Savage, Sexyy Red, Chief Keef, Rob49, Skilla Baby, BabyDrill
Producers: Southside, Oz on the Track, ChopSquad DJ, Smatt, Dougie on the Beat
Label: Machine Entertainment Group / Republic Records,
After battling a wire fraud case that threatened to put him behind bars for over two decades (he ended up pleading guilty and walking away with three years’ probation and a hefty fine), G Herbo’s sixth album could have easily been a heavy listen like PTSD and Survivor’s Remorse. Instead, Big Swerv finds the Chicago rapper switching things up and lightening the mood alongside a few familiar faces. “I want to talk about having fun, I want to talk about traveling the world, and living life, and fashion, and stuff that everybody loves, that everybody can relate to,” he recently told Rolling Stone of the album.
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Destroy Lonely — Love Lasts Forever (Deluxe)
Features: Lil Uzi Vert, Ken Carson
Producers: lil88, Clayco, Nick Spiders, JahDaGod, Taurus
Label: Opium / Interscope
Just a week after releasing his sophomore album Love Lasts Forever, the third star of Playboi Carti‘s Opium collective doubles back and drops the deluxe version featuring four new bonus tracks. By the sounds of it, his label boss will be (finally) following suit soon.
Conway The Machine & Ransom — Chaos Is My Ladder 2
Features: Lloyd Banks
Producers: V Don
Label: Momentum Entertainment / Drumwork Music Group / Serious Soundz
Ransom and V Don became the Tri-State’s latest potent rapper-producer partnership in 2022 when they joined forces for Chaos Is My Ladder. Two years later, fellow New Yorker Conway The Machine tags in and makes it a three-man weave on the sequel, while Lloyd Banks reprises his cameo role from the original.
Laila! — Gap Year!
Features: N/A
Producers: Laila!, Juan David Nova Alavarado
Label: IIIXL Studio
Capitalizing on the success of “Not My Problem,” which was recently sampled by Cash Cobain for his epic posse cut “Problem,” Laila! — the daughter of the great Yasiin Bey (f.k.a. Mos Def) — proves she can do it all on her debut album.
SleazyWorld Go — More Than a Shooter
Features: Polo G, Rob49, Skilla Baby, Lil Zay Osama, Einer Bankz
Producers: Turbo, SleazyWorld Go, H4RRY, WhiteBoyMadeThis, Rage Santana
Label: SleazyWorld / Island Records
Chow Lee — Sex Drive
Features: Cash Cobain, Anycia, Flo Milli, Sleepy Hallow, Roy Woods, AJ Tracey, Bay Swag
Producers: Cash Cobain, PoWR Trav, Trey Bando, gvrlnd!, Quintuple
Label: TC Music / EMPIRE
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Toro y Moi — Hole Erth
Features: Don Toliver, Anderson .Paak, Kenny Mason, Kevin Abstract, Duckwrth
Producers: Toro y Moi
Label: Dead Oceans
Conductor Williams & Rei The Imperial — OPERATION FLAMETHROWER
Features: LG, Old Orleans
Producers: Conductor Williams
Label: Station
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2 Eleven — Proof of Concept
Features: Ab-Soul, Boldy James, Jay Worthy, G Perico, Trizz
Producers: Python P, Playa Haze,
Label: Station
Fred again.. — ten days
Features: Anderson .Paak, Sampha, CHIKA, Jozzy, Obongjayar, Skrillex, Four Tet
Producers: Fred again.., Skrillex, Four Tet, Joy Anonymous, PARISI
Label: Warner
Eddie Valero — Undefeated (Deluxe)
Features: N/A
Producers: Credits unavailable
Label: Self-released
