When Leon Bridges made his debut in 2015 with *Coming Home*, critics and peers alike were amazed by his velvety retro-soul stylings reminiscent of Sam Cooke and Otis Redding. Widening his horizons, his third album *Gold-Diggers Sound* showcased a different side of the Texas crooner, leaving behind the ’50s and ’60s vibe that helped propel him to stardom for a mix of ’80s and ’90s R&B mixed with lush, jazz-inspired live instrumentation. “I kind of always felt like a lone wolf in the industry, and yes, my music is under the umbrella of R&B, but I’ve always felt like I was never fully embraced in that community,” Bridges tells Apple Music’s Zane Lowe. “And so it was kind of a thought that ‘Leon’ is the genre, and as far as the whole album is kind of like a window into who I am.” Now, with his self-titled album, Leon Bridges is ready to reintroduce himself and invite his fans into his world. *Leon* is an intimate and revealing love letter to the singer-songwriter’s hometown, his upbringing, and the stories that helped shape him into the artist he is now. “Prior to this one, I’ve definitely scratched the surface of it,” he says. “This one digs into a lot of my experiences as a kid growing up in Fort Worth, and it really talks about the things that I’ve valued most in this life, which are family and home.” Bridges is vulnerable as he faces his fears on the smooth and serene album opener “When a Man Cries,” while on the breezy, guitar-laced track “Panther City,” he is nostalgic, reminiscing on hazy summer days growing up, with references to Nintendo 64 and going down to the local community center. Bridges pays homage on the downtempo and rocksteady track “Laredo,” which details a fleeting night in the border town that left a memorable and lasting impression on him. “That’s What I Love” highlights some of the things and moments that Bridges holds near and dear to his heart: “Bourbon, Cadillacs, blue denim, makin’ love on the beach in the mornin’/Springtime on the Trinity River, gold jewelry, all-black penny loafers,” he croons on the opening verse. His favorite things aren’t only material and sensual in nature, but he also mixes in romance while singing about his partner. “Peaceful Place” finds the singer confident in this version of himself and his music, while reassuring himself that he’s exactly where he needs to be: “I’m in a peaceful place/I’ve found something no one can take away.”
“I never learned to superstar from a textbook,” Doja Cat snarls towards the end of “Attention,” a song that’s all at once a boom-bap showcase, an R&B slow-burner, and a canny summary of her against-the-odds success. Those who remember Doja’s breakthrough (a viral 2018 joke song, “Mooo!”, whose DIY video had her shoving french fries in her nose in front of a homemade green screen) probably wouldn’t have predicted that a few years later, the girl in the cow suit would be a household name. But for Doja, being an internet goofball and a multiplatinum pop star aren’t just compatible, they’re complementary—a duality attuned to her audience’s craving for realness. With her fourth album, *Scarlet*, the maverick adds “formidable rapper” to her growing list of distinctions. In since-deleted tweets from April 2023, Doja made a pledge: “no more pop,” she wrote, following up with a vow to prove wrong the naysayers doubting her rap skills. *Scarlet* makes good on that promise, particularly its first half, a far cry from the sugary bops on 2021’s star-making *Planet Her*. Instead she hops between hard-edged beats that evoke NYC in ’94 or Chicago in 2012, crowing over the spoils of her mainstream success while playfully rejecting its terms. “I’m a puppet, I’m a sheep, I’m a cash cow/I’m the fastest-growing bitch on all your apps now,” she deadpans on “Demons,” thumbing her nose at anyone who conflates glowing up with selling out. And on “97,” the album’s best pure rap performance, she embraces the troll’s mantra that all clicks are good clicks, spitting, “That’s a comment, that’s a view, and that’s a rating/That’s some hating, and that’s engagement I could use.” Behind the provocations, though, is an artist with the idiosyncratic chops to back them up. That’s as true in *Scarlet*’s lusty midsection as it is on its gulliest rap tracks: No one else would interrupt a dreamy love song (“Agora Hills”) to giggle in Valley Girl vocal fry, “Sorry, just taking a sip of my root beer!” (No one, that is, but Nicki Minaj, Doja’s clearest influence, who paved the way for women who juggle art-pop with hip-hop bona fides.) As catchy as it is contrarian, *Scarlet* offers a suggestion: Maybe it’s Doja’s willingness to reject the premise of being a pop star that makes her such a compelling one. On the album’s sweetest track, “Love Life,” she takes in her view from the top—still the weirdo her fans met in a cow suit but more confident in her contradictions. “They love when I embrace my flaws/I love it when they doin’ the same,” she raps softly. “I love it when my fans love change/That’s how we change the game.”
Before *My Krazy Life* and its DJ Mustard-produced singles made YG a bona fide rap star, he was building his reputation while feeding the streets with mixtapes. Among those, 2011’s *Just Re\'d Up* and its sequel scarcely two years later all but announced the Bompton rapper as one to watch, boasting features by the likes of Big Sean, Nipsey Hussle, and Ty Dolla $ign. More than a decade later, after well over a dozen serious hits, he returns to the fan-favorite series as a highly respected veteran of the game. Divided into two stacked halves, the nearly hour-long (and newly capitalized) *JUST RE’D UP 3* flaunts everything listeners have come to expect from YG. He exudes toughness and menace on “VIOLENCE,” lowering his guard only slightly on the sexually charged “ONLY FANS.” Occasionally, he explores less expected styles via the Latin-infused flex “KNOCKA” or the Afrobeats-informed “STREET LOVE” with Tanzanian artist Diamond Platnumz, but for the most part he dips between emboldened street-level bars and unapologetically thuggin’ R&B. YG’s elevated status and the associated prestige gives him his pick of guests, a curated group that encompasses younger talents and old friends alike. He pops out with Midwest heavy hitters Tee Grizzley and G Herbo on the triumphant “MALIBU” and stays closer to home with West Coasters Larry June and Saweetie on “PUT IT IN MY HAND” and “SHE PRETTY,” respectively. Representing amid his own “Not Like Us” resurgence, Mustard adds his special seasoning to cuts like brazen opener “GO BRAZY,” flashy single “STUPID” with Lil Yachty and Babyface Ray, and the far more romantic “LOVE MAKE.” And of course, series regular Ty$ returns for a few noteworthy appearances, first on the extremely raunchy “IT’S GIVIN” and then later on the hardly subtler “RESCUE ME.”
Going three years without a new album isn’t exactly characteristic for Polo G. Beginning with 2019’s breakthrough *Die a Legend*, the Chicago rapper’s first trio of full-length efforts came at a reliably annual pace. Yet even as he racked up successes upon successes, run-ins with law enforcement disrupted his upward trajectory enough to slow his release flow. With *HOOD POET*, however, he returns to the fore with more life experience and rededicated to spitting about what he knows best. Befitting the title, he shares unflinching narratives of pain and pleasure on cuts like “Darkside” and the bombastic “God’s Favorite.” He reaffirms his drill-rap integrity with features from G Herbo and Lil Durk, who bring their long-standing street cachet to “No Recruits” and “We Uh Shoot,” respectively. Noticeably more versatile than he was five years prior, he mourns while soaring over the Southside-produced “Barely Holdin’ On.” Switching from hood parables to romantic woes, “Same Me” probes a changing relationship, with Fridayy’s echoey chorus emphasizing the depths of love lost. Later, GloRilla matches his energy on the explicit “Bad Kids” and Future relates to rising above the struggle on “Survival of the Fittest.”
One of 2020s hip-hop’s most remarkable talents, Flo Milli put the rap game on notice with “Beef FloMix” and “In the Party.” The Mobile, Alabama, artist’s savagely confident takedowns of haters and wannabes made her debut project *Ho, why is you here ?* an instantly adored standout in a crowded and expanding pool of new entrants. Her 2022 follow-up *You Still Here, Ho ?* kept up that momentum with songs like “Bed Time” and “Conceited,” signaling her pop chops to those who dared to count her out. Whether a continuation of or conclusion to the more-than-implied titular saga, *Fine Ho, Stay* serves to solidify her position as the worthy successor to a proud tradition of brash women in rap. If the explicit opener “Understand” and its bar-by-bar punchlines somehow don’t make it clear enough, Flo Milli operates on a different level than the competition. It certainly doesn’t hurt that she broke big on the charts with “Never Lose Me,” included here as a remix with SZA and Cardi B features as well as in its original solo take. The supreme energy of that big hit resonates with the similarly sleek “Can’t Stay Mad” and “Life Hack.” Working with seasoned producers like Da Honorable C.N.O.T.E. and Lex Luger, she drops post-trap anthems “New Me” and the Monaleo-backed “Neva” opposite winking Southern rap throwbacks like “Got the Juice.” The sole male guest she deigns to allow on the record, Gunna, rightfully treats her like a lady on his gentlemanly “Edible” verse.
Criminal charges and incarceration have thwarted many a rapper’s career. For 42 Dugg, ongoing issues with law enforcement over the years threatened his momentum on more than one occasion, but none worse than the 18 months he spent in a federal penitentiary at the height of his popularity. On his proper album debut, *4eva Us Neva Them*, the Detroit native finally capitalizes on the mixtapes, singles, and features that propelled him to rap stardom. The impact of imprisonment on his point of view is felt early on in this roughly hour-long effort, beginning with the defensively hardened “Win Wit Us.” On “Fresh From the Feds,” fans get a closer look at his ever-defiant attitude as he navigates relatively newfound freedom. Things get personal on the brooding and mournful “Need You,” while “My Mama” lays out life lessons and experiences that inform his enduring survivor’s principles. Even though the topics can well in dark corners, *4eva Us Neva Them* is hardly some dour affair. On “N.P.O.,” he turns up with Sexyy Red over a booming beat that reliably supports their respectively explicit lyrics. Though inherently menacing, “Catch 1” accomplishes the aims of his aggressive intentions over a rugged trap instrumental that works in the whip as well as the club. Along the way, he’s also joined by friends and frequent collaborators like EST Gee and Lil Baby, who continue to have his back on “Since When” and “No Love,” respectively. A couple of choice cosigns from more experienced street rappers feel like hip-hop coronations for Dugg as well, particularly when going back and forth with Young Jeezy on the slang-heavy “BMF.”
Where 2023’s *Love Sick* provided a means for Don Toliver to live out his funk-soul fantasies, the subsequent *HARDSTONE PSYCHO* finds him on an arena-rock-star wave. To be sure, this doesn’t at all mean the Houston rapper/singer is awash in gaudy guitar noodling or engaged in performative posturing here. Instead, he treats his chosen premise like a new state of mind, transmuting the weight and complexity of his catalog into this larger-than-life version of his artistry. So when some distinct riffs launch “BANDIT” and “TORE UP,” he effortlessly slips into the leather-jacketed cool in a manner that historically has eluded most rappers who’ve attempted such a move. Divided into four movements, *HARDSTONE PSYCHO* may mirror classic-rock indulgence in terms of overall structure, but more specifically it delivers on what fans from his *Heaven or Hell* or *Life of a DON* days desire. His voice, pliable and otherworldly, carries the muted fuzz of “KRYPTONITE,” the bleep-laden R&B of “DEEP IN THE WATER,” and the trippy trap of “4X4.” On “HARDSTONE NATIONAL ANTHEM,” he follows through on the titular promise with a showstopper that expertly reconfigures the pop-wise power ballad format. As before, Toliver’s brought a few guests along to amplify and augment himself on record. Naturally, his Cactus Jack benefactor Travis Scott makes a handful of appearances, first as a sleek spitter on “ICE AGE” and later as his crooning co-conspirator on “INSIDE.” *Love Sick* standout Charlie Wilson returns to briefly feature on the Cash Cobain collab “ATTITUDE,” its low-end rumble and inventive Pharrell callback giving considerable chills, while Future and Metro Boomin reignite their “Too Many Nights” torch for “PURPLE RAIN.”
“I\'ve always wanted to be a pop star, but beyond that, I wanted to be an African pop star,” Tyla tells Apple Music. “The roots of my sound are in amapiano music, in South African and African music.” Though the megaviral 2023 single “Water” may have put the South African singer-songwriter on the proverbial map—first as a social media sensation, then as the highest-charting African female soloist ever on Billboard’s Hot 100, earning her the inaugural Grammy Award for Best African Music Performance—she’s been carefully plotting her path to the top for years. “Since I started experimenting with amapiano, I just feel like it\'s really helped me get to this point where I created something that is fresh and new, but still familiar and comes from home,” she says. “It\'s a sound of Africa, and it\'s something that I couldn\'t be more proud about.” She weaves through a blend of pop, R&B, amapiano, and Afrobeats (“pop-piano sounds cute,” she admits) across *TYLA*, a coming-of-age chronicle through love, heartbreak, and self-discovery. “I’m speaking about the things that I\'ve gone through while creating the album—basically three years in the making,” she explains. “I was becoming a woman. So it was a lot of growing that happened, and me realizing my worth, and realizing how I want to be treated—and how basically, I\'m that girl, and people need to know I\'m that girl.” While the project was brought to life with the help of global producers including Sammy Soso, Mocha, Believve, Rayo, and Sir Nolan, Tyla made sure they all had a taste of her homeland. “\[It was important\] to bring some to South Africa,” she explains, “so when we get in the studio, they have context. Some people that try amapiano sound so watered down, it\'s cringey. So even though I am mixing it with pop and R&B, I didn\'t want it to sound watered down. Music is our everything in Africa. The way we speak, the way we dance, literally, our dance moves—they come so naturally. It\'s just in us. It’s our essence.” Below, Tyla talks us through her debut album. **“Intro” (Tyla & Kelvin Momo)** “I wanted to start off my album with something that was truly South African, something that showed people the root of where I started, before ‘Water,’ before all of these mixtures. I secretly recorded a voice note when I was in a session with Kelvin Momo. I loved hearing the people in the session, speaking, hearing the language, the accents. It was so raw and real. Kelvin Momo is my favorite amapiano producer—his music and his sound is my heart.” **“Safer”** “The message of the song is something that I feel like a lot of people could relate to. And the energy of the song I feel like is a strong intro to open an album.” **“Water”** “‘Water’ surpassed all expectations. I could\'ve never expected all of these accolades—a Grammy, the Billboard Hot 100, people all over the world dancing and pouring water down their back. From the time I finished recording the song, it was all that I was listening to. It was also like a step away from what I was used to, because I \[had been\] *very* PG. And with this one, I was more grown up and I was experimenting more. And even though I don\'t enjoy vulgar music, I feel like we were able to make the song speak about what it speaks about, but in a way that\'s friendly.” **“Truth or Dare”** “This was the song where I was playing more house-y with it. It’s me calling out people, being like, ‘Hey, *now* you care.’ I\'m not that type of person, but these are feelings that I felt around the time where I\'m like, ‘Where did this person come from? Out of nowhere, you want to now talk to me?’ and I literally hate it. I\'m sure a lot of people have felt that.” **“No.1” (feat. Tems)** “Tems and I had been wanting to make a song for long now. We ended up making it work, and Tems\' voice alone is so amazing, so unique. The song is for everyone, but when I had it in mind, it was really for the girls—me and Tems, girl power, African girls—and we were just really pushing that message of ‘I\'m leaving. I don\'t need anybody. If this is not serving me anymore, I’m gone, and I\'m going to be okay.’ Always put yourself before anything.” **“Breathe Me”** “It\'s a song that\'s so emotional and so real. It\'s just about love, of how strong love is, and how you don\'t even need anything else. I don\'t need anything else. You don\'t need anything else—just me, and you; just breathe me and we\'ll be fine.” **“Butterflies”** “With ‘Butterflies,’ I was in a session with \[producer and songwriter Ari PenSmith\] and he was playing me some stuff that he\'s worked on, and I was like, \'Cool, cool, cool.\' And then he played this, and I fell in love with it. It sat so perfectly with my voice. I connected with the song instantly, and it was too specific to what I was going through to not do anything with it.” **“On and On”** “This was \[an initial\] version of my sound, before ‘Water’ and everything. I made this with Corey Marlon Lindsay-Keay in South Africa. We were supposed to go out, and we didn\'t end up going out, so I was dressed up in a whole outfit in the studio session, and he was producing. I love the song so much because it\'s so nostalgic but new. I love that it feels like old-school R&B. I love that it has hints of Aaliyah\'s influence, but it\'s new, and fresh, and African—all things that are Tyla. The messaging is not so serious—it’s literally about not wanting a party to end.” **“Jump” (Tyla, Gunna & Skillibeng)** “‘Jump’ is a very different vibe. I really just wanted to tell people who I am, and I had to show my confidence through the song. And the opening line, with Skilli being like, \'Original girl, you want a replica? No.\' There\'s no replica. That intro was already perfect, and it segues to that line of me saying, \'They\'ve never had a pretty girl from Joburg/They see me now and that\'s what they prefer.\' That line is just—it’s too iconic for me, and I\'m just so excited to hear all the girls sing it, all the Joburg girls sing it, all the girls from home. And having Gunna on it, I really feel like it took me into that world further, making it even more raw and cool.” **“ART”** “When I\'m with someone that treats me so good, treats me well, treats me like art, treats me like a princess, I will be there for them. I will be their art piece. We also played with that wording where it can be ‘art piece,’ but also your peace and your comfort. As a woman, that\'s how I want to be treated, and that\'s how I would treat you if you treat me that way. It’s about being treasured.” **“On My Body” (Tyla & Becky G)** “This was such a fun one because it’s in my world, but also I played a bit with the Latin vibes. The feature came so organically—I was in studio, and she was in a session next door. She loved it, and she recorded a verse, and I absolutely died. I died. I just love her touch, and how it just broadened the audience, because now it\'s just bringing everybody into this experience. It\'s a melting pot with all these genres, and I love that I was able to expand it even further.” **“Priorities”** “This song was probably the most difficult to share, because it\'s really letting people into my heart and mind, and how I feel I\'ve been with myself. I feel like people would resonate with it, and it speaks about what a lot of people feel and may not express. \[The idea of having spread yourself too thin\] is something that\'s so raw and real, that not even just women, men, everybody feels.” **“To Last”** “I love this song with all my heart. I was in the Vaal with LuuDadeejay, and I literally finished this song in five minutes. It was based off an experience that my friend was going through at the time. About a year prior, I wrote the lines ‘You never gave us a chance, it\'s like you never wanted to last.’ And that note just came to mind, and the song just flowed out of me. I ended up going through something that made me feel that way. It was like I told the future, which is not good—but I fell in love with the song again. It’s so South African: It’s amapiano, it\'s house-y, it\'s our sound.” **“Water (Remix)” (Tyla & Travis Scott)** “Travis reached out—he loved ‘Water,’ and around the time, I was like, \'I don\'t want a remix, I\'m cool.\' But Travis Scott was so unexpected that I wanted to do it so bad, and he absolutely killed it. He added some South African shout-outs in his verse, and I just knew that people from home were going to love it—he acknowledged us, and he mentioned \[the South African telephone country code\] +27 and all those things. And I also love that he brought a different energy to the song. Everyone knows ‘Water’ to be that summer banger, and now Travis made it still the summer banger, but also more gritty. Putting him on an African-sounding song was just the perfect collab.”
Steven Ellison, who has performed under the Flying Lotus moniker for nearly 20 years, emerged from a *Twin Peaks* binge inspired to explore the outer reaches of his imagination, returning to the studio to work as a solo recording artist for the first time in a half decade. Letting David Lynch\'s murky netherworld spill out his subconscious, Ellison conjured “Garmonbozia,” a single that creeps forward on waves of chilly synths and tense bass—a sound that threatens to veer into darkness yet never quite does. Flying Lotus chooses the light throughout *Spirit Box*, populating the EP with playful excursions into house and neo-R&B, teaming with Dawn Richard on the shimmering “Let Me Cook” and Indian singer Sid Sriram on “The Lost Girls.” The bustling nocturnal vibe of the latter teams nicely with the subdued crawl of “Ajhussi” and the insistent pulse of “Ingo Swann,” each lending *Spirit Box* a sweep that feels vivid and cinematic.
Queens MC Heems made waves with rap group Das Racist in 2008 and he’s been in and out of the spotlight ever since. Projects like Swet Shop Boys with Riz MC and producer Redinho have been well received, but it’s been eight full years since the Punjabi American hip-hop star released a full-length solo effort. *LAFANDAR*—crafted with Indian American producer Lapgan—is worth the wait, as its 12 tracks adeptly balance underground influences with diaspora aesthetics. Irreverent and sharp, tracks like “Stupid Dumb Illiterate” and soulful “Accent” are packed with stories of South Asian community life.
“I don’t be trying to get too involved in the ‘extra big shoes to fill’ shit,” Latto tells Apple Music of her provocative and spirited third album. “I just do me, and I really feel like that have worked for me. I feel like all that is due to just me being me.” On *Sugar Honey Iced Tea*, the rapper elevates her work beyond what she feels is a “single-driven and club-driven” culture. “I wanted to make a cohesive project,” she says. “And I think with that, to sit through, what, an hour of one person, you have to be dimensional and be multidimensional, and I think you have to showcase different sides and versions of your artistry.” And with “Big Mama,” she found a single that didn’t compromise her vision. “I was like, ‘Okay, this the best one. It shows the versatility in the song.’” The album is also brimming with smooth collaborations—including Cardi B, Megan Thee Stallion, Ciara, Flo Milli, Young Nudy, Hunxho, Coco Jones, Mariah the Scientist, and Teezo Touchdown—which was Latto’s goal. “Everybody on there, I’m a fan of personally,” she says. “I made the music first and then I was like, ‘Okay, I think this person. Let me call this person. I want them to get on it.’ Or ‘I feel like they could add to the song.’ So everything was very intentional.” The bouncy and playful “Squeeze” with Megan Thee Stallion is Latto’s answer to the success of her 2021 hit “Big Energy.” “I didn\'t want to just run away from that pop fanbase that I had built,” she says. “So I wanted to incorporate some of that without it sounding too poppy, because I don’t think that’s where I’m rooted. I come from a rap competition show. I think it’s very clear, very evident that I’m a rapper first.” Certain tracks may shed light on her personal life, too. If “Prized Possession” featuring Teezo Touchdown tells the story of a toxic relationship (“I think I was very keen on it being a mood,” she explains), the sexy and sultry “Look What You Did” with Mariah the Scientist captures how Latto has been feeling running up to the album’s release. “This whole project is about my last two years,” she says. “And I feel like I found someone who uplifts me as a person.” But even so, Latto reminds us where the focus should be: “Listen to the music and you’ll know what you need to know.”
Normani knows some things are worth the wait, and nothing more than a debut album. The Fifth Harmony alum’s 2019 song “Motivation” introduced the triple threat as a solo performer. The hit single boasted an irresistible cascade hook and a choreography-rich music video to rival Britney Spears’ and Janet Jackson’s best. In the years since, while navigating family crises and online criticism, Normani has continued to hone down a full-length introduction to her singular voice. She completes that leap with *DOPAMINE*, a studied, seductive pop record that coats reflections on sex, love, and confidence with a glistening trap sheen. While smoother ballads like “All Yours” and “Insomnia” stay in direct conversation with vanguard hip-hop, single “Candy Paint” turns up the cowbell to hit the sweet spot of early Destiny’s Child, Brandy, and Cassie hits. Meanwhile, standout “Tantrums” darts down experimental pathways with a little help from vocals by one of Normani’s self-proclaimed favorite artists, James Blake. Contributions from Cardi B and Gunna round out the elegant portrait of this intentional artist, who’s more than ready for the rocket-ship rise depicted on *DOPAMINE*’s cover.
Where 2023’s *Hard to Love* found Moneybagg Yo deep in his thoughts, often exploring trap’s darker themes while willfully faded, *SPEAK NOW* feels like a reinvention of sorts. The Memphis rap star fixes his gaze here on the pleasures more so than the pain, overtly evident on the hypersexual subject matter that dominates the project. Leading with earned confidence on the booming opening pair “ALL YEAR” and “SPEAK,” he proceeds to pursue extravagances on “TIC TAC TOE” and “TRYNA MAKE SURE.” Clearly he’s out looking for someone to match his freak on “BUSSIN” and the club-ready “TABOO MIAMI,” his lyrics as unapologetically explicit as ever in his sprawling discography. Chris Brown puts his swarthy R&B spin on “DRUNK OFF U,” a metaphorical mixology lesson where the lust is as strong as top-shelf liquor, while Lil Durk keeps it reliably real on the street feast “GANGSTAS RELATE.” Later on, Moneybagg’s fellow Tennessee native Morgan Wallen brings that country grammar to his “WHISKEY WHISKEY” verse and hook contributions.
Bossman Dlow began building momentum off his *Too Slippery* mixtape, but the success of his 2024 hit single “Get in with Me” really put numbers on the board for the Florida rap phenom. Following his *Mr Beat the Road* project from earlier in the year, *Dlow Curry* is a game-winning buzzer-beater from the logo. After likening himself to a certain point guard on the title track, he backs it up with skillful braggadocio on booming cuts like “The Biggest Pt. 2,” “Dlow Gucci,” and “Star Life.” While most of the tracks rightfully center him, he does get some notable support on the proverbial court. He’s joined by New York rap royalty on two occasions here—first by Bronx drill princess Ice Spice on the mellowed “Pillsbury Dlow” and then by Coke Boys don French Montana for the effortlessly swaggering “Mo Chicken.” Elsewhere, he trades off with Lil Baby and NoCap on “PJ” and “What You Need,” respectively, reminding that the South still has something to say.
Calm, cool, and collected is the mode by which Babyface Ray operates, which explains why the Detroit veteran is peaking in his thirties. He’s been a star in his hometown for over a decade, but his 2022 debut album, *Face*, catapulted him to a new level of stardom. This doesn’t mean the stoic rapper has switched his style up since then: He’s a realist, not an entertainer, and his sweet spot counters opulence and drama with cold, hard facts. It’s the subtle details about what success really looks like that brings his fourth studio album, *The Kid That Did*, to life. “The more money that you got, the more you lose your peace,” he rasps on “Groupies & Goofies” between bars about firing the babysitters because his chain went missing and finding fans rifling through his trash. On “Shy Kid,” the former introvert lives large, balling out in London and paying the smoking fee upfront for the hotel’s swankiest corner suite. Ray’s international now, but it’s still Detroit versus everybody on highlights like Peezy collab “Ghetto Boyz” and “Wavy Navy University,” where he recruits Veeze for a clinic in understated opulence.
