The vacation season remains to be going robust and so is hip-hop in the case of new music. Present rapping this week finds a feminine rap icon delivering an album surrounded by hype, a confirmed rapper-producer duo paying homage to their ancestry with a complete EP, a melodic rhymer repping Los Angeles placing out a brand new undertaking and extra.
Nicki Minaj Drops Pink Friday 2 Album on Her Birthday
Simply in time for the Barbz to have a good time her birthday, Nicki Minaj lastly blesses her rabid legion of followers together with her long-awaited new album, Pink Friday 2. The Queens-bred icon led the LP’s rollout with the September launch of her pop-rap hybrid monitor “Final Time I Noticed You.” The ATL Jacob-produced single peaked at No. 23 on the Billboard Scorching 100 singles chart and has since raked in over 42 million Spotify streams.
Additionally included on Pink Friday 2 is the whole model of “Huge Distinction,” a hard-hitting 808-driven monitor full of battle bars that Nicki previewed throughout her efficiency on the 2023 MTV Video Music Awards. 5 years within the making, Nicki’s fifth studio providing was initially slated to drop in October. Nonetheless, after pushing the discharge again to Nov. 17, Minaj in the end declared through Instagram Reside that she would put out Pink Friday 2 to the lots on the date she was born, Dec. 8.
Main as much as the official launch date, Nicki Minaj teased PF2 as “one of many best albums of all time.” The LP comes one month after Nicki and Ice Spice’s “Barbie World” was nominated within the Finest Rap Track class for the upcoming 2024 Grammy Awards.
Learn Extra: Nicki Minaj Sends Out Veiled Threats to Anybody on Her ‘Record’ Forward of Pink Friday 2 Launch
Blu and Nottz Reunite for Their Third Collaborative EP Afrika
Blu and Nottz reunite for the discharge of their new EP, Afrika. For his or her third collaborative effort, the rapper-producer combo comes by means of with a 10-track idea undertaking that they view as a “celebration of the wealthy historical past and tradition of their ancestral homeland.”
Final week, Blu and Nottz previewed the EP with “Marcus Garvey” that includes Quelle Chris and Shad, a socially aware monitor titled after the late world-renowned political activist of the identical identify. Afrika additionally contains visitor appearances from Mickey Factz, Cashus King, Bloodmoney Perez and Black Shakespeare, amongst others.
In talking on the undertaking forward of its launch, Blu provided some perception into the route of his lyrical content material.
“These are lyrics that I wanted to precise to those that help my music to allow them to maintain with them what I maintain most necessary to who I’m, African,” the previous XXL Freshman defined in an announcement. “I hope this undertaking conjures up many others to talk on the daddy and residential of humanity, Afrika.”
Learn Extra: Blu and Nottz Bear in mind ‘Yesterday’ on Track With Sene and Elisa Meri
Kalan.FrFr Comes By With Not Arduous 2 Perceive EP
After his final album 222 was praised as among the best hip-hop initiatives of 2022, Kalan.FrFr closes out 2023 within the type of his new EP Not Arduous 2 Perceive. All through the six-song undertaking, the Los Angeles rap-crooner stays true to the basic West Coast G-funk sound in a contemporary method with manufacturing from the likes of Mustard, Hitmaka and OG Parker, amongst others.
Singles from Not Arduous 2 Perceive embrace “Butterfly Coupe,” a catchy bop that includes Quavo, and “Ain’t Nothin,” a easy, lighthearted tackle having fun with the luxuries of life. In selling the undertaking, Kalan joined the Off the Porch podcast to supply some perception into his newest providing.
“It is straight to the purpose,” Kalan.FrFr says bluntly as he explains why the EP is named Not Arduous 2 Perceive. “It is straight to the purpose. It is gon’ be the toughest s**t out.”
Take a look at different new initiatives this week from Night time Lovell, Yung Bans, Rowdy Insurgent, Hitkidd and extra under.
Pink Friday 2
Nicki Minaj
Republic Data/UMG Recordings
Afrika
Blu and Nottz
Nature Sounds/New World Order
Not Arduous 2 Perceive
Kalan.FrFr
Roc Nation Data
Vol. 6
Yung Bans
1 Of 1/AWAL Recordings America Inc.
I Hope You are Glad
Night time Lovell
Black Cottonwood
Quelle Chris and Cavalier
Outdated Soul Music
The Warmest Winter Ever
James Fauntleroy
Sounds of Crenshaw, LLC
Trophies
Berner and OhGeesy
Bern One Leisure, LLC/Empire
It is Me, I am the Drawback
Lil Poppa
CMG/Interscope Data
Renegade
Hitkidd (Gloss Up, Aleza, Ok Carbon and Slimeroni)
Blac Noize!/Campsouth Data
Merry Bhrismas
Child Stone Gorillas
Park Cash Data
