YoungBoy Never Broke Again — I Rest My Case

YoungBoy Never Broke Again is a curious case. He is one of the biggest artists working, but he has very little mainstream chart presence—in fact, YoungBoy has very little mainstream appeal, and yet he is a massive talent and one of the touchpoints for what wanton hip-hop stardom can look like in the 2010s and 2020s. This is why the title of his new album I Rest My Case is so apt. Across 19 songs, Youngboy delivers his brand of harsh and aggressive, and distinctly Southern rap without pause: “Bitch I make you bleed, hoe.”

Zinoleesky — Grit N Lust

Consistently one of the most-streamed artists on Audiomack, Nigeria’s Zinoleesky closed out 2022 with his Grit N Lust EP. The Marlians Music signee has a fresh take on street-hop, with single “Call of Duty” riding high on hip-moving percussion. Standout “PERSONAL” features Zinoleesky at his melodic apex—prepared for the road ahead, which might just be lined in success. #UpNow alumni Ayra Starr and Omah Lay lend guest features.

Pinkpantheress — Take me home

Did Pinkpantheress bring back garage? Unclear, but I do know that her new three-pack Take me home expands her sound beyond the nostalgia-drenched material that brought on her viral breakthrough. With co-production from Mura Masa, Kaytranada, and other future-thinking artists to help guide Pinkpantheress’ sound, Take me home scans as a cheeky bid to extend her pop stardom. The digital twinkling of “Did you miss me?” wouldn’t be out of place in a Girl Tech commercial from the aughts, while somehow also pulling listeners into a new era.

SahBabii — LeakOut

The single best second of the new SahBabii project LeakOut comes when the elastic rapper screeches, “What?!” on the album’s intro. The playful delivery is quintessential for the Atlanta rapper. King Squid takes a lighter approach on this album in comparison to late October 2021’s Do It For Demon, which centered SahBabii’s pain over losing a close friend. Beyond LeakOut’s emphasis on flexing (“One and Done”) and tearing vocal performances (“Favors”), the album is a middle finger to the hackers who leaked hundreds of songs from SahBabii, Young Nudy, Future, and others.

Watch SahBabii Perform “Anime World” & “Racist” for Fine Tuned

MIKE — Beware of the Monkey

Seven albums in five years, and somehow MIKE still sounds limber on the mic. Beware of the Monkey has the warmth of his other 2021 record Disco!, but it focuses more on the angst of navigating the music industry. The album flowers open several times over, with “Tapestry” playing as the gentle swell before a storm settles. An emphasis on his musical lineage and agony belies the sweetness of MIKE’s tone, making this album all the more precious.

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