Today is Friday, which means there’s a ton of new releases to look forward to from some of your favorite Hip-Hop artists to help you unwind and enjoy the weekend. Check out VIBE’s picks for the songs and albums you should check out and add to be the soundtrack to your weekend festivities.
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Freddie Gibbs, '$oul $old $eperately'
Image Credit: Warner Records Freddie Gibbis, riding high off the success of his Grammy-nominated Alfredo album, with collab producer The Alchemist, looks to take another leap in his progression as one of the game’s most respected spitters with $oul $old $eperately. Arriving two years after finding a new label home in Warner Records, $oul $old $eparately marks Gibbs’ first major label effort, on which the Gary, Indiana rep exhausts all of his resources while delivering some of his finest performances to date. Led by the singles “Dark Hearted” and “Too Much” featuring Moneybagg Yo, $oul $old $eperately is chock full of explosive moments, with additional guest spots coming via Pusha T, Rick Ross, Offset and Anderson .Paak, among others. – Preezy Brown
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YG, 'I Got Issues'
Following the release of his 2020 effort, My Life 4Hunnid, Compton’s YG unleashes his sixth studio album, I Got Issues. Preceded by several promotional cuts including “Alone,” “Maniac,” “Scared Money” featuring J. Cole and Moneybagg Yo, and the runaway smash “Toxic.” In addition to the hyphy-inspired H.E.R. collaboration “Go Dumb,” I Got Issues boasts high-powered cuts like “No Weapon,” featuring Nas and the Roddy Ricch and Post Malone-guested groove “Sober.” – Preezy Brown
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Kid Cudi, 'Entergalactic'
With his new Kenya Barris-produced Netflix series, Entergalactic, premiering today, Kid Cudi has delivered an accompanying soundtrack to the show in the form of his latest studio album of the same name. His first release since last year’s Prime Day Show EP and the follow up to his 2020 effort Man on the Moon III: The Chosen, Entergalactic includes 15 songs and appearances from a handful of collaborators. Led by the singles “Do What I Want,” and “Willing to Trust” featuring Ty Dolla $ign, Entergalactic is rounded out by features from 2 Chainz and Don Toliver, as well as the bonus-track “Burrow” featuring Toliver, Steve Aoki, and Dot Da Genius. – Preezy Brown
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Prodigy, 'The Hegelian Dialectic 2: The Book of Heroine'
Image Credit: Infamous Records Five years following the passing of Prodigy, the Mobb Deep member’s first posthumous album, The Hegelian Dialectic 2: The Book of Heroine, has been unveiled. The follow-up to 2017’s Hegelian Dialectic (The Book of Revelation), the 12-track effort finds Prodigy mixing hard-boiled solo cuts with a handful of collaborative efforts. Set off by the singles “You Will See” featuring Berto Rich, and the dark but dope DJ Premier-produced “Walk Out,” The Hegelian Dialectic 2: The Book of Heroine includes additional contributions from Faith Evans (“Angel”), Big Daddy Kane and DJ Scratch (“You Don’t Want It”), Remy Ma (“Overdose”) and more. – Preezy Brown
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Yung Baby Tate, 'Mani/Pedi'
Image Credit: Warner Records Yung Baby Tate looks to further establish herself as one of rap’s fastest rising stars with her new project Mani/Pedi, her first release since inking a record deal with Warner Records last year. The follow-up to her 2020 EP After the Rain, the album includes the previously released singles “Dancing Queen,” “Yass Queen,” “Pedi,” “Sl*t Him Out Again” featuring Kali, and the breakout 2 Chainz assisted hit “Ain’t No Love.” Consisting of 14 tracks, Mani/Pedi finds Baby Tate taking center stage for the majority of the project, with the lone additional feature coming courtesy of Slimwav. – Preezy Brown
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DDG, 'It's Not Me It's You'
DDG is enjoying a great life alongside his girlfriend Halle Bailey, one half of the pop duo Chloe x Halle. The rapper has also been locked in on boxing, but equally focused on making hits in the arena of music. His new album It’s Not Me It’s You is a 12-song journey through love, loss, and the paper chase featuring Gunna, Polo G, NLE Choppa, Babyface Ray, and Kevin Gates. The standout records are “Elon Musk,” “Love Myself,” “If I Want You,” and “9 Lives.” – Armon Sadler
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Smino "90 Proof" Feat. J. Cole
Image Credit: Vivien Killilea/Getty Images for Interscope October is looming and that means it’s Smino season, or rather, what he calls “Droptober.” The St. Louis rapper dropped off an appetizer to close off September in “90 Proof” with the feature verse killer J. Cole. The mid-tempo Groove and Monte Booker-produced record is smooth like a cognac, employing Smino’s bright vocals and Cole’s rare but refreshing autotune before he lets the bars off. – Armon Sadler
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Unc & Phew "Nothing Changed"
Image Credit: Kevin Winter/Getty Images for Global Citizen Quavo and Takeoff have made it easy to adjust to their successful trio Migos becoming just a duo by providing good music. Their hot streak continues with “Nothing Changed,” as “Huncho” blends autotune melodies with his staccato rap flow and vintage ad libs. Takeoff, who usually raps at a rapid pace, takes a more laid back approach to this record. “Don’t nothing change but the chains, we on your head like a bang” is accurate, although a lot has changed for the Atlanta rappers. What hasn’t changed is their ability to make a good song. – Armon Sadler
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Roddy Ricch "Stop Breathing"
Image Credit: Phillip Farone/Getty Images Roddy Ricch is shaking off the critique from his last album, 2021’s Live Live Fast, by doing what a lot of celebrities do: flexing his riches. “Stop Breathing” is essentially a grocery list of his cars, his income, and the yachts he sees outside of his window. It’s easy to ignore the hate when women are chasing after you, and the Compton artist is fully focused on the good in his life. – Armon Sadler
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Bleu "Life Worth Living" Feat. French Montana
Image Credit: Leon Bennett/Getty Images for BET Bleu (sans the prefix Yung) is in a celebratory mood on “Life Worth Living,” and who better to call for a good time than French Montana? The Alabama artist spits about how he’s done being humble and how people have switched up on him due to his success. He’s unbothered, though, and the “Coke Boy” matches his energy as he raps about women and their willingness to do whatever for him. The duo lives good lives. – Armon Sadler