As we approach the end of week five of quarantine, today (Apr. 17) is jam-packed with new releases. Can DaBaby deliver another “BOP?” Can OVO’s R&B twosome dvsn keep their label’s blistering run alive with their new album? Check out some of our favorite releases from today below.
DaBaby, Blame It on Baby – After his torrid run as rap’s undisputed champ in 2019, Baby looks to repeat with his latest effort, Blame It on Baby. The 13-track project proves to be an action-packed highlight reel displaying Baby’s inescapable personality and steely wordplay. With all-star features from Future, Roddy Ricch, YoungBoy NBA and Megan Thee Stallion, Baby isn’t taking no for an answer as he eyes his second No. 1 on the Billboard 200.
21 Savage “Secret” Featuring Summer Walker – Savage and Walker previously linked up on Jhene Aiko’s “Triggered (Remix)” last year, and the Atlanta tandem shined. For Savage’s new single, “Secret,” he and Walker rework Xscape’s ’90s classic “My Little Secret,” allowing the rapper to transform into a smooth-talking charmer.
dvsn, A Muse in Her Feelings – Since their 2016 debut Sept. 5, Toronto duo dvsn have found a lane as OVO’s secret weapon because of their sink-or-swim approach to love and relationships. While their affinity for ’90s R&B remains intact on the Usher-sampled “Between Us,” they can tapdance around different sonic textures, as proven on the slow-winding “So What” and “Dangerous City.”
Westside Gunn, Pray For Paris – Though Westside Gunn isn’t the best lyricist on the Griselda roster, his grandiose raps about high fashion and wrestling (“Shawn Vs. Flair”), are admired by rap titans such as Jay-Z and Eminem. Not only does he dust the competition with his Buffalo soldiers on “George Bondo,” but he glows when surrounded by lyrical behemoths such as Tyler, The Creator, and Joey Bada$$ on “327.”
Buddy & Kent Jamz, Janktape Vol. 1 – If you dig long enough through today’s releases, you’ll unearth a bevy of gems, most notably Buddy and Kent Jamz’s Janktape Vol. 1. Both are nimble MCs who can also dip into the singing well and craft smooth earworms for the ladies. Whether they’re riding solo (“In Search Of”) or cruising together (“Bad Boys”), don’t sleep on these Compton players.
Kaash Paige, “Frank Ocean” – Paige began bubbling last year, courtesy of her debut mixtape Parked Car Convos. In January, we featured her as one of our Artists to Watch, and new record “Frank Ocean” proves why she’s oozing with potential. Paying homage to Ocean’s “Thinkin Bout You,” Paige is a doleful lover wondering what she can do to get her best friend back. “You know I think about you/ But you do you think about me?/Like Frank Ocean,” she sings.