Kendrick Lamar, Snoop Dogg, Dr. Dre, Ice Cube Pull A West Coast Takeover With New Music, And Other New Hip-Hop Releases

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Today is Friday, which means there are 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 of songs and albums you should hear and add to your soundtrack of weekend festivities.

Kendrick Lamar – GNX

Kendrick Lamar kept up his 2024 theme of stopping the world in its tracks with his surprise album GNX. The 12-track, 44-minute effort opened up with fiery shots at Lil Wayne and Snoop Dogg on “wacced out murals,” reflecting on the reactions to him being selected for the Super Bowl.

The album then descends into a mix of West Coast bops and pensive soulful cuts, tapping Mustard yet again and a slew of local west coast artists that people may not have been familiar with. If fans and naysayers wished K. Dot collaborated more with hometown acts or provided more “hits,” they will likely walk away satisfied with GNX.

SZA also joins the fun on the smooth “Luther” and decadent “Gloria.” Though it is less than a day into this album existing, it is difficult to find anything negative to say. Kendrick turned what was his ire toward one person into overall hatred toward the industry, yet conveyed his conflicting emotions in genuinely good sounding music.

It leans more toward the DAMN. side of his catalog but it doesn’t sacrifice substance for palatability. A job well done. – Armon Sadler

Snoop Dogg and Dr. Dre featuring ALUS – “Outta Da Blue”

As the release date for Snoop Dogg and Dr. Dre‘s collaborative album, Missionary, looms closer and closer, the iconic tandem serve music fiends another tester with “Outta Da Blue,” a bouncy jam that matches true school fundamentals with new school sensibilities.

Taking a back-and-forth approach ala Jadakiss and Styles P, Tha Doggfather and Dre brandish their veteran status and penchant for “bottles and bi**es,” good smoke, and assigned seating in the lap of luxury.

“See, reaching these type of heights, it come with a third eye/ I’m better at betting on me, the numbers don’t lie,” Hip-Hop’s resident Doc boasts, as he serves double duty, manning the mic and the boards.

While the instrumental borders on disjointed amid its varying moving parts, the track never loses its footing, as the dynamic duo keep the buzz regarding Missionary‘s arrival at a fever pitch with this latest loosie. – Preezy Brown

Ice Cube – Man Down

A living musical legend having the passion and will to create after having already solidified their legacy is to be marveled at and respected. Yet, the other side of the coin is that due to the passage of time, they may not be able to create the same levels of greatness on a consistent basis. Such is the case for Ice Cube on Man Down, the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame inductee’s eleventh solo studio album and first full-length release in over six years.

Man Down gets off to a strong start, as Cube is in top form on the early highlights “Rollin’ At Twilight” and “Not Like Them,” but gets its moment broken during its latter half by less inspiring fare. Numbers such as “I’mma Burn Rubber,” “Especially,” “Talkin’ Bout These Rappers,” and “Take Me To Your Leader” pale in comparison to standouts like “No Cap,” “Ghetto Story,” “Break the Mirror,” and “Scary Movie,” leading to mixed-results for the overall listening experience.

That said, there’s more positive than negative to be said about Man Down, as Ice Cube puts forth a serviceable effort that shows he’s still got some magic left in the tank, albeit intermittingly. – PB

J. Cole – The Come Up

J. Cole gave the fans a treat in uploading his first-ever mixtape The Come Up to all streaming platforms this week. Some may have had it for years, some may be hearing it for the first time. Either way, it is a welcome look back on his origins and the guy who would evolve into one of the best rappers of this generation. “I’m The Man,” “Split You Up,” “School Daze,” and “Dollar And A Dream” are all lyrical exhibitions loaded with storytelling and the introspection fans would come to love the Dreamville head honcho for. This begs the question…will Friday Night Lights eventually hit streaming too? That project could potentially go No. 1 on Billboard. – AS

Playboi Carti – Play This

Playboi Carti is a frustrating artist to follow given the fact he releases at any time of the day and in unconventional ways. “Play This,” an Instagram exclusive record that isn’t even on his official page, continued that trend but boy is it worth digging through the internet for. The Atlanta artist employs his baby voice, repetition, and insatiable thirst for women for a one-minute, 25-second banger. The production is high-energy and trunk rattling. Again, this isn’t for people looking for depth; it is simply fun, chaotic, and a reminder that Carti is here even if his long-awaited album is elusive. How long the people will still care and wait for that album to drop remains to be seen. – AS

Listen to Playboi Carti “Play This” here.

Boldy James and Harry Fraud – The Bricktionary

When it comes to the sport, skill, and craft of rapping, Boldy James is in the upper echelon of rap artists on the scene today. Rarely allowing a season to go by without a new addition to his catalog, the Detroit rapper returns with The Bricktionary, his latest effort and fourth musical project of 2024.

Teaming up with NYC boardsman Harry Fraud, Boldy does what he does best, which is cook up spellbinding tales of life as a drug merchant atop murky, soul-driven soundscapes. Led by the singles “Cecil Fielder” featuring Tee Grizzley, and “Shrink Wrap” with Babyface Ray, The Bricktionary presents the additional highlights “Pressin’ My Bunk,” “Pillar To Post,” “Shadowboxing,” and “Fish Grease.”

Running 12 tracks in length, with minimal lowlights to speak of, The Bricktionary falls short of being either Boldy or Fraud’s best work, but is a solid offering to tide listeners over until their next release. – PB

Bossman Dlow – “The Biggest Pt. 2”

Bossman Dlow added the second edition to what appears to be a series in “The Biggest Pt. 2.” It incorporates everything fans have come to love the Port Salerno, Fla. rapper for: his infectious vocals, his energetic flow, his ad-libs, and funny punchlines. This is a higher BPM than he’d typically use, but it doesn’t sacrifice his lyricism and delivery. In fact, his rapping ability gets heightened here and helps him beat any allegations of being a one-trick pony. Once again, Dlow is locked into his time and continues to hit the mark. It’s only a matter of time before he secures bigger features and it will be interesting to see how he performs next to them. – AS

Lil Tjay – “Let It Go Baby”

Lil Tjay is one of the standouts in his subgenre of emotional, melodic rap music and “Let It Go Baby” further proves this. The piano keys in the production beat add a somber element to a beat this leans slightly more toward the upbeat end of the spectrum, but it is his crooning and subject matter that drive the message home. Tjay has had a rough couple years and it would understandably be difficult to let go of the fact he was shot and had people turn on him. This song is exactly about that, adding a level of catharsis and laudable maturity to his catalog. – AS

Jack Harlow – “Hello Miss Johnson”

Jack Harlow somehow turned elevator music into an endearing love song on “Hello Miss Johnson.” His hits lately have been more uptempo and catchy, but this showed a progression of his artistry. It also contributed to his “nice, charming guy” aesthetic as the song is literally about him calling a woman’s house phone that he likes, speaking to her mother, and asking permission to talk to her. It is a record you can dance to, sing along to, but also appreciate the lyricism. The Louisville artist has made records like these before, but this stands above the rest. If it is a sign for the direction of his next album, Jack Harlow may have his best work yet on the way. – AS