Kanye West and Ty Dolla $ign‘s much-delayed Vultures 2 finally arrived last week, slightly later than its scheduled August 2 arrival. And while the ¥$ duo continue to command fans’ curiosity with daily tweaks to the album, there’s a whole slate of new projects out this week providing some stiff competition.
Headlining this week’s New Music Friday list are Latto‘s third studio album Sugar Honey Iced Tea, which arrives on the heels of a string of hit singles (not to mention a few catfights with her female rap rivals), and Polo G‘s long-awaited, star-studded Hood Poet.
Elsewhere, Benny The Butcher and Larry June continue to feed their loyal fanbases with surprise offerings, Logic extends his recent prolific streak with his third album in just over two years, and Chlöe, Ravyn Lenae and Phonte ensure R&B fans aren’t left emptyhanded heading into the weekend.
Check out the full list of new albums below and peep this week’s best new singles here.
Latto — Sugar Honey Iced Tea
Features: Megan Thee Stallion, Cardi B, Ciara, Young Nudy, Flo Milli, Hunxho, Coco Jones, Teezo Touchdown, Mariah the Scientist
Producers: jetsonmade, Earl on the Beat, OZ, Pooh Beatz, Go Grizzly, Daoud
Label: Streamcut / RCA
From “Big Energy” to “Big Mama,” Latto continues to assert herself as one of the game’s leading ladies with Sugar Honey Iced Tea, which serves as an ode to her hometown of Atlanta. Despite their ongoing rivalry, Latto has insisted that the title (or its acronymed form, S.H.I.T.) isn’t a shot at Ice Spice.
Polo G — Hood Poet
Features: Future, Lil Durk, GloRilla, Offset, 42 Dugg, G Herbo, The Kid LAROI, Hunxho, Fridayyy
Producers: Southside, TM88, ATL Jacob, CuBeatz, Nick Papz, Allen Ritter
Label: Columbia
Polo G has laid relatively low in the three years since Hall of Fame topped the Billboard 200 and hit double platinum status, save for the odd legal jam. Now, the Chicago rap star has returned with the eagerly anticipated Hood Poet — and he’s brought along a bevy of big names to stamp his comeback.
Benny The Butcher — Summertime Butch
Features: Black Soprano Family, Ed Lover, Rick Hyde, Elcamino, Amber Simone
Producers: Harry Fraud, StreetRunner, Nyckles Productionz, Harlem Zone, Elijah Hooks
Label: Black Soprano Family
Having already dropped one of the year’s best rap albums with Everybody Can’t Go, his major label debut on Def Jam, the “’97 Hov” MC draws inspiration from The Dynasty: Roc La Familia and shines a light on his Black Soprano Family with Summertime Butch.
Larry June — Doing It For Me
Features: N/A
Producers: Cardo, Jake One, Harry Fraud, DJ Khalil, Cookin Soul
Label: The Freeminded Records / EMPIRE
Larry June continues to give Curren$y a run for his money as the most prolific (and petrol-loving) hustlers in the game. After riding shotgun with The Alchemist and Cardo on The Great Escape and The Night Shift, respectively, in 2023, the smooth-talking San Franciscan cruises solo on the aptly-titled Doing It For Me. Good job, Larry!
Logic — Ultra 85
Features: DJ Drama, ZelooperZ, ADÉ, Lucy Rose, Robert Ivory, T Man the Wizard
Producers: Logic, 6ix, Beat Butcha, Kaelin Ellis, Bobby Campbell
Label: Three Oh One / BMG
First teased seven years ago, Ultra 85 picks up where 2015’s The Incredible True Story left off and follows the fictional characters Quentin Thomas and William Kai on their journey to Paradise. There have been numerous suggestions that this will be Logic’s final release, but given his recent album run (Vinyl Days, College Park), BMG deal and hints at other projects, it may just be typical “retirement” talk from another MC who can’t leave rap alone (word to Jigga).
Chlöe — Trouble In Paradise
Features: Ty Dolla $ign, Anderson .Paak, Jeremih, Halle Bailey, YG Marley
Producers: Bongo ByTheWay, Fridayy, Rogét Chahayed, Carter Lang, Anderson .Paak
Label: Parkwood / Columbia
Southside — Break the Silence
Features: N/A
Producers: Southside
Label: Southside Productions / Epic
MAVI — shadowbox
Features: Malaya
Producers: Monte Booker, Beach Noise, Alexander Spit, TwoTone, Angelo LeRoi
Label: Mavi 4 Mayor / UnitedMasters
Phonte — Pacific Time 2 (EP)
Features: Carlitta Durand, Carmen Rodgers
Producers: Focus…, Trackademicks, AbJo, Foolie $urfin
Label: The Foreign Exchange Music
Ravyn Lenae — Bird’s Eye
Features: Childish Gambino, Ty Dolla $ign
Producers: DJ Dahi, Jimmy Jam & Terry Lewis, Steve Lacy, J.LBS, FNZ
Label: Atlantic
Asake — Lungu Boy
Features: Travis Scott, WizKid, Central Cee, Stormzy, LUDMILLA
Producers: P.Priime, Mike Dean, Sarz, Magicsticks, SAK PASE
Label: YBNL Nation / EMPIRE
Ameer Vann — Woof
Features: N/A
Producers: Connor Barkhouse, Swidom, Soldado, Saturn Gates, Calvin Valentine
Label: Winston Wolfe