Fresh Hip-Hop Playlist Drops
Curator @checktherhyme1_ shared a packed new releases playlist featuring collabs like Blu x Exile, Boldy James x Rome Streetz, DJ Paul x Freddie Gibbs, and Marc Spano with Planet Asia & Crooked I — garnering 20 likes and 3 reposts. Rated R&B also spotlighted 12 new tracks including Bruno Mars, Elmiene, and Naomi Sharon.
The collaboration between rapper Blu and producer Exile, "Soul Unusual," marks a continuation of a partnership that cemented its place in underground hip-hop with the 2007 classic "Below the Heavens". Their sound often features Exile's soulful, boom-bap production layered with Blu's reflective and relatable songwriting. Griselda Records affiliates Boldy James and Rome Streetz have joined forces for a seven-track collaborative EP titled "Manhunt". The project showcases the chemistry between the two, with Boldy's distinctively deep mutter complementing Rome's sharp, nasal delivery over gritty, drumless production. The new track "Find Out" pairs Freddie Gibbs with legendary Three 6 Mafia producer DJ Paul. The single channels the classic Memphis sound and serves as a lead-in to DJ Paul's forthcoming album, "Game Changers," which is scheduled for a March 6, 2026 release. Gibbs is well-known for his full-length collaboration projects with producers, including the Grammy-nominated album "Alfredo" with The Alchemist. In the R&B space, Bruno Mars has released "The Romantic," his first solo album in a decade since 2016's "24K Magic," which took home the Grammy for Album of the Year. The new nine-track project was co-produced with his frequent collaborator D'Mile. Dutch-Caribbean singer Naomi Sharon, the first female artist signed to Drake's OVO Sound label, also released a new song titled "Miss That". Before her 2023 debut album "Obsidian," Sharon had a career in musical theatre, performing in productions of "The Lion King" and "Dreamgirls".
