ShaSimone can spit hard. An intimidating persona, she’s also not afraid to be open. Recent single ‘Lock Off’ showed the rapper at her most dynamic, lifting the tempo for those epic double-time flows. Aiming to keep fans on their toes, new single ‘Thug Affection’ flips the script once more, with ShaSimone dropping the tempo for a work of ruthless honesty. Opening with spoken word testimony from a therapist, ‘Thug Affection’ boasts bass-heavy LikkleDotz production, the spartan arrangement moving from sub-low elements through to those tinkling notes of piano. Putting her heart on the line, ShaSimone talks about the trials of the dating scene, and the necessity that love and commitment hold in her life. She comments… “’Thug Affection’ is a song I made which is a reflection of the current dating scene from my perspective. Situationships have become so glamorised and I feel like a lot of people are craving genuine, real love. So this song is a dedication to all the people looking for something real.” A bold yet subtle track, ‘Thug Affection’ spins everything you know about ShaSimone on its head. MRMTMMG directs the visuals – tune in below. [via Clash]

Self-proclaimed “queen of drill” Ivorian Doll is sharing her newest track ‘Messy’. Coming alongside a montage video directed by Bas Haselager, the vid follows Ivorian Doll behind-the-scenes and performing on-stage. Speaking to DIY last year, she told us, “I try and make my music really fun, and people like that unapologetic person – the person who doesn’t really care. That’s what I put out every day. I’m doing me!” [via DIY]

Leicester’s very own Queen Millz has accompanied the release of her latest single, ‘Red Light’, with a fresh set of visuals. As always Queen Millz comes through with a whole load of confidence on ‘Red Light’, which she uses to detail her success to motivate her listeners. [via GRM Daily]

FLOHIO has shared a new video for her latest single, ‘SPF’. It’s a cut from recently-announced debut album, Out Of Heart. Set for release on October 7, the record also features single ‘Cuddy Buddy’. Director Aiden Hermit-Williams says of the video recording process: “Making this music video was truly a labour of love on my part and if I can speak for my majestic team: I’m sure it was for them too. We went through the fire to make something great but luckily we were wearing our SPF. Having the opportunity to work with Flohio, who’s such a focused and engagingperformer was really something special, turning it up to 11 for every shot. Not tomention the amazing cast and crew including Matt (@mattgillan) our DOP and Scott(@scottgriffithsdp) our focus puller who really brought their A-games for thecamerawork and Ellie (@ellie_r1) our stylist who really elevated the concept with herstyling. A great experience from start to finish.” [via Dork]

Continuing a red hot summer, Dallas rap star Erica Banks serves up a sizzling new music video for her latest single ‘Trick’ via 1501 Certified Entertainment/Warner Records. It remains a standout from her 2022 mixtape, Diary of the Flow Queen. The track’s thick bassline wobbles between a head-nodding beat. She launches into a series of raw and racy rhymes before a hard-hitting hook. As if offering up an instruction manual to the hustle, she urges, “Give ’em a show.” The sexy and celebratory accompanying visual illuminates her uncontainable spirit and star-power on-screen, bringing the song to life with no shortage of seduction. The clip features show-stopping pole dance routines as vibrant as the song’s bold bounce. It might just be her wildest and definitely most bodacious video yet! [via Broadway World]

New York rapper CLIP returns with bold new single ‘FALL BACK’. The artist’s debut EP PERCEPTION is out on September 8, released via tastemaker imprint In Real Life. Recent single ‘Calvin K’ caused a ruckus, with CLIP’s natural flamboyance coming to the fore. Ahead of this, bruising new single ‘FALL BACK’ is online now. The bass-heavy production carries a real sense of swagger, illuminated by those bright, buoyant electronics. Self-described as “pretty girl music” there’s a real sense of style to the way CLIP approaches this track. She says: “The energy for ‘FALL BACK’ came naturally. The beat is so beautiful and brought to mind iconic women rappers of the 90s and 2000s – I wanted to channel pretty girl music while still talking my shit.” The full video is also online, with CLIP continuing: “Moshpxt’s video brings ‘FALL BACK’ to life because it’s as if he created my own dream land, and that’s where my mind is most of the time. The visuals ultimately complement how euphoric and yet energetic the beat is.” [via Clash]

Birmingham’s Brixx has returned with visuals for her brand-new tune ‘Bad Like Dat’. Produced by Moshino Royale, this track is infused with a vibey dancehall-infused tone which Brixx uses to remind us what she’s all about. In the visuals by MarpzNorthside, we see Brixx in therapy where she speaks on her bad antics. ‘Bad Like Dat’ is Brixx’s first release of 2022 following last year’s ‘2nd Warning Freestyle’, and is said to be a taste of what’s to come from the Brum artist in the next few months. [via GRM Daily]

Nigerian-born, New Zealand-raised, Australian-based hip-hop act Sophiegrophy is back with the perfect answer for the haters in her new song ‘Question Mark’. The track sees her heading back to Lagos, Nigeria to soak in the energy and deliver a no holds barred assault on the naysayers over a bouncy drill/grime-infused soundscape. Armed with her bass-laden vocal tone and unrelenting confident demeanor, she reminds folks not to jump to conclusions because the reality might not be palatable hence don’t pose a question when you have an assumed answer. The track also sees her blending English with her native Yoruba language in an effortless manner as she glides over the beta with much gusto and finesse. For the visuals, Sophiegrophy taps Nayaeffecz of NayaCreativesStudios to help bring her vision to life. Using a mix of performance shots, indoor and on-location shots with themed set pieces, we get to see the rapper in all her glory from her animated performance and unique fashion style. [via Earmilk]

The post appeared first on She Makes Music.

Shaybo is back with new single ‘Crocs’, which marks her first new material of 2022. ‘Crocs’ is Shaybo’s first new single since joining forces with NSG on ‘Don’t Play Me’ in November last year, and lands with a Kevin Hudson-directed video. [via Line of Best Fit]

Erica Banks hasn’t let her foot off the pedal since she emerged with ‘Buss It.’ The song became an instant smash on TikTok, propelling her career from buzzing Internet phenom into a star in her own right. Although it’s been roughly two years since she released her self-titled project, fans are eagerly awaiting to hear what she has coming. This week, she slid through with her new single, ‘Throw Some Mo (Do It).’ The strip club-ready record is produced by K Major and ItzDoeDoeBih, who flip Khia’s ‘My Neck, My Back’ into a bass-heavy trunk-rattling Texas banger. Erica Banks delivers with ferocity on the sex-posi record. Hopefully, it’s a sign that her new project will be arriving sometime this summer. [via HNHH]

Rico Nasty has been sporadically dropping singles over the past year — most recently was ‘Vaderz’ last month, and then the Flo Milli-featuring ‘Money’ a few months before that. Now, she’s back with another new track, the distortion-heavy ‘Intrusive.’ “This song tells the story of intrusive thoughts with some industrial elements,” Rico Nasty said in a statement. “The song is a true free style for me and takes you for a ride through my mind.” This track and ‘Vaderz’ are supposed to be featured on what is described in a press release as a “very personal upcoming project.” Rico’s last project was 2020’s Nightmare Vacation, her studio debut. [via Stereogum]

The post appeared first on She Makes Music.

Dallas rapper Erica Banks, who stirred up buzz with the Nelly-sampling ‘Buss It,’ returns with the new single ‘Pop Out’ that proves ‘Buss It’ isn’t the only party rap anthem she’s got up her sleeve. Check out the video below. [via Brooklyn Vegan]

North Carolina rapper TiaCorine has released her first new song of 2022. It’s titled ‘Gas Station’ and comes with a video inspired by Rockstar’s PS2 classic Bully. In the video, TiaCorine rides around on a bicycle while bringing her lyrics to life in humorous (and at times, a little too literal) ways. Check out the video shot by novART Films and Terry Suave below. [via The FADER]

Megan Thee Stallion debuted a new song during the first weekend of Coachella 2022. Now, she’s graced us with an official release of the single. It’s called ‘Plan B,’ and you can check it out below. ‘Plan B’ samples Jodeci, Raekwon, and Ghostface Killah’s 1995 track ‘Freek’n You.’ When Megan introduced the new song from the Coachella stage, she said that it is “very motherfucking personal,” and dedicated it “to whom it may the fuck concern.” [via Pitchfork]

DreamDoll just released her newest single, ‘Ice Cream Dream’ featuring French Montana right on time for the summer. Together, the two New York-raised rappers collabed to deliver a steamy record. The song reimagines the classic 1995 track ‘Ice Cream’ by Raekwon featuring Ghostface Killah, Method Man, and Cappadonna. [via HNHH]

The rapper Sampa The Great — who was born in Zambia, raised in Botswana, started releasing music while she lived in Australia, and recently moved back to Zambia — had her Coachella debut this month and seems destined for big things. In 2019, she released her debut studio album, The Return — which won the Australian Music Prize — and she’s gearing up for another album. Now, she’s released a new single, ‘Lane,’ which comes with a striking music video directed by Rochelle Rhembard and Imraan Christian, and incorporates a spoken-word piece called ‘Origin.’ The song itself is dreamy and determined and features an invigorating guest spot from Denzel Curry. “We’re not going to stay in one lane, we’re going to create multiple ones,” Sampa The Great said. “My truest self encourages me to explore different lanes, and go beyond what I think I know of myself.” [via Stereogum]

The post appeared first on She Makes Music.