Kenyan rapper Elsy Wameyo goes hard on new single ‘Umva’. The multi-faceted artist is breaking out, fresh from a cavalcade of red-hot performances in Brighton over the weekend. Debut album Saint Sinner lands on July 29, and each single seems to arrive as a ready-made anthem. With co-signs from Masego and Lady Leshurr, it’s clear that Elsy Wameyo has huge breadth to her sound. New single ‘Umva’ is a case in point – the shuddering beat points to Stateside hip-hop reverberations, but the icy atmosphere is sheer grime. There’s something else, though, something harder to pin down – Elsy’s flows aim to disrupt, and she’s constantly seeking out new modes of expression. ‘Umva’ startles with its originality, relishing the shock factor while also impressing with the sheer force of character at the centre of it all. Elsy Wameyo comments… “It came from a place where I was writing and I didn’t exactly know where it was leading. I had to say certain things and this was one of those verses, where it was my body – whether I liked it or not – saying, “We have to get this out, because it’s the only way we’re going to heal. ‘Umva’ means “listen”. My photographer at the time, at the camp, he’s from Burundi. When Wuod had done the track, we were jumping around and listening to it and he said the word “umva”. I thought it was really cool, and he told me it means “listen”. I ran with that so hard. It was perfect. It was exactly the energy I wanted: when I speak, you’d better sit down and listen. When I enter a room, you stand up and you must salute. Respect.” [via Clash]

Saweetie has debuted the sunny, catchy single ‘Nani,’ which she’s been teasing for weeks. “‘Nani’ isn’t just a track; it’s the soundtrack to a good time,” Saweetie said in a press release. “This track gives main character energy! This single has been a labor of love, and it’s just the beginning. I’ve been working on this new music for a while, and I’m excited to share more of this journey with you.” The video captures the musician combing her hair before a pool party, twerking in a pull, and doing choreo to her radio-ready track at a badie-filled party. In the lyrics, Saweetie celebrates her glamorous lifestyle.“Plane. Sprinter. Glam. To the club backdoor. Section. Shots. Another club,” she raps referencing that one viral Lady Gaga interview. “Two shows. One night. What’s that? A hunnid plus. Whole room full of bad bitches, it’s a lot of us.” [via Rolling Stone]

Detroit hip-hop queen Kash Doll has dropped a new single and accompanying video called ‘Kash Kommandments,’ which sees her laying out some life lessons. The video sees Kash entering what looks like a formal business environment, looking executive-elegant, and then imparting her wisdom on a group of similarly-attired women. The lessons are pretty straightforward: don’t get fucked over more than once, get the money that you’re owed, and so on. Fair enough. “The video, directed by Diego, showcases ‘Professor Kash’ imparting invaluable lessons on being an empowered boss,” reads the press release. “Since its release via MNRK Music Group, Kash Doll has ignited the streets with ‘Kash Kommandments,’ garnering fans to jump on board, taking flight on social media, and creating over 12k videos within days of the song’s release.” [via Music Connection]

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Iggy Azalea is clocking back into work. The rapper has been enjoying her newly found success on OnlyFans, but as promised, her new music has arrived. Iggy’s thirst for financial expansion, seen in the recent sale of her publishing catalog, is at the root of her new single, ‘Money Come.’ The record — produced by Tricky Stewart, JerkPoP, and Nana Afriyie — is the first offering from her forthcoming album. In the song, Iggy is locked into her wealth goal, tuning her haters out as she raps, “Say you gonna run up on who? I need proof / These btches pssies, their mouths are too loose / Still know some neighborhood boys who can shoot / I can put it on your head and they can put you on the news / Pssy so wet, he need an anchor / Where that btch talkin’ sht? I wanna thank her / ‘Cause even though I don’t fck with you hoes / All the hatin’ kept my eyes on the money like a banker / Come baby, come baby, money make me come.” For the official video, directed by Christian Breslaver, is an orgasmic overthrowing of the patriarchy and not in a Barbie movie sort of way. Conceptually, ‘Money Come’ is a crossbred of Meghan Trainor’s ‘Nice To Meet Ya’ and Megan Thee Stallion’s ‘Thot Sh*t’ videos as Iggy, along with her fellow women in combat armed to the teeth, storm the office to take back control of the boardroom as a result the bag. [via UPROXX]

Kash Doll has released her newest music video for the single ‘Ridin.’ The visual sees the Detroit rapper channeling the 1996 cult classic film Set It Off, which starred Queen Latifah, Jada Pinkett, Kimberly Elise, and Vivica A. Fox. Taking on all four characters of Cleo, Frankie, Stony, and T.T., Kash goes on a heist in search of her man — and the money, of course. She raps about threatening to leave her relationship if he doesn’t get his act together, as she refuses to be riding around all night looking for him. Dressed in a “Kashdoll’s Janitorial” jumpsuit, she spits, “It’s past midnight where the fk you been?/ Don’t play with me, nia, better drop that pin/ I already talked to yo’ lyin’ a** friends/ Keep playin’ you gon’ end up single just like them.” [via VIBE]

NYC based multi-hyphenate Talia Goddess has shared new single ‘One Time’. The 21-year-old force is a true multi-disciplinarian, crossing the worlds of music, visual art, and fashion. Self-taught, Talia plays out as a DJ and handles her own production, blending her songwriting finesse with real skills as a performer. The world is hers, and it starts with fantastic new single ‘ONE TIME’. Out now, it’s the work of someone crossing multiple lanes – pop in the best sense, she draws on R&B aspects and hip-hop dynamics, while also pointing to a broader knowledge of club flavours. Laden with colour and autobiographical revelation, ‘ONE TIME’ shines a determined light on this Brooklyn creator. Ben Wescott directs the video, which displays Talia Goddess in her element – tune in now. [via Clash]

Doja Cat is getting ready to release her new album Scarlet, and the saga of its changing cover art has been pretty funny. Doja already released the early singles ‘Attention’ and ‘Paint The Town Red,’ and both of them are really good. When she announced her album release a few days ago, Doja teased a horror-movie video for another single called ‘Demons.’ Now, that song is out. For all of the Scarlet videos, Doja Cat has been playing around with satanic imagery, which is fun. Doja co-directed the ‘Demons’ clip with Christian Breslauer, and she plays a devil-goblin thing who torments Christina Ricci. The video really piles on the horror-movie references. It feels a little early to go full spooky-season like this, but I’m on board. [via Stereogum]

Brazy recently released ‘Attends,’ a song written to hype up crowds when she opened for Santi on tour. The song has been a slow-burn hit, first blowing up on TikTok but sticking around far longer than the usual overnight success. It’s not hard to see why ‘Attends’ has got legs. The track taps into Brazy’s self-described “Afro-Future / Afro-Sexy,” sound as she raps in English, Yoruba, French, and Chinese over a non-stop beat and synths that lend the track a dramatic edge. The lyrics are playful and flirty (“You be custard and I’ll be cake”) but Brazy makes it clear she takes no prisoners, stating “Cheat on me I will cheat on you” to the object of her desires. Now, Brazy shares the ‘Attends’ video. Naturally, the video is set in the club and sees Brazy and her girls dancing to the track while drawing attention from every angle. [via The FADER]

In November, Tkay Maidza is releasing a new album, Sweet Justice, her first full-length in seven years, though in that time she released three EP as part of her Last Year Was Weird series. We’ve heard two singles already, ‘Silent Assassin’ and ‘Ring-A-Ling,’ and now she’s back with the brief but hard-hitting ‘WUACV.’ “I wanted to write a song where I could express my bubbling anger toward people who had manipulated me during the last phase of my life,” Maidza said. Watch the track’s Hannibal Lecter-inspired music video below. [via Stereogum]

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Ivorian Doll, the esteemed “Queen of Drill,” takes a bold step forward with her latest single, ‘Big Bad IVD’. Shedding her drill persona, she embraces a fresh pop-leaning era that showcases her versatility as an artist. This captivating release flips a sample from the iconic 50 Cent hit, ‘P.I.M.P.’, infusing it with her infectious energy and distinctive style, marking a significant entry into her evolving discography and demonstrating her ability to seamlessly transition between genres while maintaining her signature charisma. [via GRM Daily]

June 8, City Girls released ‘I Need A Thug,’ a track that interpolated LL Cool J‘s ‘I Need Love’ and kept the Miami duo in their lyrical comfort zones, outlining exactly what they need out of a partner and what they can offer in return. Less than 24 hours later, another single, ‘Piñata,’ arrived. The new track is far more sonically aggressive than ‘Thug,’ thanks chiefly to the beat from 808 Mafia’s Southside. The bass is peaking red, distorted, and relentless, an effect that’s underlined during the chorus of JT’s breathy entreaties. The constantly ascending aggression of the instrumental helps distinguish it from City Girls’ previous single, another song where JT and Miami run up a check and run through a list of what man should do for them. [via The FADER]

We already know Doja Cat is good at getting attention. Now we get to find out if she’s good at making ‘Attention.’ Her new single marks the start of a new era, presumably leading to her first album since 2021’s Planet Her, though she’s trickled out one-off tracks like the Elvis soundtrack single ‘Vegas’ and an appearance on SZA’s ‘Kill Bill’ remix that helped push the song to #1. In February, Doja said she wanted to make a hardcore album and that her next record would lean in a “more masculine direction.” In the case of ‘Attention,’ it seems that means a focus on rap over pop. “Look at me, look at me!” she instructs us. “You lookin’?” See for yourself below via director Tanu Muino’s music video. [via Stereogum]

Dreya Mac makes a powerful return with her first release of 2023, a new heater that she’s called ‘Better Off’. The hard-hitting track, produced by The Elements, enters with a bang, grabbing listeners with its bold energy and a pulsating trap sound. Lyrically, Dreya fearlessly expresses her love for all kinds of women, delivering impactful lyrics that celebrate her identity and those women around her. Amidst this, she makes sure to showcase her flexing prowess too, adding an extra layer of confidence to the track. [via GRM Daily]

Detroit rap phenomenon Kash Doll returns with a hypnotic new single entitled ‘Ridin’ via MNRK Music Group. On the track, a nostalgic R&B loop underlines Kash’s hard-hitting and emotionally-charged bars. Between thumping 808s, sizzling hi-hats, and lively snaps, she unleashes three incendiary verses punctuated by her nimble flow and quotable punchlines. Alternating between deft rapping and dynamic singing, she ponders the ups and downs of a turbulent romance with a chantable chorus as she warns, “Don’t have me ridin’, ridin’, ridin’, ridin’, ‘round for you.” About ‘Ridin’, Kash Doll commented, “This record is fun and true. Guys start acting up in the summer! I love this record because I got a chance to test my range by singing and rapping. I hope you all love it too!” [via Broadway World]

Little Simz has unveiled the highly anticipated official music video for her hit track ‘Gorilla’, a fan favourite from her recent album No, Thank You. Directed by the renowned Dave Meyers, known for his work with music industry icons like Jay-Z, Drake, Kendrick Lamar and Notorious B.I.G., the video is nothing short of extraordinary. Leveraging AI technology and Microsoft Cloud, the visuals offer an interactive experience, altering colours, effects and more with each viewing. This innovative approach adds a fresh dimension to the video, making it an interactive and unique encounter for fans of the Islington artist and beyond. [via GRM Daily]

Lil Westside has come through with a new visual for her song ‘I Am Not Them’. With back to back bangers under Burke’s new label 50/40 Records. Having kept the new signee in heavy rotation, Lil Westside returns with new raved release ‘I Am Not Them’ following up her fire From The Block performance. Now, she returns with a video for ‘I Am Not Them’ which serves as the opening record for her upcoming project Underdog: A Westside Story. Furthermore, the 12-track project serves as Lil Westside’s first installment of 2023. ‘I Am Not Them’ is a hard-hitting cut that builds captivatingly, with a blazing energy that keeps the listener on their toes throughout. Featuring bassy, raw production consisting of ominous synths, heavy, throbbing bass, and crisp percussion, the instrumentation creates a sleek, stylish backdrop for Westside as she builds intense, powerful vocals with a commanding tone that cuts through the mix. The new video captures the song’s invigorating pace and energy with rapid, exciting editing and a charismatic performance from Westside. [via Earmilk]

Discover more rising talent in hip hop via the playlist below!

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Toronto’s Ekelle rhymes about what she knows best: her real-life experience! Money, sex, drama, and identity stir together to create a style she calls Hood Pop – popular music with a street edge. She’s back with a new ‘bad bitch anthem’ titled ‘Flo’ which she remarks is her preferred song style. “We’re finally in a place where the music scene, especially in Canada where we are embracing Female rappers, allows us to exist independently without putting us all in a box.” It’s a sexy track perfect for a night out.

Back in February, Kash Doll teamed up with DJ Drama for Back On Dexter: A Gangsta Grillz Mixtape, an 11-track offering with additional features from Lakeyah, Peezy, Babyface Ray, Sada Baby, Icewear Vezzo, YN Jay, and more. On Wednesday, April 5, the Detroit emcee dropped off a new visual from said project for ‘LEGIT,’ a Dooder and Joseph McFashion-produced offering that features fellow hometown hero Payroll Giovanni. The track sees the artists repping their city while flexing their hard-earned wealth and success. “Nobody wanna be like you when they get older, in the club tag-teaming bottles, bein’ big holders, it’s lonely at the top, but you won’t know, ’cause you ain’t built for it, my son spoiled, don’t like nothin’ else but Rick Owens, billionaire ties, got a sponsor by Rihanna, four-band bag, it say Loro Piana, in one night, I used to make $26,000, I don’t wanna hear a sentence, you won’t add another comma…” The accompanying clip for ‘LEGIT’ shows Kash Doll and Giovanni living it up at the bank, in a restaurant, and in a nightclub. All the while, authorities can be seen spotted doing surveillance for unknown reasons. [via Revolt]

Leicester rhymer Trillary Banks has accompanied the release of her new drop, ‘Bruce Lee’, with a fresh set of visuals. With her last solo drop being her Mykal Millions-hosted mixtape 90s Baby which dropped in March last year, it’s been a minute since we got some fresh material from Trillary. Despite this, she approaches this track as confident as ever with her patois-infused flows. Shot by Rexo Robinson, these visuals keep the focus on Trillary as she patrols the streets at night with some of her team. [via GRM Daily]

A few months ago, the fast-rising Bronx rap star Ice Spice released her debut EP Like…?, which collected all the tracks that turned her into a viral sensation and added a few more. One of the new ones was ‘Princess Diana,’ and the fact that Ice Spice was referring to herself as Princess Diana is just awesome. Now, Ice Spice has dropped a new version of that track, and it’s got a big boost from arguably the biggest star in all of New York rap. Ice Spice knows how much a remix can help a song. Almost immediately after she released her Like…? EP, Ice Spice showed up on the PinkPantheress remix ‘Boy’s A Liar Pt. 2,’ which quickly became one of the year’s biggest hits. Nicki Minaj, fresh off of her diss track ‘Ruby Red Da Sleaze’ and her appearance on fellow young star NBA YoungBoy’s ‘WTF,’ rides RIOTUSA’s bubbly drill-pop beat with a whole lot of energy. There’s a concept behind this remix: Nicki is the queen, and Ice Spice is the princess. Sure! The relationship between the actual Queen Elizabeth and Princess Diana wasn’t all that friendly, but this one seems to be going fine, and it’s fun to hear these two together. The video for the ‘Princess Diana’ video is extremely pink, and its the first time an Ice Spice clip has any kind of production budget. [via Stereogum]

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