Mulalo has returned with her third release for the year: a biting new track titled ‘Houdini’. Produced by longtime collaborator “and really good friend” Nerve, the song is driven by deep, bass-heavy synths and tribal beats. On its themes, Mulalo said in a statement that her newest cut is “all about solidifying my music, self expression, being who you are and being confident”, as well as “knowing that if you believe in yourself, you are on the right path and you’re going to be successful in any aspect”. [via NME]

It’s spooky season, and Monaleo is getting in the mood with her new song and music video ‘Body Bag.’ The Houston rapper attacks a beat with a melody straight out of the Halloween movies, sounding even more vicious and unrelenting than usual as she addresses the wannabees, nats, naysayers, and opps in her orbit. She truly does sound like a one-woman army — Freddie Krueger with better skin and nails, maybe? — and the music video visualizes Monaleo’s taste for blood. She takes over a meatpacking district and floods the spot with carcasses both animal and human; yes, there’s lots of blood, so maybe don’t watch if you’re squeamish. [via the FADER]

Sampa The Great has shared a music video for the Angélique Kidjo-featuring ‘Let Me Be Great’, which appeared on her recent album As Above, So Below. Directed by Pussy Krew, the clip first situates Sampa in an otherworldly desert setting, as trippy animations of golden snakes and her own pixelated flesh flash into view. The Zambian singer later opts for a costume change after linking hands with Kidjo in front of an oscillating snake visual. Elsewhere in the video, Sampa dances aside chromatic tendrils and dons a regal golden headpiece. [via NME]

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Last time we got a Megan Thee Stallion single, it was ‘Sweetest Pie’ with Dua Lipa. But more music is on the way — last month, the Houston rapper told Rolling Stone how she was working on her forthcoming sophomore album — the follow-up to 2020’s Good News — which she hopes to have out this summer. That brings us up to now, where Megan shared a new collab with Future called ‘Pressurelicious.’ Sharing the track artwork on Instagram, she captioned: “Hot Girls Up 10000000000000 points.” Opening up a bit more about the mood of her new album, Megan told Rolling Stone: “I want to take you through so many different emotions. At first you was twerking, now you might be crying.” Of working with Future, she said: “He just so fucking ratchet! He is unapologetically himself. I appreciate that about anybody who gets up and has to do anything in the public eye. Anybody who has to read about their life online every day and deal with so many energies and can put it out into their music and do it gracefully, I feel like you deserve your flowers.” [via Stereogum]

Flohio will release debut album Out Of Heart on October 7. The rapper is one of the most tipped artists in the country, with her natural ability on the mic matched to an impeccable ear for production. She’s made fans wait for a debut album, releasing a steady string of projects while finessing her skills. Now she’s ready to move. Out Of Heart taps into her roots, with Flohio exemplifying natural talent, and precious youth. She comments… “I grew up around the time of games like Playstations and Nintendos; I’m bringing back the nostalgia of me in my living room playing games with my friends at age 10. Game soundtracks like Final Fantasy and Super Mario. I wanted [Out of Heart] to speak to my inner child and where it all started while bringing me back to now and who I am today.” New single ‘SPF’ is produced by SPEECH, a bold return with its punchy percussion underpinning a stellar performance from Flohio. [via Clash]

Coming through with visuals for her new drop titled ‘Black Glamour’ is Cardiff rhymer Deyah. Reconnecting with producer Otis Saint Carter, Deyah delivers another hard-hitting cut where she creates some powerful imagery with her lyrics which are delivered with clarity. ‘Black Glamour’ is the title track from Deyah’s upcoming mixtape which is due for release in August. The track and its intense visuals follow on from ‘Suffa’ which is also expected to feature on the project. [via GRM Daily]

Sampa The Great has shared new single ‘Bona’. An artist whose work thrives on complexity, incoming album As Above, So Below finds Sampa The Great adding fresh laters to her music. New single ‘Bona’ is a case in point. Leaning on the power and vitality of her youth in Botswana, she contrasts this with cutting edge sounds from the southern half of the African continent. So, expect the production palette – helmed by Zambian figure Mag44, alongside Sampa herself – to fuse kwaito and amapiano into a hip-hop sequence. The relentless lyrical flow finds Sampa The Great speaking her truth, seeking to platform communities not normally placed in the spotlight. Capturing the “swag of Botswana youth” this new single is a riveting, unrelenting statement. She says…”‘Bona’ is a chance for me to shine light on other elements of music that I was influenced by when growing up, outside of Zambian music. I want to bring a Southern African anthem to the mix and DJ desks, and show that not all music coming out of Africa is Afrobeats.” [via Clash]

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Ms Banks is back with news of her forthcoming mixtape Bank Statement, and has shared new cut ‘Bounce’ to accompany the announcement. ‘Bounce’ is Ms Banks’ first outing since teaming up with Tion Wayne and Eight9FLY on ‘Typa Way’ in March, and lands with a Kevin Hudson-directed video. [via Line of Best Fit]

Young Devyn has returned with her new single ‘Decisions’ via 4TH B’WAY/Def Jam Recordings. The track is accompanied by the raw video which perfectly embodies Young Devyn’s hustle and depicts Brooklyn’s iconic landmarks from the BK bridge to the city’s streets. Speaking on ‘Decisions’ Young Devyn shares, “‘Decisions’ shows a side of me that my fans haven’t seen before and I’m excited for everyone to see what I have coming this year!” [via Prelude Press]

Sampa The Great has released the single ‘Never Forget.’ It’s a collaboration with two of Sampa’s relatives, sister Mwanjé and cousin Tio Nason, as well as the Zambian rapper Chef 187. In a video statement, Sampa says that “Never Forget is “an ode to Zamrock music,” the fusion of African music and psychedelic rock that came out of Zambia in the ’70s. She notes that Zamrock is known around the world but not necessarily in Zambia itself, and that she has that in common with it: “I started my professional career outside of Zambia, and bringing it back home has been a huge thing for my journey. And so I’d like to pay homage to those who came before me, who paved the way for me and who don’t necessarily get to see their flowers now.” The song has a striking, richly styled video that credits three different auteurs — director Imraan Christian, creative director Rharha Nembhard, and on-set director Furmaan Ahmed. The video is full of clips of the Zamrock artists of the past. [via Stereogum]

Paigey Cakey makes her return to the scene with latest banger ‘Myspace’. Produced by SV On The Beat, ‘Myspace’ sees Paigey Cakey get busy on a slowed beat seeing the artist show her vast versatility on the mic regarding her forever expanding lyrical cadence in an effortless fashion. Creating a vibe perfect for a kick back, Cakey rides the beat while dropping gems in her bars regarding her lavish lifestyle, letting her doubters know it’s a privilege to be in her space. [via GRM Daily]

LUCI has signed to Don’t Sleep Records and unveiled her debut single, ‘Ash & Dust,’ a wildly original statement that points towards the future of hip-hop. The track opens with waves of dark synths before stripping back to layers of skittering percussion. Her words are about transformation, but her delivery is somewhere between a rap and a howl, with occasional yips and warbles that suggest being demolished and reborn is even less pleasant than you might imagine. “Wakin up from ash and dust,” she spits, “They ain’t neva met a bitch like me/ Assassinate the character/ You gone have to come fight me/ I am only passenger/ Pray the lord don’t strike me/ Pray the lord don’t strike me.” “The truth is I have never been anything less than genuine,” LUCI said in a statement. “My great grandmother would always say, ‘from dirt we come to dirt we go.’ Apparently Adam and Eve rose with human complexes, while being told they were perfect. Well perhaps they were perfect the entire time. I used to think there was something wrong with me, but now I just accept that I am built different. It’s not in me to let anything beat me down. Or paint me as I am not.” ‘Ash & Dust’ comes with a music video directed by Object and Animal. The lo-fi visuals show LUCI covered in clay and prosthetics, bouncing on a bed, staring into a mirror, and (why not?) smoking a jay, showing the beauty and pain of reinvention. [via Consequence]

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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]

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