7/19 “New Music Friday”

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Featuring projects from Nas, Maxo Kream, Baby Keem, and plenty more.

The summer’s flying by, and the weather is heating up. With temperature gauges reading close to triple digits, it’s time to officially retire pants and long shirts in favor of shorts and tanks — oh, and it’s also time to enjoy some new figurative heat with another edition of “New Music Friday.”

Today’s a special day for new music, as it’s a loaded drop day with releases from beloved legends and exciting upstarts alike, including projects from: Nas, Maxo Kream, Baby Keem, Yella Beezy, Willow Smith, Murs & 9th Wonder. As if this influx of projects wasn’t enough, we also have rousing singles from the late Xxxtentacion, Young Dolph, Lil Durk, and NLE Choppa.

Kicking this off is the one and only Nasty Nas with his anticipated The Lost Tapes 2 — a compilation of b-sides from past several years of recording. The official successor to the 2002-released project, Nas’ sequel continues painting him as one of the best to ever do it, as someone with an incredible bond with the written word. 

The Lost Tapes 2 comes in at an engorged 16-tracks, 59-minutes, and is largely a featureless effort, save for contributions from fellow icons like Swizz Beats on “Adult Film.”

On the other end of the legendary rapper spectrum confidently stands the intriguing and mysterious teenage newcomer, Baby Keem, with his new project, Die For My Bitch

Showcasing his unique style and sound, the 14-track offering is a raw exposure of Keem’s eclectic vocal and musical curation: there are times where he goes in on a conventional trap beat; he softens his edge over acoustic guitars. Keem might still be relatively unknown, but with co-signs from the entire TDE camp, Vince Staples, Guapdad 4000, and others, Die For My Bitch seems like it’s only his jumping-off point. His potential seems uncapped. 

Joining Nas and Baby Keem are Maxo Kream with Brandon Banks, Yella Beezy with Baccend Beezy, Willow Smith with WILLOW, and Murs & 9th Wonder on the collaborative Brighter Daze.

We also have singles from the late Xxxtentacion, Young Dolph, Lil Durk, and NLE Choppa.

Listen to every new release below: