It is always stimulating to see new rappers rise to fame from the bottom up, especially when it is a woman who has made her mark. There is no doubt that the south has produced some high quality talent over the past few decades. Rap, in particular, enjoys great success and legacy throughout the south, especially in Texas. Rising stars such as Erica Banks are bound to hold household names in the near future because of their ability and work ethic. It’s still pretty early in the game for Ms. DeSoto, but she is definitely making a mark on the game right now. Diary Of a Flow Queen, the debut studio album from Erica Banks, is out today (June 17).
Despite the sluggish start to the year, music in general has been doing well this year, and Erica Banks has certainly contributed at a fabulous pace. The DeSoto rapper’s hit single “Bust It” came fresh from her tour and set the tone for all of the great things she will be able to give to us in the days ahead. Diary Of a Flow Queen is a manifesto of the artist’s ascendance to the top and a clear demonstration that she is here to stay.
In an interview with HotNewHipHop, Banks discussed how surprised she was to hear that DaBaby wanted her to sign to his Billion Dollar Baby label after just a year of rapping: “I just wasn’t expecting it to happen so fast.” I had just started rapping a year before, and then he reached out to me, although it wasn’t very recently. However, I was overwhelmed. When you have people offering different goods in different locations, you’re left wondering, “Where should I go?” I simply go with my intuition.
PJ Morton released his album Watch the Sun in April. On its eleven original songs, Morton showcases his songwriting and production abilities. In addition, Watch the Sun includes performances from Nas, Jill Scott, Chronixx, JoJo, Zacardi Cortez, Mr. Talkbox, Wale, Alex Isley, Stevie Wonder, El DeBarge, Gene Moore, Samoht, Darrel “MusiqCity” Walls and Tim Rogers.
The official music video for Morton’s Watch the Sun song “On My Way,” which features El DeBarge, is shown this week. He delivers lyrics in the new video about providing for those who are in need: Morton explores different locations in the visual while delivering his lyrics:
A Grammy award was also recognized earlier this year for PJ Morton’s contribution to Jon Batiste’s We Are album. Adding to the accolades he has received previously, in addition to the best traditional R&B performance award in 2019, he won a Grammy in 2020 for Best R&B Song and a Grammy in 2021 for Best Gospel Album.
As part of the tour, Morton will perform in 12 cities across North America for four months beginning this Friday (June 17). The bill includes many historic venues across the country. As part of the promotion of his new album, the award-winning performer, songwriter and soul singer added six new East Coast dates, starting in Virginia and extending through Baltimore.
With assists from Wiz Khalifa and Curren$y, Guapdad 4000 assembles a dream team for a new music video, “Pose.” Wiz Khalifa and Curren$y contribute as well to the production, making for a feel-good video that showcases the charm of each rapper. With the upcoming single, Wiz Khalifa puts the spotlight on some production work by Drew Banga:
He has blessed his fan base all year with a steady stream of new releases. You can listen to recent releases like “Cheap,” “Fearless,” “Black Iverson” and “Ruthless.”
Khlifa has been working on a collection of collaboration albums since April, including Full Court Press, which he recorded with Smoke DZA, Big K.R.I.T., and Girl Talk. His previous album was dominated by fan favorites “How The Story Goes,” “Put You On,” and “Ain’t No Fun”. Earlier this month, Curren$y released his new album Spring Clean 2, which was produced entirely by Fuse from 808 Mafia.
French Montana fans can rejoice. This week, Bronx rapper Harry Fraud announced that he and he will once again join forces on an album titled Montega. The album will arrive on June 24. Fans can get a first look at French’s upcoming project today (June 10) via a new song called “Drive By,” which features Detroiter Babyface Ray. In essence, both artists have no problem letting their listeners know how much they have won to date:
French Montana’s single “Drive By” follows closely on the heels of his previous single “Alcatraz,” another hard-hitting record that is slated to appear on his fifth studio album Mac & Cheese. It came two years after he released his fourth studio album, They Got Amnesia, which featured guest appearances from Doja Cat, Kodak Black, Rick Ross, Pop Smoke, Lil Durk, Saweetie, Fabolous, Fivio Foreign, John Legend, and more.
As a featured artist, French Montana continues to maintain his position as one of hip hop’s hottest commodities outside of his own work. Additionally to his involvement in National Champions (“If I Go Down”), French has been featured on songs such as El Alfa “Máquina de Dinero,” AB “Pit Not the Palace (Remix),” DreamDoll “Ice Cream Dream,” and Skillibeng “Whap Whap (Remix).” Given French’s track record, it’s a safe bet that many of these artists will return the favor with his upcoming release.
The Bay Area’s own P-Lo has teamed up with hometown rapper Larry June to deliver a brand new song titled “Good.” The song is the first taste from the Bay Area rapper’s upcoming full-length album STUNNA. “Good” is also produced by Miles Media, Hokage Simon, Cal-A, Bosko, and P-Lo himself.
As well as sharing his plans for his upcoming music, the Filipino-American rapper also expressed his intentions. Despite so many obstacles in life seeking to knock you down, it is important to keep moving forward, P-Lo emphasized in a press release. In essence, my goal is to have people play my music and feel good about themselves.
He also provided assistance on “Again” by E-40 and LaRussell and “Inhibitions” by Thuy. He most recently released the album SHINE, which featured Mozzy, Dom Kennedy, Bosko, Jay Anthony, Mike Sherm, and Kehlani across 16 tracks.
In addition to space jam 2, insecure and blindspotting, P-Lo’s music has also been featured on such movies and shows as space jam 2: a new legacy. Having achieved major success with Bay Area anthems such as “Same Squad” and “Put Me On Somethin,” P-Lo has since gone to win a BMI Award and he has also written and produced tracks such as Kehlani “All Me,” Yo Gotti “Act Right,” and Flo Rida “GDFR.”
Earlier this year, Jay Worthy and Larry June and teamed up to release their collaborative effort, 2P’s In A Pod, which included eleven dope cuts and contributions from Suga Free, CeeLo Green, Roc Marciano, and Jim Jones. Before that, Larry released his Orange Print project, which was filled with smooth visuals for his fans, including “6am In Sausalito,” “Still Cookin,” and “Intercepted” with Money Man.
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