8 Hip-Hop & R&B Albums You Should Be Listening To (Week of August 12)

Alicia Keys, Megan Thee Stallion and The Game offer long-awaited albums this week, along with Lil Zay Osama, Rod Wave and more.

Albums of this week come from a mix of legendary and newer acts, from Megan Thee Stallion serving up her sophomore release Traumazine, to Danger Mouse and Black Thought linking up on their heavily-anticipated debut Cheat Codes.

On Traumazine, the ‘H-Town Hottie’ opens up her innermost thoughts with features from Key Glock, Latto, Pooh Shiesty, Rico Nasty, Jhene Aiko, Lucky Daye and more. Cheat Codes also features a star-studded track list, including Raekwon, Kid Sister, Russ, Joey Bada$$, Dylan Cartildge, Michael Kiwanuka, A$AP Rocky, Run The Jewels, Conway The Machine, with a posthumous feature from MF DOOM.

Alicia Keys offers a deluxe edition of her 2021 album Keys with Keys II, with two new songs featuring Brent Faiyaz (“Trillions” and Lucky Daye (“Stay”), two remixes of the musician’s song “In Common.”

Ukrainian Nature Sounds rhymesayer Your Old Droog cements his spot in the hip-hop landscape with new album Yodney Dangerfield, rapping over production from Madlib, Nicholas Craven, SadhuGold, Lee Scott, Jonwayne and more. Hailing from Chicago, Lil Zay Osama heats up the streets on Trench Baby 3, executive-produced by longtime collaborator Lil Durk.

The Game returns with 31-song epic Drillmatic: Heart Vs. Mind while Rod Wave delivers his fourth ‘trap soul’ album Beautiful Mind. Making his rise in hip-hop is New Jersey’s Chris Patrick with 14-track sophomore album X-Files.

Take a look at this week’s best albums below.

Megan Thee Stallion – Traumazine

Alicia Keys – Keys II

Danger Mouse & Black Thought – Cheat Codes

Lil Zay Osama – Trench Baby 3

Chris Patrick – X-Files

Rod Wave – Beautiful Mind

Your Old Droog – Yodney Dangerfield