The Listening: New Music From Erykah Badu & The Alchemist, Rakim, Yung Miami, Sleepy Brown, Busta Rhymes & J Dilla, Tank and More

There’s almost always great, new music dropping, and we are proof positive. But this week is an especially dope week for true music lovers. We’ve got some real heat hitting the streets as August comes to a close. Let’s just dive right in. 

After countless delays and building fan anticipation over the past several months, Erykah Badu and The Alchemist drop their much-hyped collaborative album. And Rakim teams up with Masta Killa and Kurupt for their new single ahead of their own collab project coming next month. We also get the new album from Busta Rhymes and the late, great J Dilla. ‘Nuff said. 

After sparking the most controversial song of the summer, Yung Miami turns up the heat on a star-studded remix. Dungeon Family mainstay Sleepy Brown delivers a new single, and Tank drops two — one for the R&B lovers and one for the gospel fans. Meanwhile, we get a new track from Dawn Richard, and a banger from Ciara. 

Benny The Butcher and Fuego Base drop a new street rap anthem; and we get a new single from Rod Wave. Former Beastie Boy Mike D drops his first solo album, and we sing the praises of Tamia’s return!

Each week, Okayplayer will deliver a roundup of all the latest new heat from some of our favorite artists. Check out the latest offerings in our playlist below: 

NEW SONGS

RAKIM, KURUPT & MASTA KILLA - “DPG WU-TANG, WU-TANG DPG” 

Some stuff is just for pure hip-hop fans. The Teacher, the Wu-Tang swordsman and the West Coast legend drop their latest single ahead of the release of their full-length album. 

YUNG MIAMI FEAT. LIL BABY & KODAK BLACK - “SPEND DAT” (REMIX) 

After dropping the song of the summer–and it becoming the most controversial tune of the year–Caresha returns with a remix and a little help from her friends. Her solo debut is due soon. 

TAMIA - “FOREVER AND A DAY”

The R&B singer’s latest is a celebration of a love that still feels as exciting as it did in the beginning. The romantic track captures the joy of finding a love you never want to let go.

AZ CHIKE FEAT. TYLER, THE CREATOR - “LOOK LIKE MY MAMA”

The new track is slated to appear on AZ Chike’s upcoming major-label debut album. With Chike lightheartedly "demanding" a feature and creative direction from Tyler. 

SKYLA TYLAA, SOFIYA NZAU & CHLÖE - “MAKUHIA”

It brings together three distinctive artists from across the musical landscape. The new single pairs Skyla’s dancefloor instincts with Chlöe’s commanding vocals and Sofiya Nzau’s unmistakable Afro-electronic sound. 

TANK FEAT. CHARLIE WILSON & MK - “HIGHLIGHT” 

The two generations of R&B royalty team up with the DJ/producer for a distinct, rhythmic house/dance-infused undercurrent to the track, blending traditional slow-burn R&B vocals with sophisticated electronic production.

TANK FEAT. KIRK FRANKLIN, ERIC DAWKINS & ZACARDI CORTEZ - “HOW I NEED YOU”

This is a star-studded gospel-R&B collaboration. The track bridges secular R&B and contemporary gospel by bringing together Tank with the 20-time Grammy winner—as well as two acclaimed gospel vocalists in Dawkins, and Cortez. 

LALAH HATHAWAY - “CAN’T LET GO”

The uber-vocalist drops this slice of contemporary R&B. The song is introduced as part of her upcoming project/live performances, following her single "47th Street" from her album Made In Chicago.

SLEEPY BROWN - “YOU’RE MY LADY”

The hook master of the Dungeon Family returns with more new music. It serves as the lead single for his upcoming album, which features appearances from Big Boi, Bun B, Morris Day, Trinidad James, and Akim Ali. 

LEFTY GUNPLAY - “JUST ANOTHER DAY”

It sounds like cruising on a Saturday. The rhymer out of Baldwin Park delivers this slow-rolling single. His gritty street rap flow sounds perfectly at home over the percolating production. 

G-EAZY - “PRETTY GIRLS”

Built around a chilled, padded trap beat, the track leans into G-Eazy's signature melodic rap style and inspired by a statement from Eazy himself on social media leading up to the drop with the phrase: "I just wanna make songs pretty girls get ready to."

NARDO WICK - “IS DAT RIGHT?”

The track marks his return to dropping new music as an independent artist after teasing new material on social media, and it features his signature aggressive, dark, and menacing street-rap delivery.

WALE - “BLANCO LIVE FROM THE DISTRICT”

The D.C. superstar drops this stellar live rendition of his 2025 track. Backed by a live band, fully engaged with the audience, the song serves as a reminder that he’s one of hip-hop’s most engaging performers. 

BENNY THE BUTCHER & FUEGO BASE - “LIKE IT IS (A COLORS SHOW)”

The track serves as a statement piece from the joint project Ashes In The Safe by the Black Soprano Family (BSF) head honcho. A razor-sharp, unfiltered street-rap performance. 

KID CAPRI - “THE LEG”

Capri has stated the song is meant to bring the fun back to hip-hop music, and he’s promoted the track alongside hip-hop legend Redman with a fun viral dance craze. 

WESTSIDE GUNN - “ZILLA”

A grimy, jazz-inspired track produced by Denny LaFlare that serves as a trailer for Gunn’s upcoming album and footwear collaboration. Premiering alongside an IMAX-edition music video directed by Daily Gems.

ISAIAH MOSTAFA - “ALL NIGHT LONG”

A kinetic single that showcases Mostafa’s gift for melodicism. Gifted with an upbeat, infectious hook as well as glossy, pristine production—it sounds primed for the radio.

KHAL!L - “ANGEL/WALLS”

The Milwaukee-based emcee and frontman of the band Cosmic Endeavors drops this two-track release. A taste of classic Milwaukee hip-hop with 1980s-tinged alternative influences.

03 GREEDO FEAT. WALLIE THE SENSEI AND KALAN.FRFR - “BTA”

California talents get to shine on this single, which is a precursor to 03 Greedo's upcoming studio album, Last Night Out, which is scheduled to drop in September. 

TIFFANY HADDISH, JADAKISS & BEGETZ - “TELL ME WHO”

The comedian and actress delivers a high-octane club banger with cinematic storytelling, alongside her collaborators — which includes a spirited verse from the legendary Kiss.

RAEKWON AND TERMANOLOGY - “RISK IT ALL”

With additional contributions from DJ Access, this is a slice of soul-infused underground hip-hop—honoring the dedication, authenticity, and foundational teachings of those who paved the way for traditional boom-bap and street rap.

CIARA FEAT. AKEEM ALI “YES (UNFINISHED BUSINESS)”

New music from the former Princess of Crunk ‘nB. The veteran R&B star continues to deliver strong singles and her chemistry with Ali here is off the charts.

DAWN RICHARD FEAT. ANJELIKA JELLY JOSEPH - “CHUUUUURCH”

New Orleans, represent! She’s gone from Bad Boy Records to one of the more prominent indie stars in R&B. Richard is prepping her new album, Creole Culture, for release. 

ARLO PARKS W/JACQUES GREENE - “HEAVEN (JACQUES GREENE REMIX)”

The original track is a standout single from Arlo Parks' third studio album; reworked here. The remix is produced by Canadian electronic music pioneer and house producer Greene, Parks’ longtime friend. 

ADRIAN YOUNGE & ALI SHAHEED MUHAMMAD - “CONSTELLATION”

A previously unreleased gem, the track was originally recorded around 2020 when Younge and Muhammad were deep into crafting a follow-up to their acclaimed 2018 collaborative album, The Midnight Hour.

YN JAY FEAT. RIO DA YUNG OG - “NEW FLOW UNLOCKED”

The song is set apart by the signature deadpan. They showcase the kind of humorous and aggressive punchlines typical of the Michigan underground rap scene, referencing high-end fashion, street credibility, and absurd comedic brags.

APOLLO BROWN & SKYZOO - “NO DISCOUNTS”

The track features drum programming and production by Apollo Brown, with co-production by DillyGotItBumpin, and it serves as an offering from their upcoming collaborative album, Luxury Tax—dropping in September.

JOEY PURP - “CHANGE THE STATION”

Reflective, introspective and highlighting maturity. On the track, Joey addresses heavy themes of personal reflection, truth, and moving past superficial noise. 

CHUKA, THE DESTROYER - "LAW" 

The L.A. native glides across a tapestry of sleek, high-calibre R&B and new-wave flavours. Alongside his raw, emotive cadence and honest pen, the unyielding tension builds through spacey synths and a chest-rattling 808s.

REAL BAD MAN & MOOCH - “MERCY (TAKE MINE)”

A taste of what’s to come. The new single from the pair offers a look at what fans can expect—it serves as a preview for their collaborative studio album TERMINATOR S**T, due in September.

KOFI STONE - “NO WAY!”

Built around classic '90s-inspired hip-hop drums and warm live instrumentation, it’s an uplifting track about resilience, ambition, and self-belief, produced by Pitch92.

NEW ALBUMS

ERYKAH BADU & THE ALCHEMIST - ‘BEFORE THE WORLD BLOWS: THE ABI AND ALAN EXPERIMENT’

The long-awaited collaborative album is finally here. Spanning 16 tracks, the project includes previous singles “Next 2 You” and the recently released “Witch Doctor.”

BUSTA RHYMES & J DILLA - ‘DILLAGENCE II’

The 19-track collaborative album is built from an archive of roughly 300 beats that J Dilla sent to Busta Rhymes before Dilla passed away in 2006. Busta worked closely with J Dilla’s estate and his mother, “Ma Dukes” Yancey, to shape the music.

PRINCE - ‘TIMELESS’

New music from the legend we lost in 2016. The project is a posthumous compilation album comprising nine studio recordings and one live recording, covering all decades of Prince's career.

ALABAMA SHAKES - ‘I MUST BE DREAMING’

The third studio album from the southern rock/soul outfit. It’s also the band’s first studio album in more than eleven years, following 2015s Sound & Color, and their first as a trio consisting of Brittany Howard, Heath Fogg, and Zac Cockrell.

MIKE D - ‘THANK YOU’

Preceded by the singles: "Switch Up", "What We Got", "True Colors", and "Crypto,” this is the debut album from the Rock and Roll Hall of Famer and erstwhile Beastie Boy. 

SAUL WILLIAMS - ‘LEAP LIFE’

Named after Williams' leap-year birthday (February 29), the record serves as an exploration of time, ancestry, empire, and communing with spirits, sequenced by composer and producer Carlos Niño.

DAHI - ‘BLACK BOY (ALTERNATIVE)’

Dahi steps out from behind the mixing board after more than a decade producing major hits for artists like Kendrick Lamar, Travis Scott, and delivers this 11-track project–which he has described a tribute to his younger self.

FAT JOE - ‘ORGANIZED RHYME’

The legend out of the Bronx conceived the project as a celebration of 30 years in the game. It features production from Cool & Dre, StreetRunner, Mike Zombie, Ed Boi, Tariq Azzouz, Sap and more. 

RUTHIE FOSTER - ‘JUST SAY YES’

The 10-track studio album is a blend of soul, roots, rock, blues, gospel, and country. The title comes from a neon-yellow Post-it note that Foster stuck to her computer monitor as a personal affirmation to re-engage her music dream after taking a break to care for her mother.

COLD DIAMOND & MINK - ‘ORGAN-IZED’

The pair drops this set of ambitious instrumentals. A Hammond organ reimagining and instrumental reworking of 10 tracks from Emilia Sisco’s debut album Introducing.

MAJID JORDAN - ‘TWO ROADS’

The project marks a new chapter for the duo, expanding their signature atmospheric R&B into a sound that feels both intimate and expansive.

KAM FRANKLIN - ‘LAND OF THE NEON SUN’

The powerhouse singer and songwriter is known as the centerpiece of Gulf Coast soul band The Suffers. Franklin drops this 12-song release that embraces a spirit of bold experimentation, highlighting both her individuality and vulnerability.

ROD WAVE - ‘DON'T LOOK DOWN’

The rapper/singer/songwriter drops his seventh album, a 24-track project that follows his 2024 project, Last Lap. Features guest appearances from Summer Joy, Luv Von, Hazlett, and Aimee Carty.

CZARFACE & FRANKIE PULITZER - ‘CZARFACE MEETS FRANKIE PULITZER’

The album combines CZARFACE (Inspectah Deck, 7L, and Esoteric) with Tom Hardy’s hip-hop alter-ego, Frankie Pulitzer, and includes appearances by Busta Rhymes, Method Man, and El-P.

JAY WORTHY & GEORGE CLINTON - ‘GENERATION P’

It’s a project dedicated to the funk, the whole funk and nothin’ but the funk. Jay Worthy teams up with one of the most influential and innovative artists in the history of music for this West Coast bombshell. 

TRIPPIE REDD - ‘#NDA’

Redd drops his first full-length studio project in three years. It includes a star-studded lineup featuring Young Thug, Lil Wayne, PARTYNEXTDOOR, Quavo, Kodak Black, Rema, Sexyy Red, Ski Mask The Slump God and more.

YNW MELLY - ‘COLLECT CALL II’

Released while Melly remains incarcerated awaiting his double-murder retrial, the project acts as a sequel to his 2017 breakout extended play and includes guest appearances from artists like Ty Dolla $ign, King Von, and Fredo Bang.

KY-MANI MARLEY - ‘LOVE AND ENERGY’

The eighth studio album by the Grammy-nominated reggae artiste and actor includes musical selections and personal spoken-word reflections and features a powerhouse lineup of reggae and dancehall artists, from Sizzla to Gyptian. 

THA GOD FAHIM & NICOJP - ‘CHESS MOVES 2’

The EP is produced entirely by Venezuelan-Mexican beatmaker NicoJP and features a steady, no frills kind of sound that complements Fahim’s distinctive, stream-of-consciousness approach. 

JORDYN SIMONE - ‘PRETTY GIRLS LOVE R&B’ (EP)

The rising R&B singer out of Los Angeles who broke out via The Voice delivers this new EP, a strong set of songs that highlight both her inimitable vocals and her ever-evolving artistry.