Mick Jenkins
still from Mick Jenkins' "Percy" video

14 New Rap Songs Out This Week

Another week, another helping of new rap songs, including the first Gang Starr song in 16 years, Princess Nokia, DaBaby, Danny Brown, Mick Jenkins, CupcakKe, Stormzy, Anna Wise/Little Simz, Tee Grizzley, The Free Nationals, and more. Read on for all the hip hop we posted on BV this week…

GANG STARR – “FAMILY AND LOYALTY” (ft. J COLE)

DJ Premier has unearthed a posthumous Guru verse for the first new Gang Starr song in 16 years, and J Cole appears on it too. Read more about it here.

PRINCESS NOKIA – “SUGAR HONEY ICED TEA (S.H.I.T.)”

Princess Nokia really started to (deservedly) take off after releasing the 2017 deluxe edition of her 2016 EP/mixtape 1992, and then she took a sonic detour with 2018’s “emo” mixtape A Girl Cried Red, but now she’s back with her first new single in over a year, and it sounds like she’s entirely back on track. “Sugar Honey Iced Tea (S.H.I.T.)” is a return to the incisive raps of 1992, but it’s also a massive leap forward from that album. It’s one of Nokia’s most immediately satisfying songs yet, and it doesn’t really sound like anything else she’s done. The horn-fueled song sounds upbeat and fun on the surface, but Nokia tackles some serious issues in the lyrics, including racism, sexism, domestic abuse, guns, and more. (She references the throwing soup at the racist subway rider incident.) Check it out, along with its equally awesome, beauty pageant-themed video (directed by Emma Westenberg and featuring a Maliibu Miitch cameo), below.

DABABY – “INTRO”

DaBaby is in the running for rap’s rookie of the year, and he’s recently been talking about following the great Baby On Baby with a second album of 2019, Kirk, this month. No word on an exact release date, but he just shared a new song called “Intro,” which is the kind of introspective song that a lot of rappers have opened big-budget albums with, and DaBaby fills it with athletic bars.

DANNY BROWN – “BEST LIFE”

Danny Brown has shared the Q-Tip-produced second single off his anticipated new album, which you can read more about here.

MICK JENKINS – “PERCY”

Mick Jenkins’ Pieces of a Man was one of the best rap albums of 2018, so it’s good news that he’s back with a new single, “Percy.” It’s a little darker and more psychedelic than the warm, jazz-inspired Pieces of a Man, but as appealing in its own way.

CUPCAKKE – “GRILLING N****S”

CupcakKe continues her series of 2019 singles with “Grilling N****s,” a hard-hitting anthem that finds her at her most threatening.

STORMZY – “WILEY FLOW”

Stormzy continues his run of great 2019 singles with “Wiley Flow,” a dark, menacing song which — as you probably guessed — pays tribute to the godfather of grime, Wiley. The video comes with this warning: “WARNING: THIS VIDEO CONTAINS FLASHING LIGHTS WHICH MAY NOT BE SUITABLE FOR PHOTOSENSITIVE EPILEPSY.”

ANNA WISE – “ABRACADABRA” (ft. LITTLE SIMZ)

Anna Wise, who’s perhaps still best known as a singer on the last three Kendrick Lamar albums, is releasing her own new album As If It Were Forever on October 18 via Alpha Pup Records, and it features appearances by Little Simz, Denzel Curry, Pink Siifu, Nick Hakim, and more. Simz is on the new single “Abracadabra,” and her always-breathtaking raps fit in very nicely with Anna’s soulful pipes.

TEE GRIZZLEY – “SATISH”

Detroit rapper Tee Grizzley sadly just lost his aunt and manager Jobina Brown after she was killed in a shooting, and he mourns here with this sentimental new song.

THE FREE NATIONALS – “ON SIGHT” (ft. J.I.D, KADHJA BONET & MIKNNA)

The Free Nationals, who are best known as Anderson. Paak’s backing band, have been releasing some impressive guest-filled singles of their own recently, and they’re now back with another one. “On Sight” features the super talented Atlanta rapper J.I.D, psychedelic soul singer/multi-instrumentalist Kadjha Bonet (who also recently has been working with Anderson .Paak), and LA R&B duo MIKNNA. It’s a bubbly, funky jam, and these guests sound great together.

JUBILEE – “SHOTS” (ft. P MONEY)

Miami bass DJ/producer Jubilee has nabbed South London grime MC P Money for the new single “Shots,” which is off Jubilee’s upcoming album Call For Location (due November 1 via Mixpak). Jubilee’s production is chilled-out and mesmerizing, and P Money contrasts it with in-your-face bars that, in their own way, are just as trance-inducing.

ALICIA KEYS & MIGUEL – “SHOW ME LOVE”

Alicia Keys and Miguel have a new duet, featuring guitar by Raphael Saadiq. Read more here.

MOOR MOTHER – “BLACK FLIGHT” FEAT. SAUL WILLIAMS

Philadelphia-based experimental musician, poet and artist Camae Ayewa is releasing a new album as Moor Mother, Analog Fluids of Sonic Black Holes, on November 8 via Don Giovanni Records. New single “Black Flight” features a guest verse from Saul Williams and production by King Britt.

MELII – “TM INTERLUDE”

Harlem rapper/singer Melii has been on the rise this year, and she’s now set to follow her very good 2019 debut album phAses with the Motions EP on October 18 via Rule#1/Interscope. It’ll include the recent single “No Hard Feelings,” as well as the somber acoustic R&B of new single “TM Interlude.”

For even more new songs, browse our daily ‘New Songs’ lists. For more hip hop news, browse our ‘Hip Hop News’ category.