13 Hip Hop & R&B tracks that grace my playlist

Gucci Frames - Asiahn

This track is fueled by a ridiculous instrumental featuring a violinist. But that's not all. Layered on top of the hypnotic beat is Asiahn's distinctively piercing, emotion-filled voice. She hits notes that I imagine Sirens from Greek mythology being able to hit. The voice is piercing, the lyrics are hip and engaging but with a more precise vocal performance than we get from today's radio R&B artists. It's 120 seconds of pure vibe. She tweeted about a remix to elongate the joint so I guess I'll just have to wait with bated breath till she drops it.

Love Like That - Snoh Aalegra

I dunno if you've seen Snoh Aalegra's Tiny Desk Concert but she's absolutely captivating crooning about relationships and love and misplaced love. Crooning is the right word for this singer cause I've often listened and compared her vocal stylings to that of a jazz singer but with contemporary story-telling, hip hop nuances and a sultry style that emits star quality. Aalegra really has her own lane in the R&B field right now due to just how different but magical she sounds. She's gotta bunch of great songs but there's just something about the dysfunction in these lyrics that makes me feel home.

Handsome feat. Megan Thee Stallion - Chance The Rapper

I'm a Chicago native so songs by Chance the Rapper are always on the menu. I remember going to his concert at the Chicago Theater, where every hot, Chicago-based hip-hop artist opened for him, and enjoying his live band, his ability to excite the crowd and his actual dance moves on stage. The energy he exudes on stage translates well into his music; it's creative, funky, singular but still very hip hop. That energy along with Megan's usual slayage of her verse makes for a solid, uptempo hip hop cut. Not to mention, I was dating a girl from Houston so Megan's lyrics really hit home at the time.

I'll Kill You (feat. Jhene Aiko) & Playing Games feat. Bryson Tiller - Summer Walker

I grouped both my Summer Walker joints together because they're both solidly toxic, enjoyable and enigmaticly replayable takes on love. The queens of Toxic Relationship R&B (w/Kehlani they're the holy trinity) Walker & Aiko really bust a solid flow and almost enchanting cadence on I'll Kill You. They're the only duo I know that could pull off lines like, that's on my mama, that's on the hood & if those b*tches fly, you better be blind. The song, Playing Games reminds of when we used to buy albums and there would be always be this fire interlude we wanted to be a smidge longer. Even though the song is not an interlude, it isn't long or labored, a Walker signature, and leaves us wanting more. The songs are solidly contagious and on repeat during my short trips to the grocery store in the pandemic.

No Validation - Jacquees

The self-proclaimed, "king of [toxic] R&B" also holds a special place in my musical soul. This diddy is a vibe and in typical Jacquees riffs, he nails an homage to women. What's amazing about Jacquees' style is he seems to incorporate almost pop-like, melodic spins then squarely deposits them in the groove of a hip hop & R&B decoupage. That signature sauce makes this song particularly playlist-worthy if no other reason than it hasn't been played to death...yet.

Filthy Heathens - Kenya Jaye

This is a NSFW rendition of poetry with a relaxed, jazzy beat written and performed by me, the writer. There's a lot of imagery a la WAP without the curse words. After listening to this, I realize, language can colorfully describe indecent acts and conjure filthy imagery without using any of the infamous bad words. This 60-second piece is smooth and a bit heathenish, which as one might have gathered from the title, it should be.

Chocolate Pomegranate - Ari Lennox

This 2020 single, which is a followup to 2019's full length solo project, Shea Butter Baby, is exceptionally Ari and admirably, well-crafted. I was expecting to be disappointed simply because I couldn't like Shea Butter Baby any more. The songs on the album touched every part of my soul, especially Pop, BMO and New Apartment, so I just knew this new joint would fall into the abyss of a sophomore jinx. It did not. The electric guitar, partially sampled from Roy Ayer’s I Wanna Touch You Baby, wails the listener into what immediately feels like a 70’s groove, then Lennox’ voice quells the mystery and reintroduces a familiar vibe. Somehow or another Lennox commands her songs in a way where a listener is totally engulfed yet partially aware that in the approximately four minutes the song lasts, the listener will be transported to another world. Her music is often like taking a mini vacation to somewhere new with the realization that if I replay the track, I’ll end up finding a new place to stop by and visit.

Comfortable - H.E.R.

Her voice is like the first sip of a mint-chocolate chip milkshake on any day: it's rich, velvety and a treat to the senses. H.E.R. is definitely one of my favorite new artists and the stripped-down, acoustic guitar laden R&B jam that is this single is so soulful, easy and inviting, it really takes me away. It's a bop.

Crying in the Car - Megan Thee Stallion

One of the bombest Meg Thee Stallion songs I've heard. I say this because she not only lays her heart out but the decadent instrumental and trademark Meg cadence is robust with vulnerability but still shines. A young stallion recounts hard times, the pressure to succeed and the prayer that carried to her dreams. It's heartfelt and showcases Meg's storytelling skills which is in notable contrast to the raunchy, braggadocio of her typical, mainstream hits with the likes of the Da Baby and Cardi B. Crying in the Car is everyone's story who has ever really poured blood, sweat and tears into a dream.

P*$$Y Fairy (OTW) - Jhene Aiko

In the interest of keeping this a safe space for those who shouldn’t be reading this, I'll be very vague and say, I'm just saying. She said a lot when she said what she said. Oh & see my blurb above about Jhene and toxic-relationship R&B.

Player - 112

This was one of my fave songs in college. Basically, it is the tepid explanation to a romantic partner that timing just isn't right after coming to terms with the unfortunate fact that fidelity isn't in the cards at that time. It is bluesy with gospel riffs and the emotional, please baby please pleadings typical of R&B in the 2000's. It was a single off the near-perfect album, Part III by 112. It breaks the typical 112 mold by being led not by the lead singer but by Mike & Daron and they both do gut-wrenching, vocal performances on an undeniable blues joint that passes the muster on what was an otherwise solidly R&B album.

Can We Talk - Tevin Campbell

King of nostalgia. His voice brings me back to, "Happy birthday Ashley [Banks]" Fresh Prince times. Campbell's dulcet tones remind me of pure, puppy love. It is the essence of a romantic infatuation and missed connection. It's about to be my post-quarantine pickup line: can we talk for a minute?