Hip-Hop
Hip-hop news, album reviews and artist features from Kazi Magazine, from drill and New York rap to the next names breaking out.
- Certified: October 2026's RIAA Gold, Platinum and Diamond Plaques in Hip-Hop and R&B
Cole Ashby's monthly Certified column: all 63 hip-hop and R&B plaques RIAA dated October 1 through 30, 2026, from Drake's Diamond run to Playboi Carti's "Magnolia" at 8X and a Nas Gold nearly 24 years after release, with every entry linked to RIAA.
- Kid Bookie's Cheaper Than Therapy II: Who Made the Rap-Rock Sequel
Kid Bookie's Cheaper Than Therapy II is out on FLG: 10 tracks with Corey Taylor, Lady Leshurr, Rose McGowan, Kate Nash and Shona McGarty. Ziey Kizzy produces every song, Sid Wilson eight. A UK tour starts November 29.
- Malloy James Season 1 Review: A Sound Designer Builds a Year Out of Scenes
Malloy James Season 1 review: 12 songs in 35 minutes, written, produced and engineered by James alone. The Harlem-based composer turns a year of memories into short scenes, with Season 2 as the guitar-led other half.
- KaMillion Wus Up: The Rap Sh!t Star Resets With a Shawntbeatz Single
KaMillion's "Wus Up" is her first single since "In Here," her May 2026 release. Produced by Shawntbeatz and out since October 9, 2026, it is the opening move toward a new EP. Here is what the song is, who made it and where it fits in her catalog.
- That Mexican OT CUCUY Review: A Halloween Album Built on a Tejano Boogeyman
That Mexican OT CUCUY review: 17 songs in 44 minutes, named for the boogeyman of Tejano folklore. One engineer and a tight circle of producers give it a clear spine. The horror idea mostly stays on the poster.
- Maliibu Miitch Sailor Goon Tracklist: 10 Songs With Rich The Kid, Lady London and Ms Hustle
Maliibu Miitch's debut album Sailor Goon is out now with 10 songs and three guest spots: P.C. on "BBM," Rich The Kid on "Do A Trick" and Lady London and Ms Hustle on the closer "Been Wavy." Here is the full tracklist, the singles that led to it and what she says about the title.
- Who Produced Sampa the Great's Nu Zamrock? Cadenza, Solomon Moyo and Sampa Herself
Sampa the Great's Nu Zamrock was executive produced by Sampa and Cadenza, per Apple Music's song credits. Here's every producer and feature on all 16 tracks, plus the WITCH family story behind the album.
- Doechii's "LOCK JAW" Swamp Session: The Credits Behind All Three So Far
Doechii's "LOCK JAW" is the third Swamp Session in 18 days, after "BOMBS" and "CATWOMAN." The YouTube credits name Kal Banx as a producer on both. "LOCK JAW" lists no music producer. Here's the series so far and what she's said about the album.
- Jessie Reyez Releases "SOFTER," Sets A LITTLE VENGEANCE Deluxe With Samara Cyn for Nov. 6
Jessie Reyez's "SOFTER" is out now. It leads into the November 6 deluxe of A LITTLE VENGEANCE, which adds eight bonus tracks including "FOR SIXXX IN THE MORNIN" with rapper Samara Cyn, ahead of a tour that starts November 3.
- cieratherapper's "Rhinestones and Camo" Brings Grit and Glamour Out of Kentucky
cieratherapper's new single "Rhinestones and Camo" is out now, an ode to her Kentucky roots per RCA's release. Where the Morehead rapper's Trappalachia sound comes from, and the hick-hop history it walks into.
- Melly Mike TIME4WAR Review: The Credits Tell the Real Story
Melly Mike TIME4WAR review: eight songs in under 18 minutes, five of them new, built around the 2024 song that made him. The credits show two different records sharing one sleeve, and the new one has yet to match the old one.
- Boldy James and Real Bad Man's Strobelight: Tracklist, Guests and the Producer Story
Boldy James and Real Bad Man's Strobelight is out on Bandcamp: 12 tracks, all produced by Real Bad Man, with Wiki, El Cousteau, Grip and Taj. Here's the tracklist, every guest, and how the LA producer and clothing brand built it from leftover trilogy songs.
- Erick the Architect Sets AFTERBURNER for Jan. 22, Shares "YERR" With Ghostface Killah
Erick the Architect's second solo album, AFTERBURNER, is due Jan. 22, 2027, on Mass Appeal. The new single is "YERR," a three-borough New York link-up with Ghostface Killah and Fergie Baby. Date, label and tracklist details, checked on Apple Music.
- Megan Thee Stallion's "Thin Ice" Is Climbing, and Billboard Has the Numbers
Megan Thee Stallion's Limp Bizkit-sampling "Thin Ice" went wide on Oct. 24. Billboard reports it grew from 98,000 streams that Saturday to 247,000 on Monday, "a 152% gain in all." The sample, the Tina Snow roots and what comes next.
- The Standard: 10 Hip-Hop Artists Shaping Culture Right Now (November 2026)
The Standard, selected by Odessa Vance: 10 hip-hop artists shaping culture right now, from Westside Gunn and Doechii to BunnaB and Yakiyn. An editor's choice, not a score, each with a dated moment from the last 60 days. Nobody pays to be included, and no label, sponsor or partner has a say.
- New Music Friday: BKTHERULA, Kaliii, Nettspend and BigXthaPlug Lead October 30
New Music Friday, October 30: BKTHERULA's N5ON on Warner leads the week, with Kaliii's Wit 3 iii's, evilgiane and Slimesito's EVILSLIME 2, Curren$y, Rome Streetz and Harry Fraud's "The Telethon," Nettspend's Virginia Creeper and BigXthaPlug's guest list.
- Young Nudy 'Just Doin Me' Tracklist: 16 Songs With 21 Savage, JID and Fatt Smaxk
Young Nudy's Just Doin Me is out: 16 songs in 54 minutes, with 21 Savage, JID and Fatt Smaxk the only guests. Here's the full tracklist, why Apple Music counts 19, and the writers who show up most in the credits.
- Cole's Pick: Chance the Rapper's Two "Blessings" Plaques Close Out Coloring Book's Tenth Year
On October 7, 2026, RIAA certified both versions of "Blessings" from Chance the Rapper's independent Coloring Book, one Platinum and one Gold, four days before his tenth-anniversary tour ended. Cole Ashby on why they are the Certified pick of the month.
- NYC Rappers to Watch: The KAZI Heat Chart, Updated Mondays
Fergie Baby takes No. 1 in this week's KAZI Heat, and Judah Weston climbs to No. 4. The chart ranks ten New York hip-hop artists from KAZI's own dated reads of official YouTube views and Spotify listeners. Updated every Monday.
- Wiz Khalifa 'Cool' Album: Release Date, 'The Calm' and His 10K Projects Deal
Wiz Khalifa's album Cool is due November 13, his first since signing with 10K Projects. Here's the release date, what's on the tracklist so far, who wrote and produced "The Calm," and why the copyright line still reads Taylor Gang.
- KAZI's 2027 Artists to Watch
KAZI's own picks for 2027: ten artists across major labels and independents, led by Arlington's Yakiyn and the Third Coast, then out to Mumbai, Calgary, East LA, Dublin and Antioch. The label, the release and why we rate each one.
- evilgiane and Slimesito Set EVILSLIME 2 for Friday With "Georgia State"
EVILSLIME 2, the new evilgiane and Slimesito project, is out Friday, October 30. Lead single "Georgia State" was produced by evilgiane and EERA. Here are the credits so far, the video, and a quick look back at the 2024 original.
- JAY-Z Will Headline the Apple Music Super Bowl LXI Halftime Show
JAY-Z will headline the Apple Music Super Bowl LXI Halftime Show on February 14, 2027 at SoFi Stadium, with Roc Nation producing. Here's how to watch, who's behind the show and what Roger Goodell said about the request he made when Roc Nation took the job.
- Gabe P Turned a Borrowed Room Into Rap's Discovery Engine
In 2018 Gabe P started out in a small, borrowed room with one interview a week. On the Radar now has a Hot 100 entry, a self-distributed label, a Forbes 30 Under 30 nod and crews filming from Brooklyn to Brazil. How a radio kid from Long Island built a rap discovery pipeline.
- Lil Baby FRESH Tracklist: 17 Songs, Future and Young Thug, Out Nov. 6
Lil Baby's FRESH tracklist is out: 17 songs on the digital list, two with guests, and the Pharrell-produced "Dead Fresh" at track 10. Here's the full list, the release date, who shows up, and why the official CD and streaming listings don't agree.
- Anderson .Paak and Cordae's Heavy Is the Crown Review: The Chemistry Is Real, the Album Runs Uneven
Heavy Is the Crown review: Anderson .Paak and Cordae's first joint album runs 11 tracks and 32 minutes with beats from J. Cole, Swizz Beatz, 9th Wonder and Conductor Williams. The friendship is obvious. The album only earns it in the back half.
- La Reezy Sets 2027 Dates for the Skiddle Bandana Tour, Ending at Gasa Gasa
La Reezy's Skiddle Bandana Tour now runs in 2027: 10 dates from The Echo in Los Angeles on January 14 to a hometown close at Gasa Gasa in New Orleans on February 20. The tour is named for his album, out since July 7, 2026.
- Yung Miami's Debut Solo Album Watch Dis! Arrives With Travis Scott, Summer Walker and Rick Ross
Yung Miami's debut solo album Watch Dis! is out now: 21 tracks, 57 minutes, guests from Travis Scott to Trina, and "Spend Dat" three times over. Here's the tracklist, who made it, and what she has said about it.
- Tobe Nwigwe's THE BRIDGE Has Kizzo's Name on All 12 Tracks
Tobe Nwigwe's name is on the cover of THE BRIDGE. Apple Music's credits put a second name on all 12 tracks: Tierce "Kizzo" Person, listed as producer and songwriter on every song. Here is the album read through its paper, and what the credits say about who built it.
- Houston Rap Releases of 2026: The List So Far
KAZI's running, unranked list of Houston rap releases in 2026: albums, EPs and singles from Don Toliver, Z-Ro, Trae tha Truth, Maxo Kream, Paul Wall, Jupiluxe, Tobe Nwigwe and more, in release-date order. Every date and label is checked against the official store page. Updated as releases land.