R&B/Hip-Hop Fresh Picks of the Week: A Boogie wit da Hoodie, Joony, Ebony Riley, BIA & More

Landing as his first solo single of the year, A Boogie’s “Part of Me” signals the Bronx MC is gearing up for his next era. Built around a slick interpolation of Mariah Carey’s “We Belong Together,” which builds on New York’s storied history of blending hip-hop and R&B, Boogie’s new track finds him working through the end of a relationship with nuanced — and at times bitter — introspection. Between an appearance on Kai Cenat’s Mafiathon 3 and swirling rumors about a new album, it looks like Hoodie SZN has arrived. — KYLE DENIS

Hunnid Round Hef’s home, and the Billy’s back to put work back in over Harry Fraud production. “Gotti” is the perfect reminder in case you forgot who was one of the guys holding down the resurgence of that New York City street sound as it started to gain momentum during the mid-2010s. He dropped off Shark Tank with Nicholas Craven back in 2023 before he had to do a bid, and recently assured me that he’s planning on dropping a full-length project soon. — ANGEL DIAZ

Big Boogie season meets spooky season with the Memphis rapper’s Pain on Paper 4 album slated to arrive on Halloween. Big Dude returned with another single to turn up the hype with the crunk-driven “Toot It Up,” which interpolates Trap Starz Clik’s “Get It Big,” while paying homage to a foursome of rap’s queens on the hook. “She got an a— like Latto, but she dance like Megan… She got a face like Diamond, but she thuggin’ like Sexyy,” he raps. Make sure to stay for Boogie’s performance as a strip club kingpin in the visual. — MICHAEL SAPONARA

Billboard’s R&B Rookie of the Month for June, Josh Levi, turns up the heat on his debut album Hydraulic with the standout track “Crash Out,” featuring British girl group FLO. Co-written by Levi alongside Carliann, Gray, and M-Tech, “Crash Out” presents a cinematic exploration of loyalty and surrender across polished production. When FLO enters, singing, “I wear the pants even when you’re undressing them,” they match Levi’s energy by asserting their own autonomy through humor and sexual agency. Together, the back-and-forth between Josh Levi and FLO creates a dynamic push-and-pull — two lovers testing limits and celebrating equally yoked desires. — CHRISTOPHER CLAXTON

“Only You,” Ebony Riley’s first musical release of the year, is a sultry slow-burner that highlights her seductive timbre and alluring world-building. Featuring production from CasperDoItAgain, Jitta on the Track, Fu and Larrance “Rance” Dopson, “Only You” finds Ebony setting the stage for an incredibly intimate affair. “Girl, celebrate a motherf–ker if he doin’ right/ Put him on a pedestal and let him get his light,” she declares at the onset before crooning, “Walked through fire, but our body never hit the flame,” expertly balancing different shades of desperation in her tone as it dances across bewitching synths and spunky snaps. — K.D.

If you’re not excited about Errol linking up with Roc Marciano for a new tape, I don’t know what to tell you. His latest track, which features a phone conversation with former drug kingpin Billy Guy, who’s notorious for being the first person to be convicted under Maryland’s then-newly enacted drug kingpin statute back in 1991, puts Holden’s style of “autobiographical hip-hop” on full display. Executive produced by Marciano, Mulberry Silk Road is available now to purchase and will hit DSPs later this week on Friday, Oct. 17. — A.D.

Nigerian singer Lojay teams up with Tyla on “Memories,” a reflective R&B track that captures the magnetic pull of past love and unresolved emotions. The song, taken from his new XOXO LP, finds Lojay positioning love as his muse. He opens the song with intimate, tension-filled verses, while the chorus lingers on the shadows of shared history. Tyla’s verse adds frustration and heartbreak to the Sarz and Twitch-helmed track, highlighting the emotional toll of underdeveloped connections over moody, Afropop-inflected production. — C.C.

Joony delivered a genre-blending cocktail while teaming up with emerging R&B star Isaiah Falls and Larry June for “Pimpin.” It’s a super smooth tune to accompany your top-down highway cruise. The DMV native mixes the worlds of “suave” and “sexy” while lyrically remaining risqué. Joony’s confidence is contagious, and a laid-back Larry June was a perfect fit to close out the track, bringing his grown-man energy into the fold while serving up free game. Look for an album from Joony before 2025 expires. — M.S.

After generating buzz across the R&B landscape with strong singles and engaging live performances, JayDon has finally unleashed his debut EP, Me, My Songs & I. Backed by gamma., the 18-year-old multi-hyphenate flaunts his R&B chops across the EP, but the atmospheric “Jealous of the Moon” is an instant standout on the 10-track project. “In my veins, in my pores, way too late to find a cure/ You’re always mine but I’m never yours/ Your damaged heart is my favorite chore,” he laments in the opening verse of the HARV-produced track. Although the lyrical narrative doesn’t drastically evolve by the end of the song, it doesn’t have to; JayDon’s focus here is expressing the somber stagnancy that comes with being truly lovestruck. — K.D.

Flipping a classic can be a daunting proposition that can easily get tacky, but BIA and Becky G did justice when sampling Shakira’s iconic “Hips Don’t Lie” anthem for the party-starting “Hard Way.” Becky handles chorus duties while BIA shows off her versatility on the addictive track, as she tells it best, “It’s hard to walk away when I keep comin’ through the speaker!” After hitting the dance floor, dive into the rest of BIA’s BIANCA debut album. — M.S.