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Skip to main content Trending on Billboard Less than a week later, the worlds of hip-hop and R&B are still mourning late neo-soul pioneer D’Angelo. On Tuesday (Oct. 14), the four-time Grammy winner, 51, passed “after a prolonged and courageous battle with cancer,” according to a statement his family shared with Billboard. Since the announcement, artists from Beyoncé to Tyler, the Creator, have taken to social media to pay tribute to the visionary musician. “Rest in peace D’angelo,” wrote Doja Cat on X. “My thoughts, love and prayers go out to his family and friends. A true voice of soul and inspiration to many brilliant artists of our generation and generations to come.” That same evening, Kendrick Lamar also came out as a surprise guest at Playboi Carti’s Antagonist 2.0 L.A. tour stop. The following day (Oct. 15) marked the end of first-round Grammy voting, bringing us one step closer to the official nominations announcement on Nov. 7. As assessed by Billboard, leading contenders across the rap, R&B, African and global music categories include Lamar, Clipse, Leon Thomas, Kehlani, Tyla and Vybz Kartel. Back on the R&B side of things, Summer Walker shared the release date of her long-awaited Finally Over It LP, Brandy abruptly left the stage at the Chicago stop of her and Brandy’s The Boy Is Mine Tour (and quickly issued an explanation) and Ty Dolla $ign dropped his new Tycoon album — his first solo LP since 2020’s Featuring Ty Dolla $ign. With Fresh Picks, Billboard aims to highlight some of the best and most interesting new sounds across R&B and hip-hop — from a new BunnaB banger to Icewear Vezzo’s latest heater. Be sure to check out this week’s Fresh Picks in our Spotify playlist below. Masego, “Unhinged” Trending on Billboard if ( !window.pmc.harmony?.isEventAdScheduledTime() ) { pmcCnx.cmd.push(function() { settings: { pmcAtlasMG: { iabPlcmt: 2, playerId: '4057afa6-846b-4276-bc63-a9cf3a8aa1ed', playlistId: 'b7dab6e5-7a62-4df1-b1f4-3cfa99eea709', }).render("connatix_contextual_player_div"); // This should only be get called when page cache is not cleared and it's event time. window.pmc.harmony?.switchToHarmonyPlayer(); Grammy-nominated artist Masego is back wth his first piece of new music in two years: “Unhinged.” Characterized by his trademark mélange of jazz, soul and R&B, “Unhinged” finds Masego meticulously capturing the spirit of the jam session. An ace assignment from a clear student of the School of D’Angelo, “Unhinged” houses evocative lyrics — “Acting unjust in the court of love/ Can you just let me out on bail? Swear I won’t tell/ If a normal girl is my destiny and my pair, I’ma go there” — that harnesses the flirty, conversational groove of the arrangement into something somewhat concrete. — K.D. Kocky Ka & Hunxho, “Independent” Trending on Billboard if ( !window.pmc.harmony?.isEventAdScheduledTime() ) { pmcCnx.cmd.push(function() { settings: { pmcAtlasMG: { iabPlcmt: 2, playerId: '4057afa6-846b-4276-bc63-a9cf3a8aa1ed', playlistId: 'b7dab6e5-7a62-4df1-b1f4-3cfa99eea709', }).render("connatix_contextual_player_div"); // This should only be get called when page cache is not cleared and it's event time. window.pmc.harmony?.switchToHarmonyPlayer(); Kocky Ka turns his pain into champagne with his cathartic Street Therapy project. The Brooklyn rapper teamed up with Hunxho for project standout “Independent.” While the girl he loves is perfectly fine handling herself riding solo, a crestfallen Ka makes a last-ditch plea to win her over. The nautical visual finds Kocky Ka detailing the lengths he’d go for his lover as they stare into the ocean’s horizon from the bow of a yacht like a modern-day Jack and Rose. Ka and Hunxho’s melodic flows mesh well, making for a melodious collaboration. — MICHAEL SAPONARA reggie, “New Headstone Need Mix” Trending on Billboard if ( !window.pmc.harmony?.isEventAdScheduledTime() ) { pmcCnx.cmd.push(function() { settings: { pmcAtlasMG: { iabPlcmt: 2, playerId: '4057afa6-846b-4276-bc63-a9cf3a8aa1ed', playlistId: 'b7dab6e5-7a62-4df1-b1f4-3cfa99eea709', }).render("connatix_contextual_player_div"); // This should only be get called when page cache is not cleared and it's event time. window.pmc.harmony?.switchToHarmonyPlayer(); It’s hard to describe this sound, but you can’t deny how soulful it is. I peeped a couple of my friends reposting this track on social media late last week, so my curiosity led me to do the knowledge, and I was left impressed with what I heard. Judging from the comments, Reggie seemed to have taken a hiatus, and folks are very happy that he’s back. Be sure to also check out his track “congrats!” that he dropped about a month ago. Reggie is certainly someone to keep an eye on. — ANGEL DIAZ K Camp feat. Jeremih & Bossman Dlow, “Don’t Change for Us” Trending on Billboard if ( !window.pmc.harmony?.isEventAdScheduledTime() ) { pmcCnx.cmd.push(function() { settings: { pmcAtlasMG: { iabPlcmt: 2, playerId: '4057afa6-846b-4276-bc63-a9cf3a8aa1ed', playlistId: 'b7dab6e5-7a62-4df1-b1f4-3cfa99eea709', }).render("connatix_contextual_player_div"); // This should only be get called when page cache is not cleared and it's event time. window.pmc.harmony?.switchToHarmonyPlayer(); Fresh off his sold-out Kiss 6 Tour, K Camp returns with “Don’t Change for Us,” featuring Jeremih and BossMan Dlow, a playful, confident ode to a woman who knows her worth and embraces her bold, unapologetic side. Co-written by K Camp, Jeremih, and Devante Milan McCreary, the track blends high-energy, flirtatious R&B with Atlanta rap flair, as K Camp and Jeremih praise her intelligence, allure and authenticity, while the chorus reinforces that she shouldn’t change for anyone: “Please don’t change your ways/ Hold like you are dangerous.” BossMan Dlow adds luxury and fun with verses about designer fits and exotic trips, amplifying the celebratory tone, while the production emphasizes sleek melodies and warm beats that match the song’s confident energy. “Don’t Change for Us” is a vivid reminder that independence, self-assuredness and unapologetic femininity are always magnetic. — C.C. BunnaB, “LMAO” Trending on Billboard if ( !window.pmc.harmony?.isEventAdScheduledTime() ) { pmcCnx.cmd.push(function() { settings: { pmcAtlasMG: { iabPlcmt: 2, playerId: '4057afa6-846b-4276-bc63-a9cf3a8aa1ed', playlistId: 'b7dab6e5-7a62-4df1-b1f4-3cfa99eea709', }).render("connatix_contextual_player_div"); // This should only be get called when page cache is not cleared and it's event time. window.pmc.harmony?.switchToHarmonyPlayer(); While on stream with Plaqueboymax and Rakai last week, BunnaB — an ATL rapper who broke out earlier this year with her infectious “Bunna Summa” track — could not stop laughing. Already known for her bubbly personality and smiley disposition, Bunna capitalized on the countless viral clips of her hysterically laughing on streaming with a new single aptly titled “LMAO.” “Laughing emoji always in the front, won’t catch it in the middle/ Having a bad day? IDK, you should laugh a little,” she rhymes over Malcolm Flex’s catchy, ’00s-reminiscent beat. — K.D. Icewear Vezzo, “Party on the 6” Trending on Billboard if ( !window.pmc.harmony?.isEventAdScheduledTime() ) { pmcCnx.cmd.push(function() { settings: { pmcAtlasMG: { iabPlcmt: 2, playerId: '4057afa6-846b-4276-bc63-a9cf3a8aa1ed', playlistId: 'b7dab6e5-7a62-4df1-b1f4-3cfa99eea709', }).render("connatix_contextual_player_div"); // This should only be get called when page cache is not cleared and it's event time. window.pmc.harmony?.switchToHarmonyPlayer(); Icewear Vezzo stepped away from rap after suffering a pair of devastating losses of those close to him. During his hiatus, Vezzo found serenity rooted in family, while being home brought stability to his life as he checked out of the fast lane. Now independent, Vezzo is gearing up for his Purple Passion project, arriving on Oct. 30, which finds him out of his comfort zone. “Party on the 6” kicked off the project’s rollout, as Vezzo strays from his typical hard-hitting Detroit sound by rhyming over a soothing sample of Monica and Brandy’s classic “The Boy Is Mine” and paying homage to his 6 Mile roots. — M.S. Big L feat. Nas, “U Ain’t Gotta Chance” Trending on Billboard if ( !window.pmc.harmony?.isEventAdScheduledTime() ) { pmcCnx.cmd.push(function() { settings: { pmcAtlasMG: { iabPlcmt: 2, playerId: '4057afa6-846b-4276-bc63-a9cf3a8aa1ed', playlistId: 'b7dab6e5-7a62-4df1-b1f4-3cfa99eea709', }).render("connatix_contextual_player_div"); // This should only be get called when page cache is not cleared and it's event time. window.pmc.harmony?.switchToHarmonyPlayer(); Big L’s career is one of the biggest “what if”s in rap history. The Harlem rapper was on his way to becoming a superstar before he was murdered in 1999. As rap lore would have it, L’s Flamboyant Entertainment was set to partner with Roc-A-Fella Records, and the two crews were planning to celebrate with a party at Pulse Nightclub just days after he was shot. He and Jay had a working relationship and a mutual respect, with Jigga being featured on Big L’s first album, and the two tore Stretch & Bobbito down with their classic “7-Minute Freestyle.” Harlem’s Finest: Return of the King is the second posthumous album from the late MC, and will hit DSPs on Halloween as part of Mass Appeal’s “Legend Has It” campaign. Nas, who’s a co-founder of the label, is featured on this track, and delivers a verse of the year candidate here. If you don’t believe me, check it out for yourself and tell me if I’m lying. — A.D. Jordan Ward & SAILORR, “Smokin Potna” Trending on Billboard if ( !window.pmc.harmony?.isEventAdScheduledTime() ) { pmcCnx.cmd.push(function() { settings: { pmcAtlasMG: { iabPlcmt: 2, playerId: '4057afa6-846b-4276-bc63-a9cf3a8aa1ed', playlistId: 'b7dab6e5-7a62-4df1-b1f4-3cfa99eea709', }).render("connatix_contextual_player_div"); // This should only be get called when page cache is not cleared and it's event time. window.pmc.harmony?.switchToHarmonyPlayer(); After lighting things up with his last single, “Juicy,” St. Louis-born artist Jordan Ward keeps the momentum going with “Smokin Potna,” a smooth new collab with Florida breakout SAILORR. Co-written by both singers, “Smokin Potna” is a hazy ode to intimacy and mutual, using smoking as a metaphor for connection and exclusivity. Ward sets the tone, singing, “I don’t pass my blunt to no one else/ But you baby, you can help yourself,” while SAILORR adds emotional depth, turning their smoke sessions into moments of healing and reflection. Produced by Louie Lastic, Dan Foster and Lido, “Smokin Potna” serves as a preview of Ward’s upcoming album Backward — the follow-up to his 2023 debut Forward — capturing that rare chemistry between two people who feel like home, where love and ease intertwine with every exhale. — CHRISTOPHER CLAXTON Get weekly rundowns straight to your inbox Want to know what everyone in the music business is talking about? Get in the know on Visit Billboard Pro for music business news Billboard is a part of Penske Media Corporation. © 2025 Billboard Media, LLC. All Rights Reserved. Powered by WordPress.com VIP optional screen reader Manage Account Billboard Hot 100™ Billboard 200™ Hits Of The World™ Songs Of The Summer Year-End Charts Decade-End Charts R&B/Hip-Hop Business News Record Labels View All Pro Songwriters & Producers Artist Index Royalty Calculator Market Watch Industry Events Calendar Billboard Español Cultura y Entretenimiento Crossword Puzzle GET ACCESS TODAY
