It’s the New Year and we’ve already heard a bunch of great new hip-hop and R&B. In January, there have been offerings from A$AP Rocky, Chlöe Bailey, Ice Spice, J. Cole, and more. Take a look at some of the best hip-hop and R&B releases of the year so far:

• "Gangsta Boo" - Ice Spice ft. Lil Tjay

  For her debut EP, Like..? Ice Spice tapped in fellow Bronx rapper Lil Tjay for “Gangsta Boo.” The track sample’s Diddy’s “I Need a Girl (Part 2).” “Gangsta Boo” is Ice Spice’s first Billboard Hot 100 chart entry at #82.

• "Without You" - Quavo

  Quavo pours his heart out on the emotional tribute to the late Takeoff on “Without You.” In the music video, Quavo is seen smoking in the studio as the track plays behind him. This is Quavo’s first song since Takeoff’s death on Nov. 1, 2022.

• "Same Problems?" - A$AP Rocky

  On the anniversary of A$AP Yams’ death (Jan. 15), A$AP Rocky released his first single of 2023, titled “Same Problems?” The track pays tribute to those who’ve recently died. In the song, he calls out the intention of actually getting involved to stop senseless killings in the community.

• "Pray It Away" - Chlöe

  “Pray It Away” finds Chlöe regretting a previous relationship and wanting to focus on healing. The song is part of her rollout leading to her debut LP In Pieces which is set to be released in March.

• "Procrastination (Broke)" - J. Cole

  J. Cole surprised fans by dropping “Procrastination (Broke)” to a Brooklyn producer’s YouTube channel this month. In the song, Cole raps about still having the habit of putting things off in adulthood.

• "Two Tens" - Cordae ft. Anderson .paak

  Cordae and Anderson .paak teamed up for their latest single “Two Tens.” In the music video, both artists are seen in the club rapping back and forth in conversation about two friends. J. Cole and Dem Jointz produced the song.

• "Sucka Or Sum" - Rae Sremmurd

  In “Sucka Or Sum” Rae Sremmurd raps about refusing to be played. SremmLife 4 doesn’t have a release date but the sibling duo will most likely have this track on the long-awaited album.

• "Tally" - Midwxst and Denzel Curry

  Midwxst and Denzel Curry teamed up for “Tally” this month. Just like the artists, the music video gives a unique twist on the 1942 classic film Casablanca.

• Knight Crawler - Trippie Redd ft. JuiceWRLD

  Trippie Redd taps in a posthumous feature from JuiceWRLD on “Knight Crawler.” This track appears on Trippie Redd’s album Mansion Musik that debuted at No. 3 on the Billboard 200 chart.

• "If I Stop Now" - EST Gee

  “If I Stop Now” is just one of the singles EST Gee has dropped in 2023. The Louisville native also released “Blow Up” on January 27. “If I Stop Now,” is more of a melodic rap song from him where he addresses his mental health in contrast to his fame. “Blow Up” has an opposite vibe with booming 808s.

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