Ciara & Busta Rhymes Ask "Wassup" On Our New "R&B Season" Playlist Update: Stream

BYGabriel Bras Nevares1.5K Views
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Ciara's 21st Birthday Party at Marquee - Inside
Busta Rhymes and Ciara during Ciara's 21st Birthday Party at Marquee - Inside at Marquee in New York City, New York, United States. (Photo by Johnny Nunez/WireImage/Getty Images)
Other great R&B-related releases this week came from Mustafa, Tommy Richman, and Leon Thomas. Which one was your favorite?

The fall is still bringing us a lot of great new music releases, and our latest R&B Season update is here to round up the best of the best the genre's related drops had to offer this week. As for our blockbuster pick, we can't deny that Tommy Richman made his mark with his debut album COYOTE. We'd recommend you check the whole thing out, but "TENNESSEE" with Trevor Spitta and Zachary Moon is a particular highlight. Each artist compliments each other's charisma with trade-off verses and refrains over a bouncy and nocturnal trap-inspired beat. It's the right balance of building off past work while putting a foot forward.

Elsewhere on R&B Season, we also wanted to shout out Ciara and Busta Rhymes for their woozy and minimal new record, "Wassup." The cut starts off with some whispered and rapid R&B flows and vocal melodies, building up the track's sultry but nonetheless hard-hitting and atmospheric instrumental. Eventually, Busta comes through with his trademark speed, beating the drum pattern into the ground and electrifying the sparse synths and bass. At the end of the day, the song succeeds at its goal to entrance and excite listeners thanks to its balance of speed and vibes.

HNHH R&B Season Playlist: Stream

As far as new albums from the R&B world this week, we have to mention Leon Thomas' latest full-length, MUTT. With guests like Masego, Wale, Ty Dolla $ign, Freddie Gibbs, Baby Rose, and Axl Folie, he was able to construct a versatile, lush, and engaging body of work. However, Thomas shines solo on the standout "SAFE PLACE," which is a horn-bolstered and stark display of passion. The big highlight, though, is his performance, which goes through various fast flows that don't compromise his charismatic bars and deliveries.

Finally, we'd be remiss not to send Mustafa's new album Dunya your way. It's a gorgeous, heartfelt, and tender collection of tracks like "I'll Go Anywhere" that really entice you with their light but resonant instrumentation. Let us know what your favorite R&B Season pick was this week, as well as what else we missed, down in the comments section below. Check the playlist out above and, as always, stick around on HNHH to stay up to date on new music around the clock.

About The Author
Gabriel Bras Nevares is a staff writer for HotNewHipHop. He joined HNHH while completing his B.A. in Journalism & Mass Communication at The George Washington University in the summer of 2022. Born and raised in San Juan, Puerto Rico, Gabriel treasures the crossover between his native reggaetón and hip-hop news coverage, such as his review for Bad Bunny’s hometown concert in 2024. But more specifically, he digs for the deeper side of hip-hop conversations, whether that’s the “death” of the genre in 2023, the lyrical and parasocial intricacies of the Kendrick Lamar and Drake battle, or the many moving parts of the Young Thug and YSL RICO case. Beyond engaging and breaking news coverage, Gabriel makes the most out of his concert obsessions, reviewing and recapping festivals like Rolling Loud Miami and Camp Flog Gnaw. He’s also developed a strong editorial voice through album reviews, think-pieces, and interviews with some of the genre’s brightest upstarts and most enduring obscured gems like Homeboy Sandman, Bktherula, Bas, and Devin Malik.
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