New Music Friday picks: Raekwon, Sly & The Family Stone, DJ Haram + 8 more albums

New Music Friday brings an incredible collection of 11 essential albums this week, featuring hip-hop legend Raekwon, electronic innovator DJ Haram, and rare archival gold from Sly & The Family Stone. From UK rap breakthroughs to Atlanta’s evolving trap scene, this week’s new music releases showcase the boundless creativity of today’s artists. Here are the best new albums you need to add to your playlist this Friday.

Best New Hip-Hop Albums This Week

Jim Legxacy – black british music

South London’s most compelling new voice delivers his major-label debut through XL Recordings, transforming his signature blend of emo-inflected guitar work and Afrobeat rhythms into a cohesive artistic statement about identity and belonging. The Lewisham-raised artist, whose Nigerian heritage informs much of his sonic palette, collaborates with outside producers for the first time, resulting in expanded arrangements that enhance rather than diminish his intimate songwriting approach. Standout tracks like “Father” and the Dave collaboration “3x” navigate themes of grief and cultural displacement with remarkable emotional honesty, while the album’s genre-fluid approach—incorporating elements from UK garage to punk-funk—positions Legxacy as a vital voice in contemporary British music’s ongoing evolution.

Raekwon – The Emperor’s New Clothes

Wu-Tang Clan’s Chef returns with his most ambitious solo statement in years, a 17-track opus that finds the 55-year-old MC’s storytelling abilities as sharp as ever. Released through Mass Appeal Records, the album features production from Swizz Beatz, J.U.S.T.I.C.E. League, and Nottz, creating a sonic backdrop that honors classic East Coast hip-hop while pushing toward contemporary innovations. Guest appearances from Nas, Ghostface Killah, and Griselda’s Benny the Butcher provide generational bridges, while early singles “Bear Hill” and “Visiting Day” showcase Raekwon’s undiminished ability to craft cinematic street narratives. The album’s polished soul-sample aesthetic pays homage to his classic Only Built 4 Cuban Linx… without simply repeating past formulas.

Anycia & DJ Drama – Grady Baby

Named for Atlanta’s Grady Memorial Hospital, this 12-track Gangsta Grillz mixtape positions 23-year-old Anycia as a key figure in the city’s current women-led rap renaissance. DJ Drama’s veteran presence provides both historical context and contemporary relevance through his signature ad-libs and curation, while Anycia’s smoky, conversational flow adapts classic Atlanta trap formulas for a new generation. Singles “Put Up” and “Never Need” pay homage to TLC’s ’90s innovations while establishing Anycia’s distinct voice, supported by guest appearances from Tink, Quavo, and Monaleo that demonstrate her growing influence within the scene. The mixtape format allows for creative freedom while maintaining the commercial appeal that has made Anycia one of Atlanta’s most promising emerging artists.

Best R&B albums of the week

Nectar Woode – it’s like I never left

British-Ghanaian soul artist Nectar Woode crafts an intimate five-song statement that celebrates his dual heritage through warm, analog-influenced production and deeply personal songwriting. The Milton Keynes-bred musician, who studied at the Institute of Contemporary Music Performance and has earned recognition from Elton John, weaves highlife guitar patterns through narratives of anxiety and self-discovery. Songs like “Only Happen” and “Ama Said” demonstrate his ability to honor West African musical traditions while creating something entirely contemporary, with production that evokes the intimacy of a late-night jazz club performance. At 25, Woode represents a new generation of British artists exploring their cultural roots through sophisticated musical expression.

Kanii – #BLUE

At just 19, Washington D.C.’s Kanii demonstrates remarkable artistic maturity on this seven-track Warner Records EP, pivoting from his viral hyperpop origins toward a more sophisticated R&B approach. The Gold-certified artist behind the 2023 hit “I Know” showcases his evolving sound through live instrumentation layered over contemporary club production, creating a sonic bridge between classic soul traditions and modern pop sensibilities. His restless exploration of different genres—from house-influenced rhythms to pop-punk guitar flourishes—reflects an artist unafraid to challenge expectations, while his upcoming North American headline tour promises to further establish his presence in the current R&B landscape.

Essential Electronic & Dance Releases

DJ Haram – Beside Myself

Brooklyn-based producer Zubeyda Muzeyyen channels personal and political rage into a scorching club album that fuses Jersey club’s percussive intensity with Palestinian musical traditions and harsh electronic textures. Released through Hyperdub, the record features collaborations with El Kontessa, Bbymutha, and Moor Mother, creating a network of voices that reflect the album’s themes of survival and resistance. Haram’s production work shifts seamlessly between crushing noise-rap constructions and moments of euphoric dance floor catharsis, with tracks like “IDGAF” and “Badass” showcasing her ability to transform trauma into kinetic energy. The album stands as both a personal document of diasporic experience and a powerful statement about music’s capacity to create community through adversity.

salute – TRUE MAGIC, DELUXE

Manchester-via-Vienna producer salute expands his 2024 house debut with six new collaborations that push his euphoric club sound into new territory. Featuring contributions from Rina Sawayama, Disclosure, and Sam Gellaitry, the deluxe edition includes a “bonus round” of high-BPM edits that capture the energy of late-night street racing culture. The project’s JDM (Japanese Domestic Market) aesthetic influences both its sound and visual presentation, while salute’s commitment to diversity extends beyond the music through an inclusion rider that ensures representation across his tour dates. This expansion demonstrates how contemporary electronic music can honor both underground club culture and mainstream accessibility without compromising artistic integrity.

Legendary Archival Discovery

Sly & The Family Stone – The First Family: Live at Winchester Cathedral 1967

This remarkable archival discovery from High Moon Records captures Sly Stone’s revolutionary ensemble at a pivotal moment, months before their breakthrough album A Whole New Thing would reshape popular music. Recorded at a small venue in Redwood City, California, the 50-minute performance reveals the band’s chemistry in its purest form, tearing through soul standards like “I Can’t Turn You Loose” alongside early originals that hint at the funk innovations to come. Engineer Dan Hersch’s restoration work brings clarity to these historic recordings, while the accompanying booklet provides essential context through new interviews and previously unseen photographs. This release offers invaluable insight into one of music’s most transformative periods, documenting the moment when Stone’s vision began to crystallize into the genre-defining sound that would influence generations of artists.

Must-Hear Jazz Releases This Week

Alina Bzhezhinska & Tulshi – Whispers of Rain

Ukrainian-born harpist Alina Bzhezhinska and Scottish producer Tulshi create an eight-track meditation that expands the sonic possibilities of both acoustic and electronic music. Released through Tru Thoughts, their collaboration draws inspiration from Alice Coltrane’s spiritual jazz innovations while incorporating contemporary ambient and dub production techniques. Bzhezhinska’s cascading harp work provides the album’s melodic foundation, while Tulshi’s electronics create atmospheric textures that enhance rather than overwhelm the acoustic elements. Rain imagery threads through the compositions, creating a cohesive listening experience that will be presented live at London’s Vortex Jazz Club with saxophonist Tony Kofi, promising to translate the album’s intimate studio atmosphere to the concert stage.

Experimental & Genre-Bending Releases

Cleo Reed – Cuntry

Brooklyn multi-instrumentalist Cleo Reed constructs a ambitious two-disc concept album that interrogates American labor history and Black land ownership through a radical fusion of Appalachian folk, electronic production, and hip-hop sensibilities. A graduate of Harlem School of the Arts and current BRIC resident, Reed deploys field recordings, archival speeches, and heavy 808 programming to create what they describe as an effort to “take back folk as an ideological term.” The album functions simultaneously as protest document and avant-garde self-portrait, challenging traditional genre boundaries while addressing urgent contemporary issues. Reed’s innovative approach to folk music traditions creates space for marginalized voices within forms historically associated with white rural culture, resulting in a powerful statement about music’s capacity to reclaim and redefine cultural narratives.