Category: Hip Hop

Two of Japanese singer-songwriter Hikaru Utada‘s seminal English-language records, 2004’s Exodus and 2006’s This Is the One, are receiving their first-ever remaster. Both LPs will be released in a new, limited-edition format via Island Def Jam this week; they’re available on both streaming and, in Japan, as a 2CD set with bonus tracks, and on vinyl. It’s also the first time either of the records have been pressed to wax.

Although Exodus was Utada’s fifth studio album, and came out the same year as their first greatest hits compilation, it represented their formal introduction to American audiences, an audience she would continue to endear for years to come. The genre-spanning LP wove together electronic, dance, R&B, and avant-garde sonics; Timbaland contributed production to two tracks and handled remix duties on a third, while Jon Theodore, at the time the drummer for The Mars Volta, lent his talents to “Kremlin Dusk.” A remix of the single “Devil Inside” became a club smash, rising from dance floors around the country to the top spot on Billboard’s Dance Club Songs, becoming Utada’s highest U.S. chart placement at the time.

Five years later, This Is the One arrived as a full-blown A-list pop album. It brought together producers Stargate, who has worked with the likes of Rihanna and Beyoncé, and Tricky Stewart, known for his successful collaborations with Britney Spears and Mariah Carey. The LP peaked at No. 69 on the Billboard 200, placing Utada among a small number of Japanese artists ever to reach the chart’s Top 100. Its lead single “Come Back to Me” reached No. 5 on the Dance Club Songs chart, while “Merry Christmas Mr. Lawrence – FYI,” nodded to Utada’s Japanese-American pop crossover lineage by building on the celebrated Ryuichi Sakamoto composition of the same name.

After decades in the spotlight, Utada continues to regularly release music. In March, she collaborated with British star Charlie Puth on the song “Home,” and their most recent album, Bad Mode, arrived in 2022. In 2024, they also embarked on the Science Fiction tour, which celebrated the 25th anniversary of the release of their debut LP with multiple shows across Asia.

Order Exodus here and This Is The One here.

​Discover more about the world’s greatest R&B artists | uDiscover Music

In 2000, Musiq Soulchild blended R&B and neo-soul to craft his debut studio album Aijuswanaseing. In honor of the album’s recent 25th anniversary, a special edition of Aijuswanaseing is being released as a 2LP “peacock opaque” vinyl set.

Musiq Soulchild signed to Def Soul, the R&B division of Def Jam Records, in 1998. Two years later, Aijuswanaseing peaked at number 24 on the Billboard 200 and number four on the Top R&B/Hip-Hop albums chart. In 2001, the record was certified platinum by RIAA.

Click to load video

Last year, Soulchild performed the album in full at the Roots Picnic in his hometown of Philadelphia. Speaking to The Philadelphia Inquirer, he shared: “The fact that I was able to perform only songs from the first album, something I’ve never done, not even when I first released the album… was actually a milestone for me.”

The album spawned three singles: “Just Friends,” “Love,” and “Girl Next Door.” “Love” particularly resonated with fans, and spent 22 weeks on the Billboard Hot 100. While there have been numerous interpretations of the songs’ lyrics, Soulchild has his own perspective. He explained, “I had a very traumatic upbringing, childhood trauma. So what people don’t understand is they think it’s a romantic song, or they think that it’s a gospel song. It’s actually intentionally neither. If anything, it’s closer to therapy, really.”

He also reflected on the organic process behind the first album’s creation. “I didn’t really plan on making an album,” he said. “I didn’t expect to be signed to Def Jam. I wasn’t looking to be, you know, a super international star or anything. I was just trying to get some ideas out. I was working with my writing partner, Carvin Haggins, at the time. We recorded some songs. I didn’t think much of it.”

The success of Aijuswanaseing propelled Soulchild’s follow-up record, Juslisen, to number one on the Billboard 200 upon release in 2002.

Shop the 25th anniversary edition of Musiq Soulchild’s Aijuswanaseing here.

​Discover more about the world’s greatest R&B artists | uDiscover Music

Kelly Rowland’s third solo album Here I Am is coming to vinyl. The 2011 record will be available in two variants, standard 1LP black and 2LP Glacier Gray color vinyl. The former is its first ever 1LP standard black pressing and the latter features four previously released bonus tracks, available on vinyl for the first time. The four bonus tracks are “Heaven & Earth,” “Each Other,” “Motivation (Rebel Rock Remix),” and “Commander (Urban Remix).”

Here I Am is a dynamic collection of R&B, pop, and dance music. It features collaborations with Lil Wayne, David Guetta, Big Sean, and Rico Love and is led by the chart-topping single “Motivation.”

Here I Am highlights Rowland’s smooth vocals, confident attitude, and versatility across a mix of club-ready anthems and intimate slow jams. She sounds self-assured while delivering an empowering soundtrack filled with passion and undeniable hooks. “It’s more so introducing myself as Kelly Rowland being Kelly Rowland and just being myself,” she told PAPER in regards to the title. “I’m the most confident I’ve been on a record ever. And it’s by myself. I love it.”

“It just connected with my heart and the music as well,” she told Billboard. “It stands for everything I’ve gone through and thought about for this record as a woman. It’s very strong.”

Click to load video

The album’s dance-oriented sound was inspired by the former Destiny’s Child member’s time in Europe. An encounter with Guetta spinning at a club led to their 2009 collaboration “When Love Takes Over.” Guetta produced “Commander,” one of Here I Am’s singles, which would go on to top the US Hot Dance Club Songs chart.

The album featured other singles, “Forever and a Day,” “Rose Colored Glasses,” and “Grown Woman.” The final single, “Motivation,” which features Lil Wayne, reached No. 1 on the Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs chart where it stayed seven weeks in a row, and number seventeen on the Billboard Hot 100. The song was nominated for a Grammy for Best Rap/Sung Collaboration.

Shop Kelly Rowland’s Here I Am here.

​Discover more about the world’s greatest R&B artists | uDiscover Music

Two-time Grammy winner Muni Long has released her new single “Richest,” out now via Def Jam Recordings. The song, released yesterday, marks her first solo release of the year and follows a run that has included Grammy recognition, a Coachella debut, and the continued reach of her 2024 album Revenge.

“Richest” centers on a new relationship while looking back at the emotional effects of a previous one. In a statement, Long said, “Over the last year, I learned wealth looks different than I thought,” adding that she wanted to share what she gained after she “stopped measuring” her life by what she lost. The release frames the idea of richness through stability, love, and personal recovery rather than money.

Click to load video

The single follows “Delulu,” which Long released in 2025, and extends the period surrounding Revenge, her 2024 album. That project included the multiplatinum single “Made for Me,” one of the songs that helped bring Long back to the center of contemporary R&B. The Associated Press described Revenge as a record rooted in “frank, raw emotion and relatable scenarios,” while Billboard connected Long to R&B’s recent mainstream resurgence.

At the 2025 Grammy Awards, Long won Best R&B Performance for “Made for Me (Live on BET)” and received four nominations across R&B categories. In 2023, she won Best R&B Performance for “Hrs & Hrs,” the single that brought her one of the defining moments of her solo career. In April 2025, Long made her Coachella debut, with ELLE later highlighting her performance as among the festival’s best.

Listen to Muni Long’s “Richest” here.

​Discover more about the world’s greatest R&B artists | uDiscover Music

A new enhanced music video takes viewers behind the scenes of Ne-Yo’s breakthrough hit. “So Sick,” the chart-topping smash from the singer-songwriter’s 2006 debut album In My Own Words, is the latest classic music video to get the Vevo Footnotes treatment. In the newly released segment, Ne-Yo describes being inspired by the music as soon as he heard it, his inspiration for the lyrics, and the song’s legacy.

In the Footnotes video, Ne-Yo describes his first encounter with the production duo Stargate, “two of the most talented, six-foot-tall Norwegians you’ll ever meet.” The moment he heard the beat that would become “So Sick,” he was entranced. Before the Stargate guys could even fix their coffee, he was ready to sing them the first verse and hook, written on the spot. “They’re both very mild-mannered gentlemen, but the second I got to ‘I’m so sick of love songs,’ they both jumped up,” he remembers.

Click to load video

Ne-Yo explains that the song is about the first time he felt like he was truly in love. “I was around 15 or 16,” he remembers. “I was the only one in my group with a girlfriend, so suddenly she became the enemy. Instead of playing basketball or video games with them, I was with her. It turned into, ‘Is your girlfriend gonna let you come over?’ And I let it bruise my ego. I started treating her badly, and she left. That’s when it hit me: I really loved this girl. For a long time, if the radio was on, it was some sad, slow love song that kept her memory right there. I hated it, but I wouldn’t turn it off, because it reminded me of her.”

Ne-Yo remembers being certain “So Sick” would be huge, and he was right. The song became his first No. 1 hit on the Billboard Hot 100 and fueled the success of In My Own Words, which debuted at No. 1 on the Billboard 200 album chart. Ne-Yo recently released two vinyl reissues of the album to celebrate its 20th anniversary. Two decades later, he sees the song as a counterbalance to the hip-hop bravado that had taken hold in R&B at the time: “I think when that song came out, it was a reminder that we can still sing, still do melodies, still mean something. I think it’s a reminder to this day: It’s okay to be vulnerable.”

Shop the 20th anniversary edition of Ne-Yo’s In My Own Words on vinyl and CD here.

​Discover more about the world’s greatest R&B artists | uDiscover Music

Ne-Yo has released In My Own Words (20th Anniversary), a new expanded edition marking two decades of his full-length debut album. The release is available now in multiple formats, including 2LP black vinyl, a limited-edition “Enchanted Night” color 2LP vinyl, CD, and digital editions on most DSP platforms. The limited “Enchanted Night” color vinyl edition is available exclusively through uDiscover, the Sound of Vinyl, and Complex. A standard CD edition is also available through brick-and-mortar retailers and online shops.

All editions of In My Own Words (20th Anniversary) include 2026 mixes of the original album’s 13 tracks. The release also adds a 2026 mix of the bonus cut “Girlfriend,” another remix of “Stay,” and special acoustic versions of “So Sick” and “Sexy Love” recorded live in Atlanta in 2021. The CD and digital versions include additional acoustic studio versions of “So Sick” and “Sexy Love,” plus instrumental tracks for “When You’re Mad” and “So Sick.”

Ne-Yo first released In My Own Words on February 28, 2006. The album debuted at No. 1 on the Billboard 200, reached platinum status within one month, and later went double platinum. The record included “Sexy Love” and “So Sick,” with the latter reaching No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100. Ne-Yo is also preparing to release his country-inspired album Highway 79 on July 10. In April, he launched the Nights Like This Tour with Akon in Dublin, with dates across Europe, the United States, and Canada before an August 21 show at Intuit Dome in Inglewood, California.

Shop the Expanded Edition of Ne-Yo’s In My Own Words.

​Discover more about the world’s greatest R&B artists | uDiscover Music

Uptown Records has officially relaunched under Republic Collective, marking a new chapter for the label during its 40th anniversary year. Danielle Price Sanders will lead the relaunched company as President, Uptown Records/EVP, Republic Collective, with Natina Nimene joining the executive leadership team as EVP, Urban Audience and Artist Relations, Republic Collective.

The announcement arrives with new music and recent activity from a roster that includes Yung Miami, G Herbo, Trap Dickey, Sunkis, 9B Meechie and producer ATL Jacob. Price Sanders said Andre Harrell built “one of the most influential record companies in music history.” Harrell founded Uptown in 1986 and developed a roster that included Mary J. Blige, Jodeci, The Notorious B.I.G., Heavy D and Guy. In a press release, Price Sanders explained that the relaunched label will support “the next generation of artists.” She also noted that Uptown will operate as part of Republic Collective alongside other Collective labels and in connection with Def Jam, led by Tunji Balogun and Kevin Lipson.

Yung Miami is among the artists at the center of the relaunch. Her April 2026 single “Spend Dat” debuted on the Billboard Hot 100 at No. 66 and rose to No. 34, giving her first Top 40 entry as a solo artist. The song also reached No. 25 on Billboard’s Hot Rap Songs chart and moved from No. 50 to No. 34 on the Hot Hip-Hop/R&B Songs chart. Yung Miami said Uptown “already feels like home” as she continues her solo career with the label.

G Herbo’s Uptown-released album Lil Herb debuted at No. 1 on Apple Music’s Hip-Hop Albums chart and featured the platinum-certified single “Went Legit.” Trap Dickey’s project The Ville included “Down South” featuring Key Glock, which passed 25 million streams and became the No. 2 most-added song at Urban Radio. The relaunched label plans more news and announcements in 2026.

​Discover more about the world’s greatest R&B artists | uDiscover Music

Jacquees just gave the world another big reason to anticipate his upcoming album Mood 2. On new single “Lick Back,” the Cash Money R&B star teams up with one of the label’s legacy talents, Juvenile. Produced by Nash B, Hitmaka, D-Rok, and Dinuzzo, the track leans into the sound of New Orleans bounce, providing a high-energy environment for Jacquees’ gorgeously gliding vocals and a vintage rap verse from New Orleans native Juve the Great.

The “Lick Back” music video, directed by Jacquees on location in New Orleans, further amplifies the music’s invigorating vibe. Sonically and visually, it’s an ideal convergence of Atlanta and New Orleans, two of the most important cities in American music.

Click to load video

Mood 2, the sequel to Jacquees’ 2016 mixtape Mood, is scheduled for release July 31 on Cash Money and available to pre-save now. In addition to “Lick Back,” the 22-song project also features the recent singles “Physical” featuring Tink, “Let You Go” featuring K Camp, and “He Kant.” It’s part of a prolific streak for Jacquees that also includes last year’s collaborative album with Dej Loaf, Friendzone 2, and 2024’s Baby Making. Inspired by his own new fatherhood, Baby Making had Jacquees pursuing a specific objective. “If you and your significant other are on that same wavelength and one of you needs to set the mood, the Georgia native has got you,” Hot New Hip Hop wrote of the release.

Last weekend, Jacquees gave a headlining performance at the five-year anniversary and pre-Juneteenth Los Angeles edition of Black On The Block at Los Angeles Center Studios. He has more shows on deck for this summer, including stops in Indianapolis June 26 at La Flaca at the Square, Aug. 24 in Norfolk at Waterside District, and Aug. 15 in Minneapolis at Armory. Tickets are available at JacqueesLive.com.

Listen to Jacquees’ Lick Back here.

​Discover more about the world’s greatest R&B artists | uDiscover Music

British singer-songwriter Sekou has announced In A World We Don’t Belong Pt. 2, a new mixtape due June 26. The project follows In A World We Don’t Belong Pt. 1, which was released in November 2025, and arrives as Sekou continues a year that has included headline dates, festival appearances, and new material.

The upcoming mixtape will include the previously released single “Dangerous Lover” alongside four new releases. Its tracklist also includes the forthcoming “Does She Know,” which received its live debut during Sekou’s recent UK and European headline tour. Speaking about the project, Sekou said he wanted to tell his story and express how he feels as a 21-year-old artist. He described the title as connected to feeling like an outcast while also finding value in that experience.

Click to load video

Sekou also said the new songs came from an honest place. “When I write songs, I’m still learning about myself, and that’s what makes it exciting,” he said. The announcement follows news of Sekou’s headline show at KOKO in London on December 14. He also appeared at Capital’s Summertime Ball at Wembley Stadium, where he performed and drew praise from SZA and Kehlani.

Sekou begins his first US headline tour on June 15 at Vinyl in Atlanta. The North American run includes Elsewhere, The Hall in Brooklyn on June 21, El Cid in Los Angeles on June 24, The Troubadour in Los Angeles on June 26, and Barboza in Seattle on June 29. He will then play Montreux Jazz Festival on July 3, Summer Sonic Festival in Osaka and Tokyo in August, All Points East in London on August 21, Rock en Seine in Paris on August 26, Lalalib in Dijon on September 4, and KOKO in London on December 14. Earlier in 2026, Sekou opened for Sam Smith at the To Be Free residency in San Francisco and made his BBC Radio 1 Live Lounge debut with “Catching Bodies” and a cover of Justin Bieber’s “Yukon.”

Listen to In A World We Don’t Belong Pt. 2 here.

​Discover more about the world’s greatest R&B artists | uDiscover Music

2BYG has released The Yearbook (Extended Version), a deluxe edition of their mixtape The Yearbook, via Waystar Records/Def Jam Recordings. The Dallas-Fort Worth R&B quartet’s new edition arrived June 12, 2026, with five added tracks: “WYW,” “I Want You,” “Be Mine,” “TLC,” and “Road Rage.” The release extends the school-year framing of the original mixtape with a new set of songs described as the group’s “second semester.”

2BYG teased the deluxe release with “I Want You,” which uses a sample from Biz Markie’s “Make the Music With Your Mouth, Biz.” The track was highlighted by VIBE among “50 Hip-Hop and R&B Releases You Need On Your Playlist,” while Rolling Out wrote that the song “bridges eras with respect, style and a strong sense of musical joy.” Another advance cut, “Be Mine,” also arrived with an official video. VIBE included “Be Mine” in its “50 Hip-Hop, R&B Releases You Need On Your Playlist,” and Rated R&B described the song as a step toward a more mature sound.

Click to load video

Matt Brown, Touré, Nixx, and KD initially connected through a performing arts high school and a local talent show. The group has since passed one million TikTok followers with an account that features covers of music by H.E.R., New Edition, and Mint Condition.

Listen to “The Yearbook (Extended Version)” here.

​Discover more about the world’s greatest R&B artists | uDiscover Music