Kendrick Lamar, The Weeknd & Young Thug Hold Down This Week's "Fire Emoji" Playlist

Plus, new music from Belly, GRIP, and Meek Mill.

BYAron A.
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Another week has gone by and still, DONDA has yet to be found. This week, Kanye West held his third listening party for the album in Chicago with promises that it would arrive this weekend. That promise has yet to be fulfilled but thankfully, there was a slew of other incredible artists that made up for where 'Ye lacked. As usual, we've highlighted all of the music that you should check out on this week's Fire Emoji playlist. Here's your breakdown:

The return of Kendrick Lamar was not a disappointment. This week, he jumped on Baby Keem's "family ties," marking his first appearance on wax since Busta Rhymes' "Look Over Your Shoulder." Alongside the pgLang signee, they delivered a chaotic banger that one can argue is the best rap single of the year so far.

Belly also emerged this week with the release of his new album, See You Next Wednesday. The rapper's latest project boasts plenty of incredible moments but we can't help be keep revisiting, "Die For It" ft. The Weeknd and Nas.

The return of Rich Gang is also worth noting. Rich Homie Quan might be absent for this one but Birdman and Young Thug's "Blue Emerald" certainly holds it down. 

This week's Fire Emoji playlist also includes new heat from Meek Mill, who dropped "Sharing Locations" ft. Lil Baby and Lil Durk; a cut off of GRIP's new album, and Joyner Lucas' new collab with Lil Tjay


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About The Author
Aron A. is a features editor for HotNewHipHop. Beginning his tenure at HotNewHipHop in July 2017, he has comprehensively documented the biggest stories in the culture over the past few years. Throughout his time, Aron’s helped introduce a number of buzzing up-and-coming artists to our audience, identifying regional trends and highlighting hip-hop from across the globe. As a Canadian-based music journalist, he has also made a concerted effort to put spotlights on artists hailing from North of the border as part of Rise & Grind, the weekly interview series that he created and launched in 2021. Aron also broke a number of stories through his extensive interviews with beloved figures in the culture. These include industry vets (Quality Control co-founder Kevin "Coach K" Lee, Wayno Clark), definitive producers (DJ Paul, Hit-Boy, Zaytoven), cultural disruptors (Soulja Boy), lyrical heavyweights (Pusha T, Styles P, Danny Brown), cultural pioneers (Dapper Dan, Big Daddy Kane), and the next generation of stars (Lil Durk, Latto, Fivio Foreign, Denzel Curry). Aron also penned cover stories with the likes of Rick Ross, Central Cee, Moneybagg Yo, Vince Staples, and Bobby Shmurda.