Source: Prince Williams / Getty
New Music Released This Week (December 23rd – December 27th):
Source: Prince Williams / Getty
Kodak Black Highlights This Week’s New Music Roundup was originally published on globalgrind.com
Today, GRAMMY-nominated R&B superstar Summer Walker (LVRN/Interscope Records) unveils the official music video for her latest hit song, “Heart Of A Woman.” Co-starring multi-platinum rap star NLE Choppa, the video brings to life a dramatic time-loop narrative, where Summer finds herself reliving the same day three times after her partner’s infidelity.
Drawing inspiration from her celebrated trilogy, the video connects the eras of Over It, Still Over It, and the highly anticipated Finally Over It, with each loop. The intense final sequence showcases Summer walking away from the toxic cycle—and from NLE Choppa—leaving both the relationship and its turmoil engulfed in flames.
Fans are treated to an additional surprise as the video opens with a 15 second teaser of a brand-new track, offering a first listen to what’s in store on Finally Over It. Directed by the visionary Lacey Duke, the video masterfully intertwines themes of heartbreak, growth, and empowerment.
Summer’s upcoming album, Finally Over It, marks the culmination of her Over It trilogy, which has become a defining chapter of her R&B reign. The trilogy began with her groundbreaking debut Over It in 2019 and continued with her 2021 Billboard 200 chart-topping sophomore effort Still Over It. Each project has resonated with fans, chronicling the emotional highs and lows of love and self-discovery.
In addition to the new video, Summer made her Apple Music Radio debut with her new six-episode radio series, Over It Radio. In her debut episodes, she connected with special guests like Sexyy Redd and Yung Miami, diving into topics of relationships, motherhood, and entrepreneurship, while hinting at new music on the horizon.
What happens when you randomly search for Hanukkah on the internet and find a sweet beat? Well, that’s Kosha’s story on collaborating with Nigerian producer Ko.Sce for a new holiday banger that is already being featured on various YouTube, Spotify, and Pandora.
In advance of NYC’s 1st ever Hannukcon, Kosha Dillz, and his friends run from a Crown Heights Bodega after a rough year, and still uplift spirits from the MTA’s 3 Train to Radio City Music Hall to Rockefeller Center celebrating Hanukkah while they tear up NYC with a massive Dreidel during Manhattan’s annual SantaCon with the “Dreidel Dreidel” Video. “Dreidel Dreidel” is now available at all DSP’s and you can watch the new video below.
Why shoot a Hanukkah video during SantaCon? Well, this is the first year in a very long time that Hanukkah and Christmas land on the same day; leading to an unusual, but pleasant celebration and collaboration of holidays. According to history, this event has happened 8 times over the last century +, with the last such example happening in 2005. Who knows when the next time it will happen, but this song promises to be a fixture every year at holiday parties.
Kosha’s holiday run is quite different from his usual antics. He comes off joining the Wild N’ Out Love Tour, making appearances at sold out shows in LA, Brooklyn, and New Orleans with Nick Cannon, Justina Valentine, DC Young Fly, YG, Big Freedia, Rick Ross and others.
The “Dreidel Dreidel” Video is a precursor to Kosha Dillz’ Hannukcon (NYC”s 1st ever) @ Mercury Lounge in the Lower East Side, which includes a spinning Dreidel spinning tournament, Knishes from Yonah Schimmel, Kosher Sufganiyot from Dough Doughnuts, and a “regifting” suite for all the presents you don’t want, along with a headline show featuring Kosha, Yiddish Rock with Riki Rose and DJ J-Ronin spinning a Jewish rap set alongside Klezmer classics. Word is there will also be interviews with unemployed Jewish Santa Clauses.
Pioneering Jewish rappersMatisyahu and Remedy have teamed up for “The Fathers Live,” celebrating their roots and speaking out against the rising tide of antisemitism. The single/video, recorded in a New York synagogue, drops TODAY, December 25th, the first day of Chanukah, and is the debut track off their collaborative project.
“I wanted to bring together a bunch of strong Jews from different backgrounds in a Shul in Brooklyn, and just vibe out to the song in a Jewish setting,” says Matisyahu. “Matis had the vision of us all in a Shul and the video worked out beautifully,” adds Remedy. “We’re delivering a message of wisdom from our forefathers, of dreams and aspirations, and self-determination. We want the truth to get out. The video features cameos from the likes of Michael Rapaport, Uri Cohn, Betar and Abraham Hamra.
The song is an anthem. “The people of Israel live,” it begins in Hebrew (am Yisrael chai), then “our father lives on” (Od avinu chai) before the English-language verses. It begins: “Built like the shield of David, holy and sacred / Remedy, Matisyahu, we abolish the hatred. All that’s pure’s been tarnished and tainted Still we pray three times a day…G-ds with me, I can feel it inside of me…One nation, One people, One G-d.” A powerful and strong message of survival and strength, through everything.
Matisyahu has expressed similar sentiments throughout his career, including his 2006 debut single, “Jerusalem (Out of the Darkness Comes Light),” which used imagery from the Holocaust in the accompanying video, as well as in his career-defining anthem “One Day,” in 2008, about equality and peace.
Remedy, whose grandmother and grandfather were both Holocaust survivors, was not only the first white rapper to be affiliated with Wu-Tang Clan but the first Jewish rapper. His track, “Never Again,” appears on the group’s 1998 compilation, The Swarm Vol. 1. “Remedy’s ’Never Again’ was one of my major inspirations to start rapping when I was a teen,” says Matisyahu. “It gave me a glimpse of a way to connect our heritage with music of our time.”
While Matisyahu grew up in White Plains, New York, and Remedy in Staten Island, New York, the pair has not worked together before now. “I reached out to him after he resurfaced on my Instagram with a dope Macklemore diss track,” says Matisyahu. “I saw that he’s pro-Israel and a strong Jew with no fucks given, and we got together and recorded a bunch of songs.” Says Remedy, “Matisyahu is a legend. I was honored when he reached out to me and wanted to work.”
“‘The Fathers Live’ is the first release and it really represents what we’re doing. “We’re making music for humanity and our people, as we try to abolish the hatred.” – Remedy.
Kodak Black season continues as the multi-platinum rapper delivers a Christmas Day surprise: his third full-length project in two months, Gift for the Streets, out now via Vulture Love / Capitol Records. After two mostly solo outings, the Pompano Beach luminary throws a star-studded affair featuring Lil Yachty, Veeze, Rob49, Taylor So Made, No Limit Records OG C-Murder, and more, not to mention a partial Hot Boys reunion with Juvenile and BG. Listen HERE.
The release follows Kodak’s December 23 appearance at his hometown’s Pop the Trunk Christmas Toy Giveaway, a free drive-through event which included giving out 1,800 toys for kids — and a surprise Kodak cameo, too. This Thanksgiving, he continued his annual Kodak’s Turkey Drive, giving out 1,800 turkeys in honor of the 1800 block he grew up on.
Gift for the Streets lives up to its name, blessing fans with tracks like “Shit Show,” where Kodak turns dark visions into a sticky hook — “Need my ice crushed up, double cup stuffed” — over an ethereal beat packed with rubbery bass and crisp snares. Veeze brings his creaky slur to the mix, and Yachty follows, making a case for dismissing the backstabbing haters and focusing on some earthly rewards instead.
Elsewhere, vengeance wins out. On “Same Altima,” Kodak, Juvenile, and BG unfurl narratives full of poverty, paranoia, punishment, and penitentiary visions. And while our host riffs on romance on “Go Get Em,” New Orleans star Rob49 speaks on the streets in his bone-rattling baritone: “Put my heart aside / My s— been broke too many times by n—– who I think ridin’.” BG, who was released from prison last year after serving 12 years, returns for the reflective “Short Timing,” and C-Murder, who is serving a contested life sentence, lands on a familiar, heartbreaking refrain: “Is there a heaven for a gangster?”
The 12-song set (which also includes cameos from TTO K.T., Emoney, and Taji Akeil) arrives after a pair of November mixtapes: Dieuson Octave (led by the single “Catch Fire”), a haunted, inward-looking project titled after the artist’s actual birth name; and Trill Bill (featuring “News Matt”), which captured the multifaceted man from a different angle — the “fly, fresh, and foolish” side.
The three recent releases are Kodak’s first solo full-lengths since 2023’s When I Was Dead, in which he vividly explored both his nightmares and his aspirations. Featuring the smash hit “Lemme See,” the set only reaffirmed Kodak’s status as one of the most gifted of his generation. More recently, he dropped the hard-hitting “Hit Stick,” preceded by introspective tracks like “Dis Time” and “Stressed Out.”
Furthermore, Kodak kickstarted this summer with his record label Vulture Love’s first official project, Vulture Love Presents: The Last Zombies on Earth, featuring contributions from VVSNCE, Lil Crix, G6reddot, GorditoFlo, Big Fredo, Jay Dirty, Taji Akeil, and more. Listen HERE. Beyond generating millions of streams, it received tastemaker acclaim. XXL and The Source plugged it, and HotNewHipHop praised, “where this debut album succeeds is giving these up-and-coming artists a great platform to make their voices hard.” He then later followed up the compilation with a sold-out show at Los Angeles’ NOVO.
Kodak’s expansive vision and status transcend rap. Over the years, he’s cultivated the role of a prophetic storyteller and resonant channeller of the culture, and his reach continues to grow. He has over 25 billion global streams to his name and continues to engage in altruism within his beloved Florida community.
Capping off a turning-point year, Nigerian global superstar Rema has released the official music video for fan favorite “Ozeba.” A track that has received traction globally with Rema fans and a must-repeat at his live shows, “Ozeba” is an ode to a cult classic horror film from Benin, Nigeria of the same name. An Edo word to mean “trouble” or “to be in conflict with someone else” the music video pays homage to the film genre by creating a thrilling visual soundscape to the menacingly anthemic song.
Watch the Jackson Forsythe directed video above.
The song appears on Rema’s critically acclaimed album, HEIS, released earlier this year which is now GRAMMY nominated for “Best Global Music Album” award. The album also appeared on many “Best of 2024” albums list with Rolling Stone crowning it as the “the strongest contender for the best Afrobeats album of the year.” American fans won’t have to wait long to catch the song live as Rema is set to take over the dessert at next year’s Coachella Music Festival in Indio, CA.
It’s officially ‘SLUFFIN SZN’ (Slut + Cuffin Season), and NLE Choppa is sliding down the chimney with his first-ever holiday project, PICASSO: SLUFFIN SZN X SLUT SZN, available now via NLE Entertainment/Warner Records. Listen [HERE].
The 23-track project is a gift for fans, blending Choppa’s signature rap energy with smooth, R&B-infused vibes perfect for winter nights. On PICASSO: SLUFFIN SZN X SLUT SZN, NLE Choppa brings together sultry melodies, hard-hitting verses, and star-studded collaborations such as Summer Walker, T-Pain, Skilla Baby, Yung Bleu, J.P., 41, Carey Washington, and more.
Highlights include:
PICASSO: SLUFFIN SZN X SLUT SZN captures the spectrum of love and freedom with two themes: “SLUFFIN SZN,” a cozy, love-centered vibe, and “SLUT SZN,” a high-energy celebration of carefree fun. NLE Choppa showcases his versatility through a bold blend of introspection and hype.
From heartfelt slow jams to fiery anthems, PICASSO: SLUFFIN SZN X SLUT SZN marks a new creative milestone for Choppa while keeping his fans entertained all season long.
The holiday spirit is just the icing on the cake of a blockbuster year for the breakthrough star. Fresh off 12 new RIAA Gold and Platinum certifications — bringing his total to an impressive 24 plaques — the 22-year-old artist has now surpassed 9 billion global streams. His 2024 project, SLUT SZN, dominated charts and playlists, driven by hit singles like “Gang Baby” and “Or What,” which climbed the Billboard Hot 100 and ruled urban radio.
Choppa’s reach extended beyond music this year, too. He flexed his creative chops by co-writing, co-directing, and starring in the short film NLE Choppa Presents: The Wash, a hilarious reimagining of the 2001 cult classic featuring cameos from Lil Wayne, Sukihana, and more. He also made waves in fashion, collaborating with DITA Eyewear and launching his exclusive Duck Boot line. Choppa hit the runway for Off-White’s NYFW show and graced the cover of Paper magazine, further cementing his place as a cultural force.
Allow NLE Choppa to wish you a Merry SLUFFIN SZN and a Happy New Year — the holidays just got hotter!
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