Megan Thee Stallion ‘s debut studio album starts off exactly as it needed to: with a diss track against Tory Lanez, who capitalized off of her trauma by dropping an entire album themed around her July shooting. “Shots Fired” is the introductory track from Good News , the official debut studio album from Houston rapper Megan Thee Stallion. The superstar artist has been in headlines all year and, eight months after her shooting incident, details about that night are still relatively unclear. The world has heard both sides of the story and now, it’s time for Megan to get something off her chest by addressing it all in a song. She goes on to say that, without Megan, Tory would have never been invited to Kylie Jenner’s party and, without her, he would have been indicted because, in the direct aftermath of her shooting, she refused to say names or rat him out. “FOREIGN SONGS…

Kevin Gates is the happiest he’s been in years. He’s officially out of the streets, spending most of his time with his family as he re-focuses on what’s important to him. Sometimes though, he still shifts his attention to the toxicity that used to follow him around for years. Just this week, many believed that he was taking aim at his former collaborator Youngboy Never Broke Again with some heated words on social media. Regardless of his supposed beef with the superstar rapper, Gates is getting ready for the release of his next studio album, titled Khaza after his son’s given name. He’s been teasing its arrival for the last few weeks, dropping “Weeks” during the leadup. Today, he follows up with his new single “Power”, to which he was filming a music video this week, featuring Dublin-based singer/songwriter Dermot Kennedy on the record. “FOREIGN SONGS…

Wale has been steadily teasing new music for a minute now, and while some have wondered whether the lyricist was in the midst of a pot- committed bluff, it would appear he’s officially ready to move his chips onto the table. Enter his brand new single “Flawed,” an emotionally captivating break-up ballad that finds him uniting with the ever-feature-ready Gunna for the first time. As one might have expected, there’s a low-key feel to the instrumental, which blends elements of bass guitar and pitched-up vocals in one lush package. Thematically, Wale seems to be channeling some vintage LL Cool J, aiming to reposition himself as a viable Mr. Right despite a few hiccups in the early stages. Gunna tags in to plead his own case, his cadence the perfect complement to the warm production from Mike Hector. And while Wale attempted to speak to the heart, Gunna shifts his focus to the libido, doing his best to spark nostalgia for those intimate nights in. Though it’s likely this track won’t be appreciated by all demographics, it’s still an interesting look for Wale and Gunna, two of the most melodically- savvy rappers in the game. “FOREIGN SONGS…

Russ came through and delivered his new CHOMP EP, a project that found him aligning with some of the game’s most respected lyricists across the board. In any case, it’s a solid look for the independent mogul, who has proven capable of keeping stride to an impressive degree. Even when tasked with trading bars with the Dragon himself, Russ made sure to deliver in that regard. Over a smooth and non-invasive instrumental from The Alchemist, itself a worthwhile co-sign, Russ and Busta Rhymes proceed to put in work with a lengthy verse apiece. Charged with setting things off, Russ weaves an impressive flow-scheme as he puts forth flexes. Busta picks up where he left off with a potent dose of ELE2 energy, explosive in his delivery though restrained in his own way. “FOREIGN SONGS…

At this point, it goes without saying that Hit-Boy is having a prolific year, having laced entire albums for Nas and Benny The Butcher — both of which received no shortage of acclaim. Now, the producer slash rapper is looking to keep the streak alive, coming through to deliver a brand new single called “ Salute ” with Big Sean and Fivio Foreign , both of whom he linked with earlier on Detroit 2 and Nas’ King’s Disease respectively. “FOREIGN SONGS…