Lil Dicky, Fredo Bang, Hus Kingpin and More – Hip-Hop Projects

January 19, 2024 446 77 5

As the third week of 2024 comes to a close, the rap game delivers another round of fresh new music, just in time for the weekend kickback. This batch of new offerings includes a hilarious rapper-actor returning with his first project in eight years, a Louisiana rhymer confronting trauma on his second album, a legendary producer teaming up with a revered New York MC for a collaborative effort and more.

Lil Dicky Delivers Penith (The DAVE Soundtrack)

After nearly a decade, Lil Dicky returns to the rap game this week with Penith (The DAVE Soundtrack). The former member of the esteemed 2016 XXL Freshman Class delivers his sophomore album in the form of 22 songs that have been featured throughout all three seasons of his popular TV show DAVE.

Along with the album’s announcement last month, Lil Dicky dropped the offering’s lead single “Mr. McAdams.” The Benny Blanco-produced cut serves as a self-deprecating ode to actress Rachel McAdams with lyrics like, “Are you a blonde or brunette?/You pull ’em both off like socks in a bed/Notebook even had a little bit of red/I don’t why I’m telling you about your hair.”

In a press release announcing “Mr. McAdams,” Lil Dicky described his inspiration for the single’s comical content.

“This song is a tongue-in-cheek ‘shoot your shot’ at even your dream girl kind of jam,” Dicky’s statement reads. “It’s for all the dreamers out there! Everyone has a dream.”

Fredo Bang Seeks Therapy on Yes, I’m Sad

Fredo Bang opens up about his mental health on his second project, Yes, I’m Sad, which dropped today. The Louisiana rapper has stayed relatively quiet within the past year but it appears he’s been coping with his personal struggles. The project is Fredo’s attempt to overcome some of the trauma he experienced while growing up in the hood surrounded by drugs and violence.

The set’s first single is “Come Thru,” produced by DJ Chose, Hardbody and B-Eazy. In the song’s accompanying video, which can be viewed below, the 27-year-old rhymer is at a cemetery celebrating the death of an opp who tried to take him out. Fredo, who’s dressed in all black, warns other detractors, “We don’t give no f**ks, play you out of luck, uh/I keep it on my side like my .40 was a crutch/I workin’ with a pair, but b***h, I ain’t the one.”

Additionally, Fredo posted a trailer for his new album on his social media accounts. In the preview below, Fredo receives a voice message from The Breakfast Club host Charlamagne Tha God, who’s been a staunch mental health advocate. The radio personality and podcaster advises the young rhymer to find a therapist to help him cope with the trauma he has been experiencing.

“Remember, therapy is a gateway to healing,” Charlamagne said to Fredo. “You have to go sit down with a professional and look everything you dealt with and currently dealing with in the face.”

“And remember, therapy is not about fixing you. It’s about helping you to heal. The life you save is going to be your own,” he added.

Fredo Bang is using his music as a form of therapy to help him heal from his pain and frustrations. Take a listen to his Yes, I’m Sad album below.

9th Wonder and Hus Kingpin Link Up for The Supergoat Project

Just in time to celebrate his birthday, Grammy Award-winning producer 9th Wonder taps New York spitter Hus Kingpin for their first-ever joint project, The Supergoat. The famed North Carolina beatmaker lays the groundwork with his signature soulful, boom-bap sound as Hus glides poetically across 11 tracks. Features on the project include Onyx’s Fredro Starr and indie hip-hop vet Roscoe P ColdChain, among others.

The Supergoat collab arrives just one month after Hus Kingpin’s most recent full-length drop, Holiday Hus 2: Cocaine Christmas. As for 9th Wonder, the new project comes through only three weeks since his last release, Bladey Mae (Grandma’s Blades), an instrumental compilation that dropped on Dec. 25.