New Music Friday delivers 8 essential albums this week, featuring standouts from Ty Dolla $ign, George Riley and Kassa Overall alongside fresh projects from Ho99o9, Peyton, 4batz, Ayoni and El Cousteau. This week’s new music releases span hip-hop, R&B/soul, club-informed pop and punk-rap, with throughlines of self-definition, digital excess and live-wire experimentation. From jazz-informed reinterpretations to cathartic noise and glossy alt-R&B, these are the albums to stream now. Curated by HYFIN—your source for Black music and culture—discover, stream and save your favorites today.
Kassa Overall — “CREAM” (Warp)
A drummer, producer and emcee with deep jazz credentials, Kassa Overall reframes hip-hop classics as modern songbook repertoire on “CREAM,” cutting virtuosic, live-band interpretations of “C.R.E.A.M.,” “Nuthin’ but a ‘G’ Thang,” “Rebirth of Slick (Cool Like Dat)” and more. The set arrives via Warp with liner notes by “Dilla Time” author Dan Charnas, underscoring the project’s archival-minded intent. Horn voicings and MPC-sliced drums keep the edges sharp while the performances feel “live in the room,” opening into solos and beat switches that land with bandleader precision. Overall treats rap standards like showpieces—reharmonized, swung and rhythmically elastic—bridging club, studio and bandstand.
Peyton — “Au” (Stones Throw)
Houston singer Peyton returns with a warm, gilded R&B set shaped closely with Shafiq Husayn; the album includes contributions from Brian Alexander Morgan, Didda Joe and Sunni Colon, plus co-production/instrumentation from Om’Mas Keith. Stones Throw positions “Au” as a pledge to “stay golden,” a theme mirrored by the record’s title and reflective writing. Across the tracklist—where features are credited right on the album page—her diaristic vocals glide over Rhodes, bass and feather-light drums. Interludes and sequencing lend a golden-hour flow, letting the record play as a sustained mood rather than a grab-bag of singles.
Ho99o9 — “Tomorrow We Escape” (Last Gang/MNRK)
The New Jersey-bred duo’s third full-length detonates a fusion of hardcore punk, industrial textures and rap cadences. Digital release landed September 9, with a physical edition due in October on Last Gang/MNRK, signaling the band’s push into a wider release cycle.Breakneck blasts collapse into half-time rap sections for tension and release, with a brief ambient reset setting up a closing barrage. It’s a sharpened version of Ho99o9’s livewire chaos that still leaves room for apocalyptic storytelling.
El Cousteau — “Dirty Harry 2”
D.C.’s El Cousteau levels up on “Dirty Harry 2,” a sharp, introspective sequel featuring cameos from A$AP Rocky and Earl Sweatshirt. The album arrives amid rising national attention and cements the DMV artist’s evolution from cult favorite to breakout voice. Production highlights include “Menace to Society” (The Alchemist) and “A Good Laugh” (TwelveAM), tracks whose lumpy, paradoxical feel mirrors the album’s themes of ascent and ambivalence. Sparse low end and tape-warp textures leave room for sly ad-libs and diaristic bars.
George Riley — “More Is More” (Young)
London vocalist George Riley frames “More Is More” around digital overwhelm, hyper-consumption and desire, extending her club-curious R&B into a tighter, thematic suite. The project arrives on Young with early notes signaling a pop-leaning, still-underground sensibility. Sidechain swells and crisp percussion nod to UK club lineage while conversational phrasing turns refrains into mantras. It’s a focused step that keeps her experimental instincts intact even as she plays with bigger hooks.
4batz — “Still Shinin”
The Dallas singer’s debut album widens his viral falsetto into a full arc, with features from Leon Thomas, FLO, Maxo Kream and Zillionaire Doe. A midnight drop ushers in a 15-song set that formalizes his singles run into an LP statement. (Rap-Up) Breathy stacks ride roomy 808s with flickers of guitar at the margins, accenting his nocturnal croon. Hooks feel like voice memos polished to a sheen—confessional and close rather than stadium-sized.
Ty Dolla $ign — “TYCOON” (Atlantic)
Ty Dolla $ign primes his next era with “TYCOON,” listed across services as a 15-track album slated for October 17. For now it’s in pre-release, but the listings point to a polished, radio-ready set from one of rap-R&B’s most in-demand hook architects. Expect glossy chord changes, layered backgrounds and heavyweight drum programming—a continuation of the craftsmanship that’s long underpinned his collaborations.
Ayoni — “ISOLA” (Def Jam)
Barbados-born, L.A.-based singer Ayoni delivers her full-length debut, self-described as written and executive-produced by her, and now streaming as a 15-track album. Label and social posts point to a Def Jam release, with track titles including “On the Ceiling,” “San Francisco” and “Bitter in Love.” Arrangements swell from piano and strings into towering drums as sequencing carries a narrative from isolation to resolve—true to the title’s nod to distance. Her expansive vocals and diaristic detail anchor a pop-soul statement built for front-to-back listening.
The post New Music Friday: 8 essential albums from Ty Dolla $ign, George Riley, Kassa Overall & more appeared first on HYFIN.