Hundreds, thousands of songs get released every week. From small, independent Soundcloud and Bandcamp records to major label projects and singles, it’s hard to truly get a feel for what’s truly essential in today’s climate. This is true for all genres but it’s especially evident in the world of hip-hop and R&B.

This is where us at Noisey come into play. We’re narrowing down three of the best songs to come out every week from the two genres. It’s not as time-consuming as a playlist can be but it’s also not as disposable as picking out a one-off song. Ultimately, there will always be three key records you have to play, from big artists to up-and-comers alike. Hopefully, you’ll discover a new artist along the way.

Three of The Best New Hip-hop and R&B Songs of The Week

Lupe Fiasco- “SOS”

Lupe Fiasco was the chosen one at one point. He was one of the rare artists who could make hit records to appeal to a broad array of demographics while never forsaking the integrity of rapping. Additionally, he was never afraid of speaking his mind on records. Songs like “Paris, Tokyo” could coexist on the same album as “Put You on Game.”

Nowadays, Lupe’s interests have shifted significantly. His newer mission statement is to push rap even further to its conceptual and lyrical limits. This is evident on all of his songs nowadays; Samurai is dense exploration of what Amy Winehouse would be like if she was a battle rapper. We’re far from the days of “Kick, Push.” Ultimately, Lupe lays his thesis bare on his latest record “SOS,” where he says, “‘Cause we be puttin substance over style.” Jazzy strings, soft chords, robust drums, and horns reminiscent of Chicago winds, Lupe delivers a great meat and potatoes hip-hop record.

zayALLCAPS- “Tasty (Bad Gurl) [feat. Melvin Knight & mynameisntjmack]”

“Tasty (Bad Gurl)” is one of those songs you would hear every hour on the radio back in the day or the room shaker at a house party filled with red solo cups. The oddball strawberry colored synths, the slight distortion in the bass, and zayALLCAPS’ backing harmonies on the sugary Melvin Knight hook makes for another strong summer anthem.

art Pop * pop Art is an album filled with these kind of sunny, tender songs you could play anywhere. “Ode 2 Ivory” is a tender, flowery pluggnb record dedicated to his piano. “SATURN” is soaked in autotune, glitchy and fizzy in its texture. “MTV’s Pimp My Ride” would rule over all airplay in a just world where we still followed in T-Pain’s footsteps as a hitmaker. Hopefully “Tasty (Bad Gurl)” reaches its destiny, premiering on Big Boy in The Morning while sitting in the I-405 traffic jam with the AC blasting.

Lelo- “Groundhog Day”

Detroit and Michigan as a whole is one of the hottest rap scenes going right now. The state is rich with invigorating artists, from Detroit’s finest in Babyface Ray and Boldy James to hot Flint acts like Rio Da Yung OG and RMC Mike. However, these scenes have a couple different signature sounds in their songs. Detroit has a glossy sheen to it, diamonds dancing and buffs ordaining artists’ faces. Meanwhile, Flint is occupied with sounds and textures of the apocalypse, Armageddon bells, earth cracking bass and drums.

Lelo offers an alternative: New Detroit. His songs bridge the city’s rich, deep history with his own distinct interests. It’s a quiet storm of grays and rubble, a strong penchant for anime like Akira and Neon Genesis Evangelion that reflects the moody metropolis of his own city. “Groundhog Day” off of his latest album New Detroit follows this thread– smooth, high fashion amidst inner city decay. Lelo raps almost exclusively in disillusioned shrugs but it never forsakes sharp rapping and tough trash talk on his songs. “Too addicted at the table, I roll all the dice/These n—s caught up, tryna flex at the mall for ice,” he slurs.