Chris Brown, Lupe Fiasco, Cochise and More – New Hip Hop Projects

Summer has officially arrived, which means hip-hop is ready to grow with new music releases. This time, one of the most talented artists across multiple genres is dropping a project that many are watching, and a Chicago wordsmith is releasing his first LP in four years. Plus, a Florida rhymer is releasing his second album just as it was announced as 2022. XXL Freshman and more.

As he’s about to embark on a massive 36-date tour alongside Lil Baby, Chris Brown drops his highly anticipated 10th studio album, Costs. Following the release of his 2020 joint project with Young Thug, Slime&Bthe singer’s new LP “Iffy” features a throwback to the more traditional side of the R&B genre while featuring guest appearances from some of the hottest rappers in the game, including Lil Durk, Fivio Foreign, Lil Wayne, Lil Baby, Jack Harlow, Blxst and IS Gee.

With a rollout that has been ongoing since early 2022, Costs is comprised of 24 tracks, including the previously released single, “WE (Warm Embrace)”, which sparked some controversy this week for Normani, who appears in the song’s official music video as Chris Brown’s lover.

This week also features the return of Lupe Fiasco. After a four-year hiatus, the Chicago rapper delivers his eighth solo album Drill Music in Sion. The sequel to 2018 drug waveLu delivers a svelte collection of 10 songs that he challenged himself to put together in 72 hours.

Solely produced by Soundtrakk, Lupe’s frequent collaborating drummer Fiasco, who produced Lupe’s previous hits like “Kick, Push”, “Superstar” and “Paris, Tokyo”, the LP finds Lu doing all the heavy lifting. Without any rapping features, the album features appearances from Ayesha Jaco, who delivers a spoken intro, and singer Nayirah, who appears on several songs, including lead single “Autoboto”.

“Soundtrakk is the swordmaker, I’m the samurai, he’s the mechanic, and I’m the driver,” Lupe says of their cohesion.

Right after being inducted into the 2022 XXL Freshmen Class, Cochise release their new album, inspection. Rocking his gold and platinum singles “Hatchback” and “Tell Em” with $not, the Palm Bay, Fla. rapper puts his latest pack into the ether. Comprising 13 songs, the new LP features guest appearances from Chief Keef on the song “Hunt”, Young Nudy on the track “Nice” and more.

The sequel to 2021 Croissant Benbow, which also featured the popular “Knicks” cut, Chise’s new project has production from Nonbruh, Lousho, AC Flow and others, and continues the rapper’s theme of releasing hit anthems. Just in time for summer.

Check out more projects from Roddy Ricch, Lil Durk, Money Man and more below.