STREAMED: Lil Baby Returns With 'WHAM' Album, Jack Harlow Searches For “Tranquility,” & More

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Lil Baby — WHAM

Lil Baby is back with his highly-anticipated new album, WHAM. It’s a star-studded 15-song project featuring some of the Georgia rapper’s most prominent collaborators.

For instance, Young Thug and Future show up on “Dum, Dumb, and Dumber.” Elsewhere, GloRilla is on “Redbone,” Rod Wave and Rylo Rodriguez are on “By Myself,” and Travis Scott is on “Stuff.” Moreover, 21 Savage rounds out the features on “Outfit.”

Baby opens the album by commanding attention on “Listen Up.” “Runaway train, I done took off,” he raps on the track. “I move with a purpose, give ’em the right influence, that’s how I’m the big dog / I’m with the clappers, I better not throw a punch / Free all of the rappers, hope they get a mistrial / No more spendin’ more than I’m savin’, lettin’ this sh-t pile.”

Baby has also been teasing WHAM, which stands for Who Hard As Me, for quite some time. “Where I’m from, your heart and your hustle is everything,” he recently wrote on social media. “WHAM.”

Jack Harlow — “Tranquility”

Jack Harlow is looking for serenity. This week, the Louisville rapper released a pensive freestyle about this titled “Tranquility.”

The title seemingly stems from a relationship issue he’s been grappling with. “Twenty-five hundred plus a couple utilities / F-ck it, I’ll pay it just to keep the tranquility / F-`ck it, I love ya, I’ll do anything for you / Except settle down with you, I don’t want nobody grillin’ me.”

But that uneasiness continues when he talks about his career. “I’m proud of what we done, but I’m tryna be better though / ‘Cause I don’t think I’ve really made nothin’ incredible / Lot of hard verses and a couple regrettable / As far as big records go, yeah, I got a few of those / But I ain’t done nothin’ indisputable / Maybe I’m delusional / I just left the old me’s funeral.”

To match the song’s pensive nature, Harlow also released a music video. He walks around a cold and muggy rain-filled day while rhyming about the tranquility he’s seeking.

Little Simz — “Hello, Hi”

Little Simz is one of the world’s most celebrated rappers and she’s greeting the new year with a new song, “Hello, Hi.”

The UK artist delivers some introspective rhymes throughout, likely introducing herself to those who may not be familiar in the process. “I know pain and scars, I know martial arts / Thank God I made it, Mashallah,” she raps. “Noisin’ up the whole street anytime I start my car / Neighbors can’t believe how a Black woman got this far.”

Simz continues to talk about perception on this track. “Talk on my name but that’s minor, it’s minute / I know my sh-t intelligent & it don’t work for your IQ,” she raps. “They told you I’m humble, but f-ck that, you’ve been lied to / They make it to the top, then add water & dilute / My sh-t has a standard, couldn’t slip if I tried to / And I’m too street-wise to get wrapped up in the industry typhoon.”

Simz released Drop 7 last year. It included the standout songs “Mood Swings” and “Fever.” Her last album, No Thank You dropped in 2022.

OG Maco — Legends Live Forever 2

OG Maco tragically passed away in December. The former XXL Freshman suffered from complications after a self-inflicted gunshot wound to the head, according to TMZ. He was 32.

Today, Maco’s family releases his first posthumous album, Legends Live Forever 2. It is the followup to his 2019 project Legends Live Forever.

OG Maco’s team issued a statement about the project on social media: “We are honored to share new music from OG Maco, a tribute to his legacy and a way to keep his spirit alive.”

The statement also continues: “This release is dedicated to the fans who have supported him through every chapter of his journey, and we’re proud to announce that all proceeds will go directly to his family.”