R&B/Hip-Hop Fresh Picks of the Week: Skylar Simone, Cash Cobain, Jean Dawson & More

It may be the week of the Democratic National Convention — where Vice President Kamala Harris will reiterate that “we’re not going back” — but hip-hop is pretty into nostalgia right about now.

Travis Scott’s iconic 2014 mixtape Days Before Rodeo is finally set to hit streaming platforms (Aug. 23), and Pitbull and Kesha’s 2013 Billboard Hot 100-topping “Timber” came back to the news cycle after Kesh’a name mysteriously disappeared from the title of the track’s accompanying music video on YouTube. With “Team Pitbull” on the case, that was quickly rectified, which is all anyone can really ask for, right? Dale!

In other news, Future & Metro Boomin showed NYC that they really are “Like That” with their We Trust You Tour which featured a Big Apple showcase of special guests and a Travis Scott cameo for “Type S–t” and his “FE!N” anthem.

Houston mourned homegrown “Scream” rapper and producer BeatKing, while Nicki Minaj announced Tyga, BIA and Skillibeng as the openers for the second leg of her Pink Friday 2 World Tour kicking off in September.

With Fresh Picks, Billboard aims to highlight some of the best and most interesting new sounds across R&B and hip-hop — from Cash Cobain & Laila’s monster “Problem” collaboration to Kalisway’s witty new jam. Be sure to check out this week’s Fresh Picks in our Spotify playlist below.

Freshest Find: Skylar Simone, “Permission”

An R&B hidden gem radiating in the same neighborhood of the genre as Victoria Monét. Skylar Simone impresses with her robust Def Jam debut project SHIVER, which arrived packaged into an appetizing five-pack last week. Any of the EP’s tracks could make the cut here, but we’ll spotlight Simone’s angelic vocals engulfing a guitar riff on the racy “Permission.” “Every day of the week, get me weak in the knees/ Can you do that for me? Cus’ I want your addiction,” she begs while schooling her love interest in a game of chess in the official visualizer clip. At 22-years-old, the Florida-born singer is just coming into her own as a woman, indulging in all that life has to offer. Although, Simone isn’t the typical wet behind the ears early 20-something looking to find their way. She’s been calloused with the release of three albums and another three EPs, which have her well-prepared for a quantum leap to stardom.  

Lord Sko & Statik Selektah, “Lesson Learned”

Much has been made recently about emerging white rappers and their place in hip-hop. As for Lord Sko, he tastefully pays homage to the classic New York City rap scene that raised him and the 20-year-old recruited Statik Selektah’s attention in the process. “Lesson Learned” is the latest offering from the Newport Lord’s upcoming 14-track PIFF project (arriving in October). He’s brushed off flow comparisons to A$AP Rocky, and continues to graffiti his own path out of the Big Apple. Certain jarring yet witty bars like Sko’s plans for “saving up to buy the devil’s soul” have listeners doing a double-take while skating over Statik’s knocking production. Keep an eye on him heading down the stretch of ‘24. 

Jean Dawson feat. Lil Yachty, “Die for Me” 

Jordan Peele just found the perfect fit for another ominous song to soundtrack the trailer to his next thrilling blockbuster. Menacing piano keys send chills up your spine as a possible score to a horror film, while Jean Dawson welcomes fans to the Glimmer of God era with fresh co-signs from SZA and A$AP Rocky. “Don’t show up at my funeral If you won’t die for me,” Dawson delivers as a sobering truth. Enter Lil Yachty, who shows off his chameleon-like artistic ability when matching the diabolical themes Dawson sought out. Look for Glimmer of God to land this fall when JD hits the road for his North American headlining trek.

Cash Cobain & Laila!, “Problem”

Move over Busta Rhymes (“Touch It”), the posse cut has returned to the Big Apple. Cash Cobain and fellow NYer Laila! heat up ahead of their highly-anticipated projects on the way with “Problem,” which is built around a mash-up of a Cash sexy drill beat and Laila!’s “Not My Problem” single. 14 different artists hop onto the conga line in total with Big Sean, Fabolous, Rob49, Anycia, Kenzo B, Flo Milli, 6LACK, Lay Bankz, Luh Tyler and more spanning the near eight-minute gauntlet of a track. The Slizzy Summer continues for CC leading into his PLAY CASH COBAIN album later this week.

Xenia Manasseh, “Bad Side”

Ahead of her forthcoming sophomore album, Love/Hate, Pt. 2, L.A.-based, Kenyan-Ugandan singer-songwriter Xenia Manasseh has one simple message: don’t get on her bad side. “I don’t want you getting on my bad side, don’t suffer for nothing/ This here is my warning to you,” Xenia proclaims in a chorus that layers chugging kick drums, snappy snares and tasteful synths, making for the perfect soundscape for her voice to lord over. There’s a distinct ’00s R&B vibe going on here, but Xenia doesn’t fall into the trap of pastiche, instead using different vocal filters and snazzy descending melodies to add some dimension to the largely understated production.

Kalisway, “Sex”

Kalisway’s got the funk! On this standout cut from her new A Kid From Toronto album, she reminds us that “Sex/ Is not everything.” She employs a tone that starts off somewhere between bratty and brassy before she lifts into a dizzying falsetto in the song’s second half, her journey through her vocal range perfectly mirroring the limitlessness of funk music. It’s no secret that sex is one of the most covered topics in R&B for a reason — it’s the genre of love and pain for a reason! But R&B, and its sister genres of funk and soul, can cover much more, and sex is indeed not everything.

“Covered emotions could make you feel blind/ You might not see it that way, then you might as well sleep tight/ Who cares if I’m feeding my fears? I’m wanting desire/ Having a way with life filled with power,” she croons. When we treat sex as everything it strips it of the elements that make it such a transformative experience. Everything is sex, except sex, which is power — but what good is that power if it doesn’t truly satisfy what you most desire and crave?