New Music Friday: Rod Wave, Erykah Badu & The Alchemist, Dahi, and More Stack August 28

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Friday, August 28, brings a busy release slate for hip-hop and R&B listeners. Rod Wave returns with Don’t Look Down, Erykah Badu and The Alchemist connect for Before the World Blows: The Abi and Alan Experiment, and producer Dahi steps forward with his debut album, Black Boy (Alternative).

The day also includes new projects from Lancey Foux, Majid Jordan, Headie One, Young Thug, and Tiana Major9. With rap, neo-soul, R&B, alternative sounds, and Atlanta trap all represented, this week’s releases offer several different ways to set the weekend’s soundtrack.

Release calendars from Official Charts, NPR Music, and Shatter the Standards point to one of the more crowded Fridays of the summer.

The Rundown

1. Rod Wave — Don’t Look Down

   

   Cover art: Apple Music image listed through Official Charts.

   Standout Tracks

   • “Hustle”
   • “Piece of Your Love”
   • “Look at Me Mama”
   • “Feed the Streets”
   • “War Wounds”
   • “Florida Boy”

   Quick Listening Notes
   Rod Wave stays in his lane here with pain music, melodic rap, and direct storytelling that hits hard without overcomplicating things. The project moves through survival, ambition, family, and emotional pressure, which is exactly where his core audience connects with him most. Summer Joy and Luv Von are among the names tied to the release, and platform details may vary depending on the edition.

2. Erykah Badu & The Alchemist — Before the World Blows: The Abi and Alan Experiment

   Standout Tracks

   • “Echos”
   • “Crossfade”
   • “Witch Doctor”
   • “Valentine”
   • “Abracadabra”
   • “To the Moon (Plan C)” feat. Steve Lacy
   • “I Know That Man” feat. Earl Sweatshirt
   • “They Ain’t You” feat. Thundercat

   Quick Listening Notes
   This is one of the most interesting releases of the week because it does not sound like a standard collaboration album. Badu brings her loose, soulful, spiritual energy while The Alchemist gives the project a dusty, hazy backdrop full of space and texture. The result lands somewhere between neo-soul, hip-hop, jazz, and late-night studio experimentation.

3. Dahi — Black Boy (Alternative)

   Standout Tracks

   • “How To Pray” feat. Kendrick Lamar and Amber Mark
   • “Running” feat. Childish Gambino
   • “Who Are You”
   • “Find Me”
   • “Square Up”

   Quick Listening Notes
   Dahi’s debut album pushes past the usual producer-compilation feel and sounds more like a full artistic statement. The project pulls from alternative music, soul, rock, and groove-heavy influences, giving it a different shape than a straight rap release. If you know Dahi from major production credits, this is a broader look at his own musical direction.

4. Lancey Foux — THE TIME OF OUR LIVES

   

   Cover art: Apple Music image listed through Official Charts.

   Standout Tracks

   • “ROCKSTAR RIDER”

   Quick Listening Notes
   Lancey Foux keeps the energy high with a project built for listeners who like rap that bends into fashion, rage, melody, and electronic textures. The album does not stay in one mood for long, which is part of what makes his sound stand out.

5. Majid Jordan — Two Roads

   

   Cover art: Apple Music image listed through Official Charts.

   Standout Tracks

   • Listen for the smooth lead singles and the late-night cuts—early coverage points to a front-loaded tracklist.

   Quick Listening Notes
   Majid Jordan return with the sleek, atmospheric R&B sound that has defined their catalog for years. Two Roads looks like another late-night listen built around smooth vocals, polished production, and songs that sit between introspection and motion.

6. Headie One — MMM

   

   Cover art: Apple Music image listed through Official Charts.

   Standout Tracks

   • Check the album's lead tracks first—early listens point to hard-hitting drill cuts.

   Quick Listening Notes
   Headie One brings the hardest edge to this week’s list with a release rooted in UK drill and modern rap. If you want sharp flows, tense production, and a colder overall mood, this is one of the first projects to queue up.

7. Young Thug — Slime Language 3

   Standout Tracks

   • Expect crew-heavy highlights with the usual YSL rotation—tracklists may vary by platform.

   Quick Listening Notes
   Slime Language 3 keeps the crew-driven formula of the series in place, with the focus on chemistry, Atlanta energy, and collaborative momentum. As with many major streaming releases, track details and guest credits may shift a little as listings update.

8. Tiana Major9 — November Scorpio: Deluxe

   Standout Tracks

   • Best to start with the deluxe additions, then revisit the original sequence.

   Quick Listening Notes
   Tiana Major9 gives this week’s release slate a smoother landing with intimate R&B shaped by soul and jazz influence. This is the pick for listeners looking for something softer, reflective, and easy to sit with front to back.

Spotlight

Rod Wave — Don’t Look Down

Rod Wave’s album stands out because it delivers exactly what his audience comes for without sounding phoned in. The songs named around this release suggest another heavy, personal set built on pain, perseverance, and melody, making it one of the clearest rap picks of the week.

Erykah Badu & The Alchemist — Before the World Blows: The Abi and Alan Experiment

This one feels essential because the pairing is strong on paper and even more interesting in execution. Badu’s voice and instinct for mood fit naturally over The Alchemist’s textured production, giving the album a sound that feels soulful, strange, and replayable in a way few releases this week can match.

A quick note for independent artists

A crowded release day is also a reminder that music metadata matters. Before distributing a song or album, artists should confirm every legal name, songwriter, producer, publisher, feature, and split.

Publishing royalties and sound recording royalties are handled through different systems. Performance and mechanical royalties tied to songwriting may involve a performing rights organization and a mechanical rights organization, while SoundExchange collects certain digital performance royalties for eligible featured artists and sound recording copyright owners on non-interactive digital services.

Artists should also keep split sheets, producer agreements, ISRC information, and final credits organized. Missing or incorrect registration details can slow down payments and create ownership problems later.

For a broader release-day discussion, the NPR Music New Music Friday episode includes commentary from Sean Carolan of New Jersey’s WBJB. If you missed last week’s roundup, check out New Music Friday: Denzel Curry, Jorja Smith, Rapsody, The Game, and More Drop August 21.