Signed to Quality Control, managed by Solid Foundation’s Brandon Farmer and armed with a gritty, soulful timbre far beyond his years, it’s only a matter of time before EJ Jones has his breakthrough moment. His new single, the delightfully funky “Gas Station Love,” flaunts not only EJ’s vocal prowess (he has really impressive vocal control here), but also his storytelling chops. “She was in line, looking fine as wine/ Then we locked eyes, oh, I gotta catch her outside/ Pumping gas all alone, I said, ‘Baby, where’s your man?’/ She turned around, said, ‘You tell me, I do what I can,’” he croons in the first verse, expertly setting up the song’s storyline while simultaneously proving that the young cats still have some soul left to share with the world. — KYLE DENIS

Toosii is currently opening up for NBA YoungBoy on the Baton Rouge rapper’s MASA Tour, and the pair of southern rappers linked up for the melodic “Please Don’t Go.” Toosii and YoungBoy go pop while pleading with a loved one about how they’d crumble without them by their sides. “Me and you done made this home together, ain’t no leavin’ out it/ I been tryna keep this all together, losin’ sleep about it,” YB raps. Toosii takes the baton back and recalls a childhood fling with a girl who slipped through the cracks. While it’s their first collab, the chemistry is evident, and hopefully, there’s more in the pipeline from the versatile duo down the road. — MICHAEL SAPONARA

Cardo’s latest project reminds me of DJ Clue’s Professional series and RZA’s Bobby Digital album with the way everything sounds raw yet futuristic and has a couple of freestyles peppered throughout. Take this Rio song, for example. As soon as I hit play, it’s Clue’s song “Gangsta S—t” featuring Jay-Z and Ja Rule, where Jigga is talking s—t over somewhat of an oft-kilter beat. And then the line, “Gotta keep switchin’ up the flow ‘cause they gon’ snatch my style,” perked my ears up because there’s a lot of biting going around these days, and it’s being tolerated and even propped by fans and media alike — but that’s another conversation for another day. — A.D.

The Internet’s Syd delivers the ultimate break-up anthem with “GMFU” (short for “got me f—ked up”), her second single of 2025. Produced by Rodney “Darkchild” Jerkins, with Raphael Saadiq on bass, the track pairs moody grooves with Syd’s restrained-yet-cutting vocal performance. She sifts through the emotional fallout of a fractured relationship, torn between lingering love and rising frustration, as the chorus drifts into smoke-filled, late-night coping mechanisms. Balancing anger, heartbreak, and nostalgia, Syd captures the disillusionment of realizing trust has been broken while still being tethered to what once was. With “GMFU,” Syd continues to sharpen her solo voice, building anticipation for her forthcoming project. — C.C.

Trialblazing Detroit rapper Danny Brown is back with the first taste of his forthcoming seventh studio album, Stardust, which arrives Nov. 7 via Warp Records. An ever-evolving amalgam of hyperpop influences, abrasive synths and glitches, and an overall arena-ready energy, “Starburst” finds Brown reuniting with Quaranta title track producer Holly and joining forces with Frost Children’s Angel Prost. “They woke me up inside like listen to Evanescence/ Was microphone-checking at seven, no half-stepping/ Pull the weapon on a reverend and tell him run the collection/ If he hesitate a second, I’m sending his ass to heaven,” he expertly spits in a pair of couplets bound by a throughline of no-holds-barred swagger. — K.D.

Peezy has long been one of the kings of Detroit’s underground scene, and he clinches a three-peat, depicting the trenches with Still Ghetto. The Detroit capo calls on a decorated guest list, while linking with fellow Michigan soldier 42 Dugg for the introspective “My Brother.” Peezy recalls times when he’d give the shirt off his back for friends, but how some turned their backs on him when he needed them most. The trauma pours out over trunk-rattling drums, and he delivers a catchy chorus before dishing to Dugg, whose signature whistle invades the beat like a superhero call. Dugg taps into his emotions within his raspy assist, and just a couple bars after telling a long-lost homie to reach out, he earnestly clarifies it needs to be a face-to-face meet-up since he’s off the grid when it comes to using a cell phone these days. — M.S.

Nine times outta 10, when you hear that “Conductor, we have a problem” tag, you know you’re about to get a buttery biscuit of a beat — and then when you hit play on this, you don’t expect to hear 03 Greedo going crazy over Conductor production. Jay Worthy put out a really solid project that you’ll see on Best Rap Albums lists at the end of the year, and he’s dropping another volume right after this one on Oct. 10. I also appreciate the Once Upon a Time in America and the Purple Tape callbacks at the end with the outro featuring the Ennio Morricone sample. — ANGEL DIAZ

Ahead of her upcoming Loud in the Water EP (out Oct. 24), South London native Jaz Karis teams up with Ugandan star Joshua Baraka for “Easy,” a tender R&B cut that leans into patience and reassurance. Co-written with Christian Mombru, Charles Michael Anderson, and Michael David Foster, with production handled by MOMBRU and Foster, the track layers soft grooves and understated melodies beneath Karis’ warm delivery. She reflects on the importance of slowing down and allowing healing to happen, while Baraka’s verse promises devotion through fear and loneliness. “Easy” not only previews Karis’ expanding sound, blending R&B with touches of amapiano, but also underscores her growing reach as an international voice. — CHRISTOPHER CLAXTON