IDK, Conway The Machine, Destroy Lonely – New Hip-Hop Projects

Another new music Friday is upon us. This week, fans are blessed with new releases from a Maryland rapper and teacher, a venerated Griselda member and a forward-thinking MC from Atlanta.

Rapper IDK returns with his fourth studio album, F65. The album’s cover and underlying theme are inspired by car racing, but the LP’s subject matter is about slavery and the human race.

“Often times African-Americans are questioned and even ridiculed for not understanding their history,” the Maryland rapper wrote on his Instagram page about his album. “Well… the effects of Trans-Atlantic slavery and lack of in-depth teaching in the American school systems do not make learning as easy as some would expect. ‘Free Coast’ is a world created to bring awareness to Cape Coast, Ghana (where slaves were taken from West Africa to America) and Freetown, Sierra Leone (where slaves were freed) through combining both flags and their historic components to make one movement.”

IDK‘s 22-song album features guest appearances from NLE Choppa, Musiq Soulchild, Fat Trel, Rich The Kid and more. In preparing for the release of F65, the Harvard business teacher posted an introductory video to explain his vision of the album. Watch below.

Conway The Machine is back with his third studio album, Won’t He Do It. The 14-track collection follows his last project God Don’t Make Mistakes in 2022. The LP boasts a star-studded list of features from Fabolous, Westside Gunn, Sauce Walka, Dave East, Juicy J, Benny The Butcher and more. On the production side, producers Khrysis, Daringer, Justice League and Juicy J deliver head-nodding beats for the Buffalo, N.Y. rhymer.

Back in February, Conway dropped the first single and video from the set called “Super Bowl,” which features Sauce Walka and Juicy J. Last week, the 41-year-old rhymer released his second single, the Justice League-produced “The Chosen” featuring Jae Skeese.

On his Instagram account, Conway The Machine posted a video collage reflecting on his journey to bring Won’t He Don’t It to the masses. He captioned the video, “Man I Came so far from where I started this journey, I was a Reject too (2)…. Look what I became.. God don’t make Mistakes! WHDi [raising hands emoji].”

Later this month, Conway The Machine will hit the road in support of his new album. The Won’t He Do It Tour kicks off May 26 in Chicago and wraps up June 28 in Detroit.

After dropping his mixtape No Stylist in 2022, Destroy Lonely is ready to deliver his debut album, If Looks Could Kill. Under the tutelage of Playboi Carti, who signed Lonely to his label Opium in 2021, the 21-year-old Atlanta rapper describes the album as simply hard.

“I was out in New York working on my album…that s**t’s hard. I got really in my mode on that,” he said in an interview. “On a bunch of the songs, I’m talking about how ‘I’m The Look Killer’ and a whole bunch of s**t.”

Ahead of the album release, Destroy released the first single, “If Looks Could Kill.” The song features blaring guitars and chaotic drums as the “No Stylist” rapper details his rockstar lifestyle.

Additionally, Destroy Lonely released a short film for “Look Killa,” which you can watch below.

Check out other releases from Armani White, Berner, Onyx, Denzel Curry and more below.