ILoveMakonnen, SahBabii and More – New Hip-Hop Projects

Even though all the gift rapping from Christmas is behind us, hip-hop still has time to hand-deliver one last batch of new music to finish off the year. As 2022 draws to a close, an Atlanta rap-crooner puts out his second project of the year, another rhymer repping A-Town unloads a new mixtape to counter an unfortunate leak, a California-bred spitter drops a holiday-themed EP and more.

ILoveMakonnen is giving his loyal fans a gift this season with his latest project, Stay Hydrated. While the project’s title certainly serves as a not-so-subtle reminder of the importance of hydration, the new offering quenches the musical thirst of ILoveMakonnen‘s rabid fan base with plenty of unique sounds the eclectic Georgia native has become beloved for. With a majority of the 7-track project having been produced by the combination of Samuel Terrazino and Yellow Trash Can, Stay Hydrated finds ILoveMakonnen riding solo on the vocals while experimenting with various flows and deliveries.

Stay Hydrated follows the August 2022 release of Summer ’22, the Atlanta artist’s last full-length album which featured a notable guest appearance from YoungBoy Never Broke Again on the song “All My Shit Is Stupid.” In first announcing his second release of the year back on Dec. 8, Makonnen hit up Instagram with a message of gratitude for all of his supporters.

“Thank you for your support and for being a part of my journey,” wrote ILoveMakonnen. “Your love and enthusiasm mean the world to me, and I am grateful for each and every one of you. New music this month.”

In what appears to be a direct response to having more than 40 unreleased songs leaked on the internet earlier this month, SahBabii unloads 12 new tracks in the form of his new mixtape, LeakOut. Featuring production from beatmakers like Curtis57, Noxshearts and MonkVibez, LeakOut‘s sole guest feature comes from Boohman Da Ghost, who appears on “Jiffy.”

While LeakOut is the Atlanta spitter’s first release since his 2021 album, Do It For Demon, SahBabii accompanied the new project’s announcement on Instagram by letting followers know that he has even more new music in the tuck and he looks to drop again next month.

“New shit next month,” wrote SahBabii just prior to the tape’s release on Tuesday (Dec. 27). “LeakOut tonight.”

Joey Trap is in the holiday spirit this week as is evident by the release of his new EP, Someone Shot Santa! The 4-song extended play’s title track, “Someone Shot Santa,” sees Trap lyrically acting out a scene very much reflective of the project’s cover art. “I’ve returned, I took his coat, I sit upon my throne,” he raps.

Joey Trap‘s latest drop caps off an impressively active year for the San Diego, Calif. rhymer. Aside from Someone Shot Santa!, a total of eight other projects from 2022 include his full-length album, From The Back, which dropped in May, and two offerings in his Dr. Trap mixtape series, Dr. Trap 2 and DT3.

Check out other new projects this week from Charles Hamilton and more below.