Joey Badass, Nardo Wick and More – New Hip-Hop Projects

The rap game can’t stop, won’t stop with new music every week. This time, a revered Brooklyn MC drops a highly anticipated LP, a current XXL Freshman puts out a follow-up to his last album, a multihyphenate from Maryland releases her most passionate project to date and more.

With just about as much hype as any other release in 2022, Joey Bada$$ unleashes his first full-length album in five years with 2000. Serving as the sequel to the project that put him on to the mainstream rap game, 2012’s 1999, the new 14-track album provides the signature introspective boom-bap sound with a modern feel Joey fans have been craving.

Originally set to drop back in June but slightly delayed due to sample clearances, 2000 features four previously released songs, “Head High,” “Where I Belong,” “Survivor’s Guilt” and “Zipcodes,” all of which have been met with critical acclaim. With smooth beats laid down by producers like Statik Selektah, Rahki and Kirk Knight, Joey’s latest album includes heavy-hitting guest appearances from Westside Gunn, Chris Brown, Diddy and J.I.D.

When speaking about the LP in an interview with XXL in May of this year, Joey acknowledged the fact that he is just as eager for his third studio offering as his fans are. “I’m just ready for it to come out,” said the Brooklyn native. “I know the world needs new Joey music. Shit, Joey wants to the world new music.”

Aside from being the Brooklyn MC’s first LP in half a decade, the release of 2000 is a sentimental moment for Joey Bada$$, as it also marks the 10-year anniversary of 1999, the mixtape that put fans on notice. In light of that, the “Righteous Minds” rhymer is celebrating his longevity in hip-hop with a 20-date tour.

Nardo Wick returns to feed the streets. After consistently teasing that the project has been in the works since April, he comes through with Who Is Nardo Wick?? (Deluxe). The follow-up to Wickman’s 2021 certified platinum debut album, Who Is Nardo Wick?, was prefaced by the Tay Keith-produced single, “Krazy Krazy” and “Riot,” which dropped on June 10.

Despite the months-long rollout of the album, the freshly anointed member of the 2022 XXL Freshman Class just made the official announcement of the project’s release this past Monday (July 18). Nardo brings the witty punchlines and matter-of-fact rhymes that earned him initial praise to this project.

In her first project since her 2020 debut album, Nightmare Vacation, Rico Nasty drops Las Ruinas, an offering she holds very near and dear to her heart. Prior to the release of the 17-song project, the Maryland-bred spitter hit Twitter to let her fans know that she considers Las Ruinas to be her “most experimental and vulnerable body of work yet.”

With a total of five songs that came out ahead of the project including “Vaderz” featuring Bktherula, “Intrusive,” “Black Punk,” “Jungle” and “Blow Me,” Las Ruinas displays a side of Rico that may be new to some fans while at the same time, offering up the same in-your-face characteristics the “Smack a Bitch” artist’s fans have grown to embrace.

Check out more projects from RZA, Mozzy, Asian Doll, Flo Milli, Icewear Vezzo, DaniLeigh and more below.