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Like poppa, like son. Amanda Howell Whitehurst for NPR hide caption

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Amanda Howell Whitehurst for NPR

The record runs like a compilation of their best musical instincts compressed, refined and fine-tuned to a punchy summer frequency. Lucas Creighton hide caption

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Lucas Creighton

Kaytranada and Aminé come full circle

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"I'm making music for the people who don't know if they should say no. For the people that do too much," Rico Nasty says. "For the people who get too loud, get too rough. The girls that are too tough, the girls that are just not soft enough for society." Amanda Howell Whitehurst for NPR hide caption

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Amanda Howell Whitehurst for NPR

Rico Nasty. Amanda Howell Whitehurst for NPR hide caption

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Amanda Howell Whitehurst for NPR

On Maps, an album-length collaboration with the producer Kenny Segal, rapper billy woods (in the photo above obscuring his face, as is his custom) offers the collected wisdom of two decades worth of journeys. B.A. Stubbs/Courtesy of the artist hide caption

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B.A. Stubbs/Courtesy of the artist

Miami rapper and social media icon Saucy Santana is redefining presentation standards for femme gay men in hip-hop, but the industry would rather keep his energy confined to TikTok. Dia Dipasupil hide caption

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Dia Dipasupil

Drake and Makonnen celebrate during the former's 2014 birthday party at Dave & Buster's in Times Square, New York. Johnny Nunez/WireImage/Getty Images hide caption

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Johnny Nunez/WireImage/Getty Images

ILoveMakonnen. Amanda Howell Whitehurst for NPR hide caption

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Amanda Howell Whitehurst for NPR

Real n****s go hard (pause, no homo): iLoveMakonnen

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Kim Osorio. Amanda Howell Whitehurst for NPR hide caption

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Amanda Howell Whitehurst for NPR

E-40, middle, watches during an NBA basketball game between the Golden State Warriors and the Portland Trail Blazers in San Francisco, Dec. 30, 2022. The Sacramento Kings are investigating allegations from the rapper E-40 that "racial bias" led to him being kicked out of his seat during a playoff game against the Golden State Warriors. Jeff Chiu/AP hide caption

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Jeff Chiu/AP

Rappers Danny Brown (left) and JPEGMAFIA embrace their abrasive sides on Scaring the Hoes, a joyously chaotic collaboration glued together by JPEG's collage-like production. Carlo Cavaluzzi/Courtesy of the artist hide caption

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Carlo Cavaluzzi/Courtesy of the artist

Kara Jackson's Why Does the Earth Give Us People to Love? is on our shortlist of the best albums out April 14. Lawrence Agyei/Courtesy of the artist hide caption

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Lawrence Agyei/Courtesy of the artist

New Music Friday: The best releases out on April 14

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Daniel Caesar. Cassanova Cabrera/Courtesy of the artist hide caption

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Cassanova Cabrera/Courtesy of the artist

New Music Friday: The best releases out on April 7

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Atlanta rapper Latto belongs to a lineage of women inspired by Miami icon Trina, whose sexually explicit bars have both challenged gendered double standards and shown their staying power. Breyona Holt/Courtesy of the artist hide caption

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Breyona Holt/Courtesy of the artist