This Week in R&B / Hip-Hop: News Roundup (Aug 29, 2026)
Photo: Nick Leisure / Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 2.0)
This week the courtroom hit its climax while New Music Friday turned into one of the year's deepest release days. In Las Vegas, the 2Pac murder trial saw the defense rest, with closing arguments set for Monday and a verdict to follow. Lil Durk's federal trial is still underway in Los Angeles. And Friday, August 28 delivered Rod Wave's seventh album, Erykah Badu and The Alchemist's first collaboration in more than 15 years, Fat Joe's back-to-basics record, and DJ Dahi's debut featuring Kendrick Lamar — all at once. Here are 11 stories, ranked by our own editorial judgment — reach of coverage, hard numbers, scale, and how central they are to this week.
🎤 This week in hip-hop and R&B
2Pac murder trial heads to closing arguments; verdict expected soon
Photo: State of California DMV / Wikimedia Commons (Public domain)
As we noted last issue, the trial of Duane "Keffe D" Davis, 63, has reached its decisive stage. In the murder case over the 1996 Las Vegas drive-by that killed 2Pac, the defense rested on Thursday, August 27, after calling three former Las Vegas police officers. The presentation of evidence ran nine days in total, and Davis himself chose not to take the stand.
Jurors are set to return Monday (September 1) for closing arguments before beginning deliberations — the process where they decide guilt or innocence. Prosecutors don't allege Davis pulled the trigger; their case is that he planned the attack and directed it. Under Nevada law, taking part in a killing plot can bring a murder conviction even if someone else fired. The defense points to Davis's own past accounts, in which he has said his nephew was the shooter — but that nephew has since died. As noted last issue, Suge Knight (pictured above), who was seated next to 2Pac that night, has continued to refuse to testify and did not take the stand as the case headed to a close. A verdict would finally close a chapter on a case that went unsolved for decades.
Source: The Washington Times / CNN
Lil Durk's federal trial continues in Los Angeles
Photo: JD Sports / Wikimedia Commons (CC BY 3.0)
The trial of Lil Durk (Durk Banks, 33), which began August 20 at the U.S. District Court in Los Angeles, carried on this week. The charge is a murder-for-hire scheme — hiring someone to carry out a killing. Prosecutors say Durk used "coded language" to hire a crew that carried out a broad-daylight shooting in Los Angeles in August 2022. The intended target was rapper Quando Rondo, but the shots killed his cousin, Saviay'a "Lul Pab" Robinson, allegedly in retaliation for the 2020 death of King Von.
On trial alongside Durk are five associates from his Only the Family (OTF) label. Before trial, the defense won a motion to sever newly added Chicago-related counts — including RICO-style organized-crime charges — into a separate case, so the LA proceeding is now focused on the murder-for-hire allegation. Durk has pleaded not guilty and faces a possible life sentence, and whether his lyrics can be used as evidence is again in play.
Source: Courthouse News / Rolling Stone / Wikipedia
Rod Wave drops his seventh album, Don't Look Down, plus a 34-date arena tour
Photo: Wiknown77 / Wikimedia Commons (CC BY 4.0)
Florida's Rod Wave released his seventh album, Don't Look Down, via Alamo on Friday, August 28. The digital edition runs 24 tracks; the physical versions (2LP vinyl and CD) trim to 20. There are just two guests — Summer Joy and Luv Von — with Rod carrying most of the record himself. Singles "Feed the Streets," "Piece of Your Love," and "Hustle" preview his familiar mix of piano-led soul, emotional balladry, and hard-won reflections on success.
The rollout runs from a funeral-themed Mainstay Films trailer to a 34-date arena tour with Fridayy. Rod has always built his numbers on feeling rather than chart flash, which makes this the biggest commercial title of the Friday drops.
Erykah Badu and The Alchemist deliver Before the World Blows, her first album in 15+ years
Photo: Danielle G. Campbell / Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 4.0)
Neo-soul icon Erykah Badu and one of hip-hop's most revered producers, The Alchemist, released their joint album Before the World Blows: The Abi and Alan Experiment digitally on August 28. It's Badu's first album in more than 15 years — a real milestone. The duo recorded over roughly 18 months between Dallas and Los Angeles, with guests including Westside Gunn, DRAM, Steve Lacy, and Thundercat.
Across 2024 and 2025, the pair road-tested the whole album live, playing unreleased songs in intimate, phone-free rooms with Badu's digital collective The Cannabinoids and The Alchemist working the MPC (his sampler/drum machine). Knowing how carefully it was built, this is the record to sit with among this week's releases.
Source: The Source / Consequence
DJ Dahi's debut Black Boy (Alternative) arrives with Kendrick Lamar
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Photo: Fuzheado / Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 4.0)
DJ Dahi, a producer behind countless Kendrick Lamar and A-list records, released his debut album Black Boy (Alternative) on August 28. The centerpiece is "How to Pray," featuring Kendrick Lamar and R&B singer Amber Mark, who trade melodic lines over tricky production laced with Brazilian-style acoustic guitar; the video dropped alongside the album.
Beyond Kendrick and Amber Mark, the 11-track project pulls in Childish Gambino, Vince Staples, Channel Tres, Moses Sumney, Fousheé, and Ravyn Lenae. It blends the hip-hop and R&B of Dahi's upbringing with a pull toward alternative and rock — a producer-led record with plenty for beatmakers to study on the sound-design side.
Source: Consequence / Stereogum
Fat Joe returns to his roots on Organized Rhyme, produced by Cool & Dre
Photo: Sandra Alphonse / Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 2.0)
Bronx legend Fat Joe released Organized Rhyme on August 28 — a 12-track set that leans back into the gritty lyricism, storytelling, and New York attitude that built his career. The title plays on "organized crime," with a fittingly hip-hop twist. Cool & Dre, the Grammy-winning duo, produced the whole thing, giving it that Bronx energy.
The guest list is heavy: Pusha T, Yung Miami, Jadakiss, and fellow Bronx native and Terror Squad member Remy Ma, with engineering by Mike Dean. It plays like a love letter to classic gangsta rap — catnip for anyone who misses the era when Jay-Z and Nas ran the game.
Source: HipHop-N-More / Bronx Times
Actor Tom Hardy releases a rap album with Czarface
Photo: Gage Skidmore / Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 3.0)
Oscar-nominated actor Tom Hardy released Czarface Meets Frankie Pulitzer on August 28, rapping under the Frankie Pulitzer alias. Czarface is the comic-book-themed group led by Wu-Tang Clan's Inspectah Deck alongside Esoteric, and the album slots into their long-running "Meets" series (past entries paired them with MF DOOM and Ghostface Killah).
Guests include Busta Rhymes, Method Man, El-P, and Kendra Morris. The tracklist spans the pre-released "Brothers Grimm," "Raw Forever" featuring Busta Rhymes, and "Mad Technology" featuring Method Man. Hardy first rapped as Frankie Pulitzer on the group's 2021 EP Good Guys, Bad Guys, so this is a full-length continuation. More than an actor's side project, it was the week's most talked-about curveball.
Source: Rolling Stone / XXL
Yung Miami taps Lil Baby and Kodak Black for the "Spend Dat" remix
Photo: HOTSPOTATL / Wikimedia Commons (CC BY 3.0)
Yung Miami released the official remix of her surprise hit "Spend Dat" on August 28, adding Lil Baby and Kodak Black. The original dropped in April, produced by J. White Did It, and went viral on TikTok, climbing to a career-best No. 17 on the Billboard Hot 100 and becoming a genuine cultural moment.
It's a Southern summit: Miami from Miami, Kodak also out of Florida, and Lil Baby bringing Atlanta. A textbook remix move — take a viral record and add heavyweight verses to push it another notch. A clean fit for end-of-summer playlists.
Source: HotNewHipHop / Hip-Hop Wired
Kanye West (Ye) reported to be planning Russia shows in October
Photo: Wikimedia Commons (CC BY 3.0)
Kanye West (Ye) is reported to be planning shows in Russia in October, with two dates said to be set for St. Petersburg. Given how often Ye's statements and moves have drawn controversy in recent years, reaction to the plan has been mixed.
It isn't a new-music story, but it drew wide coverage as a major-artist development. Details — including the venue and the wider situation — remain to be confirmed by official announcements, so for now it's a report-stage item worth noting.
Source: HotNewHipHop
Young Thug's team moves to dismiss a tour-bus shooting lawsuit
Photo: MILLION DOLLAZ WORTH OF GAME / Wikimedia Commons (CC BY 3.0)
Young Thug's (Jeffery Williams) attorneys filed to dismiss a civil suit brought by a bus driver over a shooting on a Lil Wayne tour bus. It stood out among this week's legal items as another off-stage development from a veteran name.
The suit isn't tied to music-making, and as an active dispute the claims belong to the parties involved — not established fact. Worth watching as the case proceeds.
Source: HotNewHipHop
Coming up next week: Sept 4 releases and the 2Pac verdict
Next week opens on Monday (September 1) with closing arguments in the 2Pac murder trial in Las Vegas, followed by jury deliberations. When a verdict lands is up to the jury, but it's likely the biggest story of the first half of the week. On the music side, Friday, September 4 has notable releases too, including new work from Isaiah Rashad, whose return after roughly five years has been teased.
August's run of deep Fridays isn't slowing as September begins. We'll cover the results — trial included — in next week's issue.
Source: Complex
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