News › Sep 23, 2026

This Week in R&B / Hip-Hop: News Roundup (Sep 23, 2026)

September 23, 2026 ・ Previous roundup (Sep 18)

Photo: The Come Up Show / Wikimedia Commons (CC BY 2.0)

The week opened on the charts. The Jhené Aiko comeback we flagged last issue became her first-ever No. 1. On stage, A$AP Rocky played his first Swedish show since the incident that jailed him seven years ago, and J. Cole finally released the independent sneaker he'd spent five years building — in his hometown. Rakim's new album, out last Friday, landed right on the 30th anniversary of 2Pac's death, and Pusha T confirmed a finished solo album at last. Here are 10 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

Jhené Aiko's "Westside Whimsy" is her first No. 1 — and a first for R&B women in 2026

Photo: The Come Up Show / Wikimedia Commons (CC BY 2.0)

The "Westside Whimsy" comeback we covered last issue debuted at No. 1 on the Billboard 200 (chart dated Sept. 26) with 74,000 album-equivalent units (a measure that converts streams and sales into album equivalents). It's Jhené Aiko's first career No. 1; her previous peak was No. 2 with 2020's "Chilombo."

It carries extra weight, too: it's the first album by a woman to top the chart in 2026, and the first R&B album to lead since SZA's "SOS" (in its 13th week at No. 1 back in May 2025). With a relatively quiet release week, the long-awaited return went straight to the top. Features include Kendrick Lamar, Ab-Soul, Larry June, Tyga and Ohma.

Source: Billboard / Wikipedia (Westside Whimsy)

A$AP Rocky returns to Sweden after seven years — a helicopter entrance, with Rihanna watching

Photo: Gabriel Hutchinson / Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 4.0)

A$AP Rocky (37) played Stockholm's Avicii Arena on September 21, part of his "Don't Be Dumb World Tour" — his first show in Sweden since he was arrested and jailed there seven years ago. He arrived by helicopter, landing in the middle of the arena floor, and was greeted by backup dancers waving a Swedish flag, with girlfriend Rihanna reported to be in the crowd.

The 2019 case stemmed from a street altercation between Rocky, his security and a man; he was charged with assault, held for over a month, and ultimately convicted with a suspended sentence and ordered to pay damages. Returning to the very city that once made international headlines made this a symbolic, full-circle night.

Source: iHeart

J. Cole launches his independent "Dreamer Indie 5000" sneaker in his hometown of Fayetteville

Photo: HOTSPOTATL / Wikimedia Commons (CC BY 3.0)

J. Cole released his first independent sneaker, the "Dreamer Indie 5000," on September 23 — in Fayetteville, North Carolina, where he grew up, timed to his return to the Crown Coliseum that same day. The shoe was five years in the making, four of them spent with Italian designers, and Cole controlled the design, development and manufacturing himself, without going through a major athletic brand.

The design draws on the chunky basketball silhouettes of the late '90s and early 2000s, with white leather and zig-zag blue panels. Because he built and released it independently, some have called it a blueprint for Black ownership in footwear. It's a classic Cole move — bringing a milestone back to the place that shaped him.

Source: The Source / HotNewHipHop

AZ Chike's major-label debut named Billboard's September "up-and-comer"

Photo: JD Sports / Wikimedia Commons (CC BY 4.0)

AZ Chike's major-label debut "No Rest for the Wicked" (Sept. 18, Warner Records, 14 tracks), which we covered last issue, has drawn strong notices since release. Billboard tied the album's arrival to a feature naming AZ Chike its September hip-hop "up-and-comer," raising his profile again as a flag-bearer for LA's new street-rap generation.

The production is stacked: Pharrell Williams handled "Lamb Truck Keys," Hit-Boy did "Packed Up," and Sounwave produced "Negative," while Tyler, the Creator features on two cuts, "The World Is Ours" and "Look Like My Mama." The Kendrick Lamar collaboration rumored last issue didn't make the final tracklist — but the hometown expectations behind the launch are undimmed.

Source: Billboard / iHeart

Rakim's "The Godbody LP" resonates on the 30th anniversary of 2Pac's death

Photo: Flowizm / Wikimedia Commons (CC BY 2.0)

The Rakim, Kurupt and Masta Killa collaboration "The Godbody LP" (Sept. 18) that we covered last issue has kept resonating since release. It arrived just after the 30th anniversary of 2Pac's death, and its uniting of East and West Coast traditions has been read as echoing the collaborative spirit of Pac's unfinished "One Nation" concept — the idea of bridging the coasts.

Guest turns from KRS-One, Kool G Rap, Ghostface Killah, Raekwon and Snoop Dogg deepen a sense of hip-hop history. The Eminem–Jay-Z interlude we flagged last issue — their first appearance on a track together in ~25 years, paying tribute to Rakim — has kept being talked about, too. Less a chart play than a record built on respect for the culture's roots.

Source: HotNewHipHop / Wikipedia (The Godbody LP)

Pusha T confirms a finished, all-Pharrell solo album — plus a new Clipse project

Photo: Office of Governor Glenn Youngkin / Wikimedia Commons (CC BY 2.0)

Pusha T, one half of Clipse, revealed that a new solo album produced entirely by Pharrell Williams is finished and ready for release, and that a new Clipse project with his brother No Malice is also in the works. Clipse's 2025 comeback "Let God Sort Em Out" earned a Best Rap Album Grammy nomination and won Best Rap Performance for "Chains & Whips," featuring Kendrick Lamar and Pharrell.

Pharrell and Pusha are a proven pairing going back to the original Clipse era. Carrying that comeback momentum into a solo record has expectations high for what's next; no release date has been announced yet.

Source: HipHop-N-More / Wikipedia (Pusha T)

Drake posts cryptically after a successful "FOMO" stream

Photo: GabboT / Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 2.0)

Following the strong reception to his hour-long short film "FOMO," Drake dropped one of his trademark cryptic Instagram posts — a batch of stills from recent shoots, with no clear caption. It's his usual way of hinting at something, and fans read it as a sign that more may be coming.

"FOMO" was briefly made private before returning to his official YouTube on September 17, opening it up to a wider audience. Riding that momentum, Drake appears to be teasing his next move. We'll report on the substance as it becomes clear.

Source: HotNewHipHop

Lil Durk's co-defendants file for a new trial — Durk himself acquitted, separate case looms in October

Photo: JD Sports / Wikimedia Commons (CC BY 3.0)

A follow-up to the Lil Durk federal trial from last issue. Durk himself was acquitted on all counts on September 11, but two co-defendants in the same case — OTF Dede and David Lindsey, convicted on stalking-related charges — filed motions for a new trial and acquittal, challenging their verdicts. The courtroom fight around the case isn't fully over.

Durk also still faces a separate federal racketeering (RICO) trial, expected to begin around October 5. From last issue's headline acquittal, the various parties' proceedings are now moving into their next phase.

Source: HotNewHipHop

Meek Mill and DJ Akademiks reignite their feud — and it's heating up online

Photo: AlfredGoodach / Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 4.0)

The Meek Mill / DJ Akademiks spat we noted last issue escalated this week. It flared after Meek, following Lil Durk's acquittal, urged hip-hop to "distance itself" from Akademiks. Akademiks pushed back, and the two ended up posting their private message exchanges against each other. Given they were once close, the internal back-and-forth keeps spilling into public view.

It has nothing to do with new music, but as a clash between two influential figures it dominated the week's social feeds. Reactions include plenty of eye-rolling, and note that the two parties' accounts of events don't line up.

Source: HotNewHipHop / Complex

Looking ahead: early-October releases and the next courtroom dates

The release calendar centers on October 2: Victoria Monét's "Frequency of Love" and Quavo's "QRÖMELIFE" (executive-produced by Pharrell) are both due that day. On tour, Wu-Tang Clan's long farewell run "Wu-Tang Forever: The Final Chamber" is set to close in late 2026 in Yokohama, Japan — a milestone local fans won't want to miss.

In the courts, Lil Durk's separate federal racketeering trial is expected around October 5, and the sentencing for Keffe D (Duane Davis) in the 2Pac case is set for October 13. Sean "Diddy" Combs' appeal is also ongoing, with his defense arguing the sentence is too harsh. Each is approaching its next turn; we'll round it up next issue as things develop.

Source: Billboard / Wikipedia (Wu-Tang Forever: The Final Chamber)

Each news item is a summary by the editorial team based on the original reporting. Photos are CC-licensed or public-domain images from Wikimedia Commons (credited per photo); album covers and press photos are not reproduced. Ordering reflects the editorial team's judgment on reach of coverage, hard numbers, scale, and how central a story is to this week. For pending matters, statements are the claims of the parties involved and not established facts. Release dates, chart data and case statuses are current as of the time of writing (September 23, 2026); check official sites and sources for the latest.