R&B/Hip-Hop Fresh Picks of the Week: EsDeeKid, Stove God Cooks, Joji, Ella Mai & More
No one is having a better week than Seahawks fans and Bad Bunny enjoyers.
On Sunday night (Feb. 9), the Seattle Seahawks won Super Bowl LX, earning just their second title in franchise history. What was a largely boring game was thankfully upset by a historic halftime show from Bad Bunny. The Puerto Rican powerhouse mounted a texturally rich dedication to his hometown, bringing along guest performers like Lady Gaga, who delivered a surprisingly groovy salsa version of “Die With a Smile,” and Ricky Martin, who poignantly sang Benito’s defiant “Lo Que Le Pasó a Hawaii” completely in Spanish.
Among odes to shared cultural markers in the Global South, commentary on Puerto Rico’s electricity crisis, a victory lap celebrating his recent album of the year Grammy win, and pristine musical direction that honored the reggaetón greats before him, Bad Bunny also secured several A-list cameos, including Cardi B, Pedro Pascal, Karol G and Jessica Alba.
R&B and hip-hop made their presence known throughout the Big Game. Grammy-winning R&B star Coco Jones brought the house down with a soaring rendition of “Lift Every Voice And Sing,” complete with a fit inspired by Whitney Houston’s iconic 1991 Super Bowl XXV tracksuit. Doechii, who picked up her second career Grammy (best music video for “Anxiety”) last week, starred in an ad for Levi’s, while the likes of Jay-Z (with daughters Blue Ivy and Rumi by his side), 21 Savage and Travis Scott hit the sidelines.
Of course, there was one particularly buzzy artist not named Bad Bunny that made headlines this weekend. J. Cole dropped his sprawling new double album, The Fall-Off, on Friday (Feb. 6), instantly sparking heated debates around his legacy and the LP’s merit.
With Fresh Picks, Billboard aims to highlight some of the best and most interesting new sounds across R&B and hip-hop — from a searing new Ella Mai track to yet another EsDeeKid banger. Be sure to check out this week’s Fresh Picks in our Spotify playlist below.
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Freshest Find: Stove God Cooks & Swizz Beatz, “Welcome to My Garden”
For his first new song of 2026, Syracuse-born MC Stove God Cooks tapped fellow New York hip-hop heavyweight Swizz Beatz for the soulful, chest-thumping “Welcome to My Garden.” “I told you that I’d always stay the same/ I told you that the money won’t change me, b—h I lied to you/ You know we built this shit cookin’ bricks if they told you that it don’t get different when you rich they lied to you,” he sneers over a triumphant flip of Minnie Riperton’s “Come to My Garden.” Following last year’s “Goat Stamp
and “El Pueblo,” “Welcome to My Garden” promises an exciting year for Stove God. — K.D. -
EsDeeKid, “Omens”
The Rebel is back. While his true identity remains veiled, EsDeeKid maintains his momentum as a burgeoning rap newcomer into 2026. The Liverpool native returned with the rumbling “Omens” last week, which arrived alongside a gun-toting visual. He’s war-ready, and the “LV Sandals” rapper has his eyes on the throne. “We’re takin’ it all, we’re the Romans/ The land, the people, the oceans, the fire/ We riot, explosions,” EsDeeKid raps over the chaotic production, seemingly not resting on his laurels one bit. — MICHAEL SAPONARA
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Fergie Baby & FERG, “Good Day to Be in Harlem”
Fergie Baby is next up when it comes to Harlem MCs, and he got a cosign from one of this era’s favorite native sons: FERG. Produced by Kajun Waters, the two rappers deliver a banger of an anthem for one of Manhattan’s most culturally significant neighborhoods. Make sure to check out the two tapes Fergie Baby dropped last year as well. He’s gearing up to have a big 2026. — ANGEL DIAZ
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Joji & GIVĒON, “Piece of You”
On their haunting new duet, Joji and GIVĒON explore the quiet moment when heartbreak finally releases its hold, not because the pain never existed, but because it no longer defines the present. Written by the two artists alongside a jam-packed team of collaborators, including George Miller and Lily Kaplan, “Piece of You” frames healing as emotional relocation; they find a new sky where the person they love no longer holds the stars. With understated production from Kenneth Blume, Ninetyfour, Jahaan Sweet and Sevn Thomas, “Piece of You” captures that rare stage of healing where closure is no longer necessary. You’ve already moved on, and that’s enough. — CHRISTOPHER CLAXTON
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Jaymin, “No Sikes, No Tradesies”
It’s Jaymin’s turn to put his spin on the spaced-out, Prince-esque drums that are having a moment in R&B right now — and this time he’s sprinkling in a healthy dose of sultry saxophone to elevate things. “I’d approach ya pops with gifts and change ya last name/ I’d approach ya moms with gifts and say with no shame/ ‘Ain’t nobody better/ Nobody better for you than me’” he croons over Sustrapperazzi’s atmospheric beat, perfectly capturing the earnestness of the song’s title. “No Sikes, No Tradesies” is an instant standout from Jaymin’s new Sweet Nothings project. — KYLE DENIS
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Ella Mai, “Might Just”
With “Might Just,” Ella Mai taps into the moment betrayal flips from quiet hurt to righteous anger. Co-written alongside Mustard, Charles Hinshaw Jr. and Varren Wade, this Do You Still Love Me? standout opens in that uneasy gray area where intuition speaks before evidence arrives. Doubt, jealousy and fear blur together, but emotionally, Ella already knows the truth. Anchored by Mustard’s sharp production and polished by Manny Marroquin’s spacious mix, “Might Just” is the sound of patience running out. It captures the moment a woman realizes she’s been pushed too far and makes it clear that the consequences won’t be soft or silent. — C.C.
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A$AP Rocky feat. P.S. 125, “IDK (Punk Rocky Remix)”
Looks like we’re going to stay Uptown and highlight this cool remix A$AP Rocky did with the students of P.S. 125 in Harlem. He stopped by Celebrity Substitute to collaborate with the kids, who wrote their own lyrics to provide something truly unique. It also happens to bang like something out of School of Rock, as Flacko does his best Jack Black impersonation. — A.D.
