New releases last four weeks: Hip Hop/R&B

Review: There's been rather a lot of noise about Jaguar II, Victoria Monet's much-delayed full-length follow up to 2021's Jaguar mini-album. The hype is, in many ways, understandable - it did recently scoop the 'Best R&B Album' award at the GRAMMYs. More importantly, it's also very good, with the decorated songwriter-turned-pop star confidently serving up retro-futurist gems who's punchy 21st century r&b beats come cloaked in musical motifs that frequently offer nods to black American music of the 1970s, 80s and early 90s. The plentiful highlights include Lucky Daye hook-up 'Smoke', the dancehall-fired excellence of 'Party Girls' (featuring Buju Banton), the Fugees-esque beauty of 'How Does It Make You Feel', and the glossy disco-soul dreaminess of 'Hollywood', where her young daughter Hazel and Earth, Wind and Fire both play starring roles.

Review: Shabazz Palaces is masterminded by vocalist and producer Ishmael Butler, whose unstinting drive to reimagine hip-hop - even as he enters his fifth decade on Earth - remains undimmed. With Robed In Rareness, there's a respectful eye on the past, an embrace of an ever-evolving present, and two feet firmly planted in the future. It features collaborations with the likes of Seattle's Royce The Choice and Porter Ray, Colorado Springs' O Finess, Bronx's Geechi Suede (of Camp Lo) and Butler's son, the incomparable Lil Tracy. Most instrumentals land like slick, soft jaunts over which mega-chorused flows oxbow, while weird subversions of hip-hop's trademark braggadocio and opulence are heard throughout. Palaces' cloudiest project yet, this one oozes alt enjoyment from start to finish.