R&B/Hip-Hop Fresh Picks of the Week: Elmiene, Lexa Gates, SAILORR & More

After he was sentenced to four years in prison for his prostitution convictions just a few weeks ago (Oct. 3), Diddy once again dominated the headlines this weekend.

Sean Combs: The Reckoning, a 50 Cent-produced four-part docuseries chronicling Diddy‘s rise and fall amid the origins of the East Coast vs. West Coast beef, hit Netflix last week (Dec. 2), and quickly sparked endless webs of discourse online. Not only did a former sex worker allege that Diddy would host annual “freak-offs” on the anniversary of Biggie‘s death, but two jurors from the Bad Boy mogul’s federal trial explained how the jury decided to acquit him of his sex trafficking and racketeering federal charges while finding him guilty of his two Mann Act-violating prostitution charges.

R&B singer Ray J had another New York hip-hop icon in the news last week: Jay-Z. The “One Wish” singer called out Mr. Carter and Beyoncé for apparently not taking photos with Brandy while backstage at multiple The Boy Is Mine Tour stops. Last week (Dec. 4), Monica, who’s co-headlining the trek alongside Brandy, jokingly snatched Ray J’s phone, in reference to the drama his comments stirred up. “Ray J, give me the phone… give me the phone, Ray,” she teased in Atlanta. “We love you, Ray J! Y’all make some noise for Ray J. He’s not just Brandy’s brother, but he’s my brother, too.”

With Fresh Picks, Billboard aims to highlight some of the best and most interesting new sounds across R&B and hip-hop — from a new Lexa Gates banger to a smooth duet between Lily Massie and Arin Ray. Be sure to check out this week’s Fresh Picks in our Spotify playlist below.