11 Essential R&B Releases: Jacquees, Ari Lennox, Cautious Clay & More

Rated R&B is bringing you the most essential releases this week. From the traditional R&B that purists love to the boundary-pushing sounds of the alt-R&B scene, this new music roundup keeps its pulse on what’s happening in the genre. Dive into it below.

Ari Lennox, “Hookah Baby”

Ari Lennox has a new anthem for the shisha lounge. The aptly titled “Hookah Baby” welcomes a night full of scented smoke and good music, where the hours bleed into one another, making it hard to leave the establishment. “Shisha burnin’, take me higher / Room all foggy, I’m still flyin’ / No problem / That flavor in my lungs,” she sings on the irresistible hook. “Hookah Baby” will appear on Vacancy: The Late Checkout, the deluxe edition of Lennox’s third album that is coming soon.

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Jacquees, Mood 2

After making his breakout mixtape Mood available on streaming earlier this month, Jacquees keeps the 10th anniversary celebration going with an official sequel. Mood 2, an official album, is a sprawling 22-track collection in which Jacquees sings about love, loyalty, heartbreak, and everything in between. “Spend The Night,” a romantic come-on, interpolates Faith Evans’ 1995 classic “Soon As I Get Home,” while “Accuse Me,” a song that confronts a partner’s insecurity, is a callback to Keyshia Cole’s “I Should Have Cheated.” Mood 2 features collaborations from Ty Dolla $ign, Juvenile, Tink and Jacquees’ new artist, Tyler Watts, among others. Regarding the album, Jacquees said, “10 years later… what started as a mixtape is finally an album. Some music never leaves you, it just waits for the right time. Thank y’all for keeping MOOD alive.”

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Arin Ray, “Too Good”

On “Too Good,” Arin Ray cherishes a love so strong he feels undeserving of it. “You’re too good for me / And you know it,” he sings. It’s the second offering from his LIMBO EP that drops Aug. 11.

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October London, “Your Girl”

“Your Girl” — from October London’s new album, Love For Me, to be released Aug. 11 — finds the crooner confronted with temptation. In this case, it’s another guy’s partner who has been eyeing him, even though he, too, is in a committed relationship. “Temptation’s knocking at my door, no entry / I gotta girl,” London belts with a power that shields all advances, while reminding himself of what’s at stake. The sweeping production, enriched with a melodic bassline and a horn section, gives the drama-filled track a cinematic appeal.

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Sabri, “Stay”

Sabri feels the force behind love’s magnetic pull on “Stay.” The Sak Pase production is built around driving percussion, steady rim-clicks, and fluttering acoustic guitar, all capturing the intensity of wanting to escape a dysfunctional relationship she can’t shake. As she puts it, “For me, it’s about how things can get messy when emotions take over and boundaries start to blur. I can see it, I can feel it, but I still stay in it. The song lives in that contradiction.”

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JeRonelle feat. Sevndeep, “BackRoom”

JeRonelle’s indie journey has opened doors for him, including competing on The Four and singing background on Drake’s album For All The Dogs. His hot and steamy new single, “BackRoom,” pulls him from a crowded dancefloor to a dark area for a tryst. Rapper Sevndeep joins him for the fun, bringing his eye candy to a separate corner. “BackRoom” is the first taste from JeRonelle’s new EP due later this year.

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Isaiah Falls, Lvrs Paradise (Side B)

Following his debut album, Lvrs Paradise (Side A), Isaiah Falls finishes his duology with Lvrs Paradise (Side B). In a 2025 interview with Rated R&B, he teased, “Side B is a lot more grown and a lot more sexy. I would compare it to a glass of red wine, if I’m being honest. It is very playa, very smooth and very South.” The Mahalia-assisted “Honeybutter,” an instant standout, is filled with sweet and savory passion.

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Josh Levi, “Swerve”

It looks like Josh Levi’s Hydraulic era still has wheels. “Swerve,” his first output since releasing his debut album last October, captures high-octane intimacy between love interests. “Tonight I’m lost in the moment / Locked and I’m loaded, yeah,” he sings.

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Cautious Clay, The Hours: High Noon

Cautious Clay has a song for every hour of the day — literally. The Hours: High Noon completes the alt-R&B artist’s trilogy that began with The Hours: Morning, followed by The Hours: Night, both released in 2025. “It feels like a middle ground between morning and night, sonically,” said Clay. “I wanted to branch into reggae and some downtempo stuff with this album, which felt really refreshing for me to explore.”

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Joe Leone, “Safety”

Nearly a year after releasing his debut album, Invited, under Eric Benét’s JBR Creative Group, Joe Leone returns with “Safety.” Produced by Curtis “Sauce” Wilson, with Tony Greco on guitar and Gorden Campbell on drums, the lush track reassures a spouse that their foundation, built on love and trust, is where they can retreat from the chaos of everyday life. Leone tells Rated R&B: “For me, that word summarizes so many different struggles we feel in our relationship to the world around us. The root thing we’re missing, or striving to find, can almost always fall under the category of ‘feeling safe.’ The song focuses on a conversation between me and a romantic partner, but for me, these lyrics also speak to our broader experiences.”

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Shawn Stockman, “It’s Ok”

Outside of being a part of one of the most iconic R&B groups of all time, Boyz II Men’s Shawn Stockman is a singer-songwriter who keeps his guitar by his side. “It’s Ok,” his first solo material in three years, is an acoustic ballad that makes peace with a relationship that couldn’t withstand the test of time. The bittersweet lyrics are comforted by delicate guitar strums that play over a bossa nova backdrop by Antonio Dixon. “We laugh, we cried / Gave love a try / But now it’s time to say goodbye,” Stockman croons.

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Check out last week’s music picks.

Discover more music on the Rated R&B Playlist.

Preview upcoming R&B album releases.