R&B/Hip-Hop Fresh Picks of the Week: Pi’erre Bourne, Sasha Keable, Tink, Bryson Tiller & More

Between Drake flaunting his abs on Instagram and Beyoncé tippin’ on 44s while mid-air during her first hometown Cowboy Carter Tour stop in Houston, Texas, June certainly went out with a bang in the worlds of hip-hop and R&B.

Drizzy’s and Queen Bey’s late-stage entries were the perfect closer to a month that also included the announcement of Brandy and Monica’s forthcoming first-ever co-headlining tour (alongside Kelly Rowland, Muni Long, and American Idol champ Jamal Roberts), a fiery Glastonbury debut from Doechii and a puzzling new EP from Ye (formerly known as Kanye West) and King Combs, Diddy’s eldest child.

This week, the news cycle’s biggest story will undoubtedly be the jury deliberations — which began on Monday (June 30) — in Diddy’s ongoing sex trafficking trial. Last week (June 24), the disgraced mogul opted not to take the stand in his own defense, telling the judge, “That is solely my decision… I wanted to tell you, thank you, you’re doing an excellent job.” No one can claim to know how long it will take the jury to land on a unanimous verdict, but Monday’s proceedings confirm that this month-long legal and cultural saga is nearing its end. Diddy, who maintains his innocence, could face a potential life sentence if convicted on all counts.

The end of the Diddy trial could also coincide with another major hip-hop moment. On July 11, Clipse will release their highly anticipated Let God Sort Em Out album. Serving as their first new set in 16 years, Let God Sort Em Out has routinely dominated social media with each new single — and Kendrick Lamar’s much-buzzed-about guest verse.

With Fresh Picks, Billboard aims to highlight some of the best and most interesting new sounds across R&B and hip-hop — from Tink and Bryson Tiller’s new duet to Dess Dior’s new summer anthem. Be sure to check out this week’s Fresh Picks in our Spotify playlist below.