The Listening: Lil Wayne’s ‘Tha Carter VI,’ the Latest From Little Simz and Mariah Carey is Back

June 6, 2025

Everybody’s outside and enjoying the start of summer, and this first week of June is really getting things off to a perfect start with the kind of soundtrack you’ll need for hitting the road or relaxing at the beach.

Of course, the release of Lil Wayne’s long-anticipated Tha Carter VI is generating an understandable wave of buzz; but we’ve also got new tunes from Rita Ora and the incomparable Mariah Carey; and the triple threat Cynthia Erivo drops her new album, I Forgive You.

Teyana Taylor is back with the appropriately-titled “Long Time.” Soul star Omar delivers Brighter The Day; and we’ve got new music from jazz guru Tyreek McDole, as well as Isaiah Thompson. Also: Kota The Friend teams up with Fivio Foreign for the new track “Hello.”

Each week, Okayplayer will deliver a roundup of all the latest new heat from some of our favorite artists. Check out the latest offerings below.

NEW SONGS

JOYNER LUCAS – “ONE OF THEM”

ADHD 2 is coming. The rhymer out of Massachusetts is staking his claim to a summer anthem and he’s doing it early.

LA REEZY AND PJ MORTON – “PARDON ME”

Two towering talents out of New Orleans connect on this latest track from Reezy, with the super talented Morton riding shotgun.

TEYANA TAYLOR – “LONG TIME”

Yes, she’s been through a lot. But never forget that TT is one of the most creative artists in music. And her latest is a solid shot of moody, sultry, and personal R&B.

GLORILLA – “TYPA”

The cover art is going to get people talking (that’s Carolina Panthers wide receiver Xavier Legette, if you weren’t sure) but the latest from Glo is proof that she ain’t takin’ her foot off necks anytime soon.

KATSEYE AND ICE SPICE – “GNARLY (REMIX)”

The six-piece girl group taps Ice Spice for the remix to their hit single, which crashed the Billboard Hot 100 at the end of last month.

TY DOLLA $IGN – “ALL IN”

He channels the polish of Y2K era urban sounds on this track–which serves as a preview for his upcoming album, TYCOON.

SEXYY RED AND TIESTO – “OMG!”

Find someone, anyone, who is having a better 2025 than Sexyy Red. From the soundtrack of F1: The Movie, the St. Louis siren teams up with Dutch DJ and producer.

MIDWXST – “HOSTILE”

The Indiana native has already built an eclectic resume–he’s shown he’s capable of rage rap and balladry in equal measure.

MARIAH CAREY – “TYPE DANGEROUS”

The diva of all divas makes her return. Do we know if this is the lead single for her sixteenth album? We’ll just have to wait and see.

KOTA THE FRIEND W/FIVIO FOREIGN – “HELLO”

East Coast lyricism is alive and well and never went anywhere. Brooklyn represents on the latest from two of the freshest emcees from the BK.

BARAKA THE KID – “COUNT ON U”

Just a quietly introspective sonic journey into an artist’s soul. A laid back vibe and chill instrumentation that seem perfect for cooling on a summer day.

RITA ORA – ‘HEAT’

Produced by Peter Thomas, the disco-infused track celebrates confidence and self-expression, and drops just ahead of her slated performance at the World Pride Music Festival.

TEDDY SWIMS – “GOD WENT CRAZY”

The guys’ voice and artistry are always uniquely him, and the latest from Teddy fully captures what it feels like to meet that person who immediately takes your heart.

BLESSING JOLIE – “FROWN LINES”

The 23-year-old singer-songwriter out of Texas is accomplished as both a singer and a guitarist, and her new single proves she’s most definitely on the rise.

New ALBUMS

LIL WAYNE, ‘Tha Carter VI’

Tunechi’s latest is finally here. One of the summer’s biggest releases, the album includes features from Jelly Roll, 2 Chainz and Bono.

LITTLE SIMZ, ‘Lotus’

With appearances from Obongjayar, Moonchild Sanelly, Lydia Kitto and more, the sixth album from the British rapper is expansive and ambitious.

THE HIGH AND MIGHTY, ‘Sound Of Market’

The Philly duo has been doing it for decades, and the latest from the indie rap vets proves there’s still inspired lyricism at the core of their art.

OMAR, ‘Brighter The Days’

His Caribbean heritage informs so much about his artistry and music. The latest from the UK R&B star furthers his long-standing collaboration with Impressive Collective’s Greg Boraman.

GLORIA GAYNOR, ‘Happy Tears’

The disco icon delivers a new EP filled with spiritual insight and the kind of dance grooves with messages of strength and resilience that made her famous.

TYREEK MCDOLE, ‘Open Up Your Senses’

Tackling everything from Thelonious Monk to Leon Thomas, the award-winning jazz vocalist brings his own unique artistry to ever performance, delivering a project that’s both intimate and undeniably grand.

ISAIAH J. THOMPSON, ‘The Book Of Isaiah: Modern Jazz Ministry’

Exploring the essence of faith through music, Thompson co-produced his latest with Cyrus Chestnut, and it features Thompson’s own compositions alongside collaborations with Julian Lee, Marty Jaffe, Miguel Russell, and more.

JOEY PURP AND THELONIOUS MARTIN, ‘Champagne Seats’

Joey teams up with one of the industry’s best producers for this set. The Savemoney Collective collaborators and longtime friends bring their respective A games.

CYPRESS HILL AND THE LONDON SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA, ‘Black Sunday: Live At The Royal Albert Hall’

The Angeleno icons take their talents across the water for this ultra ambitious performance of their classic second album – with the London Symphony Orchestra.

dreamcastmoe, ‘The Lost Tapes, Vol. 3’

moe’s tapped into classic music. A lil bit of go-go. A lil bit of funk. He kicked off his ‘Lost Tapes’ era back in 2017, and now he’s dropped the latest installment in the series.

CYNTHIA ERIVO, ‘I Forgive You’

Beautifully crafted and life-affirming, this is the second set for the singer/actress. The multi-talented Oscar-nominee has called this her most personal and most “human” album.