R&B fans will have a lot of new music to choose from as Janet Jackson, Erykah Badu and Cheri Dennis all drop albums today (Feb. 26). Hip-Hop heads need not worry as Webbie, Shawty Lo, and Pete Rock all come out with new CDs today as well.
Badu's fourth studio album entitled, New Amerykah Part 1: 4th World War will be a follow up to 2003's Worldwide Underground. The new album, released on Motown, will feature the eccentric songstress linking up with such soulful producers as the late J Dilla, Sa- Ra, 9th Wonder, Madlib and Kareem Riggins.
When SOHH asked Badu about her beat selection for the new record she had this to say. "I dug deep down into the bottom of my hip-hop coin purse to find some of the freshest scientific, mathematical absurd geniuses that I could connect with because I was feeling pretty twisted myself."
Janet Jackson's Discipline is a follow-up to her 2006 album, "20 Y.O." The album's first single "Feedback," produced by Rodney "Darkchild" Jerkins was released digitally in December of 2007 via Island, and hit airwaves just last month.
According to Billboard, "Feedback" has peaked at #38 on Billboard Pop 100 and #39 on Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs. Aside from Jerkins, Janet also worked with Missy Elliott, Jermaine Dupri and Johnta Austin, and others.
Bad Boy princess, Cheri Dennis is hoping to make a splash with In and Out of Love. In a recent interview with SOHH, Dennis revealed, although "it's an album about emotions and relationships, it's still fun." Fans can expect "an upbeat album with two or three ballads" as well as "a lot of midtempos and a lot of club records." [Watch below]
Like Janet, Cheri also worked with Rodney Jerkins on In And Out of Love as well as Timbaland, Soul Diggaz and Mario Winans. Dennis also co-wrote a number of songs on the album.
On the hip-hop end, legendary producer and rapper Pete Rock releases his new album NY's Finest, his first in four years via Soul Survivor/Nature Sounds. For this album Pete Rock unites with such big names as Raekwon, Masta Killa, Papoose, Redman, Styles P, Sheek Louch and Jim Jones.
Rock admitted to SOHH that even he was surprised by some of his collabos. "My music with the Dipset, people look at like, Word? It should be interesting to hear what it sounds like. Certain people have their opinions about Pete Rock and Jim Jones, but I think it's interesting we work together."
Louisiana native, Webbie returns to the shelves today with Savage Life 2, while D4L member, Shawty Lo, lets loose Units in the City both via Asylum. Webbie's record features appearances from Birdman, Bun B, Li'l Boosie, Rick Ross and Young Dro, while Shawty Lo enlists the help of Gucci Mane and Yola.
In a statement earlier this month, Shawty Lo said, "Some of my new material was taken from my studio and bootlegged but what people don't know is that they don't have the real deal. They don't have all the songs that's going on the album. They're cheating themselves."
http://www.sohh.com/articles/article.php/13859
I'll pop in the Erykah next. 
