OCTOBER TAY-LIST

5 Black Artists You Should Be Checking For

October is here, and just like this hot ass weather in California currently, I got some heat for you. It will make your coochie drip and your butt moist. That means your rotation needs a complete reset. You cannot spend the fall listening to the same tired ass tracks TikTok has been forcing down our throats on your timeline since June. Half of these major labels are pushing microwave records made for a seven-second video clip, and it shows.
The Tay-List is here for the people who actually care about music with some weight to it. We’re digging up the independent Black artists who are in the lab putting in real work, just waiting for your big head ass to stumble into the writers' room and read the monthly Tay-List segment to be discovered. Clear out the dead weight on your playlist. Here is the October lineup.

1.RASIDA

UK R&B Running Laps Around the Noise

• THE SOUND: UK R&B / Neo-Soul

• TAY SAYS START HERE: Come Home

• THEN PLAY: I could Be Yours But I'm not

The UK is officially not playing with you bald head, struggling to catch a note ass hoes when it comes to R&B, and Rasida is leading the way. Her project POTENTIAL made one thing clear: she isn’t out here hooting and hollering them raggedy ass, unnecessary church notes from the early 1999s. Now don’t get me wrong, I just believe there’s a time and a place for all that, and right now is not the motherfuckin' time.
On "Come Home," her vocal tone is warm, smoky, and sits right in the pocket. It sounds like cruising down an empty highway ignoring someone who’s probably been cheating on you anyways at midnight with your phone turned completely off. Then you run "I could Be Yours But I'm not," and her pen is surgical. She’s talking about walking away from somebody who fumbled and probably had you fucked up, without having to sound bitter or desperate. It’s unbothered, clean, and delivered with the kind of cool confidence only a mature adult could have, which is not me.
TAY SAYS: Real R&B doesn't need to be loud to make an impact. If you want something smooth that actually has soul attached to it, put Rasida at the top of your queue.

2.SAFA

Cold-Blooded R&B For When You’re Done Playing Games

• THE SOUND: Contemporary R&B

• TAY SAYS START HERE: Slide

• THEN PLAY: I Like It

Let’s clear the air: her name is SAFA, coming out of Virginia, and she definitely a smooth vibe. Not saying we haven’t heard it before, because we have, but it’s her delivery that needs to be noticed. Her project target practice is straight up proof that she knows exactly who the fuck she is. SAFA doesn't do that frantic, over singing bullshit. She rides a beat like she already knows she’s the best thing on it.
Now transition over to "I Like It," and she brings a moody, late night bounce. This record is definitely what shows you her ability and that she is definitely something special. It’s almost like a bad bitch who found her bad bitch superpowers; I’m loving watching the growth. It’s slick, self-assured, and cuts right through all the watered down nonsense floating around on the timelines.
TAY SAYS: Every playlist needs an anthem for when you're entirely over the bullshit. SAFA delivers that energy without raising her voice once. Lock into her catalog before the rest of the world catches on.

3.DIEDRICK

Real Vulnerability Without the Corny Gimmicks

• THE SOUND: Modern British R&B / Soul

• TAY SAYS START HERE: Craving For The love

• THEN PLAY: Dont Let Me Down

Let’s reset the narrative on Diedrick. He isn't doing some tired ass throwback act or pretending to be something he's not. This brother is carving out a lane in modern British R&B through straight honesty. This black British R&B singing niggah is crying out to the women, given us the simp music that we need and crave. And on "Dont Let Me Down," you hear the grit in his voice.
He’s speaking on real life: grinding through setbacks, dealing with grief, and keeping your head above water when everything feels shaky. Then you flip to "Craving For The love," and he’s talking about romance and desire without sounding fucking goofy or overly manufactured. He doesn't hide behind layers of autotune. It’s raw, textured, and stands on its own two feet.
TAY SAYS: People love to complain that nobody writes real songs with substance anymore, while ignoring artists like Diedrick who are right in front of them. Stop sleeping on the man. Run his numbers up.

4.RANES

The Official Soundtrack for 3 AM Bad Decisions

• THE SOUND: Melodic Rap / Dark R&B

• TAY SAYS START HERE: Dime

• THEN PLAY: Tempted

Ranes is making music specifically tailored for the people that enjoy that pop R&B sound, almost like saying it’s music for white people, but the niggahs still enjoy it. Emerging out of the UK scene, he knows how to marry heavy, dark bass lines with effortless melodies that walk the line between rapping and singing.
"Tempted" has that hazy, low-lit production that makes you want to dial a number you know damn well you shouldn't be calling. He has this raspy, textured cadence that gives the record an edge, he isn't pitching himself as a choir boy, he's leaning all the way into the mood. "Dime" proves he can lock in a hook that stays in your head for days. He isn't jumping between genres trying to see what sticks; he built an aesthetic and mastered it.
TAY SAYS: If your vibe this season is all-black attire, tinted windows, and keeping your business to yourself, Ranes is going to be your soundtrack. Tap in.

5.SARAHLYN

Pen Game That Cuts Way Too Close to Home

• THE SOUND: Contemporary R&B / Soul

• TAY SAYS START HERE: childish

• THEN PLAY: Thinkin of her

Closing out the lineup with Sarahlyn. I don’t even know what to start with her. Hell, I’m not even sure if she’s Black—she might be Puerto Rican or Mexican, I don’t fucking know—but what I do know is her talent is undeniable and she deserves to be on any list.
When you press play on "childish," it doesn't sound like a standard studio session; it feels like you're sitting in the passenger seat listening to somebody in a very raw, unfiltered way— just pure expression. The inflection in her delivery brings every lyric to life, carrying just the right amount of attitude and self-awareness. Then you get into "Thinkin of her," and she drops into a warm, husky pocket that hits right in the chest. She doesn't need excessive studio tricks to cover up weak spots because her natural tone carries the entire record. It’s grounded, intimate, and showcases an artist who actually knows how to craft a song from the ground up.
TAY SAYS: Sarahlyn is that artist people are going to stumble onto a year from now and wonder why nobody told them sooner. Don't be late to the party. Go get familiar with her sound right now.

The mission for October is straightforward: stop letting lazy algorithms dictate what you listen to. Go support these five artists directly stream the projects, run the tracks back, and share them with somebody whose music taste needs saving. Keep your circle tight, stay out of unnecessary drama, and keep checking for what’s next.



THE TAY-LIST | ONLY TAY BOOKS

The Tay-List is the curated music-discovery arm of the Only Tay Books blog network, built around putting readers onto music worth adding to their rotation.