This week, everybody (meaning Robin Thicke, John Legend and Talib Kweli) gets by with a little help from their friends (in this case: Pharrell, T.I., Rick Ross, Jon Connor and Freddie Gibbs)… 

Robin Thicke ft. Pharrell and T.I., “Blurred Lines”

Robin Thicke recently dropped the video to accompany his latest single, “Blurred Lines.” The song is a playful and flirty tune where Thicke is kicking it to a “good girl” who seems to be giving him rhythm, but he wants to make sure their signals aren’t crossed. T.I. and Pharrell accompany their buddy for rhymes and ad libs over the track, which samples Marvin Gaye’s classic “Got to Give It Up.” The video is just as playful with #Thicke (hashtag necessary), Pharrell and T.I. looking dapper as they chase models around.

“Blurred Lines”—from Thicke’s upcoming, untitled sixth album—is available digitally today.

Check it out here.

John Legend ft. Rick Ross, “Who Do We Think We Are”

John Legend is about that lovesongs life. “Who Do We Think We Are” is the first single from his forthcoming album, Love in the Future. By now we’re all probably in love with his soul-shaking raspy tenor; and if not, hopefully this song with help you get with the program. In “Who Do We Think We Are,” Legend sings about a love affair so good that both parties involved are feeling themselves because the love is that beautiful. His from- the-mountaintop vocal style resonates while Rick Ross brings the grit. You won’t waste your time listening to this one.

Check it out here.  

Talib Kweli, Freddie Gibbs and Jon Connor, “Makes No Sense” 

Kweli, Gibbs and Connor have joined forces on the hardcore, “Makes No Sense.” There’s no hook, just the piano-driven beat and rhymes, as the trio trades bars about the harsh realities of living in the hood.

Listen here.

Bilal, “West Side Girl” (video)

Bilal is flexing his acting chops in a short film inspired by his latest single, “West Side Girl.” The song is lifted from Bilal’s latest album, A Love Surreal, and it’s a cautionary tale about living the fast life. The visuals (which intertwine the music with brief theatrical interludes) follow Bilal and his partner, who are playing undercover cops. Their goal is to arrest the “west side girl,” but they also battle their own morals, because they’re crooked cops also seduced by sex, drugs and money.

Watch here.

Starrene Rhett Rocque is a pop culture junkie who often fantasizes about becoming a shotgun toting B-movie heroine, and aspires to save the world from the impending #ZombieApocolypse… In reality she’s a freelance entertainment journalist/blogger who muses about music, TV, movies and love. Follow her on Twitter @GangStarrGirl.