By Trey Alessio
While many of the big mainstream rappers took a break in 2025, I still found a ton of great hip-hop albums to listen to this year. 2025 was a year of music discovery for me, so this list will definitely reflect that. I sincerely believe a lot of these artists have the potential to become household names that could one day lead the new age of hip-hop, so I urge you to press play and familiarize yourself as soon as possible.
(Reminder: this is based on what I like to call the “body of work,” which means I take into account everything from the quality of the music as a whole, the storytelling, the message, the cohesion, the production, the lyricism, the replay value, etc.)
(Reminder: this is based on what I like to call the “body of work,” which means I take into account everything from the quality of the music as a whole, the storytelling, the message, the cohesion, the production, the lyricism, the replay value, etc.)
10. The Sword & The Soaring - Navy Blue
When I think about this album, I think about “poetry in motion.” I discovered Navy Blue last year after listening to his 2024 album Memoirs in Armour and instantly found an admiration for his poetic, almost therapeutic style of storytelling. Memoirs in Armour was good, but it didn’t really get a ton of replay value for me last year. However, The Sword & The Soaring really stuck with me this year. Navy Blue’s words just have a way of piercing through me and entering my soul. This album is uniquely introspective in a way everyone can probably relate to and should appreciate. The standout for most hip-hop heads is going to be the song “24 Gospel” with Earl Sweatshirt, but I think my personal favorites from the album are “Guardadas” and “If Only…” The soulful beat on “Guardadas” makes me feel like I’m levitating every time I listen. This is a beautiful album that feels very personal to Navy Blue, and I genuinely appreciate the vulnerability.
9. From the Private Collection of Saba & No ID - Saba & No ID
Over the years and with outstanding albums like Care For Me and Few Good Things, I have fully recognized Saba’s greatness. I mean, Saba has even become canon in the Marvel Cinematic Universe with his appearance in Ironheart, so there’s no denying his upward trajectory into hip-hop’s legendary status. From the Private Collection marks another solid project in Saba’s excellent discography. I really enjoyed Saba’s top-tier raps and No ID’s crisp production. My favorite tracks include “Every Painting Has a Price,” “Breakdown,” “Woes of the World,” “hear.rap” and “BIG PICTURE.” There isn’t a true overarching theme or storyline on this album, which is why I, personally, think From the Private Collection doesn’t quite reach the level of Care For Me and Few Good Things, and that’s completely fine. Not every album has to tell a cohesive story, but if you know me, you know those are my favorite kind of albums. I especially love when Saba gets deep in his storytelling bag and challenges us to peel the layers back in order to put all the pieces of the puzzle together on a project. Don’t get me wrong, it’s always appreciated when Saba blesses us with bars like he did on From the Private Collection, but as a die-hard fan of Care For Me and Few Good Things, I hope he gets back to cohesive storytelling albums.
8. Alfredo 2 - Freddie Gibbs & The Alchemist
When Freddie links with a producer on an entire body of work, the result is usually pretty incredible. This year’s sequel to 2020’s Alfredo with The Alchemist is no different. Freddie once again proves he has one of the best flows in the game, and The Alchemist continues to prove that he’s one of the best producers in hip-hop. Together, the duo is a force to be reckoned with. “Ensalada” with Anderson .Paak is one of my favorite songs from 2025. My other favorites include “Lemon Pepper Steppers,” “Empanadas,” “Gas Station Sushi” and “Lavish Habits.” Now, hopefully Freddie can link back up with Madlib to restore their project that may or may not have been lost in the LA fires.
7. Magic, Alive! - McKinley Dixon
I saw a lot of people hyping up this album on my Twitter timeline earlier this year, so I decided to press play. That small act of music discovery took me on a musical journey into the world of Magic, Alive! The story that I took away from this album was about children using the magic of music to summon spirits from previous generations. The children call upon these ancestral spirits to hear stories from their past in order to learn and grow. Once these spirits become alive, the children who summon them also become more alive. To me, Magic, Alive! by McKinley Dixon felt like the movie Sinners in album-form because they both share a lot of the same themes and feelings. I also love how jazz plays such an integral part of this album. McKinley finds the perfect blend of easy-listening and conceptual storytelling and showcases his stellar rap skills. This is an album that I think will only get better with time, so do yourself a favor and press play.
6. SAVE! - Ben Reilly
I had never heard of Ben Reilly before this year, but I’m definitely glad I decided to press play on SAVE! after seeing people talking about it on Twitter. This is a concept album that feels like a superhero comic on the surface. But when you start to peel back the layers, it dives deeper into themes such as personal growth and the tug-of-war between power and responsibility. Ben Reilly takes on the moniker of Heroman and goes on a hero’s journey. He sets out to save the world but ends up saving himself. The cherry on top of this album was the narration from the voice actor who sounds like Stan Lee. It all comes to fruition on the song “If This Be My Destiny!” when the narrator says, “Upon fighting irresponsibility, fighting oneself sometimes can be a losing fight. But triumph is imminent for our hero, just as it is for our listener. Fear and doubt are proof that the most superhuman is still human.” Once Heroman realizes he’s just a human with flaws and emotions that has to go through all the trials and tribulations of life despite having all these superpowers, he finally begins to save himself. It’s a fun, powerful body of work, and I can’t wait to see what Ben Reilly does next.
5. sankofa - Redveil
I tapped into Redveil in 2022 when he dropped learn 2 swim and got a few flashes of his capabilities on songs like “diving board” and “pg baby,” but the project, as a whole, didn’t move me quite like sankofa did. sankofa has it all: soulful jazz instrumentation, cohesive storytelling, powerful themes and a catchy hit with Smino.
To me, it feels like the theme of this album is about saving oneself in times of distress and learning to deal with certain demons. I want to focus on two questions Redveil asks on the song “save” that I believe are important in the context of the album. He asks, “Do I use agency or not?” and “lighter question, do I got solace?” He then follows that line with, “Alright, I got my answer I think. Right now I’ma say yes, but it flip flop by the day. All the brief moments where I dig up my truth be the ones I try to save.” I believe Redveil is going on the journey of finding peace with himself. With that being said, another moment I found to be very powerful on this album came on the third verse of “buzzerbeater.” Redveil paints a picture of selling out The Roxy in LA. He says, “Leave it all on the stage, the stage, the stage, the stage. I’m fucking free. Whole set, I’m scanning the crowd, looking around for family. I always got a cousin pulling up, but this might be the first show my brother see. But I say that with no guarantee. He don’t even be with us on Christmas. He been holding on by the skin of his teeth, his presence the top of my wishlist.” Then, on part two of the song, which is titled “black christmas,” Redveil goes on to admit he planned his suicide at the age of 13 but also alludes to running on stages and living out his dreams of being a hip-hop artist by the age of 18. He says, “Tale old as time that I’m telling, truly some family ties. Suffering in silence, guess I copied that too. Wish I caught on, but what could I do? Now I’m a grown man and writing this letter to you. See, the world don’t know that I’m your impostor. I’m even tryna grow the dreads long as a rasta. And picked up a skateboard, but more important, I see through the characterization of you as a monster.”
Redveil appears to hold his estranged brother in very high regard despite his absence being the status quo. Redveil says he owes his life to his brother, so it definitely feels like he looks up to and tries to emulate his brother. It also feels like they both share a lot of the same demons, which brings me to my final point. Redveil includes a spoken word outro on “glimpse of you” that says, “So there’s another story in the Bible. The story of a man who lived in a cave. And he would cut himself, and the people in the community would try to contain him with chains. They called him the Demoniac. He was tormented by voices. Today, we would call that schizophrenic. And the next day, the same man who was living in caves, was sitting quietly clothed and in his right mind. That story gives me hope every time I lose faith–that he could be well.” I think Redveil sees both the beauty and horror within himself as well as his brother. I thought that was a beautiful way to finish this very vulnerable album about the tug-of-war of battling demons while also living out a dream. I’m very impressed with this body of work and can’t wait to see what Redveil does next.
To me, it feels like the theme of this album is about saving oneself in times of distress and learning to deal with certain demons. I want to focus on two questions Redveil asks on the song “save” that I believe are important in the context of the album. He asks, “Do I use agency or not?” and “lighter question, do I got solace?” He then follows that line with, “Alright, I got my answer I think. Right now I’ma say yes, but it flip flop by the day. All the brief moments where I dig up my truth be the ones I try to save.” I believe Redveil is going on the journey of finding peace with himself. With that being said, another moment I found to be very powerful on this album came on the third verse of “buzzerbeater.” Redveil paints a picture of selling out The Roxy in LA. He says, “Leave it all on the stage, the stage, the stage, the stage. I’m fucking free. Whole set, I’m scanning the crowd, looking around for family. I always got a cousin pulling up, but this might be the first show my brother see. But I say that with no guarantee. He don’t even be with us on Christmas. He been holding on by the skin of his teeth, his presence the top of my wishlist.” Then, on part two of the song, which is titled “black christmas,” Redveil goes on to admit he planned his suicide at the age of 13 but also alludes to running on stages and living out his dreams of being a hip-hop artist by the age of 18. He says, “Tale old as time that I’m telling, truly some family ties. Suffering in silence, guess I copied that too. Wish I caught on, but what could I do? Now I’m a grown man and writing this letter to you. See, the world don’t know that I’m your impostor. I’m even tryna grow the dreads long as a rasta. And picked up a skateboard, but more important, I see through the characterization of you as a monster.”
Redveil appears to hold his estranged brother in very high regard despite his absence being the status quo. Redveil says he owes his life to his brother, so it definitely feels like he looks up to and tries to emulate his brother. It also feels like they both share a lot of the same demons, which brings me to my final point. Redveil includes a spoken word outro on “glimpse of you” that says, “So there’s another story in the Bible. The story of a man who lived in a cave. And he would cut himself, and the people in the community would try to contain him with chains. They called him the Demoniac. He was tormented by voices. Today, we would call that schizophrenic. And the next day, the same man who was living in caves, was sitting quietly clothed and in his right mind. That story gives me hope every time I lose faith–that he could be well.” I think Redveil sees both the beauty and horror within himself as well as his brother. I thought that was a beautiful way to finish this very vulnerable album about the tug-of-war of battling demons while also living out a dream. I’m very impressed with this body of work and can’t wait to see what Redveil does next.
4. The Good The Bad The Dollar Menu - Ray Vaughn
TDE’s newcomer Ray Vaughn came out swinging in 2025 and solidified his place in hip-hop with his debut full-length project The Good The Bad The Dollar Menu. This was marketed as a mixtape, but it’s certified album-quality in my book. The Good The Bad The Dollar Menu takes us on a good kid, m.A.A.d. city-style journey and gives us a glimpse into Ray Vaughn’s life. He gets vulnerable and touches on deeply personal topics such as his mom’s mental health, generational cycles and how they’ve affected him, the pressures of getting money by any means necessary to provide for his family and much more, which is very impressive on a debut project. I also love how Ray Vaughn meshes his lyrical storytelling with a very distinctive west coast sound. My favorite tracks include “XXXL Tee,” “FLAT shasta,” “LOOK @ GOD,” “JANKY moral COMPASS” and “SUBURBAN KIDZ.” I’m very excited to see what Ray Vaughn does next because, if he continues on this trajectory, I could definitely see him becoming a household name.
3. Star Line - Chance the Rapper
I’m one of the very few who thinks Chance’s 2019 album The Big Day doesn’t deserve all the hate it gets. Yes, it didn’t hit the same as Acid Rap or Coloring Book, but I thought there were still some really good songs on The Big Day that have remained in my rotation. With all the discourse on The Big Day as well as all the excellent loosie singles Chance put out in the last few years, I was very interested to see how he would follow it up with Star Line, and I’m very happy to report that Chance the Rapper is back and better than ever on this album. I immediately connected with songs like “No More Old Men,” “Back To The Go” with Vic Mensa, “Space and Time,” “Link Me In The Future,” “Letters” and “Just a Drop” with Jay Electronica and felt as if Chance had created something special again. However, I have to admit, my appreciation for Star Line grew even deeper after I watched Dissect’s interview with Chance where they broke down each song on the album. After hearing their analysis of Star Line, I was blown away by the attention to detail, the intention with each song and the themes and storylines woven throughout the entire project. Once I pressed play after watching the Dissect interview, it allowed me to listen to Star Line with more admiration. I’m upset that this album was snubbed for Best Rap Album at the GRAMMYs, but I’m happy hip-hop has welcomed Chance with open arms once again.
2. God Does Like Ugly - JID
Being a fan of conceptual, storytelling albums, I always strive to find the throughline and story in every project. One could argue God Does Like Ugly by JID has an overarching theme that has something to do with JID highlighting things that some people may consider ugly and God loving all of His creations despite those perceptions, but beyond that, JID simply showcases his unique lyricism, word play and storytelling, and I think that alone earns him a high-ranking spot on this list. JID has a way of bending words and sounds to fit his rhyme scheme and putting sentences together that will ultimately leave your brain twisted like a pretzel, but he somehow finds a way to make you understand exactly what he’s saying at the same time. JID proves that he’s one of the best rappers alive with this album. My favorites include “YouUgly” with Westside Gunn (I wish he narrated the entire album), “Glory,” “Gz” “VCRs” with Vince Staples, “Sk8” with Ciara and EARTHGANG, “ “Of Blue” with Mereba” and “For Keeps,” but “Community” with Clipse might be the best rap song of 2025. I also had the privilege of seeing JID perform this album live, so that made me appreciate this album even more. JID is a beast, and I can’t wait to see what the future holds for him.
1. Let God Sort 'Em Out - Clipse
After a 16-year hiatus, the brotherly duo of Pusha T and Malice known as Clipse team back up for the clear-cut best album of 2025. They kick off this album with the tragic yet beautiful track “The Birds Don’t Sing” with John Legend about the learning of their mother and father both passing away. The subject matter felt like it was something both Pusha T and Malice needed to get off their chest right away. Then, after that, they drop banger after banger with gorgeous production from the legendary Pharell Williams. Pusha T has been doing his thing for years, proving he’s the king of coke-rap. Meanwhile, Malice has been off-the-radar but returns and reestablishes himself as one of the best rappers of the year. Everything from Clipse’s combined clever bars and Pharell’s production to the perfectly balanced range of feelings this album conveys is why Let God Sort ‘Em Out has been so well-received and deserving of its five GRAMMY nominations.
For example, “The Birds Don’t Sing” makes me want to cry. “Chains and Whips,” “So Be It” and “M.T.B.T.T.F.” make me want to run through a brick wall. “So Far Ahead” and “By the Grace of God” make me feel like I’m levitating. We get a little bit of everything on Let God Sort ‘Em Out, but it all seems so intentional and oddly cohesive. Along with the long-awaited return of Clipse, we also get excellent features from Kendrick Lamar, Tyler, the Creator, Stove God Cooks, Nas and more, which only helps elevate this outstanding project. I hope Pusha T and Malice continue making music together as Clipse in the future because if it’s anything like Let God Sort ‘Em Out, we’re in for a real treat.
For example, “The Birds Don’t Sing” makes me want to cry. “Chains and Whips,” “So Be It” and “M.T.B.T.T.F.” make me want to run through a brick wall. “So Far Ahead” and “By the Grace of God” make me feel like I’m levitating. We get a little bit of everything on Let God Sort ‘Em Out, but it all seems so intentional and oddly cohesive. Along with the long-awaited return of Clipse, we also get excellent features from Kendrick Lamar, Tyler, the Creator, Stove God Cooks, Nas and more, which only helps elevate this outstanding project. I hope Pusha T and Malice continue making music together as Clipse in the future because if it’s anything like Let God Sort ‘Em Out, we’re in for a real treat.
Honorable Mentions
Goyard Ibn Said - Ghais Guevara
Goyard Ibn Said by Ghais Guevara is another album I pressed play on earlier this year after seeing people on Twitter talking about it. It’s a fascinating body of work with multiple layers that’s set up with the structure of a theatrical play. A loose story I pulled from this album was one in which Goyard, the main character, begins his journey by claiming “The Old Guard Is Dead,” meaning he plans to lead a new charge of hip-hop artists in the industry moving forward. On the “Introduction to Act 2” skit, the narrator reveals Goyard’s drink of choice is ambition and he falls victim to its addictive properties. Fast forward to the final song on the album “You Can Skip This Part” when Goyard proclaims, “And I’m dancin’ for these crackers while I call these ****** crackers. And I’m dappin’ up the rappers that’s subservient to crackers. So what happens to the fact that we be stuck in a contraption that’s created by these crackers? Swear this music shit be backwards.”
To me, it feels like Ghais is fighting an internal battle with his love for hip-hop and all the systemic problems that come with the business side of the industry. I think he feels as if he’s being exploited but has accepted it in order to make a living as a rapper. There are a lot of layers on this album, and I’m still trying to figure the whole thing out because the overall theme sometimes feels hard to pinpoint, but that’s how I interpret this album. It was also a fun easter egg when I first heard the beat on “The Old Guard Is Dead” because it’s the same beat that Kendrick Lamar used for the intro to his Super Bowl halftime performance. I feel like this is an album that I will continue to listen to and peel back more layers. Do yourself a favor and dive into the world of Goyard Ibn Said.
To me, it feels like Ghais is fighting an internal battle with his love for hip-hop and all the systemic problems that come with the business side of the industry. I think he feels as if he’s being exploited but has accepted it in order to make a living as a rapper. There are a lot of layers on this album, and I’m still trying to figure the whole thing out because the overall theme sometimes feels hard to pinpoint, but that’s how I interpret this album. It was also a fun easter egg when I first heard the beat on “The Old Guard Is Dead” because it’s the same beat that Kendrick Lamar used for the intro to his Super Bowl halftime performance. I feel like this is an album that I will continue to listen to and peel back more layers. Do yourself a favor and dive into the world of Goyard Ibn Said.
MARCO PLUS vs. tha Underworld - MARCO PLUS
MARCO PLUS vs. tha Underworld came out in August, but I didn’t press play until just recently. Based on the cover art, I went in expecting a trap album but was pleasantly surprised by Marco Plus’ lyricism. Macro finds himself getting into an argument with a woman about him putting himself in danger with the people he surrounds himself with. From there, we’re propelled into the underbelly of Atlanta and see a day in the life of Marco Plus. My favorites include “parlay,” “out my way” with Smino and “sagemode!!!” I’ll be looking forward to following Marco Plus after discovering this one.
everything is a lot. - Wale
This feels like a very mature and personal album for Wale. He touches on some heavy subject matter on songs like “Blanco,” “Power and Problems,” “Tomorrow Today,” “Survive” and more. Even though I think this album was a little bloated with some songs that didn’t quite fit the overall theme, I really appreciate Wale for being vulnerable and continuing to give us fresh stories at this point in his career. “Michael Fredo” is also a banger–I just wish it were a little longer. Overall, I enjoyed most of everything is a lot. and definitely think it’s worthy of an honorable mention on this list.
AMERIKA'S NEXT TOP PARTY! - PARTYOF2
I discovered PARTYOF2, which is a duo consisting of Jadagrade and SWIM, earlier this year when they dropped their 3-song EP we owe you an explanation. They immediately pulled me in with their fun, unique sound, so I was very excited to press play on their debut album AMERIKA’S NEXT TOP PARTY! There isn’t anything too deep about this album–just a nice blend of dance, pop and hip-hop. Jadagrace has a solid singing voice, and both her and SWIM can rap at a high level. My favorite songs include “JUST DANCE 2,” “FRIENDLY FIRE” and “POSER,” which is from that original EP. I saw one of them tweet that the Black Eyed Peas were a big inspiration for this album, and I think that’s a great comparison. I’m very excited to see what this duo does next because I could definitely see them blowing up very soon.
Am I The Drama? - Cardi B
Even though I think it’s a little bit of a cop-out to put 4 and 5-year-old songs like “Up” and “WAP” on this album, I’ve got to admit, Cardi does her thing and gives us a fun body of work on Am I The Drama? Yes, it’s definitely a bloated, streaming-era album with 23 songs (plus seven additional versions with even more songs), but I found myself bobbing my head with a smirk on my face the entire time while I listened to this album. My favorite song from Am I The Drama? is “Imaginary Playerz,” but Cardi also enlists a fun cast of features from the likes of Summer Walker, Selena Gomez, Lizzo and more to deliver what her fans had been waiting seven years for. It’s cool to watch Cardi do her thing.
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