{"id":208560,"date":"2025-12-30T16:10:22","date_gmt":"2025-12-30T16:10:22","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/208560\/"},"modified":"2025-12-30T16:10:22","modified_gmt":"2025-12-30T16:10:22","slug":"year-2025-in-review-sy-shackleford-rapreviews","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/208560\/","title":{"rendered":"Year 2025 in Review (Sy Shackleford) \u2013 RapReviews"},"content":{"rendered":"

First off, Happy Holidays\/Happy New Year. In my last annual review, I mused that hard times and social unrest are the parents of great music. With 2025 thankfully coming to an end, I\u2019d like to share some of that great music with you all. Sure, you\u2019re more than welcome to conduct The Big Lebowski and say, \u201cYeah, well, you know, that\u2019s just, like, your opinion, man\u201d, but you might find yourself digging some of these choices. And yes, I know that the biggest complaint about this write-up will be the exclusion of a certain far-going<\/a> album. To that, I respond with two statements: \u201cEh, to each his own.\u201d and \u201cIf I wanted to be hagiographic, I\u2019d have included every \u2018Legend Has It\u2026\u2019 album.\u201d Without further ado, I present you with my top 10 hip-hop albums of 2025.<\/p>\n

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10.)
\"\"Artist: billy woods
Album Title: Golliwog
Label: Backwoodz Studioz
Release Date: May 9th, 2025
Producers: Messiah Musik, The Alchemist, Conductor Williams, Ant, El-P, Steel Tipped Dove, et. al.<\/p>\n

\u201cThis album cover looks disturbing as fuck\u201d was at the top of my first thoughts about billy woods\u2019 ninth album before I decided to buy it from Baltimore\u2019s Sound Garden. Seeing a minstrel show caricature doll in the middle of the forest does elicit uncomfortable horror movie vibes with racist overtones. \u201cGolliwog\u201d is a horrorcore album replete with dark imagery, black humor, and Black horror\/trauma. Though billy\u2019s lyrics do sound awfully stream-of-consciousness, there is an underlying theme to the album. Using a \u201cwho\u2019s who\u201d of underground beatmakers, those producers have collectively created an immersive soundscape with music, unsettling ambience, and noise to elicit anxiety and fear. New York City-based producer Steel Tipped Dove laced the beat for the album opener \u201cJumpscare\u201d, creating dissonance and distress as billy connects references from horror movies to racism with lines such as \u201cThe dead drift like empty boars \/ My people fled to the mountains, but it\u2019s nowhere the White man won\u2019t go.\u201d On the Conductor Williams-produced \u201cStar87\u201d, Mr. Williams uses phone ringing samples, unnerving noises, and a very low-key bassline to match billy\u2019s intense psychological dread brought about by his self-imposed isolation.<\/p>\n

The guest features add more to the haunted atmosphere. Detroit\u2019s Bruiser Wolf appears on the Sadhugold-helmed \u201cBlk X-Mas\u201d, painting the piano-looped beat with his unique and enthusiastic spoken word cadence. This stands in contrast with billy\u2019s relaxed flow as both emcees equate their poverty-stricken upbringings as Black horror. \u201cCorinthians\u201d sounds like a Def Jux reunion\u00a0as we get a verse from Despot and production from El-P. This beat by El-Producto has the avant-garde sounds of early 2000\u2019s Def Jux: Purposely distorted analog sound and a heavy build-up. Next up is \u201cMaquilladoras\u201d with Massachusetts emcee al.divino. Saint Abdullah and Eomac add television white noise distortion and a slow sporadic piano key while both al\u2019s and billy\u2019s verses are slightly political in commentary, using amputation as a metaphor. His Armand Hammer partner Elucid appears on three tracks: The final two tracks, \u201cLead Paint Test\u201d and \u201cDislocated\u201d; and \u201cAll These Worlds Are Yours\u201d before those two. The latter is mostly Elucid doing the lyrics and the production is off-kilter with unrhythmic drums and echoing voices. The former is the final single and Willie Green creates a traditional-sounding hip-hop beat with record scratching and boom-bap snares. As for \u201cDislocated\u201d, the Human Error Club provides a jazz production as billy waxes lyrically about the psychological alienation he feels as a Black man.<\/p>\n

Frequent billy woods producer The Alchemist brings his sound on \u201cCounterclockwise\u201d where the lyrics are literally the stuff of nightmares. \u201cGolliwog\u201d thrives on that uneasy closeness between fear and self-knowledge, using horror not as spectacle but as a lens. While billy\u2019s flow is lackadaisical, his writing is dense without being impenetrable. Cryptic, yet sharply communicative. By the end of the album, it\u2019s clear that woods isn\u2019t hiding behind metaphor; he\u2019s weaponizing it, asserting his presence as both narrator and specter. I\u2019m coming back to \u201cDislocated\u201d because it\u2019s album\u2019s most incisive track and it\u2019s layered with psychosocial properties. Woods raps about the being severed from oneself as a survival response. The imagery billy uses is inspired by anti-colonial psychologist Frantz Fanon and grows increasingly suffocating: Bodies pinned, identities flattened, and existence reduced to absence. Throughout \u201cGolliwog\u201d, billy blurs the lines between autobiography and social commentary, insisting that history is neither abstract nor an interpretive discipline. It\u2019s real and it is lived, carried, and endured. Trauma, memory, and resistance move in tandem, making \u201cGolliwog\u201d an album where ruminations on loss, exile, and return are disguised in horror metaphors to make a broader indictment of colonial and post-colonial violence toward Blacks.<\/p>\n

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9.)
\"\"Artist: J.I.D.
Album Title: God Does Like Ugly
Label: Dreamville\/Interscope Records
Release Date: August 8th, 2025
Producers: Boi-1da, Lex Luger, Christo, Jay Versace, et. al.<\/p>\n

Black churches began in America\u2019s southern states out of both necessity and independence. When Black Americans were forbidden from worshipping in mainstream (read \u201cWhite\u201d) churches, they formed their own. Dreamville rapper J.I.D. was raised in the Bible Belt (specifically Atlanta), which may have inspired the title of his fourth album \u201cGod Does Like Ugly\u201d. One of the more versatile young rappers, J.I.D.is possessed of a pen and mic skill game that\u2019s landed him features with elite emcees such as Eminem and label-head J. Cole. I\u2019m glad a friend put me onto this album. I first listened to it this past summer on a train ride from Connecticut and the album was awfully worth the hype that I came across in posts\/comments on social media platforms and hip-hop websites. Among the album\u2019s guest features are Westside Gunn, The Clipse, Vince Staples, and (and this one\u2019s a high school throwback for me) Pastor Troy. The first single, \u201cWRK\u201d was released this past spring. Its sonic canvas is a trap beat courtesy of Christo & Pluss, but with J.I.D.\u2019s literate rhymes painted on it. They say the introductory track sets the tone for the whole album, and I usually concur with that sentiment. But for this album, \u201cWRK\u201d does exactly that. For me, \u201cWRK\u201d is where J.I.D. proves he has a multifaceted rhyming ability.<\/p>\n

Take the song \u201cGlory\u201d, as an example. Over Lex Luger\u2019s gospel-tinged beat, J.I.D. showcases his storytelling ability, providing a first-person narrative of criminal life inspired by his incarcerated older brother. The second single \u201cOn McAfee\u201d, has the conventional attributes of southern hip-hop: Fast-paced flows over 808 snares and synths provided by Boi1da, Cubeat, and Vinylz. \u201cCommunity\u201d is one of the album\u2019s later singles and consists of a moody soulfulness to the production. Lyrically, J.I.D. begins rapping with his voice filtered to sound deeper. But eight bars later, its back to his real voice, which he uses quite the intensity to describes his beginnings. Showing a reckless nothing-to-lose brashness, he raps \u201cLisan al Gaib, I see a tiny line of silver \/ A way to make a play, although they say it\u2019s unfamiliar \/ It\u2019s off the kilter, I say the words without a filter \/ You gotta have nerve, it\u2019ll make you strong if it don\u2019t kill ya\u201d. The Clipse provides their raps, and of all three emcees, Malice gets the win for the best verse. Though King Push matches J.I.D.\u2019s passion, it\u2019s Malice who shines with well-placed wordplay and vividly showing how he\u2019s a product of his environment. All three emcees emphasize this along with a message against glorifying and mythologizing where they came up.<\/p>\n

Jay Versace makes use of a prog-rock guitar sample on \u201cVCR\u201d. Featuring Vince Staples, his verse actually coincides with the title when raps \u201cSee the movie\u2019s not rewinding, my friend \/ We turn the VCRs to dinosaurs \/ The money we spend just leave us wanting more.\u201d You can never go wrong with the \u201cPaul Revere\u201d-inspired reversed 808 drums. \u201cWhat We On\u201d makes use of such arrangements solely for the hook. Three tracks also worth mentioning are \u201cOf Blue\u201d, \u201cSk8\u201d, \u201cNo Boo\u201d. For the former, it begins with wistful guitar strums and airy vocals from Mereba for roughly nine seconds. After that, the tempo picks up with a looped blues guitar samples and medium-paced snares. J.I.D. raps stream-of-consciousness semi-autobiographical rhymes. It goes for over six minutes and shifts to a more atmospheric production which topically matches J.I.D\u2019s raps. \u201cSk8\u201d, has late \u201890s\/early 2000\u2019s southern rap written all over it, though having Ciara on the hook gives it certain polish. Along with rap duo EARTHGANG, all three emcees give a big-up to ATL with hometown references sprinkled evenly throughout the raps. \u201cNo Boo\u201d is a conversation track with R&B inspired production. J.I.D. and guest artist Jessie Reyez do one verse in English and the next both in unison and in Spanish. All in all, \u201cGod Loves Ugly\u201d is a soulful journey of a young emcee who brings his A-game.<\/p>\n

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8.)
\"\"Artists: Freddie Gibbs x The Alchemist
Album Title: Alfredo 2<\/a>
Label: ESGN\/ALC Records
Release Date: July 25th, 2025
Producer: The Alchemist<\/p>\n

Come on, you know they had to do a sequel, right? The fans wanted it, and the way the raps meshed with the music warranted a sequel. Well, it\u2019s here. Five years after releasing \u201cAlfredo\u201d to both critical acclaim and a Grammy nod, Gangsta Gibbs and the ever-productive Alchemist are back with more. \u201cAlfredo 2\u201d serves up more for in terms of tracks, production, and cinematic crime lyrics. There\u2019s less of an American mafia influence on \u201cAlfredo 2\u201d and more of the Yakuza of Japan. Even the album cover reflects this as the customary \u201cParental Advisory\u201d warning sticker is in Japanese lettering. The album does bear some parallels to its predecessor, though: The opening tracks on both albums are (superficially) ten years apart as \u201cAlfredo\u201d began with \u201c1985\u201d and its sequel begins with \u201c1995\u201d, perhaps a nod to the release year of Raekwon\u2019s debut which popularized mafioso and organized crime themes in rap. \u201cAlfredo 2\u201d is viscerally cinematic, as is shown lyrically and musically. Freddie\u2019s never been afraid to play the part of both the thug and drug lord who have even lesser fear of getting their hands dirty. But here, he shows the different facets of the drug czar, the lavish lifestyle and the paranoia going hand-in-hand with it. On \u201cMar-A-Lago\u201d, an obvious reference to Donald Trump, Gibbs fears a similar federal raid on his property.<\/p>\n

With fourteen tracks, there\u2019s a dearth of guest rappers on \u201cAlfredo 2\u201d. However, the three rappers who were permitted guest spots serve their purpose well. Anderson .Paak appears on \u201cEnsalada\u201d where Alchemist laces a looped piano sample; frequent Alchemist collaborator Larry June lends a syrupy drawl on \u201cFeeling\u201d, which has an atmospheric jazz number for its sonic backdrop; and the lush, head-nodding \u201cGold Feet\u201d features Dreamville\u2019s JID. Outside of his crime don persona, Freddie shows his cynicism with the rap game on \u201cJean Claude\u201d, even referencing the title actor\u2019s film \u201cBloodsport\u201d. \u201cI Still Love H.E.R.\u201d is a take on the fabled \u201cI Used to Love H.E.R.\u201d by Common. Though Alchemist provides a slowed, soulful and psychedelic loop, the identity of the \u201cher\u201d in the song see-saws between the drug game and the rap game. Freddie\u2019s verses on \u201cShangri-La\u201d should be shown in \u201cHow to Rap\u201d videos as masterclasses on flow and breath control. \u201cSkinny Suge II\u201d has Freddie channeling the living spirit of Ice-T over Alchemist\u2019s film noir-ish production. With the original \u201cAlfredo\u201d and his 2014 Madlib collaboration \u201cPi\u00f1ata\u201d, Freddie had the persona of master low-down hustler on the come-up. With \u201cAlfredo 2\u201d, he\u2019s transcended that variant of himself and ascended to the world of Japanese crime.<\/p>\n

Though drawing understandable comparisons to the Clipse album released two weeks prior, the two acts are different kinds of coke rhymers. As \u201cAlfredo 2\u201d demonstrates, Freddie has a grit to his lyrics and choice of production. The heavily mentioned cinematic sound of the album was translated to the screen as well with the short film that came with it. Glimpses of said film are shown in the music video for \u201c1995\u201d, which has a notable production shift expertly pulled off by Alchemist. As a producer, he\u2019s managed to stay busy overseeing the entirety of several albums, including his own, for more than a decade. When he works with artists producing their full albums, he must either craft beats with the artists\u2019 input or have some intuitive sense of what to pull from his vault of unused beats. It tends to work best with rappers in Freddie\u2019s niche. In my full review, I made mention of what I call the album\u2019s \u2018narcotic swagger\u2019. The sound of \u201cGas Station Sushi\u201d screams of it. With an R&B groove to the production, Freddie incorporates 2025 events, but is largely apathetic to them as it pertains to his grind. Said grind is expounded upon on the guitar-looping \u201cLavish Habits\u201d, which mixes crime and sports references. If anyone questions the standing of \u201cAlfredo 2\u201d, Freddie reminds naysayers that he \u201cput more niggas on this field than Jerry Jones\u201d.<\/p>\n

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7.)
\"\"Artists: Mobb Deep
Album Title: Infinite<\/a>
Label: Mass Appeal Records
Release Date: October 10th, 2025
Producers: Havoc, The Alchemist<\/p>\n

Because of \u201cThe Infamous\u201d, Mobb Deep are quite \u201cInfinite\u201d. The Queens duo of Havoc and Prodigy and their legacy will be forever tied to their landmark sophomore album from 1995. They represented a new breed of east coast hip-hop: Dark, angry, but infectious and influential. It was as though the themes of Seattle\u2019s grunge rock scene made their way into rap. Though Prodigy\u2019s lines have been more quoted and sampled, Havoc has always been more praised for his production, able to turn obscure and upbeat samples into bleak urban soundscapes. The duo released eight albums before Prodigy\u2019s death in 2017. Also, the Alchemist established himself as a producer through Mobb Deep, having crafted beats for both their group and solo efforts. It was from him earlier in the year that there would be a posthumous ninth Mobb Deep in the works. That same album was included in the line-up for Mass Appeal\u2019s \u201cLegend Has It\u2026\u201d marketing campaign. In an age where older rappers (notably Beanie Sigel) make use of A.I. to give strength once powerful vocals, one would expect that to be done with pre-recorded Prodigy verses. Both Havoc and Alchemist stated that this wasn\u2019t the case, and that\u2019s good. The verses used for \u201cInfinite\u201d weren\u2019t recycled either, they were just unused, but given purpose.<\/p>\n

Released in October, \u201cInfinite\u201d was the fourth and the strongest Mass Appeal\/Legend Has It album distributed at that point. I hadn\u2019t given up on them, but Mobb Deep (even now semi-posthumous) haven\u2019t sounded this strong since the early 2000s. One thing about using old verses is that they run the risk of becoming anachronistic if not used soon enough. Prodigy\u2019s been dead for eight years now, but \u201cInfinite\u201d still maintains a contemporary sound. Though Alchemist and Havoc share production duties, it\u2019s actually Havoc\u2019s show musically as the former laced only four of the fifteen tracks. Alchemist\u2019s production highlight is the album\u2019s second single \u201cTaj Mahal\u201d, which makes use of high-pitched multitracked vocals with a sped-up background sample. Lyrically, it\u2019s hardcore Mobb Deep: Burners, street beefs, boasts and brags. The latter is manifested in the lyrics via casino references which are heavily displayed in the A.I.-produced music video. \u201cAgainst the World\u201d is the album\u2019s first single, having been released in early September. Produced by Havoc, it serves as the album\u2019s introductory track with jazz horns accentuating the backdrop, braggadocious rhymes from the Mobb, and some particularly hostile rebukes from Prodigy.<\/p>\n

The last two album singles are Havoc-produced collaborative efforts. \u201cLook At Me\u201d might as well be considered a four-man posse cut as it features the Clipse. The VA duo have had a banner year, and King Push\u2019s verse begins with a line that\u2019s a biting indictment on the current state of hip-hop while also giving Prodigy his flowers: \u201cI\u2019d rather rhyme with your spirit than these other niggas.\u201d The final single is my favorite track on the album. \u201cDown For You\u201d has an upstaging verse from Nas, but it\u2019s the emotional urgency of the beat that bears the most attention. Havoc manipulates the main theme of the Vietnam War film Platoon, chopping and speeding up its violins to evoke the song\u2019s theme of devotion. The album does have its ominous moments, even for a rap duo renown for dark raps. On the Alchemist-produced \u201cGunfire\u201d, there\u2019s a menace to the beat that includes gunshot sounds and Prodigy on the hook with a Jamaican inflection to it. Also, \u201cLook At Me\u201d isn\u2019t the only four-man track. Fellow labelmates Raekwon and Ghostface Killah make an appearance and the low-key soulful \u201cClear Black Nights\u201d with the latter utterly going in. Even if another Mobb Deep album is never made again, \u201cInfinite\u201d shows that the duo will live forever.<\/p>\n

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6.)
\"\"Artist: Evidence
Album Title: Unlearning Vol. 2<\/a>
Label: Rhymesayers Entertainment
Release Date: August 15th, 2025
Producers: Evidence, The Alchemist, Sebb Bash, Conductor Williams, C-Lance, Q-Three, et. al.<\/p>\n

Say what you want about how Evidence always sounds the same with his monotone delivery that\u2019s earned him the self-christened title of \u201cMr. Slow Flow\u201d. But since 2007, the Dilated Peoples emcee has a knack for releasing good albums with subtle lyrical gems and stellar production. With \u201cUnlearning Vol. 2\u201d, Evidence delivers one of 2025\u2019s most compelling exercises in restraint and craft, earning its spot among the year\u2019s standout hip-hop albums. Building on the reflective philosophy he outlined with the first Unlearning project, Evidence continues to strip his music down to the essentials: Tight, sub-four-minute tracks with minimal hooks, and a laser focus on the lyricism and flow that have long defined his career. The result is an album just shy of thirty-seven minutes that feels deliberate and unhurried in an era of bloated runtimes and gimmickry.\u00a0From the Sebb Bash-produced opener \u201cPlans Change\u201d to the contemplative Q-Three-produced closer \u201cDutch Angle,\u201d \u201cUnlearning Vol. 2\u201d doubles down on its creator\u2019s core strengths: Introspective bars delivered with a calm, head-nodding cadence over rich, jazz-inflected and boom-bap influenced soundscapes. Guest spots from the likes of Larry June and Blu add texture without distracting from Evidence\u2019s center-stage presence, and his self-produced cuts show that even when he hands over beats, his artistic vision remains cohesive and clear.\u00a0<\/p>\n

The strongest moments on \u201cUnlearning Vol. 2\u201d are the tracks where Evidence fully commits to the album\u2019s guiding philosophy of restraint and clarity. \u201cPlans Change\u201d set the tone immediately, pairing understated production with reflective bars that feel lived-in rather than performative. Cuts such as \u201cSeeing Double\u201d thrive on Ev\u2019s ability to say more by saying less, relying on steady cadence and carefully chosen words instead of vocal theatrics or flashy structure. These tracks exemplify what the Unlearning series does best: Trust the listener, let the beat breathe, and allow the verses to reveal their weight over time rather than demanding instant gratification. \u201cRain Every Season\u201d is another standout which harks back to the weather theme of his first three albums. Produced by The Alchemist and featuring a verse from him, the Stepbrothers are back like they never left. That said, not every track landed with the same impact. A few songs blend together in a way that makes them feel more functional than memorable, especially for listeners looking for distinct peaks or standout hooks. While none of these moments are outright missteps, they can feel slightly interchangeable within such a tightly controlled runtime. Even so, those minor lulls don\u2019t derail the project; they simply highlight how committed \u201cUnlearning Vol. 2\u201d is to consistency over spectacle.<\/p>\n

What makes this album particularly notable in 2025 is how it encapsulates a seasoned artist actively deconstructing his own instincts rather than resorting to nostalgia or safe bets, the album\u2019s puzzle piece cover reflects this. Evidence\u2019s approach here and for his previous albums is neither flashy nor is it driven by trend. Instead, it\u2019s a continual refinement of voice and purpose. Lines like those on \u201cSeeing Double,\u201d where he stakes a claim to authenticity over approval, and the understated but steady momentum throughout the tracklist, underscore a veteran rapper still pushing himself to do more with the little he works with.\u00a0While \u201cUnlearning Vol. 2\u201d may not boast the immediate catchiness of some of its peers, its consistency, lyrical maturity, and thoughtful sequencing make it a record worth revisiting, especially for listeners who value hip-hop that rewards attention and time. In a year rich with bold statements and sonic experimentation, Evidence\u2019s latest stands out for its quiet confidence and dedication to craft, solidifying it as a must-include on this or any top hip-hop albums list of 2025.\u00a0<\/p>\n

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5.)
\"\"Artist: Oh No
Album Title: Nodega
Label: Nature Sounds
Release Date: November 14th, 2025
Producer: Oh No<\/p>\n

\u201cNodega\u201d by emcee\/producer Oh No is pretty much a concept album. Fully producing the project, Oh centers it on a day in the life of a fictional corner store. Every urban city has one: It\u2019s a hybrid convenience store, deli, and grocery store; and they\u2019re called \u201cbodegas\u201d. Dr. No\u2019s named his \u201cNodega\u201d, and it includes humor-filled skits and songs from the rappers who happen to come in. Despite Oh No\u2019s Los Angeles area upbringing, his production on here sounds surprisingly east coast boom-bapish. Though he sometimes works with his older brother, Madlib, as the Professionals, \u201cNodega\u201d isn\u2019t a family affair. Even though Madlib is often cited to be the better producer, Oh No can hold his own behind the boards and over a mic. After the \u201cBroken Radio\u201d intro sets the tone, \u201cNodega\u201d kicks off in gritty fashion with \u201cNo One\u2019s Stop\u201d, where Oh attacks a raw beat while plotting hustler ambitions. \u201cCommunity Trenches\u201d follows with Roc C., Blu, Kazi, and M.E.D. urging caution and survival amid outside chaos, while Rah Digga and Talib Kweli trade razor-sharp bars on \u201cAround Here\u201d, making it clear that access isn\u2019t universal. The second and final single, \u201cRooftop Shottas\u201d, pairs Ghostface Killah with TriState over a menacing backdrop, delivering classic stickup talk with lethal determination.<\/p>\n

Sands delivers the awfully short, but detailed \u201cNodega Run\u201d, making use of vintage drums to underscore street-level storytelling with references to WandaVision, MF DOOM, as well as Desus & Mero. This leads into the album\u2019s first single, \u201cMoney Everyday\u201d, where Big Twins and Tha God Fahim spit raps about the constant, never-ending pursuit of that paper. Big Twins has a monstrous cadence to his rhymes while Fahim delivers his verse without theatrics, but a sense of urgency. After the \u201cDr. Nodega Informercial\u201d skit, \u201cGutter Streams\u201d reunites Oh No with The Alchemist as Gangrene, revisiting grimy, record needle-breaking imagery with unapologetic edge. The album continues its momentum with \u201cGrounding Stars,\u201d where Guilty Simpson, Montage One, and Vic Spencer unload threats over an airy beat with hard organic-sounding drums. New Jersey emcee CRIMEAPPLE later delivers his brand of cinematic east coast grit on \u201cHow Crime Works,\u201d detailing his grind between a pair of atmospheric interludes. Some more unexpected customers come through \u201cNodega\u201d during its second half. Gaithersburg, Maryland\u2019s own Logic enters on \u201cNo Parking Zone\u201d and calls out posturing frauds and making it clear that he wants all the smoke: \u201cThe one stop could be your last stop \/ It only makes logical sense when the cash drops.\u201d<\/p>\n

Esoteric makes an appearance on \u201cCzarnobyl Torture\u201d and sharpens the battle-rap edge with scathing intent. Between him and Dr. No, this beat sounds better suited for the latter than Esso. For the album\u2019s last fifth, the \u201cGood Beer Therapy\u201d skit leads to Tash and Wildchild reaffirming their Likwit Crew loyalty on \u201cLikwit Smoke\u201d. The remainder includes \u201cICU with Bottle Service\u201d where Khrysis, Bishop Lamont, and Oh No trade bars over an arcade video game sample before \u201cCorner Goons\u201d wraps things up with Roc C. and Jayo Felony issuing final street directives. By the time \u201cNodega\u201d reaches its closing moments, the concept is fully realized: The neighborhood corner store where top-tier lyricists cycle in and out, each stopping by long enough to unload a sharp, memorable street tale before passing the mic along. Every guest fits naturally within the bodega framework \u2013 they all show up, deliver a standout verse, and exit before wearing out their welcome. That sense of discipline keeps the album moving at a steady pace, giving it the feel of an ongoing conversation rather than a loose compilation of features. Oh No\u2019s expansive, cinematic production ties it all together, standing tall among the strongest underground hip-hop beats in recent memory. The album flows smoothly from start to finish, maintaining a high standard throughout.<\/p>\n

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4.)
\"\"Artists: Rakim x Big Ghost LTD.
Album Title: The Re-Up
Label: Holy Toledo\/Compound Interest
Release Date: August 29th, 2025
Producer: Big Ghost LTD.<\/p>\n

Apparently, Rakim\u2019s EP album from 2024 (\u201cG.O.D.\u2019s Network (Reb7rth)\u201d) was supposed to be an appetizer to the God emcee\u2019s full-length album. He hasn\u2019t released a full LP since 2009\u2019s \u201cThe Seventh Seal\u201d, and \u201cG.O.D.\u2019s Network (Reb7rth)\u201d was a seven-track EP entirely produced by Rakim himself. Not only that, each track was a posse cut. Though the guest appearances were stellar (Kool G. Rap, Joell Ortiz, Method Man, and even B.G.), Rakim enlisted so many rappers that it\u2019s as though he\u2019s making cameos on his own project. After several listens, I wasn\u2019t feeling much of the production and concluded that Rakim may have taken the adage of \u201cwith a little help from my friends\u201d way too far. On some of the songs, he reduced himself to doing just the hook. I thought of the EP in terms of how I initially thought of 2016\u2019s \u201cCaptain America: Civil War\u201d: An Avengers movie with a Captain America overlay. Enter Big Ghost LTD. He\u2019s been surprising everyone with his production skills, which is understandable considering he began as online hip-hop blogger with hidden talents. He used those talents to take Rakim\u2019s EP and make a whole new appetizer out of it, with plenty of the fat trimmed, and some new ingredients as well. Though essentially a remix album, the Big Ghost\u2019s production, the excised feature verses, and the addition of two new tracks make \u201cThe Re-Up\u201d hella better than its template.<\/p>\n

The album begins with \u201cBe Ill\u201d, which consists of a piano loop and record scratching. It\u2019s like Big Ghost is channeling the DJ Premier of yesteryears. As for the features, Masta Killa and Kurupt have been replaced with Eddie Kaine and RIM. Lyrically, Rakim is just as limited in terms of verses as the original. But nonetheless, his verses on this album build on the skills that continuously make him one of the most studied rappers of all time: Conversational flow, internal multisyllable rhyme schemes, and literate imagery. \u201cNow Is The Time\u201d has dusty drums, bell samples, and hi-hat rhythms. It also drops both B.G. and the Compton Menace, leaving only Hus Kingpin as the guest rapper. Built from a blues sample, \u201cLove Is The Message\u201d originally included King Louis and a posthumous verse from the late Nipsey Hussle. On this remix, Sally Green still sings the hook, but Nipsey and Louis are removed. Ras Kass and Planet Asia still have their verses intact and the track sounds better with this beat and with less emcees. The remix to \u201cGod\u2019s Playground\u201d removes the posthumous verses from both DMX and Fred the Godson. Rakim is on the hook while 38 Spesh and Skyzoo handle the heavy load. Between him and Spesh, Skyzoo rides the vintage soulful beat more steadily, and the production is reminiscent of his album<\/a> with Apollo Brown.<\/p>\n

The next two tracks keep all of the guest emcees included on the original versions. \u201cPendulum\u201d, originally titled \u201cPendulum Swing\u201d, is pure head-nodding boom-bap. Once more, Rakim is on the hook, but he\u2019s brought quite the team with him: KXNG Crooked, L.A. the Darkman, Canibus, and Chino XL. The latter died a month prior to the original album\u2019s release, so his verse resonates more, and it was right to have him go last with his verse: His is the longest and his iconoclastic wordplay is delivered in a rapid-fire pace. \u201cInternational\u201d features Kool G. Rap, TriState, and Joell Ortiz over a vintage R&B sample. Though G. Rap is the most revered guest star on this track, it\u2019s Joell who steals the show with a pen game that keeps getting better as time goes on. \u201cSign of the 7even\u201d begins with a Prodigy verse which goes quite well with the stripped production. Method Man\u2019s featured as well, and Johnny Blaze continues to find ways to compose verses sans profanity and still come off dope. The final two tracks are exclusives: \u201cNot to Be Defined\u201d contains both a hook and verse from Detroit-based emcee Lazarus while \u201cI\u2019m Good\u201d is a solo Rakim track. \u201cThe Re-Up\u201d may be a spiced-up variation of a preview album. But if it\u2019s any indication of what to expect from Rakim Allah in the future, then I hope Big Ghost LTD. is once more behind the boards for its entirety.<\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/p>\n

3.)
\"\"Artists: Apollo Brown x Ty Farris
Album Title: Run Toward The Monster
Label: Escapism Recordings
Release Date: November 14th, 2025
Producer: Apollo Brown<\/p>\n

For more than a decade, I\u2019ve gotten used to seeing Mello Music Group behind an Apollo Brown release. From his instrumental albums to his collaborative and compilation albums, MMG\u2019s rubber stamp was ever present. Earlier this year, though, Mr. Brown parted ways with MMG and ventured out on by his lonesome, launching his Escapism Recordings as his own record label. Moving towards being more independent and having more control over one\u2019s releases can be a scary step. Which makes it fitting that his joint album with fellow Detroit hip-hop artist Ty Farris is titled \u201cRun Toward The Monster\u201d. Corresponding with the title, Ty Farris raps with great confidence and assurance in his abilities as an emcee and lyricist. As with most of Mr. Brown\u2019s collaborative albums, \u201cRun Toward The Monster\u201d begins with a vocal sample from a movie or a live speech that drives the theme of the album home. Here, it\u2019s a man encouraging a crowd to face their fears. The album cover appears to be an out-of-focus image of a lit, but shady figure standing underneath a street sign. Ty Farris has appeared on several Apollo Brown releases prior, the most recent before now was 2019\u2019s \u201cSincerely, Detroit\u201d<\/a>. But for a full-length album? Given Mr. Farris\u2019 pen game and Mr. Brown\u2019s sample-flip game, I hope another one is in-store because this album truly delivers.<\/p>\n

Full disclosure, the decision to include this album in my annual top 10 write-up presented itself with some difficulty for me. Between it and the one Apollo released this past summer with Bronze Nazareth (\u201cFuneral for a Dream\u201d), both reached similar heights. But one track from Mr. Farris won me over. Creativity and wit in hip-hop are right up my alley, and Ty Farris channeled his inner GZA to make use of extended metaphors on \u201cCtrl Alt Delete\u201d. Apollo provides a looped psychedelic groove with deep bass in the snares and kickdrums, and Ty uses computer terminology wordplay (56K modems, harddrives, copy & paste, firewalls, formats, etc.) to mirror the ruthless, survival-of-the-fittest dynamics of street life. Both Ty\u2019s flow and cadence are reminiscent of Brooklyn rapper Skyzoo, but the former has a tighter focus. Speaking of which, on the flute sample-driven \u201cNo Celebrations\u201d, he makes it clear that despite success, he has no time to revel in it. For guests, Ty enlists only two rappers: Mickey Diamond on \u201cAuthenticity\u201d and Top Hooter on \u201cFlawless Victory\u201d. While \u201cAuthenticity\u201d is more braggadocious, \u201cFlawless Victory\u201d has a low-key moody production with several gems \u201cThe humble warrior that\u2019s brave never gets the praise \/ He lives with pain and only gets flowers when he\u2019s in his grave.\u201d<\/p>\n

It\u2019s clear that Ty Farris specializes in concept tracks. He\u2019s got the vocabulary to formulate polysyllabic rhymes and the right amount of literate thought to support that specialty. On \u201cTraffic\u201d, he manipulates movement synonyms to weave intricate rhymes about street deals and his long-term goals. Ty\u2019s also no stranger to opening up his psyche\u2019s emotional mosaic. As he puts it on \u201cBeautiful Struggle\u201d, he \u201clets open a few scabs and let the blood drip in the pen\u201d: He raps about being born in the Reagan era to drug-addicted parents only to grow up to idolize drug dealers, ironically. Nonetheless, he escaped that trap and followed his own journey. On \u201cSacred\u201d, he raps drug bars that may give some of the more prominent coke rhymers (*ahem* Clipse, Griselda) a run for their money: \u201cEvery album is like tasting wine \/ that\u2019s forty years old with soul, I stay refined \/ A credit card with a eighth of cocaine \u2013 I create the lines\u201d. Some tracks of have themes going back-to-back. The murky \u201cCold Is The Gun\u201d is a loose first-person narrative about the life and choices that come with street dealings. For the hook, Apollo makes use of a female vocal sample emphasizing survival when the night is young. On the string heavy and drumless \u201cStreet Patriots\u201d, Ty speaks to street soldiers as a street soldier, about being brave and dangerous: Two requirements needed to \u201cRun Toward the Monster\u201d.<\/p>\n

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2.)
\"\"Artists: De La Soul
Album Title: Cabin in The Sky
Label: Mass Appeal Records
Release Date: November 21st, 2025
Producers: DJ Premier, Supa Dave West, De La Soul,
Pete Rock, Nottz, Jake One, et. al.<\/p>\n

It\u2019s appropriate that this album begins with a skit. Led by actor Giancarlo Esposito, \u201cCabin In The Sky\u201d starts with a roll call of all of the album\u2019s contributors (producers, guest artists, and the main artists). But when Mr. Esposito reached De La Soul themselves, one of them was absent. David Jude Jolicoeur (aka Trugoy the Dove, Plug Two, or simply Dave) died on Super Bowl Sunday in 2023. Dave was a major part of what made De La Soul an innovative alternative in hip-hop: They\u2019re everyday men bursting with creativity. So why did I begin with \u201cIt\u2019s appropriate that this album begins with a skit\u201d? Because De La Soul were behind the concept of skit tracks, they invented the skit. Posdnuos stated on their 2004 single \u201cRock Co.Kane Flow\u201d that they were the \u201cFirst to do a lot of things in the game, but the last to say it\u201d. He\u2019s right, as the advent of De La Soul made it cool in hip-hop to think outside the box. Which brings us to their ninth album since 2016\u2019s \u201c\u2026and the Anonymous Nobody\u201d<\/a>. This also marks their first album without Dave. The album\u2019s intro marks the void of his presence, and is now Maseo and Pos, with the latter taking over most of the rapping duties.<\/p>\n

Though their former producer Prince Paul was rumored to be working with De La again, that didn\u2019t come to fruition. Like Mobb Deep\u2019s 2025 album, \u201cCabin In The Sky\u201d is semi posthumous, featuring numerous previously unused and unreleased recordings from the late Dave. Album\u2019s first official song, \u201cYuhdontstop\u201d not only has Dave\u2019s words, but also his production. Even so, especially for die-hard De La Soul fans, Dave\u2019s loss is felt. Production has always been a staple for De La Soul and their eclectic sampling from their debut was an entry point for many hip-hop fans. For \u201cCabin In The Sky\u201d, the featured producers bring their A-Game. DJ Premier, who produced three tracks and has a trademark sound, begins with that on \u201cSunny Storms\u201d, but flips it halfway through to a beat that had me thinking, \u201cDope! And this is still Premo?\u201d Dave\u2019s verse begins the Supa Dave West-helmed \u201cGood Health\u201d containing the bars \u201cThe biz keeps old niggas fit lik\u0435 Jacqueline \/ Buffoons in my era cannot jack th\u0435 lane\u201d. Maseo lends his vocals to the playful \u201cWill Be\u201d which leads into the jump-off lead single \u201cThe Package\u201d. This is a feel-good track with Pete Rock providing a jubilant beat with verses Pos and Dave. It\u2019s a reminder for fans of just how much a new De La Soul album was like a fresh air in hip-hop.<\/p>\n

Jake One, who blessed De La twenty-one years ago with the aforementioned \u201cRock Co.Kane Flow\u201d, returns here with \u201cPatty Cake\u201d. The beat, co-produced by Sam Wish, is psychedelic, head-nodding hip-hop with Dave and Pos flipping the title\u2019s nursery rhyme between two verses. Nottz produces the soulful mother ode \u201cA Quick 16 For Mama\u201d and features a killer verse from Killer Mike himself. \u201cJust How It Is (Sometimes)\u201d is a storytelling track featuring professional imitator Jay Pharoah. Within, Pos spins a yarn about a woman with a cheating beau and a hilarious ending. Dave and Pos share production on the Bananarama-sampling \u201cCruel Summer Bring Fire Life!\u201d and then show off their sampling palette by melding a Roy Ayers sample in there too. DJ Premier\u2019s production reappears on \u201cEN EFF\u201d, providing a jazzy backdrop for Pos and guest emcee Black Thought to spit at least thirty-two bars each, and neither emcee wastes a line. The group also enlists Slick Rick and Common on \u201cYours\u201d, produced by Pete Rock with a heavy \u201cHey Young World\u201d influence. The album began with Dave\u2019s absence, but he\u2019s found in the Cabin alone on the album closer \u201cDon\u2019t Push Me\u201d, with his production and off-kilter humor sprinkled into the song \u201cCabin In The Sky\u201d is the penultimate album in Mass Appeal\u2019s \u201cLegend Has It\u2026\u201d promotion and is somewhere in my top three of those releases. Mr. Esposito speaks for all fans with the album\u2019s coda: \u201cThank you, Dave.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/p>\n

1.)
\"\"Artists: The Clipse
Album Title: Let God Sort Em Out<\/a>
Label: n\/a
Release Date: July 11th, 2025
Producer: Pharrell Williams<\/p>\n

It\u2019s been 16 years since \u201cTil the Casket Drops\u201d was released, the third and then-considered final album by the Clipse. The Virginia Beach duo then went their separate ways. Malice (born Gene Thornton) had a \u201croad-to-Damascus\u201d moment, experiencing an awakening which led to both a conversion to Christianity and his rechristening as \u201cNo Malice\u201d. But Pusha T? He didn\u2019t follow in his big brother\u2019s footsteps. True to his rap nom-de-guerre, Terrence Thornton pushed forward, parlaying the sharp wordplay-laden coke rhymes that made the Clipse rap darlings into a successful solo career. The brothers later reunited in 2019 with a confirmed album in the making. Major label woes, deaths in the family, and circumstances beyond their control brought the brothers back together in full force. Despite his religious transformation, the elder brother of the Clipse has embraced his dichotomy and once more reverted to \u201cMalice\u201d. With \u201cLet God Sort Em Out\u201d, Pusha T and Malice have left no stone unturned. Their fourth outing is indicative of three things: They haven\u2019t lost their chemistry. They\u2019ve released their best album since 2006\u2019s \u201cHell Hath No Fury\u201d. They released the strongest hip-hop album of 2025, period.<\/p>\n

Though usually backed by the soundscapes provided by the Neptunes, Pharrell Williams is all that remains of the once touted production duo. Nonetheless, Mr. Williams handles the production duties expertly, crafting the right sonic canvasses that are palatable for both the Clipse\u2019s introspective lyrics and unabashed drug baron raps. The lead single \u201cAce Trumpets\u201d begins with a vocal sample deeming it \u201cculturally inappropriate\u201d before the Gamelan-influenced beat drops. For the raps, the Clipse weave lyrics densely-packed with brand fashion and pop culture references as metaphors for the spoils yielded by their illicit dealings. The opening track has the duo at their most vulnerable. \u201cThe Birds Don\u2019t Sing\u201d features John Legend\u2019s soulful vocals and piano keys as Malice and Pusha exorcise their demons concerning their parents\u2019 deaths. In Malice\u2019s verse, he raps his pain and then juxtaposes it with his father\u2019s: \u201cSee, mine made sure he had every base covered \/ So imagine his pain findin\u2019 base in the cupboard.\u201d What also adds to the strength of \u201cLet God Sort Em Out\u201d is that it has no major or independent label backing. It\u2019s entirely self-released, giving the Clipse carte blanche to put out what they please and how they please.<\/p>\n

Other album highlights include one of its earliest spawns: \u201cChains & Whips\u201d was released in 2023 and the production is reminiscent of Jay-Z and Kanye West\u2019s 2011 track \u201cNo Church in the Wild\u201d. In something of a play from that idea, Kendrick Lamar\u2019s guest verse includes the line \u201cLet\u2019s be clear, hip-hop died again \/ Half of my profits may go to Rakim.\u201d The opening on \u201cM.T.B.T.T.F\u201d is a standout as it begins with a hard a capella verse from King Push for more than 20 seconds before the beat drops, and that anticipation just makes the production have a greater impact. The track\u2019s title is an acronym for \u201cMike Tyson Blow To The Face\u201d which goes to show that the Clipse are never in shortage in all the ways they can talk about that white powder. The myriad of metaphors that they serve up reminds me of a line (no pun intended) from the 2001 film Blow: \u201cCocaine buffet\u201d. Other guest rappers include Stove God Cooks helming the hook on \u201cF.I.C.O.\u201d and Nas on the penultimate track \u201cLet God Sort Em Out\/Chandeliers\u201d, marking the first collaboration between the Clipse and the poet laureate of Queens who\u2019s had quite a year for himself with guest features on many high-profile releases. Though Mass Appeal had hip-hop in a tidal wave for 2025 by marketing a bevy of albums from seminal artists, the Clipse\u2019s \u201cLet God Sort \u2018Em Out\u201d didn\u2019t let itself get drowned and stood its ground against the rising of the tide.<\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"First off, Happy Holidays\/Happy New Year. In my last annual review, I mused that hard times and social…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":208561,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[28],"tags":[156,157,111,139,69],"class_list":{"0":"post-208560","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-music","8":"tag-entertainment","9":"tag-music","10":"tag-new-zealand","11":"tag-newzealand","12":"tag-nz"},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/208560","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=208560"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/208560\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/208561"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=208560"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=208560"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=208560"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}