The Best 20 Rap Albums of 2025: Staff Picks

Tyler, The Creator, Don’t Tap the Glass

Central Cee, Can’t Rush Greatness

Riding the buzz of his catchy single “Doja,” teaming up with Dave for “Sprinter” and earning a Drake co-sign, Central Cee set himself up for mainstream crossover success in the U.S., which many of his U.K. rap predecessors have failed to accomplish. Can’t Rush Greatness, Cench’s major label debut, is full of charismatic boss raps offset by vulnerability about his agonizing love life and the losses he’s suffered along the way. In the album’s best moments, CC proves to be a worthy collaborator, teaming up with rap fixtures like Lil Baby, Lil Durk and 21 Savage, and never seems out of place. While the album wasn’t the massive commercial smash he may have been hoping for, Cench made history with the first U.K. rap album to infiltrate the Billboard 200’s top 10. — MICHEAL SAPONARA

OnlyHeaven, KISS (Keep It Short & Sweet)

If you want romance, listen to this impressive pack of five songs from N.O. heartthrob OnlyHeaven as she waxes poetic over New Orleans bounce about the trials and tribulations we go through when in relationships. Her unique sound has earned her features on an unreleased Drake track and Cash Cobain’s “Sick n Tired.” Stop sleeping because OnlyHeaven is a star in the making. Once you hit play on “No Friends,” you’ll immediately understand the hype and will be wondering when that full-length project is coming. — ANGEL DIAZ

Westside Gunn, 12

The Buffalo rapper and Griselda boss is probably the hardest working man in show business. He has a sneaker collab with Saucony, his own wrestling company in Fourth Rope, and dropped a handful of EPs and mixtapes like his Heels Have Eyes series. However, he set the year off by dropping 12 in February, and it’s held been in regular rotation ever since. “Boswell,” “Adam Page,” “Veert,” “055” and “Outlander” are the standouts as Westside showcased Estee Nack, Stove God Cooks and up-and-comer Brother Tom Sos by giving them runway to go crazy on most of the project. — A.D.

Dave, The Boy Who Played the Harp

These tumultuous times have spurred many to reevaluate their faith, but few did so with as much honesty, nuance and fearlessness as Dave did on his third studio album, The Boy Who Played the Harp. In casting himself as a present-day version of the Biblical David, the MC, who co-produced the entire album, finds avenues to address infidelity, hypocrisy, shame, guilt and selfishness — the strikingly human intangibles that make religious discussions so thorny. From the Tems-assisted Afrobeats sheen of “Raindance” to the astounding songwriting display of “My 27th Birthday,” Dave went three for three with his latest L.P. — KYLE DENIS 

Rome Streets & Conductor Williams, Trainspotting

Samara Cyn, Backroads

G Herbo, Lil Herb

From January through December, there were very few, if any, rappers who were more consistent than G Herbo in 2025. Five months after ripping through his Greatest Rapper Alive mixtape, Herbo took it back to his roots for the fully-formed Lil Herb. While many of the Chicago drill pioneers are no longer running the race with him for a myriad of reasons, he’s still leveling up. Herbo’s storytelling is as vivid as ever, but he’s gained a newfound perspective while carrying the trauma and burdensome survivor’s guilt of fallen soldiers. At 30 years old, it’s as if Herbo has lived life three times over, and his agonizing street tales have evolved to realizing that the trenches are a zero-sum game. “F—k gang s—t, got a brain gotta use it,” he implores on “1 Chance.” — M.S.

Little Simz, Lotus

Roses may grow from concrete, but Little Simz’s Lotus grew from the singular, gut-wrenching financial betrayal of a childhood friend turned longtime collaborator. Marked by a notable gruffer and grungier tone, Simz’s most recent LP exploring the wide-eyed wonder and ugly growing pains of navigating life’s most trying transitions. She does some broad-view introspection across the Miles Clinton James-produced “Flood,” but not before going full scorched-Earth on the bluesy, raucous, aptly titled opener “Thief.” Six albums in and Simz is still peeling back new layers of her sound and artistry — and we’re all the better for it. — K.D. 

Ovrkast, While the Iron Is Hot

OvrKast changed the forecast of his career when he came out swinging with While the Iron Is Hot. The Oakland polymath dazzles not only with soul-tinged beats, but as a crafty wordsmith, going toe-to-toe with Samara Cyn (“Small Talk”) and Vince Staples (“Strange Ways”) with a boxer’s punch. Though his production credits boast names like Drake and Earl Sweatshirt, his rapping prowess has him climbing the MC ranks just as rapidly. — CARL LAMARRE

Metro Boomin, Metro Boomin Presents: A Futuristic Summa

Freddie Gibbs & The Alchemist, Alfredo 2 

Five years after rocking the hip-hop world with their Grammy-nominated Alfredo collab tape, Freddie Gibbs and The Alchemist reunited for the sequel. Much like the album’s ramen bowl artwork juxtaposes nicely against its title, Gibbs tempers the duo’s traditionalist tendencies (Alc’s production is still as crisp as ever) with an increased lyrical preoccupation with mortality. When he spits, “I’m an East Gary n—a, food stamps and public housing/ I should go get me a flute and just disappear in the mountains, ya b—h,” at the end of “A Thousand Mountains,” Gibbs isn’t just nodding to André 3000, he’s also giving real though to life beyond chasing the rap crown and securing your spot in the game. That future-gazing energy helps Alfredo 2 differentiate itself from its predecessor and land as a distinct new chapter for both artists. — K.D. 

Conway the Machine, You Can’t Kill God With Bullets

Conway the Machine threw his name in the ring for a late rap album of the year contender with the menacing You Can’t Kill God With Bullets, a title that plays as a metaphor for his own life, as the Griselda rhymer beat the odds to cheat death. A super-charged producer crew made up of Conductor Williams, The Alchemist, Timbaland and J.U.S.T.I.C.E. League lends a cinematic canvas for Conway to paint his lyrical masterpiece. For Machine, it’s a return to form and he’s ready for a championship parade. “This the music equivalent to winning the Super Bowl,” Conway boasts on track No. 2. — M.S.

Navy Blue, The Sword & Soaring

Playboi Carti, MUSIC

Playboi Carti’s ravenous fan base was chomping at the bit for King Vamp’s next LP as the fourth anniversary of the cult classic Whole Lotta Red passed and the calendar turned to 2025. MUSIC finally arrived in March and Carti’s untamed sonic experimentation and rap deconstruction were spilled across 30 tracks, all of which invaded the Billboard Hot 100, while the album topped the Billboard 200. The Atlanta native’s once-niche abyssal rage engulfed music’s mainstream with help from A-listers ranging from The Weeknd to Kendrick Lamar, only further provoking rap’s mystifying star to push the envelope for hip-hop to travel into uncharted territory. 

Cardi B, Am I the Drama?

Cardi B proved she was the ultimate dramasetter when she released her sophomore album, Am I The Drama?, last September. The seven-year gap after her seminal effort, Invasion of Privacy, had the rap world questioning if the Bronx bombshell was equipped for lyrical warfare. Not only did Cardi earn her second No. 1 album with 200,000 album-equivalent units opening week, but she reclaimed her narrative with brazen bars and bully-level charisma. She embraces her newfound singleness on “Outside,” while unleashing venom at her detractors on “Dead” and the Bia-targeted “Pretty & Petty.” Am I The Drama? isn’t what Invasion was — it’s an unapologetic and unburdened Cardi firmly asserting herself back to the summit of female rap.  — C.L.

Wale, Everything Is A Lot 

For years, Wale has fought for his respect. His agile lyricism and poignant storytelling abilities were never enough to push him inside the coveted “Big 3” conversations. This time, he enters the chat with a different motivation: baring his soul. His eighth studio album, Everything Is A Lot, is fueled by spirit-stirring samples and unnerving candor. Whether he’s grappling with alcohol addiction on “Blanco” or processing grief on “Survive,” Wale’s latest attempt is his most gripping release to date, as he shifts the narrative from validation to reflection. — C.L.

Larry June, 2 Chainz, & Alchemist, Life Is Beautiful

On Life Is Beautiful, Larry June and 2 Chainz link up across coasts and generations, forming an unexpectedly seamless partnership anchored by The Alchemist’s luxurious production. For 2 Chainz, the project marks his first full-length release since departing Def Jam after more than two decades and the freedom is audible. What began as a modest five-song idea ultimately expanded into an 11-track statement, a deliberate decision to give listeners more without sacrificing quality. — C.C.

Jim Legxacy, Black British Music (2025)

British rapper and producer Jim Legxacy delivered one of the year’s most disorienting, riveting and downright erratic albums in Black British Music (2025). Across an ever-evolving landscape, the 25-year-old synthesizes elements of U.K. drill, Afropop, grime, rock and garage into a sweeping snapshot of, well, contemporary Black British music. From his ballsy reconfiguration of a ‘90s Canadian dancehall track on “D.B.A.B.” to the insular, home-minded lyricism of “I Just Banged a Snus in Canada Water,” Legxacy stitches together a musical collage that thrives in the chaos. If a sneak-attack drop blows the mix up, so be it — it’s those moments that make Black British Music so arresting. Above his obvious behind-the-boards talent and charismatic on-the-mic performance, Legxacy’s most impressive trick is how unpredictable his inclinations are. No album from 2025 keeps you on your toes quite like Black British Music. — K.D.

Clipse, Let God Sort ’Em Out

Grief and brotherhood are the pillars behind The Thornton Brothers’ 15-year reunion. While their patented cocaine-coded bars remain the main attraction for day-one rap junkies, Pusha and Malice confront their demons in ways only family can. With longtime ally Pharrell Williams providing the soundscapes, Clipse explore the loss of their parents on “The Birds Don’t Sing,” while flexing their stout chemistry on “Ace Trumpets” and “So Be It.” Even when rap heavyweights Tyler, The Creator (“P.O.V.”) and Kendrick Lamar (“Chains & Whips”) make pit stops on the album, Clipse doesn’t flinch — the brothers go for the kill. — C.L.