Mastodawn

Top 25 Albums of 2025

2025 honestly was one of the hardest years of my life ever. However, musically I think this is the best year of the 2020s so far. There were a lot of incredible releases. There were also some disappointments and ass releases, but I didn’t hear as many of those as I usually do I think. Be sure to check out the EP list that I published a couple days ago if you haven’t yet. Before I get into the full LP list I just wanna mention a few releases that didn’t make it.

Jay Electronica’s Leaflets project should’ve been here, but the release of that album was kind of a disaster. I guess that’s to be expected of Jay Elec at this point though. There were only five songs that featured rapping on it to begin with, and now two of them are completely unavailable on DSPs. It was already the length of an EP in the first place, but now it’s even shorter. The two songs that got removed were really fucking good too, so that’s very disappointing. A more fitting word to describe the situation than “disappointing” would be “embarrassing” though. Jay Electronica is one of my favorite rappers of all time, but he’s getting harder and harder to defend each year. I want for him to get his shit together and release a proper full-length solo album with minimal features. I personally don’t mind the voice clips and movie samples since that’s always been a key component to his artistry, but maybe tone it down just a little bit. I think he went a little overboard with it on the three projects he released this year.

Benjamin Booker’s Lower album is my favorite non-rap album of 2025. It was one of the first projects I listened to and wrote about after I was discharged from the hospital this year. Shoutout to my homie Noah for putting me onto that one. The only other project I wanna mention before we get into the official list is brainorchestra.’s Jet Force Orchestra album, which is my favorite instrumental LP of the year. It’s actually one of my favorite projects I’ve ever heard from brain, and I kinda wish I had written about it when it dropped. Hopefully the wax doesn’t sell out before I get a chance to cop it. Anyway, let’s go ahead and get into the official list. As always, it should go without saying that these are definitely not the only albums that are worth your time from 2025. There are plenty of really dope projects that didn’t make it onto this list, so be sure to check out other people’s year-end content, such as FREEMUSICEMPIRE, Cinemasai, Eric the Young Gawd, Dead End Hip Hop, The Rap Music Plug Podcast, etc. There’s a ton of stuff out there for everyone.

25. GOLLIWOG by billy woods

This is probably the most popular album on this list. Other entries come close, but it seems like this is the album that got the most attention. I wouldn’t be surprised if I got hate comments for putting it so low on this list. I do love this album though. It’s not my favorite woods album, but it has several of the best songs he’s ever made. Tracks like Waterproof Mascara & Maquiladoras are absolutely stunning to me. Pretty much every verse from woods has at least one god-tier quotable too. The main reason this isn’t higher on my list is that there are a couple features from artists I’m not into at all. There are also some really awesome guests here too though. Despot has one of the best features of the year on Corinthians. The production is elite too. This is an incredibly dark, oftentimes haunting record, which I really dig. I mean, I guess that was to be expected just based on the title and cover art. My favorite song is the closer, but I think I listen to Maquiladoras the most. That beat is incredible. That’s like a top 5 instrumental of 2025 for me. I love it. The album’s dope as hell.

24. Contacting by Sunmundi & Sasco

🔗 Read my review

Sunmundi is one of my favorite artists of the 2020s, and Sasco is a really amazing producer as well. His album, The Hottest Year on Record, was one of my favorite albums of 2024; my favorite track was the closing song, Cave Painting, which featured a GLORIOUS verse from Sunmundi along with Big Flowers & Nakama. When Sasco told me he was working on this full album with Sunmundi I was pretty ecstatic. Thankfully, it ended up being just as fantastic as I had imagined. Some of the instrumentals here are just straight up astonishing. I hear a beat like Bright Moments and wonder how the hell he made something like that. Sunmundi absolutely tears everything down as well. I’ve never heard a verse from him that I wasn’t super impressed by. He’s easily one of the best rappers under 30 in my opinion. Every feature here is crazy too. Defcee spits one of the best guest verses of the year on Dawn of Time. I also really loved my homie Hester Valentine’s performance on Spirit Ballistics. This album features some of the most impressive, dynamic production you will hear from 2025. Definitely check this one out if you haven’t yet. If you dig it, be sure to go back and check out The Hottest Year on Record & Lived and Born.

23. Nemesis by Araless

Ruben a.k.a. Check the Rhyme recently asked Twitter what the most underrated album of 2025 was, and this album was my answer. I first listened to Araless earlier this year when he dropped the self titled Toxic Crusaders album with Hash Adams. That project released on We Are the Karma Kids, so that’s how it landed on my radar. That was a pretty lighthearted, fun project, so I was a little caught off guard by the vibe on this solo release. This is another very serious, dark album focusing on the subject of a genetic illness that has plagued Araless’ family, taking the life of both his mother and sister. The nemesis in question is Huntington’s disease, which is an ailment with which I was previously unfamiliar. After doing some light research, I was kind of dismayed by how brutal it is. As you can imagine, the lyrical content of this project is super heavy and personal. Araless’ writing really tugs at my heartstrings. One thing I didn’t know from the Toxic Crusaders album is that he’s also a very competent singer in addition to being a skilled MC. He also fully self-produced, mixed, and mastered this record. The dude’s hella talented. Since this is such an expansive & ambitious record, I wouldn’t be surprised if it takes a year or two for him to put out another project. I hope in the meantime we can get a physical release of this project because as far as I can tell it’s strictly digital at the moment. Like I said, this is arguably the most slept on album of the year, so check it out. You might love it as much as I did.

22. Seeker of Knowledge by Chow

🔗 Read my review

This is another super slept on album. It’s one of the few projects I wrote a full track-by-track review for in 2025, and it’s one I go back to quite a bit. Chow’s another one of my favorite artists that I’ve started listening to in the past couple years, and this is his best work so far in my opinion. The production from himself, shemar, and dj nOOnsomewhere is excellent. As far as lo-fi Hip Hop goes, it doesn’t get much better than this. I feel like I wrote that exact same sentence in my review. I think this album would sound perfect on cassette. As of now it’s only available digitally and on CD. I plan on copping the CD + T-shirt bundle as soon as I get my bread up. Anyway, Chow has a pretty awesome production style, and the way he raps over his own beats always sounds cool as hell. The lo-fi sound can make it difficult to understand what’s being said at times, but I don’t even really mind that much because it sounds intentional. I think it works to the album’s benefit if anything. Again, this is another one of the most slept on projects of the year in my opinion. Check it out.

21. Psychological Cheat Sheet 6 by Vic Spencer & August Fanon

I believe it was a couple years ago that I saw Vic Spencer tweet an explanation of the concept behind his PCS series with August Fanon. It was kind of a while ago, so my memory’s a bit fuzzy, but I’m pretty sure he said that he spent 14 days in a group home years ago. This series is based on that experience, and he plans on releasing an album for every day he was there. I wasn’t sure that he’d follow through with doing an album for every single day, but we’re almost halfway through already, so I’d say it’s pretty likely that he completes the task. We’ve been getting an entry per year since it started, so I guess 8 years from now it’ll be concluded. I’m looking forward to buying the full vinyl boxset when that day comes despite already having the fifth one on wax. I already know that shit’s gonna be expensive as fuck, but it’ll be so cool to own. I really fuck with Vic Spencer, man. The story he’s been telling with this series has been fascinating to me. I think it resonates with me in particular because I’ve been institutionalized for mental illness five times in the past 8 years, so it’s cool to hear such a dope rapper cover that kinda subject matter. These are Vic’s best albums too. This is my favorite thing that he does. It’s a treat every year when he drops these, and this latest one is one of the best so far. August Fanon is my favorite producer, and tracks like The Group Home Anthem or Store Pass are great examples of why. This album just dropped less than a full week ago, so I could see it growing on me even more in the future. It’s dope as hell.

20. Jestures by Atmosphere

This was one of the most pleasant surprises of the year for me. I actually think this is one of the best Atmosphere albums ever. This is the most I’ve enjoyed a project from them in about 20 years. Slug sounds hungrier than he’s been in a long time on this record. Ant also had a really awesome year musically. Between this project, Brother Ali’s Satisfied Soul, and his placement on GOLLIWOG, he went pretty hard in 2025. This year he put out the best beats I’ve heard from him since 2018’s Bad Actress by deM atlaS. As a hardcore Atmosphere fan, I had a big ass smile on my face as I listened to this project. This shit made me so happy. Hopefully this is the beginning of a late-career resurgence/revitalization. If they manage to follow this up with another project that’s similar in quality, I will be elated. If you’re a Rhymesayers junkie and you haven’t peeped this yet, you’re seriously missing out. I love this shit.

19. Hostile Engineering by Lt. Headtrip & Steel Tipped Dove

This was a really exciting collaboration for me. Steel Tipped Dove’s production on this record isn’t as abrasive and harsh as something like Tap on the Glass or even EMBLEMS, but it’s still as off-kilter and experimental. As always, Lt. Headtrip’s lyricism had me hooked. The opening line is “I felt the urge to pray today” and I knew I would love this as soon as I heard him say that. There’s a lot of quotable writing; Headtrip is one of those MCs who has my full attention with every word he says. There’s never any filler bars. His flow is super intricate and unique, and Dove’s dynamic production matches it perfectly. There are a lot of albums on this list that I wish I wrote about, and this is definitely one of them. I love how there are zero features on this project. Headtrip takes center stage and completely nails it with every verse. My favorite song at first was Eatin’ Every Breadcrumb, but it changes damn near every time I play the album. The beat on Fun Don’t Stop is crazy. I actually think this is one of the most accessible full-length LPs Lt. Headtrip has made in a long time. It’s super dope. Give it a listen if you haven’t yet. I’m planning on copping the record soon.

18. Run Toward the Monster by Ty Farris & Apollo Brown

Ty Farris is one of those MCs who I’m always super excited to check out no matter who he’s working with. I think he’s absolutely one of the best rappers alive. Him & Apollo Brown are a pair that I knew would be fire before I even listened. It just seems like a no-brainer. They’re two of the best Detroit artists in their respective fields. Earlier in the year, Ty Farris had one of my favorite features on a WateRR song called Days of Youth. Man was rapping about spreading the ashes of his deceased mother in a river. My jaw dropped when I heard that shit, and it made me even more excited to peep this album. This is my favorite Apollo Brown album I’ve ever heard. Ty Farris just works perfectly over these beats. My favorite song is the incredibly personal Beautiful Struggle. I feel like he was able to channel the serious tone of the aforementioned WateRR song. I’m kinda bummed that I got to this album late because all the vinyl is sold out already. I’d love to have a physical copy, so hopefully there’s a repress at some point.

17. BLOCK HEAVY GANGSTA EDITION by Bloodblixing

🔗 Read my review

This is Bloodblixing’s best album. It has the best set of features, production, and verses from Blix himself. Shit, even just the cover is the best artwork Bloodblixing has used. It’s my favorite cover art of 2025, so shoutout to Chop the Head for that. I also think this album is miraculously the best mixed project I’ve heard from him. Blix is kinda infamous for having super rough mixing in all his music, but that wasn’t an issue for me with this one. I didn’t even think about it. There are some truly incredible instrumentals on this project such as SCHADENFREUDE or TRICK BOX, and none of the features feel like they were phoning it in. A few of the best features of the year appear on this project, such as Teller Bank$ or Deleteeglitch. This is Bloodblixing’s magnum opus as of now, and I am very curious to see how he tries to surpass it in the future. It’s dope as hell. Check it out if you haven’t yet.

16. Grateful Dread by AJ Suede

This is another one of the most slept on albums on this list in my opinion. For whatever reason I didn’t see much discussion around this project, which I find quite strange because I think it’s one of the best releases I’ve ever heard from AJ Suede. There’s a different producer on each track, so we get a very diverse soundscape as a result. Suede killed every single beat here too. As I said in the EP list, I feel like Suede was rapping better than ever this year from a technical standpoint. There’s a crazy posse cut with Teller Bank$ & Sleep Sinatra here. At this point, one of my rap fantasies is them forming a supergroup because every time they got on a track together the result is sizzling hot fire. Suede dropped three albums this year if I’m not mistaken, and all of them were pretty tight, but this is easily my favorite. I love these beats, and Suede’s flow sounds so good. I can’t wait to see what he does in 2026 ’cause he killed it this year. This album’s dope as fuck.

15. Sortilège by Gabe ‘Nandez & Preservation

This is another one of the more popular albums on this list. This album was very critically acclaimed, and for good reason. Preservation’s one of my favorite producers ever, and Gabe ‘Nandez is a pretty amazing MC. This is the best album he’s ever made. I started listening to him after he was featured on Aethiopes, and it was always clear to me that he was super talented. However, this album in particular is the best selection of instrumentals he’s ever rapped over. It’s definitely his most well-rounded and cohesive record. I’ve come to realize that rappers with kind of monotone voices tend to be my favorites, so Gabe is right up my alley. I’m gonna order the cassette when I can because I need to have this in my collection. There are some crazy flows and amazing beats here. If you haven’t heard this album yet, you’re seriously fuckin’ up.

14. POCKET JAMS 2 DELUXE by Ilajide

I recently posted a tweet in which I mentioned Ilajide as one of the most underrated MCs I can think of. Every time I hear his music I wonder how he’s not internationally famous. This album—particularly the deluxe version—is the best solo project he’s ever put out. Nobody makes funk rap better than this dude. This is definitely the most danceable album on the list. This is just a really fun, feel good album that will make you wanna move. He previewed some songs from it at the end of 2024, including my favorite track, COUNT YO DAYS. I’d been thinking about that song ever since I first heard it, so I was delighted when it finally came out on the deluxe version of this project in September. That beat is so incredible. Ilajide’s flows are super intricate and fast paced, and his production is excellent. This LP is pure fun. I don’t think it’s been released physically yet, but I’m definitely gonna buy it if it ever is. Ilajide is super slept on, but people seem to be waking up slowly but surely. He recently got a cosign from the legendary DJ Quik. I need that collab asap. Anyway, give this a listen if you like funky production and bouncy flows. It’s fire.

13. DRUG$$$ by Teller Bank$

Teller Bank$ is one of my favorite rappers of all time, and this is one of the best projects he’s ever put out. The production from q no rap name, Killer Kane, Philth Spector, and ayashi[!] is very melodic and moody. From what I understand, they all worked on these beats together in person, resulting in one of the best produced albums of the year. There is some incredible rapping on this project too. The vocal deliveries on songs like 2-CHAIN$ & Look Ma, I’m billy woods!! are really captivating. The lyrical content is hard as fuck, and Teller’s flow is stellar. All the songs are pretty straightforward structurally; we don’t really get a lot of memorable hooks or anything like that. This album is for people that wanna hear one of the best rappers alive rip fire verses over amazing beats. If you’ve ever enjoyed Teller in the past, this is a must-listen album. I mean, it’s a must-listen for everybody, but if you’re a fan and you haven’t heard it yet you’re seriously fuckin’ up.

12. Roc Marciano Presents: MULBERRY SILK ROAD by Errol Holden

https://soundcloud.com/errolholden/sets/roc-marciano-presents-1?si=674f38c7da454cb0b86633013615d987&utm_source=clipboard&utm_medium=text&utm_campaign=social_sharing

This album really came outta nowhere for me. I didn’t even know about it until I saw Sleep Sinatra say that he’d been listening to it a lot. I don’t know much about Errol Holden, but as you can see he earned a cosign from the legendary Roc Marciano. I had no expectations before listening to it, but I ended up being pretty blown away. The dude is an incredible MC. The flows here are stunning. The closest thing I can compare it to would be $ILKMONEY, but it’s not totally the same. I guess he also sounds kinda like Vega7 the Ronin. At first I thought this project was fully produced by Roc Marci, but he apparently only did the beat for dip dip diver. I’m not sure who did all the other beats. The instrumentals are really dope though. With that said, Errol Holden himself is the star of the show here. He’s rapping at an incredibly high level throughout this entire record. There are some really out of pocket lines. There’s one track where he raps about peeing on someone. Shit is crazy. The album’s amazing.

11. A River Dies of Thirst by Snotnoze Saleem

This is definitely the most experimental album on this list. Snotnoze Saleem has been on my radar since 2022. I first knew him as an associate of SHADI, and at a certain point it seemed like he was going for a similar style. The first few projects I heard from him had some really cool ideas, but they didn’t quite hit for me. However, I guess they were considered mixtapes, and they kinda felt like demos. I knew he was onto something when I heard him use the term “immaculate ejaculate.” This project here is his debut album, and he knocked it outta the park in my opinion. It’s fully self produced if I’m not mistaken, and the beats are insane. Saleem’s rapping here is pretty fucking crazy too. The flows are wild, and the lyrics can be quite beautiful at times. Track 3 is honestly one of the most wild songs I’ve ever heard. This is an incredibly adventurous record sonically. This is unlike anything else that dropped in 2025. I had a feeling I would really dig this album based on the title and cover art, but it exceeded any and all expectations. I think it’s amazing.

10. Pale Black Negative by Rhys Langston

Rhys Langston is another artist I’ve known of for a few years at this point, but none of his projects have connected with me the way this one did. This album is pretty incredible. It’s fully self produced, and the instrumentals here are beautiful. Rhys’ performance over them had me hooked too. There are even features from artists of whom I’ve struggled to enjoy in the past that ended up actually being dope as fuck on this album in particular. I feel like this is a real lighting-in-a-bottle release. It sounds very high budget and polished. Rhys Langston’s poetry and almost spoken-wordesque flow sound amazing over these lush instrumentals. I think the production on past releases has been what’s prevented me from getting into the music, but the sound of this album in particular is pretty beautiful. It meshes with Rhys’ rap style perfectly. This is another one of the most slept on albums of the year in my opinion. This shit should be on everyone’s list frankly. It’s a genuinely amazing record. I can’t wait ’til my vinyl arrives. Stop sleeping on it.

9. Mercy by Armand Hammer & The Alchemist

This is my favorite Armand Hammer album now. I’ve always been a Shrines truther, but this one is on another level. The Alchemist had a pretty crazy year between this and Alfredo 2. People keep talking about how he’s overrated or he fell off… Nah, man. No. He’s still absolutely one of the best producers alive. I guess people wanna discredit him due to his bizarre refusal to publicly condemn Israel. My thing is, why do we need Alchemist of all people to do that? It’s not gonna affect anything. I mean, it’d be nice to know he’s on the right side of history, but at the end of the day I don’t give a shit about Alchemist’s stance on something like that. Whether or not he says free Palestine isn’t gonna affect how I feel about what’s going on, but I digress. These beats are fucking incredible. I had to tweet about it when I heard the instrumental on Crisis Phone.

https://twitter.com/focusOGNICK/status/1993798405014081782?s=20

Of course woods & Elucid themselves slaughter every single verse here, and the features from guys like Quelle Chris & Earl Sweatshirt are glorious. This is another one of the more popular albums on this list, and I’d say it’s definitely worthy of the fame and praise. It’s dope as fuck.

8. Much Given, Much Tested by BlackLiq & Dub Sonata

🔗 Read my review

This was another one of the bigger surprises of the year for me. I’ve always liked BlackLiq’s music, but this project in particular really resonated with me in a different way. I adored Dub Sonata’s production in combination with BlackLiq’s super personal & introspective lyricism. There are some fire flows and features here too. This was one of the few albums that moved me enough to do a write-up, and I think it ended up being one of the best things I wrote this year. I’m really glad I was able to get a vinyl copy because it was nearly sold out by the time I finally heard it. I think there’s only one vinyl left for sale at the moment. I suggest you get yourself a copy because this shit is amazing. I’m looking forward to seeing what BlackLiq puts out next because this made me even more of a fan than I already was.

7. Time Outreaches Any Distance by ToadStool

Here’s another super slept on album that just dropped at the beginning of December. ToadStool is an MC from Rhode Island who I first discovered in 2023 when he was featured on blank thought’s My Life Flashed Before Me album alongside Wesley Rocco & Unsung. I kept up with his output from that point forward, and it became quite clear to me very early on that he’s an incredibly skilled MC. The dude’s flow is smooth as hell, and he rhymes effortlessly. I really enjoy his SWAMPCRAWLR album, but this latest release is the best thing I’ve ever heard from him. I feel like he really leveled up artistically for this project. It’s his most focused, well-rounded album thus far. The features from Defcee, Onry Ozzborn, and Rap Man Gavin are crazy too. As far as I know this album is only available digitally for now. Hopefully we get a physical release at some point because I’d love to add it to my collection.

6. Music to My Eyes by junclassic & Uncommon Nasa

This album was a really bittersweet listen. junclassic suddenly passed away out of nowhere a few days prior to the release of this project. It was really shocking to everyone because I don’t think anyone knew that was gonna happen. It sucks that he’s not here for me to tell him how amazing this album is. What’s crazy is that he almost foreshadows his own passing in the music at certain points. The voice memos that end certain tracks such as Move or Helpful Destiny just feel really heavy in light of his passing. It’s like he knew he wasn’t gonna be around much longer. The context of this album’s release kinda adds a new dimension to the music. Uncommon Nasa has become one of my favorite producers in the past few years. Every time he produces a full LP for someone it ends up being a super cohesive, well rounded project, and this one is no different. The features on this album are excellent as well. Short Fuze in particular might’ve spit the best verse of his career on Glitches. I love this record, and am looking forward to receiving my CD soon. junclassic was honestly one of the nicest people I’ve encountered through my journey as a content creator, so I was very saddened to hear when he passed away. Rest in peace.

5. VEGA GENESIS 3 by VEGA!

https://soundcloud.com/bewarevega/sets/vega-genesis-3?si=ff0cf26bccb048ffa992d1002dd2fb59&utm_source=clipboard&utm_medium=text&utm_campaign=social_sharing

🔗 Read my review

At this point in the list we’re getting into “best albums I’ve ever heard” territory. People who know me probably are surprised that this isn’t number one to be honest. It was easily my most played album of 2025 (738 minutes), and I personally would consider it my favorite Trap album of all time. I’m constantly playing it around my friends and quoting VEGA! bars. I’ve converted a few people I know in real life into believers. I’m definitely the biggest VEGA! fan on the planet though. I need the VEGA GENESIS trilogy on wax. That’d make me so happy. After this album, I’m finally ready to add him to my “favorite rappers of all time” list. I hope to hear more work from him in 2026. Maybe some collaborations with other dope artists in a similar lane. There’s nothing else on this list that sounds even remotely similar. If you like artists like Yeat, this is a must-listen album. The production? Fire. The melodies? Fire. The bars? Fire. The flows? FIRE. I love everything about this project, including the review I wrote for it. That’s probably my favorite thing I wrote in 2025. The album’s amazing. Check it out.

4. Neighborhood Gods Unlimited by Open Mike Eagle

🔗 Read my review

Open Mike Eagle is a top 5 rapper of all time for me, and this seriously might be my favorite album from him yet. It’s a tough call between this, Dark Comedy, 4NML HSPTL, and Rappers Will Die of Natural Causes. It gets even harder if you include Time & Materials by Cavanaugh. I listened to this latest album a ton this year though. I love how much singing OME did on this record. He’s not the type of vocalist that’s gonna blow you away with the notes he’s hittin’. His soft vocals just sound really pleasant, relaxing, and emotive to me. This is also one of the best produced albums I’ve heard in a long time. I think these are my favorite beats I’ve ever heard from Child Actor, which is saying a lot. We also get fire instrumentals from K-Nite 13, Kenny Segal & Mike Parvizi, Playa Haze, ialive, August Fanon, and Nolan the Ninja. There’s kind of a dreamy, surreal atmosphere to a lot of the sounds on this project, and same goes for some of the lyrical content as well. I played this in the car while running errands with my mom once, and she had quite a cheerful reaction to the song about his phone getting run over by a truck. That’s easily one of the best songs of 2025. I’m sure most of the people reading this list have heard this record already, but if you haven’t yet you’re seriously missing out. This album’s incredible.

3. The Wolf & the Walrus by Teller Bank$ & Ed Glorious

Teller Bank$ & Ed Glorious are like my favorite rapper/producer duo right now. They had my favorite album of 2024, so I was pretty psyched when I saw the announcement for this latest one. These guys are two of the best artists that do what they do. Ed Glorious is probably the most slept on producer I know of at the moment. If I was an MC I would be begging him for beats 24/7. Teller Bank$ is pretty much tied with Sleep Sinatra as my favorite rapper of the decade. When you have two artists who are this talented working together, it’s a no brainer that the result is some truly incredible art. The opening track on this project is a sequel to one of my favorite Teller Bank$ songs, Suicide Hotline 3, so that was pretty exciting for me. Lyrically, 3 is like “I WANT TO KILL MYSELF.” However, 4 sounds like he’s already in the process of killing himself. The despondent delivery just evokes a sense of pure misery. He sounds completely hopeless on that song. It’s crazy. My favorite track is The Wolf though. That might be the hardest song of the year. Nah, it definitely it is. That shit is crazy. He sounds fuckin’ bloodthirsty on that track. The production throughout this entire record is incredible too. Both of these dudes are some of the most slept on artists I know about. I feel like DRUG$$$ got more attention than this one, but maybe I’m wrong. Both the albums are amazing, but I prefer this one personally. It’s boiling hot fire.

2. TIMESOFPERIL by Sleep Sinatra

This is basically a perfect album. It’s my favorite thing I’ve ever heard from Sleep Sinatra. If this had come out any other year of this decade it’d be my album of the year, but 2025 was a particularly strong year for alternative rap. Up until this came out, my favorite record from Sleep was The Spirit of Baldwin Ave. In terms of subject matter alone, that’s probably still my favorite album from him. However, as a full album experience, this latest record is watertight. There’s nothing even remotely close to filler on this thing. It’s just banger after banger. Literally every single track is amazing. I love SINAI.’s production, and Sleep kills every verse. Manji is crazy. Oracle is insane. Missile Silo is bonkers. All the features are wild too. My favorite is probably Doseone, but Breeze Brewin & Nolan the Ninja killed their performances as well. There’s nothing to nitpick with this one. It’s an incredibly cohesive record. I fucking love it. It’s dope as fuck.

1. The Sword & the Soaring by Navy Blue

This album is fucking beautiful. As soon as I pressed play on this shit I had a feeling that it’d end up being my favorite of the year, and I was not wrong. This is the album I’ve always wanted Navy Blue to make, ever since I heard his Higher Self single five years ago. Every verse I’ve heard from Navy Blue in the past has been really dope, but the production wasn’t always what I wanted it to be. That’s not an issue here at all. These are the perfect beats for Navy Blue. Every single song can be considered a highlight. Navy Blue has a soulfulness to the way he raps that most other MCs lack. So much of the lyricism here is genuinely profound in my opinion too. There are some very emotional moments here as well. It’s just a very heartwarming listen. I haven’t been able to find a physical release of this album, so hopefully we get vinyl or tapes or even CDs at some point in 2026. I need this in my collection. It’s my favorite album of the decade so far, and I won’t be surprised if it maintains that spot forever. I don’t think it’ll be possible for him to top this with future releases. You don’t just make something better than perfection. You may match it, but you can’t surpass something like this. If I still gave scores in my reviews I’d probably give this a perfect 100. I cannot stress enough how much I love this thing. Check it out if you haven’t yet. It’s a masterpiece.

As always, thank y’all for rocking with me this year. I’ve got big plans for 2026, so I hope you guys stick around for that. Thank you to all the artists featured on this list for giving me an amazing soundtrack to an otherwise harrowing year. I had a lot of fun writing this list. Let me know what your favorite albums of the year were in the comment section below. Also, check out this playlist I made of my favorite features of 2025. Oh, and happy New Year. ✌🏽

#AJSuede #Ant #ApolloBrown #Araless #ArmandHammer #Atmosphere #AugustFanon #billyWoods #BlackLiq #Bloodblixing #Chow #DubSonata #EdGlorious #Elucid #ErrolHolden #GabeNandez #Ilajide #junclassic #LtHeadtrip #NavyBlue #OpenMikeEagle #Preservation #RhysLangston #Sasco #SleepSinatra #Slug #SnotnozeSaleem #SteelTippedDove #Sunmundi #TellerBank #TheAlchemist #ToadStool #TyFarris #UncommonNasa #VEGA #VicSpencer

Focus Hip Hop Aug 7, 2024

Note: Patreon Supporters recieved access to this review on August 2nd, 2024.

This album was released on August 2nd this year. Wolftone previously worked with AJ Suede on an album called Gotham Fortress, which was released back in 2017. When this new album was announced, I went back and listened to Gotham Fortress just to get an idea of what I may be able to expect. I enjoyed it, mostly because it was just so interesting to see the type of stuff AJ Suede was making back then. A lot of it was pretty different from the new stuff he’s been making. I wondered if Wolftone’s sound had the same kind of metamorphosis, so I was excited to check this new one out. Another cool thing about this album is that it was all made in person. None of the collabs were done through the internet. Everything was done in real life by Washington artists on a very human level, so that’s cool. Thankfully, this ended up being another one of my favorite albums I’ve heard from AJ Suede.

The album begins with a highlight called Rent’s Dew.

https://youtu.be/lz9TRgnRVRw?si=_p8yUFZjyloLaH72

The beat here is actually pretty amazing. I liked Gotham Fortress, but the instrumental here just feels so much richer and more textured than the stuff that was on that album. This beat actually kinda reminds me of something noface might’ve made for Fatboi Sharif’s Preaching in Havana album. It’s kind of a lowkey, eerie vibe. I really love it. It kinda makes me think of shadows or hallucinations. The vocal sample sounds like it’s being sung by a ghost. Like, if I was going through another psychotic episode, I feel like this is the kinda shit that would be playing in my head. I mean that in a good way. It’s melodic, but it’s got a very cerebral vibe to it. It sounds really cool. I also like how Wolftone incorporated that sound of the phone ringing throughout the whole track. You’d think something like that would be annoying as fuck, but it works shockingly well here. It really just strengthens the creepy tone of the song. Suede killed his verse here too.

Beef the only way the major labels get the streams up
Damage be collateral, but really need that green stuff
Got them sleepwalkin' through delusions that they dreamed up
My season is premiere, you full of fear and live a re-run
On the mean one, but that's just the way my genes run
I was raisin' hell until the time that my teens done
Goin' through the dirty early twenties, had to clean it up
Thought you seen it all, that's the moment life surprises you
When you get comfortable, then it starts remindin' you
Trouble starts findin' you, better keep the street clean
They been programmin' you since you was a pre-teen

I actually think this is one of the best rapping performances I’ve ever heard from him. The song title did not mislead me. I really love the outro too.

How we so chill, but still rappin' like the rent's due?
Keep it so chill, still rappin' like the rent's due
So laid back, still rappin' like the rent's due
Wolf on the beat, makin' beats like the rent's due
'Cause it is

There’s really nothing I don’t love about this track. I loved it the first time I heard it, but then it grew on me even more as I spent time with the album. I think it’s amazing honestly, and one of the best songs he’s ever made. It’s dope as fuck. Track 2 is called Prove Me Wrong, and it features a singer named Maya Marie. I really like the production on this track. It makes me think of Mad Max. I say that as someone who only has a vague idea of what Mad Max is. Anyway, the vocals from Maya Marie are pretty great. She can sing very well. She plays such a prominent role in this song that she doesn’t feel like a guest. It feels more like a song by AJ Suede & Maya Marie than a song by AJ Suede featuring Maya Marie, if you get my drift. I fuck with it. She’s dope. This sounds like a supervillain’s theme song. I really like her hook, and her verse is tight as well. Suede’s verse starts about halfway through the track, and it’s really great.

Twirlin' the loud, we don't do no phillys
It's my job to astound, street magic in the city
Pioneering the sound, what they do too silly
Why they comin' around? Musta not've got the memo
Or they sluffin' on that, 'cause I'm givin' out several
Steppin' up to the bat, bring home the gold medals
With my senses intact, all at once, not subtle
Pulled up in all black like the pot to the kettle

I feel like he sounded slightly more aggressive than usual here. I really fuck with the song. This whole album has a really strong atmosphere going. This shit is dope. Track 3 is called Off Track Betting, and it’s got another really cool, kind of eerie instrumental.

https://youtu.be/GArB6IkgCkM?si=BpVm4b02OEeGFApE

The relatively uptempo production has kind of a cartoonish loop, which sounds really cool. Suede really killed this track too.

The gold chain store scammin' rappers all crazy
Linin' niggas up, takin' candy from a baby
The 40 pulled up, couple fools smokin' blues
With the foil all burnt and their clothes are too
The smell is unbearable, so I turned back
And said, "damn, fam, why you gotta do us like that?"
Business as usual, here's nothing new to you
Even with the issues everything is still beautiful
The one with the initials in the name and the material
Gotta stay cozy, so you know the track suitable

The hook is pretty cool too. Despite the stellar performance from Suede himself, this isn’t really a highlight for me on the album. I think if the beat switched up or evolved more at some point then I would’ve appreciated it a bit more. Don’t get me wrong though, I still fuck with the track. I think it’s really good. Track 4 is called No Loss, and it features Perry Porter. The beat on this track is really great. I liked it the first time I heard it, but it grew on me even more with multiple listens. I really like the feature from Perry Porter on this song. Their voice is really dope. The first verse from AJ Suede is amazing.

Still I be smokin', up in the crib and all in the open
Smokin' that motion only way that I be copin', phones I be ghostin'
Coastin' to coastin', cape on, I'm thinkin' I'm Spaceghost
Yeah, I was dodgin' the plain clothes
I never fuck on no plain hoes
I never dreamed of a Range Rove'

I love the way his flow evolves throughout his verse. The hook is fire, and I liked the second verse Perry Porter a lot too. The instrumental outro on this track is also really cool. I love the song, and like I said it grew on me with more listens. I think it’s dope as hell. Same goes for the following track, Square Root of Two. This one features BlkSknn, and it’s got a really fun, lighthearted instrumental. I love the loop here with minimal percussion. Out of all the collabs on this project, I actually think this one is probably where there was the most chemistry. That’s just how it feels from my perspective. The way they were kinda going back and forth with their verses was really awesome. This part from Suede is fire.

Bring it to your door, I implore you to settle down
Going to the store for the score and like seven pounds
Playin' Twisted Metal now, talkin' 'bout the second one
Fraction of a penny every single time this record's spun

And then the way BlkSknn comes in right behind him is so dope.

On any given Tuesday, I can cook a whole EP like a soufflé
But I ain't Craig David, and today ain't my birthday
Soundin' like I'm on a different planet with this wordplay
I am Robert Horry and this Saturn, yo, that's hella rings
Big shot from the wing, hella drive, take a seat
Come along, we winnin' things
Championship type of team, ballin' like the big three
Picture perfect flow, hope the camera don't miss me

I was really impressed by this BlkSknn person, so I decided to follow them. I’m looking forward to checking out more of their material. In fact, I followed all of the featured artists on this project because every single one of them was enjoyable. Anyway, the song’s dope as hell. It’s followed by my favorite track on the album, Lost My Bag. This one is so amazing. I love this instrumental so much. It’s a really beautiful loop. It sounds very emotional. The vocal sample just carries a lot of emotion. It’s also slightly unsettling, which is cool. I love it, and the way Suede flowed over it with no percussion was amazing. His wordplay was really slick here.

Spawn of God, think fast like Ramadan
Type of time we on, twist your shit like Shyamalan
Feelin' Unbreakable until you had to Split the class
When it's Halloween you might see a Ghost of Christmas Past
Gimme routing numbers, I don't want my pockets full of cash
Smokin' like a chimney, drinkin' coffee 'til I fuckin' crash
Listen to myself and gang, I don't play that other trash
Black Mass, Whitey Bulger racist shit, gutter trash

He really killed this track. This is definitely one of my favorite songs I’ve ever heard from him to be honest. This & Radiation from Ark Flashington are the two I probably like the most. This shit is fire. The production is incredible, and AJ Suede murdered it. It’s amazing. Track 7 is called Limited Edition, and it has another feature from BlkSknn. This is one of the bouncier tracks on the album. The production is really great, and of course both the MCs rapped very well over it. I think for a beat like this, BlkSknn’s kind of monotone vocal delivery doesn’t work the best, but that’s just a nitpick. I still really enjoy the verse overall. I really liked AJ Suede’s flow on the second verse a lot too. I also loved the bars that he repeated for the outro.

Underground God so the verse not cheap
Every year is better, first couple they were sleep
Put myself in debt, bounced back times three
Charge it to the game, so the work not free

It’s a very dope song. I fuck with it. The following song is called Doctor Evol, and it features Perry Porter again. I think this song has one of the best beats on the album, and both of them sound really nice over it. Suede’s flow on the first verse is so good.

Another pyrrhic victory
Paper gets all of the intimacy
So much for financial literacy
Thought of investing in vending machines

The way Perry Porter comes in right after this part sounds really cool. This is another one of my favorite collabs on the project to be honest. I would really like to see a music video for this track in particular. I think they could do something really cool with this one. It’s a really dope song. The penultimate track is called Funhouse Mirror, and that’s a really fitting title. The beat sounds like some trippy funhouse type of shit to me. It’s a really awesome instrumental. It sounds really cinematic. I think it’s one of the best on the project. The song’s only a minute and 48 seconds long, but the length feels perfect. It’s short and sweet. I of course appreciated the Kingdom Hearts reference from Suede in the verse, and I really love the outro. The way he kinda switches up his delivery every time he says it is really cool sounding. I love the song. It’s dope as hell. The closing track is called Grimace, and it’s another one of my favorite songs on the album. I guess this would be considered a Cloud Rap song. I generally am not really into that style, but I think it’s really well done here. The production is kind of trippy and hypnotizing. I love it. This would be the perfect song to get high to. It’s definitely going on my smoke playlist. I appreciate the content as an avid stoner myself. The song features an artist named Wishbaby, who killed the second verse.

I be so high, I can never land
I get so low, I don't have to stand
Smokin' pot, I don't have a pan
Finish everything on my plate
Servin' at Paddy's no Mickey D's
It's a scrimmage, get a quarter back
Stuffin' grimace in my fanny pack
Me and Suede just finished half a sack

Songs like this tend to end up as some of my most played of the year because I listen to them while smoking so much, so I expect to have a long future with this track. I love it. It’s dope as fuck.

This album is dope as hell. This is such a drastic leap in quality from Gotham Fortress, which is honestly really beautiful to see. It’s really fucking cool how much they’ve grown in the past 7 years. On Gotham Fortress there were some songs that felt a little trendy, but this new album just feels like really well made, original music from original artists. I really don’t have any consistent complaints with this one. I think this is a must-listen project for fans of AJ Suede. This is just such a consistent project. There’s not a single skippable track here. The production from Wolftone feels very moody and atmospheric, which is really cool. Suede says some really tight shit on this project too. I plan on copping one of those dope ass cassettes once I scrounge up enough cash, so hopefully it doesn’t sell out too fast. We’ll see. Hopefully I can get one. (EDIT: I got it 😎) Anyway, definitely check this project out, and be sure to leave a comment below letting me know what you think of it. Personally, I think it’s really exceptional.

Favorite Song: Lost My Bag
LEast favorite Song: Off Track Betting

Grade: A-

https://focushiphop.com/2024/08/07/album-review-aj-suede-wolftone-permafrost-discoveries/

#AJSuede #BlkSknn #MayaMarie #PerryPorter #Wishbaby #Wolftone

Patreon

OG NICK MARSH, after 10 years of writing about Hip Hop, has revamped his Patreon page to offer exclusive content for followers of Focus Hip Hop. The page will feature a wider variety of content and…

Focus Hip Hop

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Mobb Deeper, by AJ Suede, Lord OLO, & TELEVANGEL

Ancient Mew, by AJ Suede

Doctor Evol ft. Perry Porter, by AJ Suede & Wolftone

Prove Me Wrong ft. The Maya Experience, by AJ Suede & Wolftone

Patreon

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PortOakSea (feat. Squadda B & AJ Suede)