My Favorite Albums Of 2025

2025 was a good year for music. There were so many new albums dropping that it was almost hard to keep up with.

I personally listened to a little bit of everything. From Kevin Gates, to Ice Cube, to Freddie Gibbs, to Joey Bada$$. It was the first time where I spent the whole year listening to projects that I wouldn’t have typically gravitated toward, while also of course sticking to what I like.

With that said, you won’t see many of those sorts of names on this list. Most of what you will see here is underground, independent hip hop just because that is what I am most inspired by. As much as Nas, Clipse, and Lloyd Banks did their thing respectively, I just didn’t pull the same inspiration from them as I did from the albums listed below.

#5 Curren$y & Harry Fraud – Never Catch Us

This was Curren$y’s first drop of the year out of the 5 that he went on to drop in total, and one of the many tapes he has put together with Harry Fraud over the years.

The project is raw, rough around the edges, and unpolished, but that’s part of what makes it likeable.

It’s almost surprising that both Curren$y and Harry Fraud are able to tap into that kind of vibe at this point in their career. Afterall, these are both some of the biggest names in Hip Hop, and guys who have managed to stay relevant for close to two decades. To still be able to make music that up and coming artists can relate to and find motivation in is impressive.

#4 Larry June & Cardo – Until Night Comes

This is not the first project Larry June has dropped with Cardo, but it is a great follow up to their 2023 project The Night Shift.

The beats are similar to what you would expect from Cardo, and this wasn’t Larry’s most high-caliber lyrical display ever. However, there is something about the chemistry between Larry and Cardo that is hard not to like. It’s a “not trying too hard” type of vibe, yet still musically interesting enough to enjoy and find inspiration from.

To me the title Until Night Comes is a title of perseverance and moving forward in life. There are things that we are all working toward and looking forward to in life, and even if we aren’t there yet, sometimes it is okay to just enjoy this moment and recognize that you will get there.

#3 Boldy James – Alphabet Highway

This was easily Boldy James’ most prolific year. He went on to drop 9 albums in total and at some points was dropping as many as 2 in the same month.

I personally enjoyed just about all of Boldy James’ releases this year, but Alphabet Highway stands out to me as being one of the best.

The songs have a raw, underground feel to them, which is something that Boldy James is frequently known for. The beats have a dark, almost grimy undertone, yet there are still lighter points on the album as well.

I put out a tweet saying that I thought Boldy James was the best rapper of 2025. I hadn’t been much of a frequent listener of Boldy before this year, but I found the high-caliber, high-volume level of music he was dropping to be very inspiring. I look forward to seeing what he comes with in 2026.

#2 Curren$y – 7/30

Curren$y has dropped so many albums at this point that I almost don’t know how he is still able to come up with new album titles and lyrics. However, it really doesn’t seem to be a problem for him, and that’s something that comes across on this project as well as the 3 follow ups.

After dropping Never Catch Us in March, Curren$y didn’t release any other albums for a few months, and it almost looked like he was taking it light for the year. Seeing 7/30 drop was a pleasant surprise, because it came on a Thursday and I hadn’t seen much promotion for it.

Curren$y comes in with sharp lyricism on this project, as well as on 8/30 and the other two projects he released after that. The beats jam in a typical Curren$y type fashion, and we see some of the usual suspects on the feature list as well as a few new names.

#1 Larry June, 2 Chainz & The Alchemist – Life Is Beautiful

When I first saw that Larry June, 2 Chainz, and The Alchemist were collaborating for a album together I was honestly a little bit surprised. Despite having 2 Chainz be a feature on 2 of Larry June’s projects over the past few years, I wouldn’t have expected them to collaborate on a full project together, or that it would have come out as good as it did.

Alchemist did a great job of “reaching into some of his different bags” as he put it. He was able to stick to the sound he is typically known for while also coming through in ways we’re not used to hearing from him.

2 Chainz came through with witty, sharp lyricism, and Larry June comes through providing that peaceful and entrepreneurial vibe.

This album made for a smooth listen at the start of the year, and it was one that I came back to several times. It set the tone for the year and got things kicked off in a good way. And lastly, who doesn’t like an album with a title like Life is Beautiful? Being able to step back and appreciate the beauty of life is something we can all benefit from, and this album helps you do that.

Conclusion

Like I said up top, there were a lot of great releases in 2025. Danny Brown had a great album. Alchemist came back with Freddie Gibbs for Alfredo 2. Max B was released from prison and came with his first album back outside. But, these were my personal favorites. As someone that makes independent hip hop music myself, that is just what I like.

Thank you for reading the article. Please check out the albums listed above if you haven’t already, and also feel free to check out my own music as well. You can find it listed under the Music tab listed up top, or you can find more on the YouTube link listed on the homepage of the site.

Thank you again for reading. Have a great day, and continue to have a great 2026!