Coffee with Chuck

2025 was a year blessed by the Hip-hop Gods. 2025 was truly a renaissance year for Hip-hop. It was the best year for Hip-hop since 2014, probably. Saba kicked the year off for me with his album From The Private Collection produced by No ID. Saba showed off top-tier lyricism and demonstrated why he is up next. Saba held me over until July, when Clipse released their long-awaited album Let God Sort Em Out. I believe without a doubt that, Let God Sort Em Out is the album of the year. Not just the best rap album, but the best album of music period. The album uses stories of drug dealing as metaphors to speak about grief, faith, family, and the hustle and bustle of life. Let God Em Sort Out had many great features, including Stove God, Tyler, The Creator, and Kendrick Lamar. But the best verses on the album came from Malice, who reminded listeners that he is him. Let God Sort Em Out solidified Clipse as one of the greatest rap duo. Clipse kicked off the summer, and then the floodgates opened up. We got albums from some of the Ogs and legends, Freddie Gibbs, Raewkon, Ghostface Killah, and Chance The Rapper. The releases from these artists proved that Hip-hop is not just a young man’s album. And behind it all was the GOAT Nas. In 2025, Nas’s company Mass Appeal produced seven albums from artists and rap acts like Slick Rick, Mobb Deep, De LA Soul, and Big L. And then Nas closed out the year by dropping his own album titled Light Years, which was completely produced by the legend DJ Premier. With Light Years, Nas revealed his skills and longevity. Listening to the album, I felt like I was listening to Illmatic for the first time. But wait, we can’t forget the ladies. Cardi B did her thing with her release AM I THE DRAMA? And Latto held it down for Atlanta with her album Sugar Honey Iced Tea. There was so much good music released in 2025, making it hard to compile this list. All in all, I feel there is something for everyone with the rap music produced in 2025. Enjoy the list!

My Top 25 Rap Songs of 2025