1. McKinley Dixon - Magic, Alive!

McKinley Dixon’s fifth album, Magic, Alive! is a vibrant, 35-minute blend of jazz, Hip Hop, and soul. Centered on kids grappling with a friend’s death, the Chicago rapper’s 11-track project pulses with lush instrumentation and emotional depth. Following Beloved! Paradise! Jazz!?, it’s a bold, cohesive work that balances grief and joy.

“Watch My Hands” opens with Eli Owens’ shimmering harp and soft percussion, Dixon’s warm flow painting a nostalgic neighborhood scene. “Sugar Water,” featuring Quelle Chris and Anjimile, is a standout, its triumphant horns and gospel harmonies soaring over a smooth bassline. At just over two minutes, it’s a radiant burst that begs for more. “Crooked Stick,” with Ghais Guevara and Alfred., leans into raw intensity with jagged guitars and blaring horns, Dixon’s precise delivery anchoring the chaos. “Recitatif,” featuring Teller Bank$, shifts from a snare-driven rhythm to distorted bass.

“We’re Outside, Rejoice!” bursts with life, its peppy organ and hard-hitting drums fueling a joyous chant. “Run, Run, Run Part II” is a cinematic anthem, with piano, horns, and strings behind Dixon’s fierce flow. “All the Loved Ones (What Would We Do???)” weaves maternal love and loss into soulful keys, while “F.F.O.L.” channels gun violence through a frantic, guitar-laced beat. The final trio—“Listen Gentle,” “Magic, Alive!,” and “Could’ve Been Different”—forms a stunning climax. “Listen Gentle” blends trumpet, flute, and thundering drums, while the title track’s rowdy saxophone and gang vocals celebrate resilience. “Could’ve Been Different,” with Blu and Shamir, closes with warm strings and soulful harmonies, a bittersweet farewell.

Dixon’s rapping is sharp, shifting from laid-back to explosive, his storytelling vivid and communal. The production—live drums, horns, flutes—creates a rich, dynamic sound. Features like Quelle Chris and Shamir shine, though Teller Bank$’s vocals occasionally falter. The album’s structure is tight, its narrative tying tracks together despite occasional experimental detours. Magic, Alive! is a compelling, vibrant addition to Dixon’s catalog.

Release date: June 6, 2025.

2. The High & Mighty - Sound Of Market

The High & Mighty’s Sound of Market is a gritty, head-nodding return that sharpens their classic formula without chasing trends. It’s their strongest work since 1999’s Home Field Advantage, delivering punchline-heavy rhymes over rugged, loop-driven beats with vinyl crackle and precise scratches. DJ Mighty Mi’s production anchors the album with crisp boom bap drums, filtered basslines, and thick, purposeful loops. The beats feel crafted, not nostalgic, with horn chops and piano riffs blending seamlessly for Mr. Eon’s sharp delivery.

Eon hits hard from the start. “2 Man Crew” sets the tone with focused, aggressive bars, his voice carrying a lived-in edge. On “Zounds,” he raps with defiance, shaking off rust with precision. Guest features elevate the record without overpowering it. “Pinky Tuskadero” pairs Eon with Kool Keith’s eccentric flow over a soulful beat, while “6ers & Squires” with Madd Skillz crackles with energy and tight verse-trading. “Super Sound” with Breeze Brewin lands as a gritty midpoint, both MCs painting vivid pictures over a stark loop.

Standouts include “The Rose Bowl,” where Your Old Droog’s layered bars ride an Alchemist soul sample, and “Dubbs Up,” where King T adds G-funk bounce without breaking the album’s vibe. “Prism,” featuring Large Professor and Tash, dips slightly due to a muted mix, but the MCs’ charisma carries it. A scratch-heavy interlude, “Mighty’s Big 5 (Live from the Palestra),” resets the mood, while “Most In Outs” is a dope Smut Peddlers reunion that delivers raw, piano-driven aggression.

“I. Goldberg” with Sadat X and MC Serch keeps it rugged, and “Funk ‘O’ Mart” pays atmospheric tribute to a record store. “Spaceport” with Chill Rob G and Copywrite is a relentless showcase of punchlines. The closing tracks, “Highest Degree” with O.C. and “2 High Whiteys,” maintain the momentum, the latter reflecting on past beefs over a bluesy loop. Sound of Market is unapologetic Hip Hop—grimy, intentional, and built on bars, beats, and experience, proving The High & Mighty can still dominate in their lane.

Release date: June 6, 2025.

3. Public Enemy - Black Sky Over the Projects: Apartment 2025

Public Enemy returns with Black Sky Over The Projects: Apartment 2025, a self-released album that cuts through with clarity, control, and urgency. Chuck D and Flavor Flav sound fully locked in, backed by production that sounds gritty, heavy, and often chaotic without losing focus. The album doesn’t chase trends or nostalgia—it pushes forward with sharp structure and a grounded message.

“Siick” opens with distorted guitars and tightly packed bars aimed at a world steeped in dysfunction. “Confusion (Here Come the Drums)” follows with Chuck and Flav trading verses over a pounding rhythm section and turntable stabs. The energy is raw but tight. “What Eye Said” hits with a dense, loop-driven beat while Chuck throws down a challenge for lyrical precision.

Flav takes over on “Cmon Get Down,” built around funk swing and off-kilter momentum. “Evil Way” and “Sexegenarian” dig into aging, survival, and clarity, with Chuck self-producing one of the heavier rap-rock tracks on the album. “Messy Hens” gives Flav space to throw darts at distractions, while “Fools Fools Fools” sharpens the focus on digital fraud and empty clout, carried by Tré Cool’s live drumming.

“Public Enemy Comin Throoooo” reasserts the group’s place with sharp interplay, while “Ageism” calls out the cycle of cultural erasure with a thick groove and steady delivery. “The Hits Just Keep on Comin’” and “March Madness” close the record with blunt takes on media manipulation and systemic collapse.

The production—handled by C-Doc, DJ MROK, and others—is analog, rugged, and saturated. Chuck’s voice remains grounded and direct. Flav balances the chaos with energy that never feels out of place.

This isn’t Nation of Millions or Fear of a Black Planet. Those albums are untouchable, timeless, and impossible to replicate. But Apartment 2025 holds its ground with power and discipline. It’s another clear example of Public Enemy’s longevity—and a reminder why they are the greatest Hip Hop group of all time.

Release date: June 27, 2025.

4. Little Simz - Lotus

Little Simz’s sixth album, Lotus, is a raw, introspective journey shaped by personal betrayal and resilience. Following her legal dispute with former producer Inflo over unpaid debts, Simz collaborates with producer Miles Clinton to craft a sound that’s jagged and eclectic, blending Hip Hop with soul, jazz, and rock. Across 13 tracks, the album navigates anger, vulnerability, and quiet confidence, revealing an artist in the process of rebuilding herself.

“Thief” opens with heavy bass and distorted guitars, its cinematic tension driving Simz’s sharp, confrontational delivery. The track’s raw energy sets a defiant tone. “Flood,” featuring Obongjayar and Moonchild Sanelly, aims for a primal vibe with thunderous drums, but Simz’s detached flow doesn’t fully connect, making it forgettable. In contrast, “Free” shines with acoustic guitar and swelling strings, its crisp verses and catchy vocal loop balancing vulnerability and strength.

“Young” channels playful energy with a post-punk bassline and quirky British accent, but its forced tone disrupts the album’s flow. “Enough” tries for a danceable groove, but processed vocals in its final minute feel jarring. The album’s strength lies in its quieter moments. “Hollow” uses delicate strings and harps for a haunting spoken-word piece, while “Lonely” pairs sparse piano with Simz’s raw reflections on isolation, delivering emotional depth.

The title track, “Lotus,” featuring Michael Kiwanuka and Yussef Dayes, is a six-minute centerpiece. Its slow-burning Rhodes piano, distant strings, and frenetic drums create a hypnotic build, with Simz’s fierce verses and Kiwanuka’s soulful croon evoking rebirth. “Blood,” with Wretch 32 and Cashh, offers heartfelt reflections over somber pianos. “Blue,” featuring Sampha, closes the album with a tasteful acoustic guitar background, its weary yet resolute tone amplified by Sampha’s ethereal vocals.

Lotus feels uneven, with tracks like “Young” disrupting its emotional arc. Yet Simz’s lyrical precision and Clinton’s experimental production keep it compelling. Less polished than Sometimes I Might Be Introvert, it’s a human, risk-taking record that captures Simz’s resilience. Lotus may not be an instant classic, but it’s another strong entry in the catalog of one of contemporary Hip Hop’s most exciting artists.

Release date: June 6, 2025.

5. Apathy - Mom & Dad

Apathy’s Mom & Dad is a focused, low-frills record steeped in nostalgia, skepticism, and homegrown production. The Connecticut MC handles most of the beats himself, laying down tight loops with weathered samples, slow-burn drums, and deep basslines. The sound is measured and deliberate—never hurried, never flashy. His delivery is calm, slightly weathered, and built on clarity. Themes orbit childhood in the 1980s, economic struggle, media confusion, and political rot, threaded through nods to Reagan-era decay and East Coast localism.

The title track drops the drums completely, letting Apathy speak plainly over ambient samples, framing Ronald and Nancy Reagan as symbolic parents—distant, powerful, and indifferent. Tracks like “Shore Life” and “Summer at the Shore” carry salt air and long memory, and “Lee Harv” slides into darker territory with tight verses and a JFK reference that stays grounded instead of theatrical. Little Vic, Ryu, Suave-Ski, and Slaine contribute verses that stay in the pocket—no grandstanding, just clean writing.

The album works because it doesn’t reach too far. Apathy sticks to stripped production and concrete lyrics with little posturing. It’s personal but not sentimental, reflective without leaning on heavy-handed concept work. The beats stay tough and warm, and the mood holds throughout.

Release date: June 13, 2025.

6. Defcee & Parallel Thought - Other Blues LP

On Other Blues, Defcee raps with precision and weight, threading sharp memories through beats that sit low and thick. Parallel Thought’s production leans into the grain—smoky loops, muffled drums, slow-moving basslines that feel half-lit and weathered. There’s a haze to the mix, but nothing drifts. Each track lands with purpose.

“Chicago Famous” opens fast and tense, a clipped, gritty opener that spills into “Broke,” where the air is heavier, and the rhymes get tighter. Defcee moves through regret, ego, and exhaustion with a tone that stays composed but restless. On “Casket Races” and “You Still Rap?,” he writes like someone taking inventory—of past scenes, missed chances, and small wins that didn’t pay the bills.

Tree floats in on “Big Sisters” with a worn-out croon that pulls the song somewhere deeper. Fatboi Sharif and Swave Sevah leave bruises on “Sigils” and “Road Work,” adding muscle without overloading the frame. The longest cut, “Graduation Picture,” stretches out into something looser—more confessional, less controlled.

The whole record holds together like a lived-in notebook—short entries, cut-up rhythms, space left for breath. Other Blues is full of small details and sharp turns, structured with intention and care. It hits hard without yelling.

Release date: June 6, 2025.

7. Cam Be & Neak - a film called black

a film called black by Cam Be & Neak is a tightly crafted Hip Hop album shaped by jazz, soul, and gospel textures. The production is rich with live instrumentation—warm basslines, crisp drums, and keys that drift between smooth and tense. From the deep groove of “Eye Wonder” to the layered harmonies of “Salutations,” the sound stays rooted in Black musical traditions. Neak’s verses move with precision, exploring identity, spirituality, and community. “Wade In The Water” and Motherland“ draw on history and faith without slipping into sermon mode. Cam Be builds the album’s structure with purpose—interludes like “Identity in Black” and “Transitions in Black” link the tracks and keep momentum steady. Features from Skyzoo, Add-2, Yaw, and others bring extra depth without distracting from the core vision. The flow between tracks feels natural, creating an album that encourages full plays rather than singles. It’s thoughtful, grounded, and musically rich.

Release date: June 19, 2025.

8. Mary Sue - Porcelain Shield, Paper Sword

Porcelain Shield, Paper Sword is a striking piece of Hip Hop rooted in tension, ritual, and memory. Mary Sue writes with precision—each verse lands with quiet weight, often pulling from personal and cultural fragments that carry more than what’s said outright. The production, built with the Clementi Sound Appreciation Club, blends Southeast Asian textures and jazz-trained intuition into something loose, tender, and slightly off-balance.

Songs like “Thief and the Bell” and “Horse Acupuncture” stretch around grainy samples and live rhythm sections, bending traditional forms without falling into mimicry. “Grace” lingers like incense in still air, while “Crabs” feels jittery, its rhythm shifting underfoot. The saxophone lines don’t always resolve, the drums pull against the grain—this friction gives the record its voice.

At 16 tracks and only 32 minutes, some pieces flash by as brief sketches—“Snake Head” and “Iron Butterflies” carry strong ideas but vanish before they can expand. There’s a delicate touch across the record, but half of the songs are so short they feel more like transitions than full moments. Still, the atmosphere is vivid throughout—smoke, brass, ancestral echoes. The writing cuts with care, and the music sits in its own unsettled space. With more time to stretch, this could’ve hit even harder. As it is, it stays with you anyway—this is a special little album..

Release date: June 13, 2025.

9. Devine Carama & Amadeus 360 The Beat King - Guardians Of The Boom Bap

Guardians of the Boom Bap is built on heavy drums, chopped soul samples, and a clear love for ‘90s Hip Hop. Amadeus 360 the Beat King digs deep into warm vinyl textures—looped horns and filtered basslines give the album a worn, nostalgic feel. Devine Carama keeps his delivery sharp and steady, holding his place among a strong list of guests: Blaq Poet, Sadat X, Craig G, Termanology, Reks, Mikey D’Struction, and King Sun. There’s no modern gloss here—just loop-driven beats and straight verses. The throwback energy runs all the way through, right down to the samples and the cuts & scratches.

Release date: June 13, 2025.

Honorable Mentions

• Loyle Carner – hopefully !
• Juicy J & Logic – Live And In Color
• Daz Dillinger – Retaliation, Revenge And Get Back 2
• Ankhlejohn & August Fanon – LIVE! At The Disco
• 4-Ize & Bronze Nazareth – Slaveboats With Seatbelts
• T.F & Khrysis – The Green Bottle
• Nick Grant – I Took It Personal
• Nim K. – Queen Of The Misfits
• Memphis Bleek – Apt 3D
• Napoleon Da Legend & Clypto – Pen Game 2
• The Band Of The Hawk – Rest In Peaces
• M-Dot & Confidence – Library Of Sound
• Chubs & Fumes the Threat – Bruiser Brody 2
• Cymarshall Law & Slimline Mutha – The Peaceful Warrior 2: Raw Self Expression
• Fashawn & Marc Spano – Capital
• Dizzy Dizasta & So=Cal – Hunger Pains
• Machacha – The Formula: 250
• Lukah & Statik Selektah – A Lost Language Found
• Tech N9ne – 5816 Forest

Best EPs

• A-F-R-O – Crimson Fury
• Slick Rick – Victory
• Che Noir – The Color Chocolate 2
• Fel Sweetenberg – Reign of the Giants – Part 1
• Wildchild (Lootpack) – Season of Kingsmen
• Nowaah the Flood & Giallo Point – The Anomaly EP
• B.A Badd & Sypooda – Painted in Hunger
• The Hidden Character & BoneWeso – The Hidden Splash
• Milc & spinitch – Run for the Arts
• AJ Suede – Throne Away
• Chino XL – The Ascen7ion
• Sule & Tye Cooper – Su & Tye
• Red Inf & Element Bolo – Queens Bound
• Tha God Fahim & Drega33 – Lethal Weapon 3
• Money Mogly & Machacha – Wolfy Boy Womac
• Al.Divino – XKRZN
• Al.Divino – NBRKNZR
• Flee Lord & Eto – RocAmerikkka 3
• RJ Payne & Sevin Soprano – The Withering Hour
• Jus-P & Swab – Where There’s a Will, There’s a Way
• Reek Osama & Wino Willy – Things Will Never Be the Same