1. De La Soul - Cabin In The Sky (2025)

Losing Trugoy the Dove in 2023 seemed to close the book on one of Hip Hop’s greatest groups. Instead, Posdnuos and Maseo have delivered an album that celebrates everything De La Soul built together while giving their late partner a meaningful presence. Cabin In The Sky, released as part of Nas and Mass Appeal’s Legend Has It series, is an extraordinary achievement, filled with the humor, musical imagination, and unmistakable chemistry that have defined De La since 3 Feet High and Rising.

The production is gorgeous. DJ Premier, Pete Rock, Supa Dave West, Nottz, and others supply rich, soulful instrumentation, while an impressive guest list featuring Nas, Q-Tip, Black Thought, Common, Slick Rick, and Killer Mike contributes to the celebratory atmosphere. Giancarlo Esposito’s narration adds a cinematic dimension without overwhelming the music. Trugoy’s appearances are particularly affecting, especially on “Good Health” and the closing “Don’t Push Me,” where his final verse provides a fitting farewell.

Everything on Cabin In The Sky comes together naturally. There’s sadness here, inevitably, but also tremendous warmth, wit, and musical vitality. De La Soul have made a beautiful tribute to their brother and one of the finest albums in their already exceptional catalog. Our favorite Hip Hop album of 2025, and the strongest release of the decade so far.

2. Little Simz – Sometimes I Might Be Introvert (2021)

Little Simz made a major impression with GREY Area (2019), but Sometimes I Might Be Introvert operates on an entirely different scale. Working closely with producer Inflo, the British-Nigerian MC created a lavish, musically adventurous album that moves between orchestral grandeur, hard-hitting Hip Hop, neo-soul, Afrobeat, and funk without losing its identity. The sweeping strings and martial drums of opener “Introvert” announce those ambitions immediately, with Simz examining her place in the world against a backdrop that sounds almost cinematic.

Her writing is equally impressive. “Woman” celebrates Black women over an irresistible groove, while “Little Q, Pt. 2” explores her relationship with her cousin. The magnificent “I Love You, I Hate You” confronts her absent father with a mixture of anger, vulnerability, and hard-earned understanding. Elsewhere, “Point and Kill” brings infectious Afrobeat rhythms, and “Rollin Stone” finds Simz attacking a darker, more aggressive beat. Even the theatrical interludes contribute to the album’s character.

There’s something of Lauryn Hill’s The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill (1998) in the ambition, emotional honesty, and musical richness here. That’s high praise, but Simz earns the comparison. Sometimes I Might Be Introvert is an extraordinary record, overflowing with ideas and executed with remarkable confidence. One of the decade’s finest Hip Hop albums.

3. Run The Jewels - RTJ4 (2020)

Four albums in, Killer Mike and El-P are still operating at full throttle. RTJ4 arrived in June 2020, amid widespread protests against police brutality, and its furious political commentary struck with particular force. The duo had already established an extraordinary run with their first three records, but this fourth installment matches their finest work, delivering 39 minutes of relentless energy, vicious humor, and some of El-P‘s most explosive production.

The beats are magnificent: distorted bass, abrasive synthesizers, pounding drums, and unexpected rhythmic shifts give tracks like “Yankee and the Brave (Ep. 4),” “Out of Sight,” and “Holy Calamafuck” their considerable muscle. Mike’s booming delivery and El-P’s dense, intricate rhymes complement each other perfectly, their exchanges moving between outrageous boasts and pointed social criticism. “Walking in the Snow” is especially devastating, with Mike’s verse addressing systemic racism and police violence in language that became chillingly relevant upon release. The closing “A Few Words for the Firing Squad (Radiation)” brings a darker, more reflective intensity.

We’ve always heard echoes of Public Enemy’s It Takes a Nation of Millions to Hold Us Back (1988) in Run The Jewels, particularly in El-P’s chaotic, Bomb Squad-inspired production and the duo’s political urgency. RTJ4 makes that comparison easier than ever to defend. Ferocious, intelligent, frequently hilarious, and packed with outstanding tracks, it’s another triumph from one of Hip Hop’s greatest duos.

4. billy woods - GOLLIWOG (2025)

billy woods has spent years turning history, alienation, and everyday absurdity into some of the most unsettling writing in contemporary Hip Hop. On GOLLIWOG, he takes that approach into outright horror. Across 18 tracks, woods inhabits a world of inherited violence, surveillance, racial terror, and psychological decay. The production, handled by an eclectic cast including The Alchemist, Preservation, Kenny Segal, EL-P, and Steel Tipped Dove, is appropriately unnerving, full of distorted textures, warped samples, and ominous stretches of empty space.

“Jumpscare” opens with groaning metal and creeping tension, establishing the album’s nightmarish atmosphere without resorting to cheap shocks. Conductor Williams’ jagged work on “STAR87” keeps the listener off balance, while Kenny Segal’s brittle piano on “Misery” gives woods room to deliver another of his exhausted, razor-sharp dispatches. “Waterproof Mascara” is even more harrowing, Preservation’s warped vocal sample hovering over anxious piano figures. Elsewhere, EL-P and Despot join woods on the cold, distorted “Corinthians,” while “Lead Paint Test” brings ELUCID and Cavalier into the album’s claustrophobic world.

The horror here is rooted in recognizable realities. woods scatters images and references across his verses, leaving connections for the listener to make. The result is disturbing precisely because it rarely needs to exaggerate. We’ve long considered Hiding Places woods’ greatest achievement, but GOLLIWOG gives that masterpiece serious competition. It’s a chilling, uncompromising record that ranks among his finest work.

5. Danger Mouse & Black Thought - Cheat Codes (2022)

Few producer-MC pairings have arrived with expectations as high as Danger Mouse and Black Thought, and Cheat Codes meets every one of them. Danger Mouse builds a rich, soulful foundation from dusty samples, crisp drums, and unexpected musical details, giving Black Thought room to do what he does better than almost anyone: command a beat with intricate rhyme schemes, impeccable timing, and a seemingly inexhaustible vocabulary. Four decades into his career, Thought remains an extraordinary technician, delivering verses packed with precision, personality, and substance.

At a lean 38 minutes, Cheat Codes wastes no time. Each track has its own character, from the grimy Raekwon-assisted “The Darkest Part” to the propulsive “Because” and the sinister “Strangers,” featuring A$AP Rocky and Run The Jewels. Conway The Machine and Joey Bada$$ also make memorable appearances, but the most affecting guest verse comes from MF DOOM on “Belize.” His posthumous contribution is vintage DOOM, a bittersweet reminder of the singular talent Hip Hop lost in 2020.

The chemistry between producer and MC is remarkable throughout. Danger Mouse’s arrangements are inventive without crowding the vocals, while Black Thought delivers one commanding performance after another. No filler, no wasted motion, and virtually no drop in quality across twelve tracks. Cheat Codes was our album of the year for 2022, and it remains one of the decade’s defining collaborations.

6. Armand Hammer - We Buy Diabetic Test Strips (2023)

Armand Hammer have spent years building one of the most distinctive catalogs in underground Hip Hop, and We Buy Diabetic Test Strips ranks among their finest achievements. ELUCID and billy woods move through memory, aging, technology, politics, and the absurdities of modern life with their usual oblique precision, finding fresh angles in subjects other rappers might approach more predictably. The album’s appeal lies partly in that lyrical density, but its production is equally compelling. A sprawling cast of contributors, including JPEGMAFIA, DJ Haram, El-P, Kenny Segal, Preservation, Black Noi$e, and August Fanon, gives the record a remarkably varied palette without sacrificing its unmistakable Armand Hammer identity.

The eerie opening of “Landlines” establishes a mood of reflection and unease, while “Switchboard” introduces a more buoyant groove beneath the duo’s observations about technology and human connection. “Trauma Mic,” featuring Pink Siifu over DJ Haram’s abrasive production, is a particular highlight, its distorted guitars and punishing rhythm matching the intensity of the verses. El-P’s contribution to “The Gods Must Be Crazy” takes things into more chaotic territory, with fractured, restless production that suits the duo’s elliptical writing.

Moor Mother and Pink Siifu add their own distinctive voices, but the focus remains firmly on ELUCID and woods, whose contrasting styles keep the material unpredictable. Few groups make such challenging music sound so natural. Following masterworks like Paraffin and Haram, We Buy Diabetic Test Strips confirms Armand Hammer’s place among the most compelling acts in contemporary underground Hip Hop.

7. Clipse - Let God Sort Em Out (2025)

Sixteen years after Til the Casket Drops, Pusha T and Malice reunited as Clipse with an album worthy of their formidable legacy. Let God Sort Em Out finds the brothers older, sharper, and more reflective, their contrasting perspectives giving the familiar drug-trade narratives new depth. Pusha remains one of rap’s most ruthlessly precise writers, turning luxury, paranoia, and street economics into intricate boasts and cutting punchlines. Malice brings a cooler, more contemplative presence, his renewed faith adding another dimension to the duo’s longstanding dynamic. Pharrell Williams handles all the production, reconnecting the group with the creative partnership that helped make Lord Willin’ and Hell Hath No Fury classics.

The opening “The Birds Don’t Sing” takes an unexpectedly mournful turn, with piano and gospel vocals framing the brothers’ reflections on losing their parents. From there, “Chains & Whips” snaps into a harsher register, its disorienting beat setting the stage for a fierce Kendrick Lamar appearance. Pharrell keeps the album musically adventurous: “E.B.I.T.D.A.” rides a twitchy, off-kilter groove, “F.I.C.O.” pairs booming drums with soulful textures, and the abrasive horns on “Inglorious Bastards” match the brothers’ lyrical venom. “P.O.V.,” featuring Tyler, The Creator, is another standout, with the guest adding a fresh angle to Clipse’s luxury-soaked menace.

A few production choices are less successful, but the missteps barely dent the album’s momentum. The guests, including Nas, Kendrick, and Tyler, complement the brothers without stealing their spotlight. Let God Sort Em Out sounds like Clipse have picked up where they left off, while bringing the perspective of two men with another sixteen years of life behind them. A triumphant return from one of Hip Hop’s great duos.

8. E L U C I D - REVELATOR (2024)

With REVELATOR, ELUCID reaches a new peak in a solo catalog that already includes the excellent Save Yourself and I Told Bessie. Known for his work alongside billy woods in Armand Hammer, ELUCID brings that same restless imagination to his own material, pushing into increasingly abrasive and unpredictable territory. The production, much of it handled by ELUCID himself, draws on industrial noise, avant-jazz, fractured electronics, and live instrumentation. Jon Nellen, August Fanon, Child Actor, DJ Haram, and The Lasso all contribute, but the record retains a distinct identity throughout.

“The World Is Dog” opens with glitching textures and shifting layers that seem perpetually on the verge of collapse. ELUCID’s deep, measured delivery cuts through the turbulence, giving his densely packed verses a sense of purpose amid the sonic disorder. “CCTV,” featuring Creature, and “Slum of a Disregard” push the tension in different directions, while “RFID” and “Bad Pollen” turn their attention toward a world shaped by exploitation, political violence, and systemic decay. The latter features billy woods, whose bleak perspective complements ELUCID’s own reflections on survival. On “Instant Transfer,” the two rappers’ chemistry is as compelling as ever.

The album’s final stretch is especially potent. Skech185 joins ELUCID on “14.4,” over frantic drums and distorted bass, before “Xolo” and DJ Haram’s closing “Zigzagzig” leave the listener amid increasingly apocalyptic textures. ELUCID’s writing rewards close attention, balancing personal details with broader social observations and striking images that linger long after the music ends.

REVELATOR demands engagement, but its density has a purpose. The music is confrontational, strange, and often beautiful, with ELUCID navigating its shifting forms with remarkable control. An outstanding solo achievement that belongs in the same conversation as Armand Hammer’s finest work.

9. Aesop Rock – Spirit World Field Guide (2020)

Aesop Rock has spent his career building intricate worlds out of language, and Spirit World Field Guide takes that impulse to an extreme. Framed as a guide to a fictional parallel dimension, the album follows a narrator through strange terrain, unfamiliar customs, and various threats to survival. It’s an ambitious concept for a 21-track record running over an hour, but Aesop makes the setting compelling through sheer imagination, packing his verses with cryptic observations, vivid imagery, internal rhymes, and unexpected turns of phrase. As on Labor Days, None Shall Pass, and The Impossible Kid, his writing rewards repeated listens without making close analysis a prerequisite for enjoyment.

Aesop also handles the production, and the beats are every bit as distinctive as the lyrics. Restless percussion, eerie melodies, murky textures, and sudden shifts in atmosphere give the album a sense of movement through unfamiliar territory. Tracks like “The Gates” and “Pizza Alley” highlight his ability to build vivid scenes through sound, while “Kodokushi” and “Boot Soup” find him twisting dense, multisyllabic patterns around unpredictable rhythms. The instrumental choices never become mere background; they help give this imaginary world its own peculiar logic.

There’s no guest-verse relief across the album’s expansive runtime, and Aesop’s tightly packed writing demands attention. For listeners who prefer concise, immediately accessible rap, the density may prove overwhelming. Those willing to settle into its strange rhythms will find an album with remarkable depth and replay value. More than 25 years into his career, Aesop Rock remains an exceptional writer and producer, and Spirit World Field Guide ranks among his strongest solo releases.

10. Freddie Gibbs & The Alchemist – Alfredo 2 (2025)

Five years after Alfredo, Freddie Gibbs and The Alchemist return with a sequel that preserves the original’s chemistry while taking its sound in a brighter direction. Where the first album thrived on smoky, late-night tension, Alfredo 2 has a warmer, more sunlit character, drawing on vintage soul, jazz, and psychedelic flourishes. The Alchemist’s production is rich with detail, from the crunchy guitar on opener “1995” to the slippery grooves of “Ensalada,” featuring Anderson .Paak, and the cinematic synths of “Gas Station Sushi.” The beats sound luxurious without softening Gibbs’ edge.

Gibbs remains a compelling presence, switching between sharp-edged boasts, dark humor, and reflections on the costs of the life he’s lived. “Lavish Habits” finds him taking aim at DJ Akademiks over a horn-driven beat, while “Jean Claude” brings a more personal perspective to relationships. “I Still Love H.E.R.” pays tribute to Hip Hop with a soulful touch, and “Gas Station Sushi” finds room for the harder realities beneath the swagger. JID makes a strong impression on “Gold Feet,” matching Gibbs’ technical precision with nimble, intricate bars. Anderson .Paak’s hook on “Ensalada” adds another welcome texture.

The 14 tracks move with an easy confidence, with The Alchemist’s carefully layered arrangements giving Gibbs plenty of room to maneuver. Not every guest contribution lands equally well, but the duo’s partnership remains the main attraction. Alfredo 2 doesn’t need to recreate the first album’s atmosphere to justify its existence. It finds a different mood, lets Gibbs stretch out over some beautifully crafted beats, and delivers another highly satisfying collaboration from two artists who know exactly how to bring out the best in each other.

11. JPEGMAFIA & Danny Brown - SCARING THE HOES (2023)

The title is a pretty accurate warning. On SCARING THE HOES, JPEGMAFIA and Danny Brown take two already unconventional approaches to Hip Hop and push them into gloriously chaotic territory. Peggy’s production is a barrage of blown-out bass, mangled samples, abrasive electronics, and abrupt rhythmic shifts, drawing from sounds that have no obvious business sharing the same track. Danny, whose manic delivery and dark humor have made albums like XXX and Atrocity Exhibition modern classics, sounds perfectly at home amid the disorder. The two artists bring out each other’s strangest instincts, and the results are frequently hilarious, occasionally disorienting, and consistently unpredictable.

The opening title track establishes the album’s anything-goes approach, with Peggy’s fractured production giving Danny room to fire off outrageous punchlines and technical displays. “Lean Beef Patty” is a thrilling collision of distorted samples and rapid-fire exchanges, while “Garbage Pale Kids” pushes the noise into almost cartoonish extremes. “Kingdom Hearts Key” offers a different kind of intensity, its restless beat underpinning the duo’s absurdist wordplay. Even when the production threatens to swallow the vocals, that overload becomes part of the appeal: this music is designed to keep the listener off balance.

Beneath the sonic mayhem, both rappers remain remarkably sharp. Danny shifts between vulgar comedy, self-deprecation, and more unsettling observations, while Peggy’s verses are packed with the abrasive humor and provocation that define his work. SCARING THE HOES is deliberately excessive, but rarely aimless. Its best moments emerge from the friction between two distinct creative personalities, each daring the other to go further into the unknown. One of the most exhilarating and original Hip Hop albums of the decade.

12. Mach-Hommy - #RICHAXXHAITIAN (2024)

Mach-Hommy has always kept his audience at a distance, burying intricate wordplay and personal history beneath layers of abstraction. On #RICHAXXHAITIAN, he brings Haitian identity and history closer to the surface without sacrificing the mystery that makes his music so compelling. Following H.B.O. and Pray For Haiti, this 17-track release ranks among his strongest work, balancing cryptic lyricism with a broader musical palette. Mach moves between English, French, and Haitian Creole, shifting effortlessly between street-level detail, cultural pride, and reflections on Haiti’s political and social realities.

The production is exceptional throughout. Quelle Chris and Georgia Anne Muldrow supply soulful, jazz-inflected grooves, while Conductor Williams and August Fanon bring darker, more disorienting textures. Reggae influences and unexpected instrumental turns give the album a distinct character within Mach’s catalog. His deliberate, unhurried delivery sits comfortably over these varied backdrops, each verse revealing more with repeated listens. Black Thought brings formidable lyrical precision to his appearance, Roc Marciano adds his own understated menace, and Drea D’Nur contributes a welcome vocal presence.

Tracks like “COPY COLD” and “HOLY ____” reveal Mach’s knack for combining memorable refrains with densely layered writing. The album’s second half is particularly rewarding, as the arrangements become increasingly adventurous while the central themes come into sharper focus. Some of the references and linguistic shifts remain deliberately elusive, and that won’t appeal to everyone. But Mach’s opacity has always been part of his artistic language.

#RICHAXXHAITIAN finds him expanding that language without losing his identity. The production is rich, the writing demands attention, and the exploration of Haitian heritage gives the album a personal center. Another major achievement from one of underground Hip Hop’s most singular artists.

13. billy woods & Kenny Segal - Maps (2023)

ELUCID once posed a question about his Armand Hammer partner: why is every billy woods album his best one? Maps offers another compelling answer. Reuniting with producer Kenny Segal for their first full collaboration since Hiding Places (2019), woods delivers an album built around life on the road, exploring the strange mix of freedom, exhaustion, alienation, and fleeting connection that comes with constant touring. His observations move between sharp humor, personal reflection, and surreal imagery, turning the everyday details of travel into something much larger.

Segal provides an ideal backdrop, drawing on dusty boom-bap, jazz, and more abrasive experimental textures. Deep basslines and hard drums anchor the production, while shifting arrangements keep the music unpredictable. On “Soft Landing,” Danny Brown brings his trademark manic energy, while “Babylon by Bus” and “FaceTime” find woods examining the distance between life onstage and the world left behind. A varied guest list, including ELUCID, Aesop Rock, Quelle Chris, and ShrapKnel, adds color without distracting from the central partnership.

Following Hiding Places was always going to be a challenge, but woods and Segal wisely avoid trying to recreate its claustrophobic intensity. Maps has a wider perspective and a different emotional register, with Segal’s production giving woods room to roam. Over a decade after History Will Absolve Me, woods remains one of underground Hip Hop’s most consistently inventive writers. This is another exceptional entry in a catalog with remarkably few weak spots.

14. Common & Pete Rock - The Auditorium Vol. 1 (2024)

Common and Pete Rock have spent decades shaping different sides of Hip Hop, making their first full-length collaboration a particularly exciting prospect. On The Auditorium Vol. 1, the Chicago MC and Mount Vernon producer find an immediate connection, pairing Common’s thoughtful writing and relaxed delivery with Pete Rock’s soulful samples, crisp drums, and deft scratches. The result is an album steeped in the traditions of ’90s East Coast Hip Hop, made by two veterans who understand that great songwriting and great beats never go out of style.

“Dreamin'” sets the tone with vivid reflections on Black history and identity, while “Wise Up” flips elements of MC Shan’s “The Bridge” into a wonderfully textured backdrop for Common’s observations. “Fortunate” and “Stellar” are other highlights, combining warm instrumentation with reflections on gratitude, ambition, and personal growth. Pete Rock varies the palette without losing the album’s cohesion, drawing on jazz and funk while keeping the drums firmly rooted in boom-bap. Jennifer Hudson brings a soulful vocal performance to “A God (There Is),” while Posdnuos joins Common on the aptly titled “When the Sun Shines Again.”

Common remains a compelling writer, balancing social commentary with personal reflection and an easy, conversational flow. Pete Rock gives him exactly the right musical setting, and their shared sensibility carries the album from beginning to end. The Auditorium Vol. 1 honors the Hip Hop traditions that shaped these artists while sounding entirely at home in the present. A superb collaboration between two masters of their craft.

15. Nas & DJ Premier - Light-Years (2025)

The prospect of a full Nas and DJ Premier album has been tantalizing Hip Hop fans for decades. Light-Years, the closing chapter of Nas and Mass Appeal’s Legend Has It series, finally brings the two New York legends together for a project that respects their history without getting trapped in it. Premier supplies the kind of stripped-back production that made his name: hard drums, dusty samples, rugged basslines, and sparse arrangements that leave plenty of room for Nas to work his magic.

The contrast with Nas’s six-album run alongside Hit-Boy is striking. Where those records often favored polished, expansive production, Light-Years embraces a rougher, more intimate sound. “My Life Is Real” opens with understated piano and reflections on mortality and survival, while “GiT Ready” brings a funkier edge. “N.Y. State of Mind Pt. 3” revisits one of Nas’s defining titles without relying on a simple retread, using a Billy Joel sample to frame another portrait of a city in constant flux. “Madman,” “Pause Tapes,” and “Writers” find him looking back at Hip Hop’s history and the neighborhoods that shaped it.

Nas also turns inward on “Sons (Young Kings),” reflecting on fatherhood, while “Bouquet (To the Ladies)” offers a different perspective. The reunion with AZ on “My Story Your Story” is a particular highlight, the two veterans trading reflections with the ease of longtime collaborators.

Not every track reaches the heights of their individual classics, but the album’s consistency and musical focus make it a rewarding listen. Premier’s understated beats give Nas room to reflect on legacy, aging, and survival without resorting to empty nostalgia. Light-Years is a long-awaited collaboration that proves these two masters still have plenty to say together.

16. Marlowe – Marlowe 2 (2020)

L’Orange and Solemn Brigham returned as Marlowe in 2020 with a sequel that matches the quality of their excellent, overlooked debut. The Seattle producer’s dusty, psychedelic boom-bap remains the project’s defining feature, built from obscure samples, warped textures, and chopped-up fragments that give the music an eerie, almost cinematic character. Brigham is an inspired match for these off-kilter beats, bringing an unpredictable flow and unusual vocal cadence that make his verses instantly recognizable.

The rapper’s writing has sharpened since the first Marlowe. His intricate rhyme patterns and tightly packed bars reward close listening, while his restless delivery gives the songs a sense of movement that contrasts with the murky loops beneath him. L’Orange knows how to leave space for Brigham without sanding down the production’s stranger edges, and the two have developed a creative partnership that sounds increasingly assured. The music draws from familiar boom-bap foundations, but its warped samples and unusual rhythmic choices steer it away from conventional revivalism.

Marlowe 2 isn’t an immediate, easy listen. The production can be disorienting, and Brigham’s unconventional approach may take some getting used to. Give the album time, though, and its many details begin to reveal themselves. The beats grow more distinctive with each listen, and Brigham’s technical ability becomes increasingly apparent beneath his eccentric delivery. A worthy successor to the first Marlowe, this is one of the strongest underground Hip Hop releases of 2020.

17. Armand Hammer & The Alchemist – Haram (2021)

Could The Alchemist‘s soulful, sample-driven production complement the oblique lyricism of Armand Hammer without diluting its edge? Haram answers that question emphatically. For the first time, billy woods and ELUCID built an entire album around a single producer, and the result ranks among the finest work from all three artists. The Alchemist brings a warmer, more immediately inviting sound than some of the duo’s previous collaborators, but his loops conceal plenty of menace. Beneath the dusty soul samples and languid grooves lurk unsettling textures and ominous details that suit the rappers’ disquieting observations.

The album’s title, an Arabic term for what is forbidden, provides a loose thematic thread for woods and ELUCID’s explorations of violence, power, desire, and moral contradiction. Their dense, allusive writing rarely offers easy answers, instead filling verses with vivid images and unexpected connections that reward repeated listens. Earl Sweatshirt is a natural fit on “Falling Out the Sky,” matching the duo’s introspective mood with his own elliptical style. “Chicharonnes” is especially grim, its chilling production framing reflections on police violence and racial injustice, while “Stonefruit” closes the album with a remarkable final verse from woods. “Wishing Bad” is another standout.

Guest appearances from Quelle Chris, Curly Castro, Amani, and others add variety, but the chemistry between the core trio remains the main attraction. The Alchemist’s work here is among his finest, balancing warmth and unease with extraordinary precision. Every track contributes to the album’s distinctive atmosphere, and even the grotesque cover art captures its confrontational spirit. Haram is a masterpiece of experimental underground Hip Hop, and a serious contender for Armand Hammer’s best album.

18. Navy Blue - The Sword & The Soaring (2025)

Navy Blue has built his catalog around introspection, spirituality, and the difficult work of making peace with the past. On The Sword & The Soaring, the Los Angeles-born, New York-based rapper and producer brings those concerns into especially sharp focus, delivering sixteen tracks that balance grief, gratitude, family, and personal accountability. Following Àdá Irin, Song of Sage: Post Panic! and Memoirs in Armour, this is another step forward for an artist whose understated approach rewards patience.

The production is warm and restrained, built around dusty soul samples, delicate piano, and understated percussion. Child Actor’s work on “Orchards” provides a particularly beautiful setting for Navy’s reflections, while “The Bloodletter” establishes the album’s measured pace from the outset. Tracks like “Sunlight of the Spirit,” “God’s Kingdom,” and “If Only…” turn inward, addressing spiritual discipline, family ties, and reconciliation without leaning on easy declarations or exaggerated emotion. Navy’s deliberate delivery gives his words room to breathe, and the simplicity of the arrangements keeps the focus on the writing.

The final stretch maintains that intimate atmosphere. “Soul Investments” and “Sharing Life” bring warmth and a sense of continuity, while “24 Gospel” pairs Navy with Earl Sweatshirt over an Animoss production that suits both rappers’ reflective styles. Rather than competing for attention, their contrasting voices complement each other naturally. “The Phoenix” closes the album with quiet acceptance, bringing its themes of struggle and renewal into focus without overstating the conclusion.

The Sword & The Soaring is cohesive without becoming monotonous, its subtle shifts in mood giving the songs room to develop. Navy Blue continues to refine a distinctive form of introspective underground Hip Hop, and this is among his most accomplished releases to date.

19. JPEGMAFIA - I LAY DOWN MY LIFE FOR YOU (2024)

JPEGMAFIA has never been interested in staying in one lane. From the abrasive experimentation of Veteran to the warped pop sensibilities of All My Heroes Are Cornballs and the gleeful chaos of SCARING THE HOES with Danny Brown, his catalog thrives on unpredictability. I LAY DOWN MY LIFE FOR YOU pushes that restless approach into new territory, pairing Peggy’s trademark aggression with a surprising amount of introspection and a broader palette of live instrumentation.

The opening “i scream this in the mirror before i interact with anyone” sets an antagonistic tone, but the album’s musical range quickly becomes apparent. Glitchy electronics, heavy guitar riffs, Brazilian funk rhythms, and unexpected samples collide throughout. “it’s dark and hell is hot” and “vulgar display of power” draw on the spirit of DMX and Pantera, while “Exmilitary” moves between acoustic grooves and punishing riffs, creating an uneasy tension that suits Peggy’s confrontational delivery. His production is dense and unpredictable, but the stylistic collisions generally serve the songs rather than becoming an end in themselves.

The album’s second half reveals a more vulnerable side. “either on or off the drugs” addresses depression and substance use with unusual candor, while “loop it or leave it” and “Don’t Put Anything On The Bible” offer more spacious, melodic arrangements. Vince Staples brings a sharp perspective to “New Black History,” which takes aim at cultural commodification, and Denzel Curry matches Peggy’s intensity on “JPEGULTRA!”

Lyrically, Peggy moves between industry criticism, political provocation, personal turmoil, and outrageous boasts, rarely staying with one subject for long. That volatility is part of the appeal. I LAY DOWN MY LIFE FOR YOU finds JPEGMAFIA expanding his musical vocabulary without losing the abrasive personality that sets him apart. A bold, frequently exhilarating album that ranks among his strongest work.

20. Aesop Rock - Integrated Tech Solutions (2023)

Aesop Rock has spent decades turning his obsessions into intricate lyrical worlds, and Integrated Tech Solutions finds him applying that imagination to technology, corporate culture, and the absurdities of modern life. The album’s fictional business premise gives him plenty of material to work with, from the hollow promises of consumer technology to the strange ways people adapt their lives around it. As usual, Aesop’s writing is densely packed with unexpected details and peculiar turns of phrase, but there’s a playful streak here that makes this one of his funniest releases.

The production draws on industrial electronics, robotic rhythms, and live instrumentation, giving the album a harder, more mechanical character without sacrificing Aesop’s knack for memorable melodies. He handles most of the beats himself, and the music provides an effective counterpoint to his elaborate verses. “Aggressive Steven” is a standout, turning an eccentric character study into an increasingly absurd narrative, while “Vititus” finds Aesop mining everyday frustrations for surreal comedy. “Living Curfew,” “Kyanite Toothpick,” and “Black Snow” expand the album’s palette with contributions from billy woods, Rob Sonic, Hanni El Khatib, Lealani, and Nikki Jean.

Longtime listeners will recognize elements of the sound that made Labor Days and the Def Jux era so distinctive, though the writing here is less concerned with demonstrating technical virtuosity for its own sake. Aesop remains a formidable rapper, but his attention to character, observation, and humor gives the material a different kind of momentum.

Integrated Tech Solutions is an unusually cohesive entry in an extensive catalog, with a clear concept that leaves room for Aesop’s eccentric personality to roam. Smart, strange, and frequently hilarious, it’s another outstanding album from one of underground Hip Hop’s most distinctive writers and producers.

21. Blockhead - The Aux (2023)

Blockhead has always had a knack for finding the right rapper for the right beat, and The Aux turns that talent into a full-length celebration of underground Hip Hop’s creative range. Released during a particularly strong period for Backwoodz Studioz, the album brings together artists from different generations and corners of the scene, with Blockhead’s production giving the sprawling cast a common musical ground. Following his collaboration with Aesop Rock on Garbology (2021), the veteran producer delivers one of the strongest beat-driven projects of his career.

The opening “AAU Tournaments,” pairing billy woods with Navy Blue, establishes the album’s jazz-inflected character. From there, Blockhead moves effortlessly between styles. Quelle Chris rides the loose, whistle-laced groove of “The Cella Dwellers Knew,” while Aesop Rock takes a more direct approach on the brass-heavy “Mississippi.” “Mastering How To Land,” featuring The Koreatown Oddity and Open Mike Eagle, leans into grimy guitar and organ textures, while “Give Thanks” pairs ELUCID and woods over a deceptively spare beat. Elsewhere, Bruiser Wolf’s distinctive delivery gives “Papi Seeds” a character of its own, and AKAI SOLO attacks the unusual rhythms of “God Is Busy.”

The guest list gets increasingly unpredictable as the album unfolds. Casual and Breezly Brewin bring veteran chemistry to “Hater P*rn,” while RXK Nephew surprises on the spacey “Pink Lemonade.” The closing posse cut, “Now That’s What I Call a Posse Cut Vol. 56,” gathers Bruiser Wolf, Danny Brown, billy woods, and Despot over a laid-back instrumental, ending the album with a fitting display of lyrical personality.

With so many voices in play, The Aux could easily have become a scattered collection of unrelated tracks. Blockhead’s varied but distinctive production keeps everything connected, and the guest performances rarely disappoint. A superb producer album and arguably the finest work of his career.

22. Ka - The Thief Next To Jesus (2024)

Ka’s The Thief Next to Jesus explores faith, morality, poverty, and survival with the precision and restraint that defined his remarkable catalog. Across his ninth solo album, the Brooklyn MC examines the distance between religious ideals and the compromises people make to survive, drawing on gospel and blues to deepen the music’s spiritual dimensions. As always, Ka wastes no words. His verses are dense with hard-earned observations, moral contradictions, and images that reveal more with each listen, while the sparse production gives every line room to land.

“Bread, Wine, Body, Blood” establishes the album’s solemn mood, warning against becoming an instrument of harm. “Beautiful” turns toward the hope of a long, peaceful life, its soulful warmth providing a rare moment of ease. On “Tested Testimony,” a haunting loop without drums leaves Ka alone with his reflections on the decisions that shaped him. “Collection Plate” addresses economic hardship over a gospel-tinged backdrop, while “Broken Rose Window” draws on the blues to examine suffering and perseverance. The closing pair, “Hymn & I” and “True Holy Water,” brings the album’s questions of faith and human frailty into focus without offering easy answers.

Throughout his career, Ka built a singular body of work, from Grief Pedigree and Honor Killed the Samurai to Descendants of Cain and A Martyr’s Reward. His final album belongs among his finest achievements, with its spiritual concerns giving fresh dimension to the street-level realism that runs through his writing. Ka died on October 12, 2024, only months after its release. The Thief Next to Jesus now carries the added weight of a final statement from one of underground Hip Hop’s greatest writers, a deeply considered work that rewards the patience and attention it asks of us.

23. billy woods - Aethiopes (2022)

On Aethiopes, billy woods and producer Preservation create a world of historical ghosts, political violence, cultural memory, and personal dislocation. Preservation had already supplied standout beats for woods’ Terror Management and worked with him on Eastern Medicine, Western Illness, but this full-length collaboration gives their partnership room to develop its own distinct character. His production is dense, eerie, and full of unexpected details, drawing on unusual samples and unsettling textures that suit woods’ oblique, often disquieting writing.

woods is at the height of his powers here. His verses move between historical references, street-level observations, and fragmented scenes, connecting ideas in ways that rarely reveal themselves on a first listen. The writing demands attention, but the rewards are considerable. Like Ka, woods has a gift for compressing entire worlds of meaning into a few carefully chosen lines. He leaves gaps for the listener to navigate, trusting that ambiguity can be as revealing as a direct statement.

The guest list is impressive, with ELUCID, Boldy James, Quelle Chris, Denmark Vessey, Breeze Brewin, and EL-P each adding a distinct presence. Still, the album belongs firmly to woods and Preservation. The instrumental transitions and sequencing give the thirteen tracks a remarkable sense of continuity, carrying the listener through shifting moods without disrupting the album’s dark, unsettled atmosphere.

There isn’t a weak track here. Aethiopes demands repeated listens, and its meaning remains deliberately elusive, but that complexity is central to its appeal. Preservation’s extraordinary production and woods’ formidable writing combine for one of the finest albums in either artist’s catalog, and one of the decade’s defining underground Hip Hop releases.

24. Apollo Brown & Che’ Noir – As God Intended (2020)

Apollo Brown has a remarkable track record when it comes to producer-MC collaborations, from Trophies with O.C. to The Easy Truth with Skyzoo and Sincerely, Detroit. His soulful samples, hard drums, and rugged boom-bap provide an ideal foundation for rappers who know how to make the most of his beats. On As God Intended, Buffalo MC Che’ Noir proves to be another perfect match, delivering a full-length debut that ranks among Brown’s finest collaborative projects.

Che’ Noir has the voice, diction, technical skill, and personality to command attention from the opening track. Her writing moves between personal history, street-level observations, and sharp commentary on social realities, delivered with the conviction of an artist who knows exactly what she wants to say. “Daddy’s Girl” is a particularly affecting account of growing up without a stable father figure, while “’94” traces the Hip Hop influences that shaped her. On “Follow The Money,” Skyzoo joins her over Brown’s soulful flip of Scarface’s “My Block,” and “Money Orientated” cleverly incorporates a memorable passage from AZ’s verse on Nas’ “Life’s a Bitch.”

The guest list also includes Black Thought, Planet Asia, Ty Farris, and Blakk Soul. Black Thought delivers a standout verse on “Hustle Don’t Give,” but the guests never distract from Che’ Noir’s performance. Across fourteen tracks, Brown keeps the production consistent without letting the beats blur together, and the chemistry between producer and MC remains strong throughout.

As God Intended announced Che’ Noir as a major talent in underground Hip Hop. Brown gives her exactly the right musical setting, and she responds with commanding performances and thoughtful writing. A superb collaboration that belongs alongside the producer’s best work.

25. Ka - A Martyr's Reward (2021)

Following Descendants of Cain, one of the strongest Hip Hop albums of 2020, Ka returned with another deeply introspective work. A Martyr’s Reward continues a remarkable run that includes The Night’s Gambit and Honor Killed the Samurai, drawing on the Brownsville MC and producer’s gift for turning difficult truths into tightly constructed poetry. His writing is as intricate as ever, full of internal rhymes, layered metaphors, and stark images that reveal new meanings with repeated listens.

This time, Ka turns the focus particularly close to home. Personal history, sacrifice, loyalty, and the consequences of a life shaped by difficult choices run through the album, giving his reflections an intimate quality. He rarely spells everything out. Instead, he presents fragments of memory and hard-earned observations, leaving listeners to connect the pieces. His hushed, gravelly delivery adds to the sense of someone weighing every word before letting it go.

The production is characteristically restrained. Sparse percussion, muted samples, and brooding instrumental passages create a somber atmosphere without competing with the writing. Ka understands how little a beat needs when the words carry this much weight. The arrangements give his measured flow space to breathe, while subtle musical details gradually emerge over repeated plays.

Ka’s approach demands patience, and listeners looking for immediate hooks or conventional song structures may struggle to connect. For those drawn to atmospheric production and densely layered lyricism, however, A Martyr’s Reward offers plenty to explore. Personal, quietly devastating, and crafted with extraordinary care, it belongs among the finest entries in an exceptional catalog.

26. Boldy James & The Alchemist - Bo Jackson (2021)

Boldy James and The Alchemist had already struck gold with The Price of Tea in China in 2020, but their third full-length collaboration might be the strongest of their partnership. Following their earlier My 1st Chemistry Set, Bo Jackson finds the Detroit MC and the veteran producer working with remarkable precision. Boldy’s measured, deadpan delivery suits Alchemist’s murky loops and understated drums, giving his detailed street narratives an almost cinematic quality. His writing is economical, but the stories are vivid, full of paranoia, hard choices, and the everyday calculations of survival.

The Alchemist’s production is exceptional throughout. The haunting boom-bap of opener “Double Hockey Sticks” establishes the mood immediately, while “Brickmile to Montana,” “E.P.M.D.,” and “Illegal Search & Seizure” find different ways to build tension from carefully chosen samples and rugged percussion. “Photographic Memories,” featuring Earl Sweatshirt, shifts into more reflective territory, with Earl’s introspective style complementing Boldy’s restrained storytelling. Other guests, including Benny the Butcher, Roc Marciano, Stove God Cooks, Curren$y, and Freddie Gibbs, fit naturally into the album’s shadowy world without disrupting its atmosphere.

The real strength of Bo Jackson is its consistency. “First 48 Freestyle,” “Fake Flowers,” and “3rd Person” are further highlights on a tracklist with remarkably few dips in quality. Alchemist gives Boldy the ideal setting for his clipped, detail-heavy narratives, while Boldy brings enough personality and precision to make every beat count.

After a prolific 2020 that included The Price of Tea in China and Manger on McNichols, Boldy James continued his extraordinary run here. Bo Jackson is grimy, controlled, and richly detailed, another outstanding collaboration from two artists whose creative chemistry seems almost effortless.

27. Marlowe - Marlowe 3 (2022)

Some producer-MC partnerships work because the two artists share a familiar musical language. Marlowe thrive on something stranger. Producer L’Orange builds dusty, psychedelic beats from obscure samples, warped melodies, and chopped-up fragments, while Solemn Brigham attacks them with a restless, unpredictable flow that seems to twist around every change in rhythm. Their styles shouldn’t necessarily fit together this naturally, but three albums in, the chemistry remains extraordinary.

Marlowe (2018) was one of the most overlooked Hip Hop albums of its year, and Marlowe 2 ranked among our favorites of 2020. The third installment maintains that standard without relying on a simple repeat of the formula. L’Orange’s production is still the main attraction, full of odd musical details and murky textures that reveal themselves gradually. Brigham, meanwhile, has developed into one of underground rap’s most distinctive voices. His cadence can sound jagged and unpredictable, but there’s real technical control beneath the eccentric delivery, along with a personality that keeps the songs from becoming exercises in style.

The appeal of Marlowe lies in the tension between the two. L’Orange’s beats are carefully assembled but often disorienting, while Brigham sounds as if he’s constantly finding new ways to move through them. Neither artist needs to smooth out their quirks to meet the other halfway.

Alongside Run The Jewels, Marlowe have made a strong case for the producer-MC series as one of contemporary Hip Hop’s most rewarding formats. Marlowe 3 extends an exceptional run, delivering another distinctive dose of left-field boom-bap from a duo that has carved out a sound entirely its own.

28. Roc Marciano & The Alchemist - The Elephant Man's Bones (2022)

Roc Marciano helped lay the groundwork for a whole strain of underground Hip Hop when Marcberg arrived in 2010, pairing mafioso rap’s intricate criminal narratives with murky, stripped-back production. A decade later, his influence is all over the work of Griselda and countless artists who followed his lead. On The Elephant Man’s Bones, Roc joins forces with The Alchemist for a full album that sounds like the culmination of years spent refining this particular art.

Alchemist’s production is the perfect match for Roc’s sly, intricately layered writing. He moves between drumless passages and hard, knocking beats, building a hazy, cinematic atmosphere from soulful fragments, eerie samples, and bass-heavy loops. The music has a luxurious quality, but there’s always something sinister lurking beneath the surface. Roc glides through it all with his familiar unhurried delivery, packing his verses with elaborate wordplay, obscure references, and casually delivered threats. He makes criminal life sound like a private world with its own codes and rituals.

The guest appearances add welcome variations in tone. Boldy James is a natural fit for the album’s cold-blooded atmosphere, while Knowledge the Pirate brings a compelling presence to his contributions. Action Bronson adds personality, and Ice-T’s brief storytelling interludes on “The Horns of Abraxas” bring a touch of old-school menace without interrupting the album’s flow.

Across fourteen tracks, Roc and Alchemist maintain a remarkably consistent mood without letting the music become interchangeable. The production is rich enough to reward close listening, and Roc’s verses reveal new details with each return. The Elephant Man’s Bones ranks among Roc Marciano’s finest albums and another major achievement in The Alchemist’s extraordinary run. A modern street-rap classic, made by two artists who understand exactly how much atmosphere a great record needs.

29. Skyzoo - Keep Me Company (2024)

Skyzoo has spent his career making detailed storytelling and intricate lyricism look effortless. On Keep Me Company, the Brooklyn MC turns inward, reflecting on family, responsibility, memory, and the passage of time over a warm, jazz-inflected backdrop. There’s no attempt to chase contemporary trends or manufacture a grand artistic reinvention. Skyzoo sounds like a veteran who knows his strengths and has plenty left to say, with the patience to let his stories unfold at their own pace.

“Community Service” opens with swirling horns and a steady groove, setting up an album concerned with the ties that hold communities together. “Finder’s Keepers” and “Home Away From Home” pair lush instrumentation with observations about ambition, belonging, and the places that shape us. Skyzoo’s conversational delivery can make even intricate rhyme schemes sound like natural speech, a quality that serves his writing particularly well here. On “Drug Free School Zone,” the production strips back to put his reflections on survival and responsibility front and center. Chuck D’s appearance on “Courtesy Call” adds a commanding voice to the album’s meditations on choices and consequences.

There are lighter touches, too. “Record Store Day” turns vinyl culture into an engaging story about nostalgia and fleeting connections, while “Sleeping Beauty” and “Wins of the Father” offer more personal glimpses into Skyzoo’s family life. The eight-minute closer, “Jazz in the Projects,” brings the album’s concerns together through vivid scenes of struggle, growth, and hard-earned perspective.

Keep Me Company succeeds through its specificity. Skyzoo finds meaning in ordinary encounters and personal memories, while the jazz-heavy production gives his stories a lived-in warmth. A thoughtful, beautifully crafted album from one of underground Hip Hop’s most dependable storytellers.

30. Armand Hammer - Mercy (2025)

Armand Hammer and The Alchemist reunited for Mercy, their second full-length collaboration after Haram (2021). Where their first album together favored abrasive samples and unpredictable arrangements, this one takes a more economical approach. The Alchemist builds tracks around carefully selected loops, understated percussion, and unusual melodic details, giving billy woods and Elucid plenty of room to develop their intricate verses. Compared to the restless experimentation of We Buy Diabetic Test Strips, Mercy is a tighter, more deliberate record.

“Laraaji” opens with faint guitar and slow drums, introducing the contrasting approaches that make Armand Hammer such a compelling partnership. woods delivers fragmented narratives packed with historical references and pointed observations, while Elucid moves through his verses with a looser, more unpredictable cadence. “Nil by Mouth” examines moral decay and desensitization, and the heavy percussion on “Scandinavia” gives the duo a particularly forceful backdrop. Cleo Reed’s gospel-inflected vocals on “Calypso Gene” provide a striking change of pace, bringing a soulful dimension to the album’s recurring questions about faith and survival.

Earl Sweatshirt and Pink Siifu make valuable contributions, while tracks such as “California Games” and “Crisis Phone” demonstrate The Alchemist’s range, moving from flute-driven arrangements to minimal, sample-based compositions. The closing “Super Nintendo” uses a nostalgic synth figure as the foundation for another densely written exchange.

What makes Mercy particularly rewarding is the interaction between its three principal artists. The Alchemist knows when to introduce an unexpected musical element and when to leave a loop alone, while woods and Elucid approach similar subjects from distinctly different angles. Their writing is full of connections that become apparent only after repeated listens. Another excellent Armand Hammer album, and a worthy successor to Haram.

31. Apollo Brown & Planet Asia - Sardines (2023)

Six years after Anchovies, Apollo Brown and Planet Asia returned with Sardines, another excellent collaboration built around the fundamentals of sample-based Hip Hop. Brown’s production is stripped down but full of character, pairing thick basslines and crisp drums with carefully selected soul and jazz samples. Planet Asia sounds completely at home over these beats, delivering his usual combination of intricate rhymes, street wisdom, humor, and casually dismissive boasts.

The chemistry was already firmly established on Anchovies, but Sardines arguably improves on that album. Brown introduces more jazz influences into his familiar soul-heavy production, giving the music a slightly different character without abandoning the minimalist approach that made their first collaboration so effective. Planet Asia responds with commanding performances throughout, his relaxed confidence and unpredictable wordplay keeping even the simplest arrangements interesting.

“Get the Dough,” “Wide Awake,” and “Peas and Onions” are among the highlights, each demonstrating how much these two can accomplish with a well-chosen loop and a rapper who knows exactly what to do with it. Guest appearances from Sick Jacken, TriState, Marv Won, and Ty Farris bring additional personality, fitting comfortably into the album’s traditional boom-bap framework.

At a little over 45 minutes, Sardines also benefits from being conceived as a proper full-length album. The sequencing works, the production maintains a consistent identity, and Planet Asia never runs short of interesting things to say. There are no concessions to current trends, and none are needed. Two underground veterans doing what they do best, with enough imagination and attention to detail to make Sardines one of the strongest boom-bap albums of 2023.

32. Larry June & The Alchemist - The Great Escape (2023)

Larry June’s laid-back delivery and The Alchemist’s sample-driven production turn out to be an inspired combination on The Great Escape. The San Francisco rapper had already built an impressive catalog of independent releases, but this collaboration brought out something extra in his music. Alchemist supplies a luxurious collection of soulful loops, warm basslines, and crisp drums, perfectly suited to June’s conversational flow and unhurried observations about money, business, relationships, and everyday life.

June has never been a rapper who relies on elaborate rhyme schemes or aggressive delivery. His appeal lies in his personality, easy confidence, and ability to make ordinary details entertaining. Alchemist understands this, providing beats that complement his understated approach without demanding a change in style. The production draws heavily on vintage soul, with occasional jazz influences and subtle instrumental flourishes that give each track its own identity.

The extensive guest list includes Action Bronson, Boldy James, Evidence, Curren$y, Joey Bada$$, Big Sean, Slum Village, Wiz Khalifa, Jay Worthy, and Ty Dolla $ign. Their different approaches introduce welcome variety, while June remains the album’s unmistakable center of attention.

Fifteen tracks across 45 minutes, with no unnecessary skits or filler, make The Great Escape an unusually satisfying front-to-back listen. The sequencing is excellent, the cover art perfectly captures the record’s relaxed sophistication, and the chemistry between rapper and producer never falters. Arguably Larry June’s finest album, and another outstanding addition to The Alchemist’s extensive catalog of collaborations.

33. Saba & No I.D. - From The Private Collection Of Saba And No I.D. (2025)

Chicago Hip Hop connects two generations on From The Private Collection Of Saba And No I.D., a collaboration years in the making. No I.D., whose production helped shape the city’s rap identity during the 1990s, brings his considerable experience to a partnership with one of Chicago’s most accomplished contemporary MCs. What began as a mixtape gradually developed into a full-length album, and the extended creative process pays off. No I.D.’s soul, jazz, and funk influences provide an excellent foundation for Saba’s agile flows, detailed storytelling, and thoughtful lyricism.

“Every Painting Has A Price” finds Saba examining personal memories over intricately layered samples, while “head.rap” turns the seemingly simple subject of hairstyles into an engaging reflection on identity and self-expression. His conversational delivery allows him to move between playful observations and serious subjects without forcing the transitions. No I.D. matches that versatility with production that draws on classic Hip Hop traditions while introducing plenty of unexpected rhythmic and melodic touches.

The guests are well chosen. Raphael Saadiq and Kelly Rowland bring soulful vocals to “Crash,” while Ibeyi adds a distinctive presence to “Reciprocity.” Frsh Waters and Smino contribute to the album’s collaborative character. Elsewhere, the jagged guitar sample on “Stomping” provides a welcome change in musical direction, and “30secchop” and “How To Impress God” give Saba room to explore weightier subjects.

The strongest quality of From The Private Collection is how naturally these two artists complement each other. No I.D.’s production is rich in musical detail, with inventive sample work and drums that give the songs plenty of movement. Saba navigates the arrangements with impressive technical control, bringing humor, vulnerability, and sharp observations to his verses. An excellent meeting of Chicago Hip Hop generations, with a veteran producer and a gifted younger MC bringing out the best in each other.

34. Danny Brown - Quaranta (2023)

Danny Brown has spent much of his career balancing outrageous humor, self-destructive behavior, and startlingly honest accounts of addiction and personal turmoil. On Quaranta, he examines the consequences with a clarity rarely heard in his earlier work. Conceived as a spiritual successor to his 2011 breakthrough XXX, the album finds Brown approaching middle age with plenty of regrets, hard-earned perspective, and a growing desire to leave his destructive habits behind.

His famously abrasive, high-pitched delivery still makes appearances, particularly on the frantic “Dark Sword Angel” and the industrial chaos of “Tantor,” but much of Quaranta features Brown rapping in his lower, conversational register. The title track opens with guitar-driven production and reflections on his troubled past, while “Down Wit It” offers one of his most vulnerable performances, examining a deteriorating relationship with painful honesty. “Celibate” pairs reflective writing with gentle piano, and “Hanami” closes the album on a contemplative note.

The production remains adventurous, moving between distorted electronics, unconventional rhythms, and surprisingly delicate arrangements. “Jenn’s Terrific Vacation” brings some of Brown’s familiar manic energy, while other tracks give his words considerably more breathing room. The contrast works because Brown has always been capable of serious, perceptive writing beneath the exaggerated vocal performances.

The second half occasionally loses some momentum, and listeners hoping for another Atrocity Exhibition may miss that album’s relentless intensity. Still, Quaranta offers something equally worthwhile: a remarkably gifted rapper confronting his own history without hiding behind the outrageous persona that made him famous. One of Brown’s most personal and revealing records, and another excellent addition to an exceptional discography.

35. Nas - King's Disease III (2022)

The King’s Disease series has been an uneven run, in part because Hit-Boy’s polished production and occasional pop-rap detours haven’t always suited Nas. The first installment had its share of awkward guest appearances, while King’s Disease II improved on the formula without entirely escaping the same problems. On King’s Disease III, Nas and Hit-Boy finally get everything in sync. With no guest rappers to interrupt the flow, the album gives one of Hip Hop’s greatest writers an uninterrupted 17-track run, and the result is the strongest entry in the trilogy.

Hit-Boy retains his clean, contemporary production style, but there’s more grit in the beats this time around. Soulful samples, hard drums, and touches of classic boom-bap give Nas a comfortable setting for his intricate rhyme schemes and vivid storytelling. “Ghetto Reporter,” “Thun,” and “Michael & Quincy” find him reflecting on longevity, success, and the lessons accumulated over decades in the game. “30” is a particularly effective moment of self-assessment, with Nas looking back on his career while making it clear he has no intention of slowing down.

“Hood2Hood” is a rare stumble, but the rest of the album maintains a strong level of quality. Nas sounds focused and hungry, shifting between street narratives, personal reflections, and confident displays of lyrical skill without relying on nostalgia to make his case.

By removing the guest features and tightening the musical partnership, King’s Disease III delivers the most cohesive album of the trilogy. It also ranks among Nas’s finest full-length releases since Life Is Good. Decades into his career, he remains sharp, relevant, and capable of matching his legacy with compelling new work.

36. McKinley Dixon - For My Mama And Anyone Who Look Like Her (2021)

Grief, inherited trauma, and the struggle to make sense of Black life run through McKinley Dixon’s For My Mama And Anyone Who Look Like Her, the Richmond rapper’s third album and the conclusion of a trilogy that began with Who Taught You To Hate Yourself? (2016). Dixon approaches these subjects through personal stories that connect individual pain to a broader historical experience, searching for ways to understand the past while making room for a different future. The writing is intimate and emotionally direct, with a poetic sensibility that never loses sight of the people behind the larger ideas.

Musically, Dixon draws from Hip Hop, jazz, and experimental music, using restless arrangements to match the intensity of his storytelling. “Chain Sooo Heavy” launches the album with frantic free-jazz instrumentation, creating an immediate sense of urgency. Elsewhere, shifting rhythms and layered instrumentation give his verses room to move between memory, anger, sorrow, and hard-won hope. The closing track, “Twist My Hair,” takes a more reflective approach, bringing the album to a moving conclusion without pretending that its underlying struggles have been resolved.

Listeners may hear echoes of Kendrick Lamar’s To Pimp A Butterfly or the intricate writing of Lupe Fiasco, but Dixon has his own perspective and a distinctive way of connecting personal experience with collective history. His delivery can be impassioned and densely packed, while the arrangements demand attention without reducing the songs to technical exercises.

For My Mama And Anyone Who Look Like Her is an ambitious, deeply felt work that treats grief as something to be examined, shared, and lived through. Dixon turns difficult questions about identity, history, and survival into compelling music. One of the most striking independent Hip Hop albums of 2021, and a major achievement from an artist with a singular voice.

37. Mobb Deep - Infinite (2025)

As the fourth installment in Nas and Mass Appeal’s Legend Has It series, Mobb Deep’s Infinite carries an emotional weight few posthumous Hip Hop albums can match. The first full-length from Havoc and Prodigy’s partnership since 2014, and the first released after Prodigy’s death in 2017, it brings together unreleased verses from the late Queensbridge MC with new production from Havoc and The Alchemist. The result honors Mobb Deep’s legacy without relying solely on nostalgia, reconnecting with the bleak street narratives and menacing beats that defined The Infamous and Hell on Earth.

Havoc remains in his element, building tracks around eerie piano figures, hard drums, and bass-heavy loops. The Alchemist contributes four productions that fit naturally into the album’s musical framework. “Against the World” opens with a tense instrumental as Prodigy and Havoc trade lines, while “Mr. Magik” and “Score Points” bring back the duo’s familiar mix of cold-blooded detail and understated menace.

The guest appearances add welcome variety. Nas appears three times, with “Pour the Henny” particularly affecting as he reflects on mortality and the passing of peers. Raekwon and Ghostface Killah bring their chemistry to “Clear Black Nights,” while Clipse provide a sharp contrast on “Look at Me.” Big Noyd adds a dose of Queensbridge authenticity to “The M. The O. The B. The B.”

Some hooks lack the force of the verses, and occasional production choices sound cleaner than Mobb Deep’s classic recordings. Still, the material has genuine substance. Prodigy’s distinctive delivery and cutting observations remain unmistakable, while Havoc approaches the project with a clear understanding of what made their partnership special.

Infinite cannot replace the classics, nor does it need to. It offers a dignified final chapter for one of East Coast Hip Hop’s defining groups, preserving Prodigy’s voice while giving Havoc room to carry their shared legacy forward.

38. Apollo Brown & Philmore Greene - Cost Of Living (2022)

Philmore Greene’s Cost Of Living opens with a question that hangs over the entire album: what does it take to survive in a world stacked against you? The Chicago MC has spent years turning his experiences into thoughtful street poetry, but this collaboration with Apollo Brown gives his writing a particularly compelling setting. Greene grew up on Chicago’s West Side, where violence and loss shaped his early life. Those experiences inform these songs without reducing them to tales of hardship. His writing also examines responsibility, faith, personal growth, and the complicated emotions that come with escaping circumstances others never survive.

Apollo Brown provides the ideal musical backdrop, drawing on tense strings, soulful samples, and hard-hitting drums. His production has a cinematic quality that suits Greene’s detailed storytelling, giving individual scenes room to develop. On “Paradise,” featuring Evidence, Greene paints a vivid portrait of Chicago, exposing the contradictions of a society where punishment and justice rarely seem to follow the same rules. “This Is Me” is even more personal, confronting inner turmoil and the lasting effects of painful experiences.

Greene’s measured flow and mature perspective make the album compelling from beginning to end. He avoids easy answers, acknowledging the damage done by his surroundings while holding on to the possibility of something better. Brown’s beats reinforce the emotional weight of the writing without overwhelming it.

Greene had already made an impression with Chicago: A Third World City, but Cost Of Living deserves to introduce him to a much wider audience. It also belongs among Apollo Brown’s finest collaborations, alongside Sincerely, Detroit and As God Intended. A deeply affecting portrait of survival and perseverance, and one of 2022’s strongest Hip Hop albums.

39. Ka - Descendants Of Cain (2020)

Ka had already established himself as one of underground Hip Hop’s most distinctive writers with The Night’s Gambit and Honor Killed The Samurai. On Descendants Of Cain, his first album under the Ka name since 2016, he builds another intricate body of work around biblical imagery, moral contradictions, and the realities of growing up in Brownsville, Brooklyn. The title and song names establish the religious framework, but Ka uses these references to examine human behavior, violence, loyalty, and the choices people make when survival takes precedence over virtue.

His writing is dense with metaphors, internal rhymes, and carefully chosen details. Biblical stories and street-level experience occupy the same verses, often revealing uncomfortable parallels between ancient moral conflicts and contemporary life. Ka rarely explains his meaning outright. Instead, he leaves connections for the listener to discover over repeated listens, giving the album considerable depth without sacrificing its emotional force.

Ka, Preservation, Animoss, and Roc Marciano handle the production with the same care as the writing. Sparse percussion, muted samples, and haunting melodic fragments create room for Ka’s hushed, gravelly delivery. Each instrumental contributes to the album’s identity without distracting from the lyrics, and the sequencing gives the project a natural progression despite its understated arrangements.

Ka’s music has always demanded patience and intellectual investment. His restrained delivery and minimalist beats offer little in the way of conventional hooks, but listeners willing to engage with his approach will find remarkable detail beneath the surface. Descendants Of Cain continues the extraordinary run that began with The Night’s Gambit and reached another peak on Honor Killed The Samurai. A hypnotic, meticulously constructed work from one of underground rap’s finest lyricists.

40. Sa-Roc - The Sharecropper's Daughter (2020)

Sa-Roc had spent years building an impressive catalog before signing with Rhymesayers, with Nebuchadnezzar (2014) among the highlights. The Sharecropper’s Daughter, her long-awaited label debut, finally gave the Washington, D.C.-born, Atlanta-based MC a larger platform. The album’s title draws on her father’s childhood working on a Virginia tobacco farm, connecting his experiences under Jim Crow segregation with her own upbringing amid the consequences of the War on Drugs. Sa-Roc explores how racial oppression, family history, and inherited trauma shape successive generations, while leaving room for resilience and self-determination.

Sol Messiah handles nearly all the production, delivering soulful, musically rich boom-bap that complements Sa-Roc’s commanding delivery and intricate writing. She moves effortlessly between tightly constructed rhyme schemes, forceful declarations, and melodic passages, demonstrating an impressive range without losing her lyrical focus. “Forever” champions self-worth, while “Deliverance,” produced by Evidence and co-produced by Al B Smoov, offers another compelling display of her technical skill.

The guest list is small but formidable. Styles P, Saul Williams, Ledisi, and Chronixx each bring something distinctive, while “The Black Renaissance” is the standout. Sa-Roc and Black Thought trade densely packed verses with remarkable precision, their final exchange providing one of the album’s most memorable moments.

Across 15 tracks, The Sharecropper’s Daughter maintains an impressive level of quality, balancing socially conscious writing with excellent musicianship and genuine emotional conviction. Sa-Roc had been deserving of wider recognition for years. This is the album that should have brought her to a much larger audience, and one of 2020’s finest releases.

41. Skyzoo - All The Brilliant Things (2021)

Skyzoo has built one of the most consistent catalogs in contemporary Hip Hop, and All The Brilliant Things gives us another strong argument for his place among the finest lyricists of his generation. From The Salvation and A Dream Deferred to The Easy Truth with Apollo Brown and Retropolitan with Pete Rock, the Brooklyn MC has repeatedly delivered thoughtful writing over production rooted in classic East Coast traditions. This album belongs comfortably alongside those high points, with a case for being one of his very best.

The music leans into elegant, jazz-inflected boom-bap, pairing warm instrumentation with crisp drums and arrangements that reward close listening. Skyzoo meets the production with the intricate rhyme schemes, vivid details, and measured delivery that have long distinguished his work. His writing moves between personal reflection, observations about the world around him, and the hard-earned perspective of an artist who has spent years refining his craft. There is no need for flashy gimmicks when the bars and beats are this strong.

A well-chosen roster of guests adds color without pulling attention away from the album’s central voice. BJ The Chicago Kid, Raheem DeVaughn, Blakk Soul, and Monica Blaire bring soulful vocals, while Ill Al Skratch and the Hypnotic Brass Ensemble add welcome variety to the arrangements. Karriem Riggins also contributes to the album’s rich musical character.

All The Brilliant Things is a carefully crafted record from an MC who understands the enduring appeal of great writing and great production. Skyzoo makes it look easy, delivering another excellent album that rewards listeners who value substance, musicianship, and lyrical precision.

42. JID - The Forever Story (2022)

Four years after DiCaprio 2, JID returned with The Forever Story, an album that builds on the promise of The Never Story while offering a deeper look at the Atlanta rapper’s family history and upbringing. The title and cover art connect it to his 2017 debut, but this is a more expansive work, with personal storytelling adding substance to the technical fireworks that have always distinguished his music.

JID’s greatest asset is his ability to change gears without losing control. He switches between rapid-fire rhyme patterns, intricate internal rhymes, melodic hooks, and more conversational passages, adapting his delivery to a constantly shifting musical backdrop. Trap-heavy bangers, neo-soul arrangements, and hard-edged boom-bap all find their place across the hour-long album. Despite contributions from a wide range of producers, the transitions rarely feel forced, and the variety keeps the record moving.

The personal material gives the technical displays added weight. JID reflects on his parents, his siblings, and the circumstances that shaped his early life, turning family history into some of the album’s most affecting writing. “Dance Now” balances philosophical reflections with an infectious groove, while “Crack Sandwich” recounts a family altercation with vivid detail and sharp humor. “Surround Sound” delivers immediate impact, and “Kody Blu 31” brings a soulful, gospel-inflected warmth to the album. Guest appearances from 21 Savage, Lil Wayne, Yasiin Bey, Ari Lennox, and EARTHGANG add distinct voices without overshadowing JID.

The Forever Story succeeds on technical skill, musical range, and personal perspective. JID can make intricate rapping sound effortless, but the album’s strongest moments come when that ability serves a story worth telling. His finest work to date, and one of 2022’s standout Hip Hop releases.

43. Blu & Exile - Miles (2020)

Thirteen years after Below The Heavens, Blu and Exile reunited for Miles, an expansive double album that draws on jazz history, personal memories, and the musical traditions that shaped them. Named after Miles Davis, the record contains numerous references to jazz greats and other influential artists, placing Blu’s reflections on his upbringing and life within a broader musical lineage. Their last full-length collaboration, Give Me My Flowers While I Can Still Smell Them (2012), never quite reached the heights of their debut. This time, the chemistry is much closer to its former peak.

Blu’s writing is the main attraction. At his best, he combines conversational storytelling with intricate rhymes, thoughtful social commentary, and a genuine sense of curiosity about the world around him. His performance here is remarkably consistent, moving between personal recollections and wider reflections on Black history, artistic influence, and everyday struggles. Exile provides a warm, jazz-informed backdrop, built around soulful samples, live instrumentation, and understated rhythms that leave room for Blu’s words.

Ninety-five minutes is a considerable commitment, but Miles sustains its appeal far better than most double albums. “When The Gods Meet,” “True & Livin’,” “Spread Sunshine,” and “The End” are among the highlights, while “Miles Davis” makes the album’s musical inspirations particularly explicit. A lengthy guest list, including Aloe Blacc, Fashawn, Miguel, Aceyalone, and members of the Dag Savage collective, brings welcome changes in voice and perspective without taking the focus away from the duo.

Miles may not surpass the extraordinary achievement of Below The Heavens, but it comes closer than many would have expected. Exile’s thoughtful production and Blu’s renewed lyrical focus make this a rich, rewarding return from one of independent Hip Hop’s most enduring partnerships.

44. Lewis Parker - Frequency Of Perception (2021)

Lewis Parker has spent decades refining a style rooted in the craftsmanship of 1990s Hip Hop. The London-born producer and MC handles the beats and rhymes on Frequency Of Perception, delivering an album that draws on classic boom-bap without relying on nostalgia alone. His production favors dusty samples, crisp drums, and carefully assembled loops, with a musicality that recalls the jazz and soul influences at the heart of his work.

Parker’s approach is understated and assured. His rhymes focus on everyday observations, personal perspective, and the culture that shaped him, delivered with the calm precision of a veteran who understands his strengths. The beats are given room to breathe, but they rarely lack detail; subtle changes in the samples and arrangements keep the music engaging across an album that runs for more than an hour.

The guest list reinforces the record’s connection to independent Hip Hop’s underground tradition. Eloh Kush, John Robinson, Planet Asia, Lil Dap, Killa Sha, and T.R.A.C. are among those who contribute, bringing different voices to Parker’s carefully maintained aesthetic. Their appearances add variety while preserving the album’s coherent identity.

There is no attempt to chase contemporary trends on Frequency Of Perception. Parker sticks to the principles that have guided his career, combining thoughtful lyricism with finely crafted production. The result is a mature, musically rich album that rewards listeners who appreciate the details of traditional boom-bap and the work of an artist who treats Hip Hop as a craft.

45. Ka - Languish Arts / Woeful Studies (2022)

Ka released Languish Arts and Woeful Studies as separate projects in 2022, but the musical connection between them makes a strong case for treating them as a double album. The closing instrumental of Languish Arts introduces a flute motif that reappears at the start of Woeful Studies, linking the two halves into a continuous work. Together, they offer close to an hour of music, with Ka handling most of the production and bringing his singular approach to writing into focus once again.

Ka’s verses demand attention. His densely packed internal rhymes, carefully chosen words, and layered metaphors often compress entire moral arguments into a few lines. Biblical references, street wisdom, historical allusions, and reflections on human frailty intertwine without easy explanations. The writing rewards repeated listens, as connections between seemingly unrelated images gradually emerge. Even when the full meaning remains elusive, the cadence and precision of his delivery give the verses a hypnotic pull.

The largely drumless production is central to the experience. Sparse samples, subdued melodies, and understated arrangements leave space for Ka’s low, measured voice. Fans of Roc Marciano’s minimalist approach will recognize some common ground, while Ka’s writing reaches a level of poetic density few rappers can match.

Neither album needs conventional hooks or dramatic shifts to hold attention. Their strength lies in the cumulative effect of the writing and music, with the transition between projects reinforcing the sense of a single, carefully assembled statement. Taken together, Languish Arts and Woeful Studies rank among the finest entries in Ka’s remarkable catalog.

46. Kool Keith & Real Bad Man - Serpent (2023)

Kool Keith has spent more than three decades operating according to his own rules. Since his groundbreaking work with Ultramagnetic MCs on Critical Beatdown, he has built a sprawling catalog around surreal imagery, unpredictable vocal performances, and lyrical detours that can be funny, unsettling, or completely bewildering. The sheer volume of his output makes quality control an issue, but the best Kool Keith albums remind us why he remains such a singular figure in underground Hip Hop. Serpent is one of his strongest efforts in years, rivaling Feature Magnetic (2016).

Real Bad Man proves an ideal collaborator, supplying sinister, sample-driven beats that give Keith’s eccentric writing a coherent musical setting. The production has a grimy, nocturnal quality, built around ominous loops and hard drums, with enough variation to keep the album moving. Rather than trying to tame Keith’s unpredictability, Real Bad Man gives him room to follow his strangest impulses. Keith sounds engaged throughout, shifting between offbeat observations, bizarre imagery, and the unconventional cadences that have distinguished his work since the 1980s.

Guest appearances from Slug, ZelooperZ, Cool Calm Pete, and Edan bring additional character, while Ice-T appears on two tracks without delivering verses. These contributions add variety without disrupting the central partnership.

Serpent works because producer and MC understand each other’s strengths. Real Bad Man supplies the menacing backdrop, and Keith responds with the kind of left-field lyricism that few rappers would even attempt. It may not rank alongside his most celebrated classics, but it belongs comfortably in the upper tier of his extensive discography.

47. JPEGMAFIA - LP! (2021)

JPEGMAFIA’s music has always thrived on disruption, but his experiments work best when the chaos has direction. We loved the abrasive Veteran (2018), while All My Heroes Are Cornballs (2019) often sounded like provocation for its own sake, with muddled production and vocal performances that did little to offset the noise. LP! corrects course. Peggy retains his taste for fractured electronics, distorted bass, and unexpected samples, but the songs have sharper structures and his performances show greater control.

The production is still gloriously unpredictable. Synths buckle, rhythms switch direction, and familiar musical fragments are twisted into something strange. This time, however, the experimentation serves the songs. JPEGMAFIA sounds energized behind the microphone, shifting between sharp-edged rapping, melodic passages, and eccentric vocal flourishes without losing his grip on the material. The result is an album that remains challenging while giving listeners plenty to latch onto.

Two versions appeared: the Online Version, with samples cleared for commercial release, and the Offline Version, which preserves the original sample choices. The distinction matters. The online edition includes tracks carried over from earlier EPs and rearranges the overall experience, while the offline edition has a more cohesive identity and stronger flow. Its less compromised sampling gives the production additional character, making it our preferred version by a considerable margin.

The Offline Version is JPEGMAFIA at his most fully realized, balancing the abrasive instincts of Veteran with stronger songwriting and a wider musical palette. His sound remains unmistakably his own, but the ideas connect more convincingly here. One of the standout experimental Hip Hop albums of the decade.

48. Redman - Muddy Waters Too (2024)

Nearly three decades after Muddy Waters became one of the defining albums of his career, Redman returned with a sequel that captures much of what made the original so enjoyable. Muddy Waters Too runs 32 tracks and around 80 minutes, an ambitious undertaking for a veteran MC in an era of short releases. Redman has enough personality, humor, and lyrical invention to keep the sprawling project entertaining, even when the abundance of skits and stylistic detours occasionally gets in the way.

The Funk Doc sounds remarkably comfortable behind the microphone. His animated delivery, playful punchlines, and knack for turning outrageous ideas into memorable bars remain intact. “Da Fuck Goin’ On?” makes an immediate impression, while “Don’t You Miss” taps into a soulful New Jersey sound. “Kush,” featuring Snoop Dogg, plays to their shared affinity for laid-back humor, and “Lite It Up” brings together a formidable crew of guests, including Queen Latifah, Naughty by Nature, and Rah Digga.

The production comes from a varied cast that includes Erick Sermon, Rockwilder, Khrysis, Rick Rock, and Redman himself. The beats move between hard-edged boom-bap, funk-driven grooves, and contemporary influences, with “Dynomite,” featuring Sheek Louch, and “Pop da Trunk” offering two different sides of Redman’s approach. Despite the number of contributors, the album retains a recognizable identity rooted in his irreverent style.

Muddy Waters Too doesn’t quite escape the excesses of its length, but Redman’s enthusiasm and sharp writing carry it through. Few veteran rappers can sustain this much music without losing their personality along the way. Reggie Noble sounds like he’s having a blast, and that energy makes this long-awaited sequel a welcome addition to his catalog.

49. billy woods - Church (2022)

Less than six months after Aethiopes, billy woods delivered another of 2022’s finest Hip Hop albums. Where that collaboration with Preservation ventured deep into experimental territory, Church finds woods working with Messiah Musik on a more familiar foundation of sample-driven beats and crisp drums. Fans of his earlier projects with Blockhead and Kenny Segal will recognize the approach, although the production retains enough odd turns and unsettling details to keep things firmly in woods’ world.

The Brooklyn MC’s writing continues to evolve, and his delivery has become remarkably assured. He speaks rather than projects, maintaining an almost conversational tone while packing his verses with intricate wordplay, uncomfortable observations, and vivid details. The effect is compelling: woods can move through a verse without raising his voice, then leave us turning over a line long after the track has ended. His talent extends well beyond experimental rap, and Church makes a strong case for his place among the finest lyricists working today.

“Fever Grass,” “Cossack Wedding,” “Pollo Rico,” and “All Jokes Aside” are standouts, while “Classical Music,” featuring AKAI SOLO and FIELDED, adds another dimension to the album. Messiah Musik’s beats shift between soulful loops and more disorienting passages, giving the record a coherent sound without flattening its contrasts.

There’s little to skip across Church. Its relative accessibility never comes at the expense of woods’ lyrical complexity, and the album rewards close attention without making a chore of listening. Another exceptional release from an artist whose standards remain extraordinarily high.

50. Mach-Hommy - Pray For Haiti (2021)

Mach-Hommy’s reunion with Westside Gunn on Pray For Haiti marked a welcome rapprochement after their split in the mid-2010s. Gunn executive produced the album and appears on four of its fourteen tracks, bringing his sharp ear for beats and visual aesthetics to a project rooted in Mach-Hommy’s Haitian heritage and singular approach to underground rap. His distinctive high-pitched delivery and barrage of ad-libs remain an acquired taste, but the limited guest appearances keep them from distracting too much from the main attraction.

Mach-Hommy is in exceptional form throughout. His flows shift effortlessly, his verses brim with oblique references and intricate wordplay, and his measured delivery gives even the densest bars room to land. Tha God Fahim and Keshia Plum make brief appearances, but this is very much Mach-Hommy’s album.

The production deserves equal billing. Denny Laflare, Camoflauge Monk, Cee Gee, Sadhugold, Messiah Musik, DJ Green Lantern, and Conductor Williams supply a remarkable collection of jazz-inflected loops, dusty samples, and grimy drums. The beats have a distinctive character without competing with Mach-Hommy’s writing. “The Stellar Ray Theory” sets the tone, while “The 26th Letter,” “Folie À Deux,” “Marie,” “Magnum Band,” “Blockchain,” and “Ten Boxes – Sin Eater” keep the quality high throughout.

Griselda’s catalog has plenty of strong releases, but Pray For Haiti belongs in the conversation with its finest. It has the musical identity, lyrical depth, and staying power to sit alongside Westside Gunn’s FLYGOD and Benny The Butcher’s Tana Talk 3 among the label’s defining albums.

51. Tyler, The Creator - Chromakopia (2024)

Tyler, The Creator has spent much of his career turning personal upheaval into ambitious musical worlds. On Chromakopia, he turns inward again, examining adulthood, fame, family, and the uncertainty that comes with getting older. The warmth of Flower Boy remains audible, but the mood is more unsettled, with electronic flourishes, jazz, soul, R&B, and hard-edged Hip Hop arranged around his shifting emotional state. The production is inventive, even if it lacks some of the immersive sweep of IGOR.

Anxiety runs through the album, particularly in “Noid,” where Tyler confronts paranoia and the pressures of celebrity. Elsewhere, he questions the personas people maintain to win approval. “Take Your Mask Off” addresses the gap between public image and private reality, while “Darling, I” wrestles with commitment and the temptation to keep romantic options open. On “Hey Jane,” an unexpected pregnancy forces a difficult conversation about responsibility; “Like Him” turns toward his complicated relationship with his absent father. His mother’s spoken contributions add a personal thread that runs through the record.

Tyler still knows when to let loose. “Rah Tah Tah” delivers the brash energy of his earlier work, and the guest appearances from Doechii and ScHoolboy Q provide welcome changes in voice and attitude. The contrast between those moments and the more vulnerable songs gives the album its shape.

Chromakopia brings Tyler’s musical ambition and personal introspection together at the highest level of his career. He sounds increasingly concerned with the person behind the performance, and the tension between those two identities makes this his most revealing, fully realized album to date.

52. McKinley Dixon - Magic, Alive! (2025)

Grief and joy run side by side on McKinley Dixon’s Magic, Alive!, a compact, 35-minute album about children trying to make sense of a friend’s death. Following Beloved! Paradise! Jazz!?, the Richmond-based rapper continues to blend Hip Hop with jazz, soul, and live instrumentation, using an ensemble-driven sound to give his stories a communal quality. The music bursts with life even when the subject matter turns painful.

“Watch My Hands” opens with Eli Owens’ shimmering harp and gentle percussion, setting a nostalgic scene for Dixon’s warm, conversational delivery. On “Sugar Water,” Quelle Chris and Anjimile join him over triumphant horns and gospel harmonies, creating one of the album’s brightest moments. The mood shifts sharply on “Crooked Stick,” where Ghais Guevara and Alfred. join Dixon over jagged guitars and blaring brass. Elsewhere, “We’re Outside, Rejoice!” channels collective celebration through pounding drums and buoyant organ, while “F.F.O.L.” confronts gun violence with frantic guitar work.

Dixon’s storytelling gives the record its emotional center. His flows move from measured reflection to explosive urgency, matching the changing arrangements without losing clarity. The closing run is particularly strong: “Listen Gentle” builds around trumpet, flute, and thunderous drums; the title track erupts in saxophone and group vocals; and “Could’ve Been Different,” featuring Blu and Shamir, closes with warm strings and soulful harmonies, leaving grief and gratitude hanging in the air together.

The live drums, horns, and woodwinds give Magic, Alive! a richness that rewards repeated listens, while its brief running time keeps the narrative focused. Dixon makes music about loss that still leaves room for celebration, affection, and the unruly energy of being young. A vibrant, emotionally generous addition to an increasingly impressive catalog.

53. Rome Streetz - KISS THE RING (2022)

ome Streetz had spent years sharpening his craft in New York’s underground before KISS THE RING brought him deeper into the Griselda fold. Executive produced by Westside Gunn, the album pairs the Queens-born MC with a formidable cast of producers and guest rappers, giving his relentless street narratives a fitting backdrop. Rome doesn’t need elaborate storytelling devices to hold attention. His verses are packed with internal rhymes, hard-earned observations, grim humor, and threats delivered with the casual precision of someone who has seen too much to waste words.

“Big Steppa” and “Heart on Froze” establish the tone immediately, Rome switching between tightly wound rhyme patterns and blunt declarations. “Long Story Short” distills a grim tale into sharp, economical details, while “Reversible” and “Tyson Beckford” demonstrate his knack for memorable hooks without sacrificing lyrical density. He rarely lets a verse sit still, packing each bar with another turn of phrase or unsettling image.

The production matches his intensity. Conductor Williams builds beats from jagged loops and uneasy melodic fragments, while Daringer, Camoflauge Monk, and DJ Muggs bring dusty soul and warped jazz into the mix. The Alchemist supplies murky keys and a slow-burning groove. None of these instrumentals offers much comfort, and Rome responds with performances that stay sharp from start to finish.

The guest appearances are equally well chosen. Benny the Butcher and Stove God Cooks trade bars with Rome on “Blow 4 Blow,” Boldy James brings his cool-headed menace to “Serving,” and Armani Caesar adds bite to “Armed & Dangerous.”

The unappealing cover art hardly reflects the quality inside. KISS THE RING is a tightly executed display of lyrical technique and grimy New York street rap, with Rome Streetz sounding entirely at home among Griselda’s hardest hitters.

54. Beneficence & Jazz Spastiks - Summer Night Sessions (2023)

Brick City veteran Beneficence has spent decades keeping the spirit of traditional East Coast Hip Hop alive, and Summer Night Sessions finds him in good company. The UK production duo Jazz Spastiks supply the kind of jazz-sampling boom-bap that has defined their work, complete with crisp drums, warm loops, and well-placed scratches. There’s no attempt to modernize the formula or reinvent the wheel. The appeal lies in the chemistry between a seasoned MC and producers who understand the finer details of the craft.

Beneficence’s writing is relaxed but purposeful, moving between street-level observations, reflections on Hip Hop culture, and the kind of sharp, carefully constructed rhymes that reward close listening. The beats give him room to work without becoming background music, and the duo’s subtle arrangements keep the album moving across its tracklist. Anyone drawn to the jazz-rap tradition of the 1990s will feel at home here.

The guest list is particularly strong. Saukrates, Awon, Doodlebug of Digable Planets, Skyzoo, Rakaa Iriscience, J-Live, El Da Sensei, Kid Abstrakt, Shabaam Sahdeeq, and vocalist Anthony David all contribute, bringing different voices to the album without straying from its musical identity. The appearances from veterans such as Doodlebug and El Da Sensei make the record’s connection to earlier eras especially clear.

Summer Night Sessions offers few surprises, and its devotion to classic boom-bap will hardly convert listeners who want something more adventurous. For those who appreciate well-crafted jazz loops, sharp cuts, and thoughtful rhymes, however, Beneficence and Jazz Spastiks deliver a thoroughly enjoyable album that honors the tradition without treating it as a museum piece.

55. Elzhi – Seven Times Down Eight Times Up (2020)

Elzhi’s solo catalog has been remarkably consistent, from The Preface and his inspired Elmatic reinterpretation of Nas’ Illmatic to the deeply personal Lead Poison and his collaboration with Khrysis as Jericho Jackson. Seven Times Down Eight Times Up continues that run, giving the Detroit MC another opportunity to demonstrate why he belongs among the finest lyricists of his generation.

JR Swiftz handles the production, building a cohesive set of soulful, sample-based beats that draw on classic Detroit and East Coast traditions without falling into a repetitive loop. The sound stays consistent across the album’s 45 minutes, while subtle differences in the samples and arrangements give individual tracks their own character. Commentary from Detroit comedian Foolish links the songs, adding a local voice to the proceedings without taking the focus away from the music.

That focus belongs to Elzhi. His intricate rhyme schemes and fluid delivery are familiar strengths, but the writing deserves particular attention here. He packs his verses with vivid imagery, layered wordplay, and reflections on perseverance, responsibility, and the lessons that come with experience. The technical displays never feel like empty exercises; his bars have substance beneath their elaborate construction, and the details reveal themselves across repeated listens.

There’s a maturity to Seven Times Down Eight Times Up that suits Elzhi’s measured approach. He has little interest in chasing trends or relying on nostalgia, instead trusting his writing and JR Swiftz’s carefully chosen beats to carry the album. The result is a richly rewarding piece of grown-man rap, and one of 2020’s strongest Hip Hop releases.

56. Masta Ace & Marco Polo - Richmond Hill (2024)

Masta Ace has spent more than three decades refining his craft, moving from his early days with Marley Marl’s Juice Crew through the gangsta-rap satire of SlaughtaHouse, the car-culture experiments of Sittin’ On Chrome, and the elaborate storytelling of Disposable Arts and A Long Hot Summer. Few veterans have adapted so naturally to changing eras while maintaining such a clear sense of identity. His partnership with Toronto producer Marco Polo began with A Breukelen Story in 2018, and Richmond Hill extends their collaboration with a concept inspired by Polo’s upbringing in the Ontario community of the same name.

Marco Polo’s production is a natural fit for Ace’s measured delivery and intricate writing. Soulful samples, crisp drums, and carefully arranged loops provide a classic boom-bap foundation, but the beats have enough character to avoid sounding like exercises in nostalgia. Ace navigates them with the control of a veteran who knows exactly how to make a verse land, balancing detailed storytelling with sharp observations about life and the world around him.

The guest appearances add welcome variety. Inspectah Deck, Blu, Che Noir, Wordsworth, Stricklin, and Coast Contra bring different styles to the album, while Ace remains the central voice throughout. The collaboration also gives the record a broader perspective, connecting Ace’s Brooklyn roots with Marco Polo’s Canadian background.

Richmond Hill doesn’t need a radical new direction to justify its existence. The strength lies in the partnership: Marco Polo supplies soulful, finely crafted beats, and Masta Ace responds with the clarity, wit, and lyrical precision that have sustained his career. A rewarding album from two artists who understand the enduring appeal of well-made Hip Hop.

57. Rome Streetz & Big Ghost Ltd - Wasn't Built In A Day (2023)

Rome Streetz has become one of the most reliable voices in contemporary New York street rap, and Wasn’t Built In A Day gives him an ideal partner in Big Ghost Ltd. Across twelve tracks, the elusive producer builds a grimy basement atmosphere from dusty samples, rugged drums, and sinister loops, leaving Rome plenty of room to pack his verses with intricate rhymes and hard-nosed street narratives. The result ranks among Big Ghost’s finest projects, coming close to our personal favorite, Van Ghost with ANKHLEJOHN.

Rome’s technical ability is never in question. His dense rhyme schemes and clipped delivery give the verses a constant sense of forward motion, while his detailed writing brings the familiar themes of hustling, ambition, and survival into sharp focus. Big Ghost’s production provides a consistent framework without making every track sound interchangeable. The beats are grimy and stripped back, but the samples have enough character to give the album its own identity.

The guest list is strong throughout. Conway The Machine fits naturally into the album’s hard-edged world, while Plex Diamonds, Lukey Cage, Swab, and Chyna Streetz add further voices without diluting the central partnership. The standout feature, however, belongs to Method Man, whose commanding verse reminds us how effortlessly he can dominate a track when the beat suits him.

With so much street rap arriving every year, Wasn’t Built In A Day distinguished itself through the quality of its production and the consistency of Rome’s performances. Big Ghost Ltd. provides the grimy backdrop, Rome delivers the bars, and the guests rise to the occasion. One of 2023’s strongest releases in the underground street-rap lane.

58. Oddisee - To What End (2023)

Oddisee has built an impressive catalog by refusing to separate the skills of an MC from those of a producer. From Diamond District’s In The Ruff to Tangible Dream and The Good Fight, his best work balances thoughtful writing with musical arrangements that draw on soul, funk, jazz, and contemporary Hip Hop. To What End continues that tradition, bringing his melodic instincts and reflective perspective together in one of his strongest solo releases.

The production is a major part of the album’s appeal. Oddisee moves comfortably between head-nodding grooves, warm live instrumentation, and polished arrangements, giving the songs a musical richness that extends beyond their boom-bap foundations. His ear for melody is especially sharp, with hooks that stay in the mind without reducing the songs to pop formulas. The different influences sit naturally alongside one another, reflecting a producer who understands how to make varied sounds serve a coherent vision.

On the microphone, Oddisee is measured and articulate, examining personal responsibility, social pressures, ambition, and the contradictions of modern life. His writing favors considered observations over grand declarations, and his calm delivery gives the ideas room to breathe. The combination of lyrical substance and musical warmth is central to his appeal: the album works as an engaging listen even before the full weight of the writing comes into focus.

To What End may not have the immediate bite of Diamond District’s hardest material, but its strengths reveal themselves across repeated listens. Oddisee remains an unusually complete Hip Hop artist, equally comfortable shaping a beat, constructing a memorable hook, or building a verse around a thoughtful idea. This is sophisticated, soulful work from a veteran who continues to develop on his own terms.

59. El Michels Affair & Black Thought - Glorious Game (2023)

Leon Michels has spent years drawing richly textured instrumentals from soul, funk, and vintage film music, making El Michels Affair an inspired partner for Black Thought. On Glorious Game, the producer’s dusty loops, live instrumentation, and understated arrangements give the Roots MC a different setting from the band-driven Hip Hop he helped pioneer. The chemistry is immediate: Michels leaves room for the verses while adding enough musical detail to make each track distinctive.

Black Thought responds with the precision and composure that have made him one of rap’s most formidable lyricists. His writing moves between personal history, street-level observation, and reflections on survival, delivered with intricate rhyme patterns and a command of rhythm that never draws attention away from the substance. There is no need for theatrical flourishes. He can make a verse gripping through the density of his language and the way he shifts effortlessly between pockets.

Michels gives the album a cohesive identity without relying on one mood throughout. Soulful melodies and warm instrumentation provide the foundation, while the drums retain enough weight to keep the music grounded in Hip Hop. The production’s restraint suits Black Thought’s measured intensity, allowing the details in his writing to take center stage.

Glorious Game is a natural meeting of two artists with deep respect for musical craft. Michels brings a distinctive palette, and Black Thought makes full use of it, delivering a focused set of performances that reward close listening. A compelling collaboration between a master producer and an elite MC.

60. Evidence - Unlearning Vol. 2 (2025)

Evidence has spent decades refining a style built on understated delivery, sharp observations, and a deep understanding of sample-based production. On Unlearning Vol. 2, the follow-up to his 2021 album, the Dilated Peoples MC looks at the habits, relationships, and hard lessons that shape a life. Across fifteen concise tracks, he draws on personal experience without dressing up the past or pretending to have everything figured out.

The production brings together Evidence, The Alchemist, C-Lance, Conductor Williams, and Sebb Bash, with dusty soul samples and crisp drums providing a common thread. Sebb Bash opens with the funky bass line of “Plans Change,” while “Seeing Double” pares things back to sparse keys and a deliberate beat. The Alchemist brings jazzy horns to “Future Memories,” where Larry June joins Evidence for a relaxed reflection on perseverance. On “Nothing’s Perfect,” a chipmunk-soul loop accompanies Evidence’s comparison of life to a curated playlist, turning an everyday idea into an effective lyrical conceit.

The album’s most affecting moment arrives on “Laughing Last.” Over melancholy piano, Evidence addresses family and loss with a candor that gives his measured delivery unusual weight. “Dutch Angle” closes the record with a chopped vocal sample and a stubborn note of defiance.

Evidence’s introspection occasionally makes for heavy listening, but the production keeps the album musically engaging, and his writing is strongest when he gets specific. Unlearning Vol. 2 finds a veteran taking stock of where he has been without losing sight of where he wants to go.

61. Awon & Phoniks - Golden Era 2 (2024)

Awon & Phoniks are back at it with Golden Era 2, a dope follow-up to their 2013 debut Return To the Golden Era. The Don’t Sleep Records founders have been putting in work, which shows in this fresh release that stays true to their underground Hip Hop roots.

Phoniks comes through with some killer production, laying down jazzy boom-bap beats that hit hard and give Awon plenty of room to flex his lyrical muscles. The whole album has that classic Hip Hop feel – but don’t get it twisted, these guys aren’t stuck in the past, they’ve cooked up a vision for where underground Hip Hop can go next.

The guest list on Golden Era 2 is straight fire: Anti-Lilly, Tiff the Gift, Dephlow, Hex One, V Knuckles, Demetrius Rhymes, PEL, Napoleon Da Legend, and John Robinson all step up to the mic. Each feature brings something unique to the table without throwing off the album’s vibe. Awon’s flow is on point throughout, gliding over Phoniks’ signature beats like it’s second nature. This album is another win for the Don’t Sleep catalog, proving once again that Awon & Phoniks are carrying the torch for real, soulful Hip Hop.

If you’re down with the duo or always on the hunt for authentic Hip Hop, Golden Era 2 will hit the spot. It’s clear Awon & Phoniks are all about keeping Hip Hop alive and kicking, and they’re delivering the goods we’ve come to expect from these two. Trust us, this one’s worth your time.

62. Nuse Tyrant - Juxtaposed Echoes (2024)

San Diego-based lyrical virtuosu Nuse Tyrant’s Juxtaposed Echoes is a gritty, introspective journey through urban landscapes and inner turmoil. Produced by Trust One and Clypto, the album blends contrasting sounds and perspectives, with Nuse Tyrant’s compelling narrative at its core.

Tracks like “Don’t Blink” and “24kt” explore themes of struggle, temptation, and the pursuit of wealth, while “Miss You Bad” offers a poignant reflection on memory and loss. The album pays homage to Hip Hop legends with “Ghost of Dilla” and delves into cinematic storytelling with “The Story of the Crane Fighter” and “Love Jones.”

Nuse Tyrant’s lyrical prowess shines throughout, particularly on tracks like “Camouflaged Faces” and “Corner Pocket,” where he demonstrates his ability to paint vivid pictures with words. The album tackles complex themes of duality, social commentary, and personal growth, culminating in the powerful call to action of “UnheardCrys.”

With its blend of raw emotion, thought-provoking lyrics, idiosyncratic flows, and exciting left-field production, this album establishes Nuse Tyrant as a formidable voice in contemporary Hip Hop, offering listeners a rich, multifaceted experience unlike anything else you’ll hear this year.

63. Arrested Development - For The FKN Love (2021)

Legendary Grammy award-winning Atlanta Hip Hop collective close out their career in great style with their presumed last album, titled For The FKN Love – a 17 track tour-de-force that features Masta Ace, Big Daddy Kane, Freddie Foxxx, Monie Love, The Sugarhill Gang, and many more.

Arrested Development debuted in 1992 with the now-classic 3 Years, 5 Months, and 2 Days in the Life Of… (4x times platinum!) – a masterpiece of conscious Hip Hop, and because of its positive thinking and positive imaging a breath of fresh air in the era dominated by gangsta rap: an album celebrating life instead of death. Ever since that monumental debut (except for a 4-year break between 1996 and 2000), Arrested Development has continued to create quality music in ever-changing line-ups (frontman Speech is the only AD-member who has always been in the group since its inception in 1988).

Arrested Development had a top 25 album last year with Don’t Fight Your Demons and For The FKN Love is just as good. Like on Don’t Fight Your Demons, it’s the masterful 90s-centric boom-bap production of British producer Configa (with some assistance from Cris Acosta, Clint Taylor, and Speech himself ) that provides the perfect melodic base for Speech’s lyrical imagery – which is as uplifting and thought-provoking as ever.  At almost 70 minutes, For The FKN Love is a long listen but the album never really flags. For The FKN Love is an entirely coherent presentation, with an air of positivity much needed in the troubled times we are living in.

If this is indeed Arrested Development’s last record, it ends a memorable three-decade recording career on a high note. For The FKN Love is a killer AD album.

64. Stress Eater - Everybody Eats! (2024)

On Everybody Eats!, Kool Keith, 7L, and Esoteric—collectively known as Stress Eater—deliver a wildly unpredictable album full of sharp lyricism, eccentric humor, and gritty beats. Combining Kool Keith’s otherworldly imagination with 7L’s production expertise and Esoteric’s razor-sharp rhymes, the trio crafts a listening experience that’s as chaotic as it is captivating.

Kool Keith, the Bronx legend known for his experimental approach, and the Boston duo of 7L & Esoteric, veterans of the underground and creators of the Czarface universe, bring their quirks to this project without restraint. The result is an album that thrives on its raw creativity and refusal to conform.

“Rocket Science” opens the album with heavy basslines and a deliberate pace, allowing Keith and Esoteric to dismantle weaker emcees with sly humor and brash confidence. Tracks like “Here’s Some Homicide” (with an appearance from Ice T) and “Willrow Hood” lean on funky, boom-bap foundations while blending surreal wordplay with head-nodding grooves.

The references fly fast and loose, from wrestling shoutouts on “Top Men of Rap” to arcade nostalgia in the Mega Ran-assisted “Aladdin’s Castle.” These tracks showcase Stress Eater’s knack for blending clever pop culture nods with sharp bars, striking a balance between irreverence and skill.

7L’s production is a masterclass in texture, ranging from the dusty grit of “Genuine Lifestyle” to the funk-infused weirdness of “Mecha & the Sole Brother.” Interludes like “Off the Bones” and “People Want Sugar” inject the album with absurdity, enhancing its playful unpredictability.

Despite its chaotic energy, Everybody Eats! feels cohesive. The interplay between Keith’s eccentricity and Esoteric’s intensity is dynamic, and 7L’s beats tie the madness together. Tracks like “Space Cowboy” and the reflective closer “Giving Back to the Universe” provide moments of balance, grounding the album’s wild ride in Hip Hop’s classic sounds.

Everybody Eats! is messy, playful, and refreshingly unfiltered. Stress Eater embraces their shared weirdness, delivering an album that feels like a creative playground for three underground legends. For listeners willing to dive into its offbeat world, it’s a pure Hip Hop feast worth savoring.

65. Stik Figa & The Expert - Ritual (2023)

“Producer The Expert fuses elements from jazz and 60s-era psychedelic music on Ritual, which sets the backdrop for emcee Stik Figa at his most honest and personal. People who have heard psychedelic Hip Hop opus The Overview Effect by The Expert together with emcee Jermiside, already know they’re in for a trip. A glimpse at the tracklist also sets the tone for what to expect with guest spots by Blu, Solemn Brigham (of Marlowe), Defcee, Sleep Sinatra, and Tanya Morgan. But the true beauty of this record lies in the contrast: the way jazz influences collide with psychedelic production pushes both the Dublin, Ireland-based producer and the Topeka, Kansas native into new Hip Hop territory.

Stik Figa has a great ear for beats—he’s got a back catalog of thirteen years deep to show it. His releases include early work with Oddisee, the collaborative album The City Under The City with L’Orange, last year’s Valley of Dry Bones with Conductor Williams, and releases on Mello Music Group with production work by Apollo Brown, Black Milk, and Exile, among others.

Now, with The Expert, he finds himself in a sonic pastiche of psychedelic effects, banging drums, clear touches of jazz, and deep basslines. The Expert freely bends what he digs up from his crates: layers upon layers of Mellotron chords, vibraphone melodies, guitar stabs, and swirling strings tumble over each other. All for hard-hitting beats that defy the golden-era boom-bap rulebook. Case in point: when was the last time you heard a solo piano piece between tracks with reversed drum samples and 808 kick drums? Irish pianist Daniel Luke delivers just that on “Rob Peter, Pay Pallbearer.”

Stik Figa moves with ease from dead honest observations to showing lyrical dexterity and skill, to expressing inner struggles. Ritual is without a doubt his most personal body of work to date. It’s just as he raps on “Uknowhut?” featuring Blu: “Self-fulfillment remains the greatest metric of wealth.” Besides Stik Figa openly sharing his inner musings on the album towards that goal, the same goes for The Expert: he shares his own deepening and further self-cultivation—a head-nodding, mind-blowing continuation of his psychedelic-tinged beat-making antics.”

The Overview Effect was one of the best Hip Hop albums of 2022, Ritual is among 2023’s best. At 35 minutes the album is on the short side, but that’s a minor complaint. Ritual is a tasteful and stylish piece of Hip Hop, an album you can’t afford to miss out on.

66. Mike - Showbiz! (2025)

MIKE’s Showbiz! is a hazy, free-flowing meditation on movement and memory, built from warm loops and scattered thoughts that linger like smoke. His delivery is unhurried, his voice thick with experience, letting each bar settle into the grainy, off-kilter production. Recorded between tours, the album captures the push and pull between transience and stability, with MIKE finding comfort in his own rhythm.

The production leans heavily on warped samples, nostalgic and slightly distorted, giving the music a dreamlike quality. MIKE handles much of it himself under his dj blackpower moniker, though collaborators like Laron and Harrison add texture. Lounge music records, pitched-up soul, and reverberant saxophones drift through the mix, creating an atmosphere that feels both intimate and surreal. Tracks like “What U Bouta Do? (A Star Was Born)” shake things up with jagged rhythms, keeping the album from feeling too static. These beats rarely settle into full-fledged grooves—songs come and go in quick bursts, ideas flashing by before dissolving into the next.

Lyrically, MIKE balances introspection with sharp confidence. He’s never been one for traditional storytelling, preferring to sketch moments, emotions, and reflections in a stream-of-consciousness style. “Then we could be free..” finds him meditating on patience and loss, while “Lucky” makes his ambitions plain. His writing is direct but layered, moving between grief, ambition, and gratitude without over-explaining. Themes of resilience and self-determination run throughout, but MIKE never forces a resolution. He’s more interested in the process of understanding than in offering conclusions.

This fragmented approach can make Showbiz! feel elusive on first listen, but it rewards patience. The brevity of many tracks enhances the album’s restless energy, though certain ideas sometimes feel cut short. Still, MIKE thrives in this space—his music doesn’t demand to be picked apart line by line but felt in its entirety.

The album’s structure mirrors its themes: a series of fleeting moments, some joyful, some heavy, all coexisting. There’s a sense of movement and impermanence as if MIKE is capturing thoughts before they slip away. Rather than a grand statement, Showbiz! feels like a collection of snapshots, a document of where he is right now. The result is an album that thrives on movement—always shifting, always searching, always in motion.

67. Jorun Bombay & Phill Most Chill - Jorun PMC (2020)

There have been a lot of great albums released in the wave of Golden Age revivalist boom-bap we’ve been experiencing in the recent decade, but NONE as good as Jorun PMC.

The whole album is packed with nods to classic songs and styles from acts like Run DMC, EPMD, Eric B & Rakim, UTFO, LL Cool J, Roxanne Shante, Mantronix, Cold Crush Brothers, Melle Mel, and many more of the 1980s legends – from the title of the album to the cover art, to the beats, to the samples, to the turntablism, to the lyrics – this project is the best kind of trip down memory lane any old-school Hip Hop fan could wish for. Jorun Bombay’s 80s-centric beats and scratches are crisp and fresh, and Phill Most Chill’s raps are dope as f. His flow, his delivery, his cadences, his lyrics – what he did here is simply brilliant.

This is not Phill Most Chill’s first excellent throwback project, but it is his very best to date. The self-proclaimed torchbearer of traditional Hip Hop really outdid himself on this one, and his match-up with Jorun Bombay proves to be golden – Jorun PMC is a Hip Hop traditionalist dream. It will most likely go way over the head of this generation’s trap-crowd, but those who grew up with 80s Hip Hop and younger Hip Hop listeners who know their classics will LOVE this one.

68. CZARFACE - Czartificial Intelligence (2023)

Comprising New York emcee Inspectah Deck from Wu-Tang Clan and Boston emcee/producer duo 7L & Esoteric of the Army of the Pharaohs, CZARFACE consistently delivers creative and engaging efforts. Czartificial Intelligence doesn’t reinvent the wheel, but it maintains the enjoyable vibe of previous Czarface albums. True to form, it’s a virtuoso collection featuring catchy tunes, superb sampling, scratching, and brilliant rhyming. The album shifts gears by focusing on more relatable content, moving away from ambitious storytelling and concept-heavy tracks. Instead of grandiose superhero perspectives, it offers a glimpse into the world of aging emcees who appreciate comics and embrace their mortal and humble sides.

7L’s beats on Czartificial Intelligence continue to channel the golden age of boom-bap, with quirky eccentricities and satisfying scratches. Inspectah Deck and Esoteric seamlessly flow over the production, delivering sticky hooks, nerdy references, sports similes, and other pop culture nods. Standout tracks like “All That For A Drop of Blood” and “You Know My Style” showcase their cold bars, while “Mama’s Basement” (a nod to the ATCQ classic “I Left My Wallet In El Segundo”) delves into humorous lyricism, revealing the group’s deep connection to the subject matter. Features from the likes of Godfather Don and Kool Keith (among others) add additional layers to the album.

While Every Hero Needs A Villain (2015) remains their standout album, Czartificial Intelligence signifies another dope entry to their impressive discography—a testament to their fun samples and great flows from start to finish.

69. Little Simz - NO THANK YOU (2022)

NO THANK YOU is the fifth full-length album from London-based artist Little Simz. She has built a strong body of work over the past decade with four mixtapes and nine EPs alongside her studio albums. Her first two albums, A Curious Tale of Trials + Persons (2015) and Stillness in Wonderland (2016), are pretty great – still, it is especially her recent run, with GREY Area (2019), Sometimes I Might Be Introvert (our 2021 AOTY) and now NO THANK YOU, that is truly outstanding.

Where GREY Area was short and punchy and Sometimes I Might Be Introvert sprawling and grandiose, NO THANK YOU has Little Simz finding some kind of middle ground between the sounds of its predecessors. Without the orchestral grandiosity of Sometimes I Might Be Introvert, NO THANK YOU is a calm and mellow affair, with Inflo’s subtle production going in a neo-soul direction in places. The orchestral sounds of Introvert are still present but more subdued and in the background here, providing a relaxing atmosphere and great backdrops for Little Simz’s meaningful bars and charismatic flows.

Sometimes I Might Be Introvert is a generational masterpiece (the best album of the decade so far), so it was always going to be impossible to equal it, but NO THANK YOU is an exceptional album in its own right. The album does lose some steam towards the end (“Sideways” and “Who Even Cares” are the album’s weakest tracks for us), but the rest of the album’s content is strong. “Angel” is a subtle album opener, and the second track “Gorilla” is one of the absolute highlights (using the bassline of J5’s “Concrete Schoolyard to great effect). NO THANK YOU stays on course from there, leading up to the album’s centerpiece: the seven-and-a-half epic “Broken” – one of the best songs you’ll hear this year. So, although NO THANK YOU isn’t the instant classic that Sometimes I Might Be Introvert was, it makes for a more than worthy successor. NO THANK YOU is a confirmation: Little Simz is one of the leading Hip Hop artists of her generation.

70. Fatboi Sharif & Steel Tipped Dove - Decay (2023)

Backwoodz Studioz has been at the forefront of experimental, left-field Hip Hop since the 2010s, with the elusive billy woods as the figurehead. This collaboration between Fatboi Sharif and Steel Tipped Dove is another Backwoodz hit, the third released in 2023, after billy woods and Kenny Segal’s Maps and SKECH185 and Jeff Markey’s He Left Nothing For The Swim Back.

Over the past few years, the New Jersey rapper Fatboi Sharif has made a name for himself with a vivid, disorienting, utterly unique sound. On his new album Decay, he joins forces with Steel Tipped Dove, a veteran New York producer known for his work with Armanda Hammer and R.A.P. Ferreira, among others. The haunting soundscapes Steel Tipped Dove produced for Decay are among the best he ever did, providing the perfect backdrops for Fatboi Sharif’s unsettling vocal performances.

Fatboi Sharif’s abstract mutterings will take some deciphering, but the feeling of disquiet that permeates the album is awesome. His mordant lyrics are delivered in a stretched-out, theatrical mutter that favors eerie, experimental, minor-key productions. Sharif is playful and charismatic, but he’s also driven to make music that makes you feel weird.

The left-field Decay offers a delicious slice of psychedelic horrorcore, surreal but thoroughly captivating. There are no guest-rappers on the album; the whole record is nothing but Fatboi Sharif rapping in jagged, unpredictable cadences over Steel Tipped Dove’s flickering, evocative tracks. This is one of many excellent projects Steel Tipped Dove’s name is attached to this year, and it elevates Fatboi Sharif to the next level.

71. Solemn Brigham - South Sinner Street (2021)

Solemn Brigham is an up-and-coming rapper from North Carolina, whose work with fellow North Carolinian L’Orange as the duo Marlowe has been critically acclaimed all around. Both Marlowe (2018) and Marlowe 2 (2020) are excellent presentations of edgy Hip Hop, with captivating experimental soundscapes crafted by L ‘Orange that served to bring out the best of Solemn Brigham.

Solemn Brigham is one of the most vocally acrobatic emcees working today, a technical virtuoso who’s able to contort himself into a dizzying array of different flows and inflections. Across the 14 songs on his debut solo album South Sinner Street, Solemn Brigham examines the decay of American society by virtually any metric – economic or medical, or ones more abstract and spiritual – through the prism of his hometown Albemarle, North Carolina. This feeling of decay permeates daily life in innumerable ways, giving the present a gnawing, ambient dread – and this dread is reflected by the music and lyrical content on South Sinner Street. 

Musically South Sinner Street lacks some of the punch and the consistency that made two Marlowe albums so strong, but overall the production from Supa K, L’Orange, The Lasso, Krum, Scud One, Kuartz, and Frank Drake is solid enough. The album is all about Solemn Brigham songwriting and lyrical virtuosity anyway – the two Marlowe albums served to establish his name as a one-of-a-kind vocalist, and South Sinner Street is a confirmation: Solemn Brigham is one of the most exciting new voices in Hip Hop.

72. Skyzoo & The Other Guys - The Mind Of A Saint (2023)

Skyzoo’s eleventh studio album The Mind Of A Saint – produced entirely by The Other Guys – delves into the innermost thoughts of one Franklin Saint, the lead character in the hit FX show, Snowfall, which follows the early stages of the crack cocaine epidemic in Los Angeles in the early 1980s.

Intimate knowledge of the Snowfall show, or of the situation in 1980s Los Angeles, is not necessary to enjoy The Mind Of A Saint – the elegant jazz- and soul-flavored boom-bap production make for an enjoyable listening experience regardless of familiarity with the source material that served as inspiration for the album. That said, Skyzoo’s writing masterfully captures Franklin Saint’s experiences and thoughts about the world he lives in – Skyzoo makes the concept work. His pen game and his flows are as strong as ever, and the layered narrative captivates from start to finish. The Mind Of A Saint is another Skyzoo winner.

73. Midnight Sons - Money Has No Owners (2024)

Zilla Rocca and producer Chong Wizard are Midnight Sons, and with Money Has No Owners they deliver a mature and thoughtful follow-up to their strong self-titled 2020 debut. Money Has No Owners features regular Zilla Rocca collaborators like PremRock and Curly Castro, alongside voices like Blu, AJ Suede, Midaz The Beast, and Defcee. Warm production from Chong Wizard lays the soulful foundation for Zilla Rocca’s introspective lyricism. Tracks like “Tough Guys Fill A Cemetery” and “Marathon Man” deliver classic boom-bap vibes, while “Ignore The Red Flags” and “Terrible Twos” bring delicious jazz flavors. The title track sets the tone, reminding us that success requires constant hustle. “Money Has No Owners” is a reminder to stay focused and build momentum, a sentiment that resonates with anyone who’s ever chased a dream.

Money Has No Owners deserves a wider audience than it will probably get, but trust us, it’s worth seeking out. This is one of the best Hip Hop albums released in 2024.

74. Benny The Butcher - Tana Talk 4 (2022)

Benny The Butcher’s official debut album Tana Talk 3 is one of the best Hip Hop albums released in 2018 and one of the best three albums to ever come out of the Griselda camp, arguably even the absolute best. Tana Talk 3 was followed in 2020 by Burden Of Proof – an OK album, but not nearly as good as its predecessor. By naming his third album Tana Talk 4, Benny The Butcher set the bar high – it implies a return to the gritty sounds of Tana Talk 3, and a departure from the more polished, mainstream-friendly beats on Burden Of Proof. Whether or not Tana Talk 4 will eventually be considered to be on par with Tana Talk 3 remains to be seen, but it is a great album – way better than Burden Of Proof in any case.

Burden Of Proof was produced by Hit-Boy, and his sound is too clean and polished for Benny The Butcher as far as we are concerned. Thankfully, Tana Talk 4 is mostly produced by Daringer and The Alchemist – which means a glorious return to the murk and grit of Tana Talk 3. Benny also sounds great on here – his lyricism, delivery, and flow are on point as always. Regular collaborators like Conway The Machine, Westside Gunn, 38 Spesh, Stove God Cooks, and Boldy James show up, as does the kind of unexpected J Cole – who kills it on “Johnny P’s Caddy” with the best feature on the album. There are twelve tracks on Tana Talk 4, and all of them are strong – nothing but hard bars and killer beats here. Tana Talk 3 remains our favorite Benny project, but Tana Talk 4 is a very close second.

75. Elzhi & Oh No - Heavy Vibrato (2023)

In 2023 Elzhi and Oh No came together for Heavy Vibrato, a collaboration that highlights Elzhi’s consistent high-quality output. With over two decades in the game, Elzhi continues to deliver under-appreciated gems in the modern underground scene. Oh No provides a cohesive backdrop marked by laid-back vibraphone patterns, light drums, and deep bass lines throughout the album. The subdued, nocturnal atmosphere is a recurring theme in Oh No’s recent work, creating an intriguing backdrop for Elzhi’s performance.

The album’s seamless transitions between tracks contribute to its cohesive feel, maintaining a subdued, nocturnal vibe throughout. Overall, Heavy Vibrato offers a very laid-back yet ear-catching listening experience, showcasing the enduring talent of Elzhi and the production finesse of Oh No.

As one of Detroit’s greatest emcees, Elzhi rose to prominence with Slum Village and later achieved solo success with the classic The Preface in 2008. Heavy Vibrato stands alongside Elzhi’s other notable works like Lead Poison (2016) and 7 Times Down, 8 Times Up (2020), solidifying his consistent quality output over the past 25 years.

76. Moor Mother & billy woods - BRASS (2020)

“BRASS is a collaborative album from experimental musician and poet Moor Mother and the rapper billy woods (½ of Armand Hammer). After working together on Armand Hammer’s critically acclaimed 2020 LP Shrines, Moor Mother and woods released the song “Furies” for the Adult Swim single series in July. A whirl of interweaving allegories spun over producer Willie Green’s hypnotic flip of a Sons of Kmet sample, “Furies” was the burning arrow that both artists followed, the first crack of thunder in a blackening sky.

BRASS sees both artists joined by an eclectic array of friends, family, and legends- in some cases all three. John Forte, ELUCID, Amirtha Kidambi, Franklin James Fisher (Algiers), Mach Hommy, Imani Robinson, Wolf Weston (Saint Mela), Navy Blue, and Fielded all lend their voices to the project. Production by The Alchemist, Preservation, Moor Mother, Olof Melander, Child Actor, Navy Blue, Messiah Muzik, Steel Tipped Dove, and Willie Green.

BRASS is a moment where two great artists in their own right tap into a new frequency together. Even for those familiar with both it’s an unexpected sound that, once heard, could never have been otherwise. It is both ethereal and utilitarian, timeless and timeworn. A cast-iron pot propped over a fire in the dark. A tropical beach shimmering with broken glass.”

This Bandcamp blurb tells the story of this project. BRASS is one of the most unique and intriguing listens of the year, a great feat in a year with A LOT of excellent ‘left-field’ Hip Hop albums. Moor Mother and billy woods have great chemistry together, and they recruited exactly the right artists for the guest spots on this project.

For people who like their Hip Hop experimental, dense, and challenging, the genre-boundaries pushing BRASS will be a quick favorite. For others, BRASS may be somewhat of a slow-burner, a project though that will reward multiple listenings. BRASS is a great album.

77. R.A. The Rugged Man - All My Heroes Are Dead (2020)

R.A. The Rugged Man is one of our favorite personalities in the Hip Hop game: he is totally authentic and says what he thinks, no matter what other people think about his opinions. But R.A. is not just one of our favorite personalities, he is one of our favorite emcees as well. Few, if any emcees can go bar-for-bar with R.A. The Rugged Man. His technical skill, his incredible flow, his breath control, and his bar-building skills are second to none. Due to all kinds of label woes and a strong-minded personality with an unwillingness to compromise, he only released two albums in the close to three decades he’s been active in the game – but on those two albums, and on numerous guest appearances on other people’s songs (where he usually bodies everybody else involved), R.A. has consistently shown an unbeatable lyrical ability. Anyone who saw him performing live knows he can rock a crowd too – as a real emcee should be able to.

So now here we have his third album, All My Heroes Are Dead. Is it on par with his previous work? Well, yes it is. All My Heroes Are Dead is a LONG album, at 22 tracks and 1 hour and 16 minutes, but there’s a lot more killer more than filler. For those unfamiliar with R.A. The Rugged Man, the album may seem a bit schizophrenic. Some songs are personal or emotional, about family and fatherhood and such, other songs have some conscious and political tendencies, some are about Hip Hop (history) and some songs have that typical R.A. vulgarity (always with plenty of tongue-in-cheek and self-deprecating humor).

What all songs have in common though is R.A. The Rugged Man’s unparalleled wordplay and lyrical skill. All My Heroes Are Dead has a host of guest artists, and unlike a lot of other rappers R.A. The Rugged Man really doesn’t need any features to help carry his albums, but the feature list here is CRAZY.

Ice T. Chuck D. Kool G Rap. DJ jazzy Jeff. Brand Nubian. Ghostface Killah. Inspectah Deck. Masta Killa. Chino XL. M.O.P. Onyx. Immortal Technique. Vinnie Paz. Atmosphere. A-F-R-O. And others besides – this has to be one of the most impressive guest lists ever. Despite all these guests, this is very much a Rugged Man album, though – he is never outshined and nowhere overcrowded.

Legends Never Die was one of our favorite albums of 2013, this is one of 2020’s best. Awesome rhyming, amazing features, and fire production too. Fans of mainstream pop-rap will likely not like this album, older heads and those in tune with Hip Hop history will. This is a perfect album for the HHGA demographic.

“Some say I’m a troll and a grumpy old a-hole / ‘Cause I prefer Kool Moe Dee and Melle Mel over J. Cole“. Ha!

Stand-out tracks: “Gotta Be Dope”, with incredible rhyming by R.A. and his protege A-F-R-O, and with cuts by the legendary DJ Jazzy Jeff, “The Slayers Club”, the best posse cut you will hear this year (featuring Ice T, M.O.P., Onyx, Brand Nubian, Vinnie Paz, Chris Rivers, and Chino XL), “Dragon Fire”, the other posse cut (with Ghostface Killah, Masta Killa, and Kool G Rap) that’s almost as dope, “Golden Oldies” (with Atmosphere and Eamon) with all its nods to classic Hip Hop, “Who Do We Trust” featuring Immortal Technique, with its eery beat and thought-provoking lyrics, and the deep and emotional single “Wondering”.

78. Conway The Machine - You Can't Kill God With Bullets (2025)

Conway the Machine’s You Can’t Kill God with Bullets is a sprawling, hour-long, 18-track album on Drumwork Music Group that leans fully into atmospheric boom-bap, soul-sample loops, and trap-tinged tension. With production from The Alchemist, Conductor Williams, Daringer, Apollo Brown, araabMUZIK, Timbaland, and others, plus guests like Roc Marciano, G Herbo, Tony Yayo, Lady London, KNDRX, and Heather Victoria, the record builds a dense, street-level atmosphere. Conway’s Bell’s palsy rasp gives every line a strained urgency as he revisits trauma, betrayal, and uneasy success, often circling back to the unresolved wound of his 2012 shooting.

After the H. Rap Brown–sampling intro “Gun Powder,” the album pivots into “The Lightning Above the Adriatic Sea,” where Conway blends Coachella stages with Central Booking memories in fragmented, timeline-hopping verses. Tracks like “BMG,” “Diamonds,” and “Hell Let Loose” showcase shifting production palettes—soulful horns, dusty loops, and trap percussion—while maintaining a cold, calculating tone. Timbaland’s “Crazy Avery” adds jittery, irregular drums as Conway vents about ungrateful artists he’s invested in.

Daringer’s “The Painter” strips things back to lo-fi minimalism, heightening Conway’s solitude and distrust. “Nu Devils,” with G Herbo, charges forward on sub-bass and traded threats, while “Otis Driftwood,” “Mahogany Walls,” and “Parisian Nights” mix reflection, muted triumph, and brief luxury. Drumless or near-drumless excursions—“Se7enteen5ive,” “Organized Mess”—let imagery of routine danger and guarded wealth float above airy samples.

Emotional depth peaks late: “I Never Sleep” churns with regret, and “Hold Back Tears” confronts grief over lost family and depression with stark vulnerability. The closer, “Don’t Even Feel Real (Dreams),” softens into soulful boom-bap as Conway tallies favors and surreal success alongside Heather Victoria’s hook.

If there’s a flaw, it’s the album’s length and sonic uniformity—grimy loops and bass-heavy beats can blur, and certain flexes feel repetitive. Yet features inject energy, and the loosely structured, stream-of-consciousness sequencing mirrors Conway’s mental state more than a traditional arc. Listeners who are still able of hour-long sits find plenty of reward here.

Ultimately, You Can’t Kill God with Bullets delivers: trauma as engine, success as weight, and principled independence as anchor. Despite its sprawl, the project affirms his standing in Hip Hop’s grim lineage, powered by vivid detail, unguarded pain, and a voice that refuses to soften.

79. Roc Marciano - Marciology (2024)

For the past fifteen years, Roc Marciano has been an undisputed titan of underground Hip Hop. His journey began with Busta Rhymes’ Flipmode Squad and The U.N., but Marciano’s true calling emerged as a solo artist. He became a driving force in the revival of the mafioso subgenre, originally pioneered by 90s icons like Kool G Rap, Raekwon, and Nas.

Marciano’s signature sound – atmospheric, gritty lo-fi beats – has become the blueprint for a new generation. His style heavily influences artists like the ones from Griselda and all their affiliates. His dark, post-boom-bap sound, often eschewing drums altogether, has heavily influenced and dominated underground Hip Hop in the past decade.

Marciano’s discography boasts standouts like Marcberg (2010) and Reloaded (2012), and the more recent The Elephant Bones (2022). His latest offering, Marciology, continues this tradition of excellence. While maybe not his absolute best, it’s another strong entry in a strong catalog, delivering a laidback but deadly soundscape across its 14 tracks and 45-minute runtime. Features from Larry June, Crimeapple, T.F., and Flee Lord complement Marciano’s signature flow and sharp wit, further solidifying the album’s strength.

Marciology is a masterclass in atmospheric production, a collaboration between Marciano himself, Alchemist, and Animoss. When it comes to crafting this style of Hip Hop there’s only Brownsville’s Ka who might rival Roc Marciano. Marciology is a must-listen for any true Hip Hop head.

80. Logic - Vinyl Days (2022)

Logic is one of those artists who always have opinions firmly divided – there are plenty of Logic fans, but more haters it seems sometimes. His inconsistent output no doubt is a part of the ‘problem’ a lot of people have with the Maryland native. Confessions of a Dangerous Mind (2019) was an especially terrible album, and there are other duds in his catalog that are best forgotten. His supposed retirement album No Pressure (2020) was not at all bad though, and with Vinyl Days – his seventh (and first post-retirement) studio album he delivered a winner – absolutely his best project yet.

Vinyl Days is a monster of an album – just over 70 minutes in length. Too much for the ADD crowd probably, but perfect for listeners who still appreciate the art of creating LPs. The lyrical content on this album may not be deep or profound, and guests like Action Bronson, Curren$y, Royce Da 5’9″, RZA, Blu, AZ, and The Game (among others) outshine Logic on occasion, but it doesn’t matter. This album FLOWS and despite its runtime, the momentum never falters – 30 tracks (including skits that uncharacteristically do not break the flow of the album), but the album doesn’t feel bloated at all. No real weak spots on the tracklist, and plenty of highlights – including tracks such as “Tetris”, “BLACKWHITEBOY”, “Quasi”, “Bleed It”, “Clouds”, “Therapy Music”, “Kickstyle”, “Ten Years”, “Porta One”, and “Vinyl Days” (with DJ Premier).

Vinyl Days lives up to its name – it serves as a warm love letter to the golden age of Hip Hop, with diverse and appealing sample-based boom-bap production from start to finish. Slick, refreshing, and fun – Vinyl Days was one of the biggest positive surprises of the year. Logic dropped a better Hip Hop album than Kendrick Lamar in 2022 – who would have thought?

81. Boldy James & Sterling Toles - Manger On McNichols (2020)

With Manger On McNichols, Detroit emcee Boldy James continued his 2020 winning streak. Only a few months after his collaborative album with top-producer The Alchemist, the excellent The Price Of Tea In China, Boldy James dropped this completely different but equally captivating project.

Manger On McNichols is a release that has been a long time coming, a result of a collaboration with fellow Detroiter and veteran producer Sterling Toles that started over 10 years ago. Much of the lyrics on Manger On McNichols were recorded between 2007 and 2010, with some new lyrics added to a couple of tracks to finish the album for its 2020 release. Sterling Toles provides Boldy James vocals with a selection of experimental jazz instrumentals that make this album much more left-field in sound than James’ albums with The Alchemist. Because of its experimental vibe, Manger On McNichols probably is more of an acquired taste and less likely to appeal to wider audiences than TPOTIC and other Boldy James projects do, but it is an intriguing listening experience that deserves attention.

82. ShrapKnel - Nobody Planning To Leave (2024)

Underground Hip Hop veterans Curly Castro and PremRock, aka ShrapKnel, are back with their third LP, Nobody Planning To Leave. The album, produced entirely by Controller 7, boasts Open Mike Eagle, Onry Ozzborn, Lungs, Breezly Brewin, D-Styles, and ELUCID guest appearances.

The title Nobody Planning To Leave is a double-edged sword. It’s both a declaration of dedication and a nod to the realities of life. Sometimes you fight for what you love, other times fate has a different plan. One thing’s for sure – nobody wants to abandon their passion. More often than not, life’s pressures force us to walk away.

Nobody Planning To Leave is the product of a chance encounter. A few DMs between Castro and Controller 7 in 2021 blossomed into a full-fledged album. Following in the footsteps of their previous albums, ShrapKnel (2020) and Metal Lung (2022), this latest offering delivers hard-hitting, slightly experimental beats paired with intricate wordplay. Nobody Planning To Leave is a fun listen for forward-thinking underground Hip Hop fans, another jewel in the crown of the Backwoodz Studioz label.

83. John Michel & Anthony James - Egotrip (2025)

Egotrip, the debut studio album from rapper John Michel and producer Anthony James, is a sharp, soul-soaked entry into modern Hip Hop that thrives on tension—between ego and faith, hunger and humility, chaos and control. Across twelve tracks, the pair builds a world that feels handcrafted. Anthony James’s production is thick with texture: chopped soul samples, live-sounding drums, and layered horns that move with the looseness of a jam session but the clarity of a studio record. The beats swing hard but never overwhelm; each snare hit and vocal chop lands with precision.

John Michel raps with urgency and conviction. His voice is deep, slightly raspy, carrying the weight of someone thinking out loud under pressure. His delivery balances grit and clarity, grounded in experience but still restless. Lyrically, he wrestles with self-importance, faith, and moral conflict—especially on “Egotrip,” where he questions the pull between ambition and belief. “Preacher!” and “Confrontation” stretch that tension through booming drums and looping soul refrains, while “World’s End” strips the sound back to a trembling mix of guitar, organ, and drums, turning self-reflection into something close to prayer.

Anthony James’s production gives the album its pulse. His sample work nods to early-2000s chipmunk soul, but his layering feels modern—clean, full, and deliberate. The small imperfections in the vinyl crackle and the swing of the bassline add warmth that digital polish often loses. On “Nobody,” the addition of Kennadi Rose and Yung Senju brings a burst of melody that lightens the album’s heavier moments without losing its sincerity.

The record’s pacing feels deliberate. Interludes like “The Keys” and “Admit My Guilt” give it shape, letting the narrative breathe. By the time “Sunday Morning, Genesis.” closes the record, the mood shifts toward calm, as if the storm of self-questioning has passed.

Egotrip is not a loud record, but it is full. Every element—voice, beat, silence—carries intent. It’s an album about pride and surrender, delivered with the polish of veterans and the hunger of newcomers. Thoughtful, rhythmic, and spiritually charged, it’s one of the most fully realized Hip Hop projects of 2025.

84. Neak - Die Wurzel (2023)

“Everything can be traced back to its roots. Sometimes, those roots are ignored, overlooked, unattended to, and uncared for. At the heart of American culture, the roots of African-American became nurtured through the historical beauty and ugliness of American society, and those cataclysmic experiences still resonate within our culture, mindset, and way of life. Die Wurzel explores black life post-1619 to the present day. It is designed to make you pause, think, and reflect on the black experience in America with a level of compassion and sensitivity that has made way for perceived cultural black norms deriving from African-American trials and tribulations. Jammed with black musical roots: gospel, soul, jazz, funk, and rap, Die Wurzel is an intellectual, witty, and soul-driven musical journey that will hold a dear place in the heart of black urban society.”

Chicago-based multi-talent Neak is an artist who has been on our radar for a while now – his Kwesbaar album was one of our favorite releases of 2019, and in recent years he’s been involved in plenty more quality projects besides that one too. Die Wurzel is his most ambitious and arguably his most important record yet, packed with thoughtful lyrics, complemented by lush musical backdrops mostly produced by Neak himself (with additional production by regular collaborator Rashid Hadee). Sequencing, interludes, transitions – everything is done to perfection here, this record is a keeper without a doubt. Fans of mature, intelligent Hip Hop, and those who like music from artists like Common, Odissee, and even Kendrick Lamar, definitely have to check out Die Wurzel.

85. ShrapKnel - Metal Lung (2022)

Backwoodz Studioz‘s ShrapKnel pairs two long-time friends and frequent collaborators Curly Castro and PremRock. Although the two rappers have long been part of Philly’s Wrecking Crew, ShrapKnel is a pared-down affair; sharp knives in tight spaces. While Curly Castro’s and PremRock’s most recent solo albums are pretty strong (Castro’s incendiary Little Robert Hutton is one of our favorite albums of 2021), their work as a duo is on a whole other level. Their eponymous debut full-length album (2020) was an excellent presentation of left-field boom-bap Hip Hop, and their sophomore effort Metal Lung is even better.

The bulk of the production on Metal Lung is provided by Steel Tipped Dove (who has worked with billy woods and R.A.P. Ferreira), additional production comes from Child Actor (ELUCID, Serengeti, Armand Hammer), and Olof Melander (Moor Mother, Project Mooncircle). Just like on ShrapKnel, the production and flows on Metal Lung are slightly off-the-wall, making for an unbalancing but fully engaging listening experience from start to finish. The mainstream rap music media are collectively overhyping the mostly so-so albums of the big industry names who all dropped new music in 2022, but in the shadow of all that mediocrity 2022 is turned out to be a top year for left-field Hip Hop. Metal Lung is the best the subgenre has to offer, better Hip Hop in any case than most of what the high-profile media darlings released this year.

86. CRIMEAPPLE & Apollo Brown - THIS, IS NOT THAT (2024)

This, Is Not That is a masterful collaboration that combines Apollo’s soulful, textured production with Crimeapple’s sharp bilingual lyricism. It’s an album rooted in raw emotion and vivid storytelling, offering a balanced blend of grit and introspection.

Apollo Brown, the Detroit-based producer known for his soul-drenched beats, creates a foundation that feels warm yet weighty, evoking nostalgia without ever sounding outdated. His signature style, built on dusty loops and boom-bap percussion, perfectly complements Crimeapple’s ability to paint pictures with words. Crimeapple, hailing from New Jersey with Colombian roots, brings a distinct voice to the project, seamlessly switching between English and Spanish while delivering razor-sharp reflections on identity, ambition, and survival.

The album opens with the ominous title track before diving into “Mercy,” where searing guitar riffs and booming drums create a sense of urgency as Crimeapple warns against the cost of ambition. “Superstitious” shifts into a more classic boom-bap groove, with Crimeapple weaving tales of his life and travels. On “Wonderful Feelin’,” Willie the Kid joins to explore the mafioso lifestyle over lush strings, while “Know No Better” uses soulful instrumentation to reflect on the pitfalls of stepping out of bounds.

Midway through, tracks like “The Problem” and “Pitiful” delve deeper into vulnerability. “The Problem” floats over a drumless, crooning instrumental, as Crimeapple contemplates his journey from struggle to success. “Pitiful” takes on a darker tone, with Apollo’s haunting production amplifying Crimeapple’s raw introspection.

“Almanacs,” featuring Sonnyjim, brings biting commentary on authenticity, while “Coke with Ice” strips back the drums entirely, letting Crimeapple’s bars hit harder over haunting keys. The final stretch, including “My Own Good” and “New Dreams,” finds Crimeapple reflecting on the pull of the past and the weight of leadership, with Apollo’s production shifting to a more atmospheric, meditative tone.

This, Is Not That is a tightly woven project that thrives on trust and chemistry. Apollo’s timeless beats and Crimeapple’s vivid lyricism come together to create a record that feels both immediate and enduring, leaving an imprint long after the last track fades.

87. Aesop Rock & Blockhead - Garbology (2021)

“After over 20 years of collaboration, which also birthed Aesop’s two most popular songs to date (“Daylight” and “None Shall Pass”), Garbology is the first Aesop Rock album fully produced by Blockhead. Garbology came together over the course of the pandemic, as well as in the midst of Aesop processing the loss of a close friend in January of 2020, resulting in a period of time of feeling uncreative. Looking back, Aesop recalls, “The world got real weird during those months. I knew at some point I had to get back to making something. Make a beat. Draw a picture. Write. Just go. But the idea of making a beat felt like math homework, and drawing is just so hard. Writing is hard too, but at some point I had to pick one.” With writing as the chosen path, Aesop hit up Blockhead to send over some beats. At the beginning there wasn’t a plan for an album, or any particular plan beyond creating some songs. However, it didn’t take long for one song to become a few, then a handful, until finally an album was born.”

Aesop Rock is one of our favorite artists, with a bunch of essential underground classics on his name. Garbology dropped almost exactly one year after Aesop Rock’s latest opus Spirit World Field Guide – one of our favorite Hip Hop albums released in 2020. Garbology is completely different from that more conceptually driven album, but it is just as good. Blockhead’s experimental but accessible beats go well with Aesop Rock’s lyrical genius – it really was high time these two did a full album together. Garbology is not as deep or complex as Spirit World Field Guide is, but it is still plenty challenging AND rewarding. Aesop Rock doesn’t miss. Even if Garbology is not his best project, it is still way better than most other rappers’ best albums – it’s one of our favorites released in 2021, in any case.

88. Avantdale Bowling Club - TREES (2022)

Avantdale Bowling Club is the name under which New Zealand-based artist Tom Scott released a self-titled jazz-rap essential in 2018, one of the best albums released that year. Avantdale Bowling Club presented an effortless fusion of neo-jazz and Hip Hop, a must-have for Hip Hop listeners with an appreciation for music from acts like A Tribe Called Quest, Digable Planets, Guru, Freestyle Fellowship/Aceyalone, The Pharcyde, The Roots, and even Kendrick Lamar. Avantdale Bowling Club is a timeless piece of music, and this follow-up has that same kind of feel. TREES is more subtle and humble than Avantdale Bowling Club’s eponymous masterpiece debut but almost as beautiful. While the first album was more jazz-centered, this one leans more in a Hip Hop direction – stoner jazz rap would be a fitting description – offering one of the best mixes of jazz and Hip Hop since TPAB. Don’t sleep on TREES – this is one of the best albums of 2022.

89. Freddie Gibbs & The Alchemist - Alfredo (2020)

Gary, Indiana phenomenon Freddie Gibbs is like a modern-day Ice-T in a way: maybe not the best rapper ever, but the leader of the pack anyway. Similar to Ice-T, it’s Freddie Gibbs’ charisma and power of personality that sets him apart from most others – that and his ability to develop synergetic collaborations with Hip Hop’s top producers that results in projects that are greater than the sum of their parts.

Freddie Gibbs has had enough solid releases in the past decade, but his stand-outs are the two albums he did with Madlib – Pinata (2014) and Bandana (2019) both are modern classics. If Alfredo will eventually be considered to be on that Pinata and Bandana level remains to be seen, but most ingredients are there. Most, because Alfredo feels more ‘light-weight’ due to its length – where Pinata runs for little over an hour and Bandana for a solid 45 minutes, Alfredo is barely over EP-length at 35 minutes. On such a short project EVERYTHING has to hit, no misses can be afforded.

Fortunately, there are not a lot of misses, if any. Freddie Gibbs is on top of his game here. His recognizable voice, flow, delivery, and cadences sound as good as ever, and his connection with The Alchemist is as strong as it is with Madlib. The Alchemist already had one of the best albums of 2020 on his name with his Boldy James collabo The Price Of Tea In China, Alfredo tops even that one. Luckily Alfredo is not cluttered with guests and features are limited to appearances by Rick Ross, Benny the Butcher, Tyler The Creator, and Conway the Machine – who all come through with great verses. The album is very much Freddie Gibbs’s show though. Normally someone like Benny outshines anybody else with his features, on Alfredo the guests very much are guests – it’s Freddie Gibbs who rules here.

Freddie Gibbs comes with organic and vivid lyricism from beginning to end, supported by The Alchemist’s flawless instrumentals. Alfredo is paced and sequenced perfectly, and is over before you know it – which leads to the only complaint and the only reason it is not ranked even higher here: Alfredo is just too short. Other than that: Alfredo is a continuation of Freddie Gibbs’ winning streak and another rap-noir masterpiece, a project that deserves to mentioned in the same breath as Pinata and Bandana.

Alfredo is short, sharp, and punchy, with top-tier lyricism and songwriting from Freddie Gibbs, and a perfect collection of instrumentals from The Alchemist – 10 tracks, no filler, all killer. Alfredo is a keeper.

90. LL Cool J - The FORCE (Frequencies Of Real Creative Energy) (2024)

LL Cool J’s The FORCE is a strong and unexpected return to form, easily his best album in almost 25 years, since G.O.A.T. (2000). Where much of his output in recent decades leaned toward pop and was often lackluster, this album shows LL with renewed energy and lyrical sharpness. His long-awaited collaboration with Q-Tip brings together LL’s veteran swagger with Tip’s dynamic production. Although at times the beats don’t mesh perfectly with LL’s rhymes, the album delivers a consistently engaging experience, peaking with highlights like the posse cut “The Vow” and the ferocious “Murdergram Deux,” where LL and Eminem engage in an exhilarating bar-for-bar exchange.

The album’s strength lies in its confident, unapologetic approach. LL doesn’t try to chase current trends, but he also avoids being too nostalgic, making The FORCE sound timeless. Tracks like “Runnit Back” are full of the kind of affirmations that speak to all generations, and the inclusion of newer voices on “The Vow” feels refreshing, a rare feat for a project driven by an artist from Hip Hop’s golden era. LL’s signature braggadocio, displayed on tracks like “Post Modern” and “Black Code Suite,” is balanced with introspective moments like “30 Decembers,” where he reflects on aging and the passing of time in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic.

The album is not without its flaws, as some tracks feel underdeveloped or a bit overstuffed. Still, LL’s charisma and lyrical prowess make up for the few stumbles, and his features—particularly Nas and Eminem—only elevate the project further. Q-Tip’s beats bring a rich variety, from boom-bap to funk, with the chemistry between producer and rapper rarely faltering.

It’s important to recognize LL Cool J’s pedigree and the foundational role he played in shaping Hip Hop. As one of Def Jam’s flagship artists, he helped define the genre in its earliest stages. His debut, Radio (1985), produced by Rick Rubin, was a raw, stripped-down record that showcased his brash delivery and larger-than-life persona. He followed this with Bigger and Deffer (1987), home to classics like “I’m Bad” and the iconic “I Need Love,” one of the earliest rap ballads. Mama Said Knock You Out (1990) further solidified LL as a powerhouse, with tracks like the title cut proving he could evolve with the times without losing his edge.

On The FORCE, LL taps into that same hunger that made him a household name. At 56, he’s still proving that he can hang with the best, delivering intricate flows and clever bars that remind listeners why he’s one of the genre’s longest-standing legends. This project proves LL’s staying power, and though it might not reinvent the wheel, it’s a solid offering that reaffirms his place in the pantheon of Hip Hop greats.

91. JustVibez & Negro Justice - Art Of The Craft (2023)

Based out of Nashville, Negro Justice is a skilled emcee who teamed up with producer JustVibez – also from Nashville – to create a collaborative project titled Art Of The Craft. JustVibez produced the entirety of tracks on Art Of The Craft, bringing a cohesive vibe to the album that draws inspiration from artists such as Outkast and UGK, without sounding derivative in any way. His beats are laid-back yet edgy, perfectly complementing Negro Justice’s versatile flow. With his Southern drawl, Negro Justice’s warm voice adds a soulful touch to the album as it takes the listener on a poignant and compelling musical journey, tackling personal and socio-political issues with equal ease. Art Of The Craft is a GREAT Hip Hop album, one that deserves your attention.

92. PremRock - Did You Enjoy Your Time Here...? (2025)

PremRock’s Did You Enjoy Your Time Here…? is a dense, carefully constructed album that moves through moods and textures with a storyteller’s precision. The New York rapper, known for his work with ShrapKnel and his long-standing presence in underground Hip Hop, delivers verses packed with sharp imagery and layered references. His writing leans into introspection without losing a sense of humor, balancing wit and weight in a way that makes each track feel like a conversation unraveling in real time.

Production across the album shifts between hazy loops, crisp drum patterns, and eerie synth textures, creating a backdrop that mirrors PremRock’s measured delivery. Contributions from producers like Blockhead, ELUCID, YUNGMORPHEUS, and Small Professor add variety without disrupting the album’s cohesion. Tracks like “Steal Wool” with Pink Siifu and “Aim’s True” with AJ Suede and Curly Castro bring in distinct voices that add depth to the album’s already rich palette.

The writing is as tight as ever, with lines that land like offhand observations but reveal themselves to be deeply considered. “A Good Man is Hard to Find” feels like a slow-burn meditation on morality, while “Receipts” with billy woods plays out like a verbal chess match. “Plunder!” carries a more chaotic energy, its frenetic pacing matching its themes of excess and collapse. Even at its most abstract, the album never drifts into obscurity—there’s always an anchor, a phrase or an image, that keeps the listener locked in.

While Did You Enjoy Your Time Here…? follows in the footsteps of Load Bearing Crow’s Feet, it feels less like a direct sequel and more like a response. Where the previous album was weighty and contemplative, this one moves with a sharper edge, a little more playful but no less thoughtful. PremRock’s voice remains steady throughout, never rushing, never stretching for effect. His presence is lived-in, the work of an artist who has spent years refining his approach, shaping his delivery until every word lands exactly as intended.

By the time the closing title track rolls around, the question posed by the album lingers. The answer is subjective, but one thing is certain—PremRock is an artist who knows exactly what he’s doing, and he’s doing it exceptionally well.

93. Canibus - Kaiju (2021)

Bronx emcee Canibus’ Kaiju is a collaboration with Oxnard, California producer BodyBagBen. It is the third project from Canibus this year after the release of the excellent The Last Ride with Killah Priest, Kurupt & Ras Kass as HRSMN, and the disappointing Microphone Land with Jaximus. Canibus’ problem has always been his bad ear for beats, more than half of his albums are let down by weak beats. The exceptions are when he got guidance from a single producer responsible for quality control – Canibus’ best album still is Rip The Jacker (2003), for which album all the beats were done by JMT-producer Stoupe. Kaiju is one of Canibus’ best albums for the same reason – BodyBagBen’s haunting beats are dope as f and a perfect fit for Canibus’ hardcore bars. Kaiju features some heavy-hitting features too, including the late Hip Hop legends DMX and MF DOOM (along with Kool Keith, Hus Kingpin, Born Sun, and Justin Tyme) and has Canibus spitting aggressive raps at the top of his game as if he never left. Kaiju is a great Canibus album.

94. Sadistik & Kno - Bring Me Back When The World Is Cured (2022)

We’ve never really connected with Sadistik’s ’emo raps’ before, but this album is something else. On Bring Me Back When The World Is Cured Sadistik paints dark and beautiful pictures with his rhymes – his moody words and flows are truly touching here and more than on any of his earlier albums the emotional impact of his content is amplified by the strength of the production. Kno is one of the best producers out there and has been for well over a decade – his work as one-third of CunninLynguists (especially on A Piece Of  Strange (2006), Oneirology (2011), and Rose Azura Njano (2017) is superb, and the instrumentals he crafted for his solo masterpiece Death Is Silent (2010) are next-level too. He is a true master of creating atmospheric soundscapes – music you FEEL – and the hauntingly beautiful beats he crafted to bring the best out of Sadistik on Bring Me Back When The World Is Cured are simply gorgeous. Powerful stuff – not for everybody probably but one of our favorite albums of 2022 anyway.

95. Injury Reserve - By The Time I Get To Phoenix (2021)

Injury Reserve is a trio formed in 2013 in Tempe, Arizona by rappers Stepa J. Groggs (Jordan Groggs), Ritchie With a T (Nathaniel Ritchie), and producer Parker Corey. After two well-received mixtapes (Live from The Dentist Office (2015) and Floss (2016)) and an equally acclaimed EP (Drive It Like It’s Stolen (2017)), the trio released their eponymous full-length debut album in 2019. Injury Reserve turned out to be an excellent culmination of what Injury Reserve has been all about from the beginning: making forward-thinking, genre boundary-pushing Hip Hop music. The music on Injury Reserve hit hard and was kind of pop-friendly at the same time: like a weird blend of the sounds of acts like Run The Jewels, JPEG Mafia, Dälek, and clipping – a superb left-field Hip Hop album that contained a ton of promise for future Injury Reserve projects.

A year after the release of Injury Reserve, tragedy hit with the untimely death of Groggs – who passed away on June 29, 2020, at age 32. It’s almost as if you can hear the remaining members’ physical reaction to Groggs’ death through the music on the second Injury Reserve full-length. By The Time I Get To Phoenix is a touching, heartfelt salute to a bandmate and friend, framed by a lot of the jarring boldness that made Injury Reserve such a gripping listen on their debut. Given Groggs’ integrality to the Injury Reserve sound and what losing him signified, it was not hard to predict that By the Time I Get to Phoenix would be unlike anything the group had released prior, and it is – even if the album was partly conceived while Groggs was still alive and he appears posthumously throughout. Groggs’ bars on “Knees” dealing with his alcoholism and the nature of addiction are particularly poignant.

By The Time I Get To Phoenix is even more experimental than the previous Injury Reserve album was, way darker, brasher, denser, and way more inaccessible too. With its blend of shoegaze-esque synths, post-punk, glitch-hop, industrial noise, and dissonant sounds, it’s impossible to fit this project in a genre box. Post-rap may do, but all in all, this is one of those albums that defy genre conventions with their uniqueness – reminiscent that way to Death Grips’ classic The Money Store (2012), another once-in-a-decade kind of album.

Parker Corey’s soundscapes on By The Time I Get To Phoenix are dystopian and anxiety-inducing, making for an incredibly immersive and affecting canvas of loss and grief. Ritchie delivers emotionally raw, cathartic verses throughout the whole album – especially his poetry on the stand-out “Top Picks For You” is heartbreaking. The perfect synthesis of the emotive beats and bars on By The Time I Get To Phoenix results in a dark and raw album, a harrowing and intensely moving tribute to a friend gone way too soon. R.I.P. Stepa J. Groggs.

96. Nerves Baddington - Micro/Macro (2022)

Nerves Baddington is a trio from Birmingham, Alabama, consisting of Kilgore Doubt, inkline, and Cam the Invisible Man. Their Micro and Macro albums are two fantastic projects we will consider a double-LP because the two are inextricably connected. In this era of music streaming, we see a lot of artists dropping short EP-length projects, presenting them as full-length albums. Nerves Baddington bucked this trend by dropping two ambitious 45-minute projects that combine into one near-flawless album that’s not a second too long. Micro/Macro offers an hour and a half of top-tier experimental but accessible Hip Hop – this is one of those rare projects that might appeal to casual rap fans and to more discerning Hip Hop listeners alike. 

Micro/Macro features production by all three Nerves Baddington members (mostly from Kilgore Doubt), with some assistance from outside collaborator The Phasing Octopus. Nerves Baddington emcee inkline is joined on the microphone by a host of other Birmingham rappers, like MC Kano, Black Plastique, Shaun Judah, Nick Dire, Mane Rok, Fleetwood Deville, Akil Pratt, K1NG ELJAY, and others.

Micro/Macro is a project with power and purpose. The soundscapes are meticulously crafted, the rhymes offer a perfect blend of the thoughtful and the abstract, and the flows of inkline and guests are tight. Micro and Macro are excellent listening experiences separately – and because of subtle sonic and lyrical cross-reference points, they are even stronger combined. Micro/Macro is an ambitious and totally captivating piece of music.

97. Four Elements & Beyond - Clock The Chemistry (2023)

Four Elements & Beyond is a crew from New York, and their Clock The Chemistry is one of the best 90s-centric Hip Hop albums of the year. Warm boom-bap soundscapes crafted by producer Freak Tha Monsta serve as banging backdrops for entertaining bars and dope flows from rappers Miggs Son Daddy and WRD Life. Shy The BeatYoda’s scratched-in samples here and there give the album more of that 90s feel, and at 45 minutes the album has a normal runtime too. This is how throwback Hip Hop should be done.

98. Godfather Don - Thesis (2024)

Godfather Don, the veteran producer and rapper from New York City, is a much-respected figure among Hip Hop purists. His catalog includes low-key classics such as Hazardous (1991), and The Cenobites (1995/1997) with Kool Keith. In 2024, he presents his latest solo album, Thesis.

Thesis is entirely written and produced by Godfather Don himself, featuring 16 tracks that capture the authentic Dontown, NYC feel. The beats, rooted in 90s-inspired boom-bap, create an ideal foundation for Don’s lyrical delivery. And Godfather Don certainly delivers – his bars and flows are as sharp and engaging as ever.

This album adheres to a format we love – a full hour of music, devoid of bullsh*t skits and interludes, and without guest features. This focused approach allows the album to progress smoothly from start to finish. In an era where many artists opt for short releases or collaborations, Don demonstrates the power of a well-executed solo project. With Thesis, this industry veteran reaffirms his position as a respected figure in Hip Hop, proving that his skills on the mic and in the studio continue to evolve and impress.

99. Kendrick Lamar - Mr. Morale & The Big Steppers (2022)

Kendrick Lamar’s fifth studio album was one of the most anticipated releases in years, coming five years after the Pulitzer prize-winning DAMN. For us, that album was generally overhyped and overrated, not on par with Kendrick Lamar’s masterpieces good kid m.A.A.d. city (2012) and To Pimp A Butterfly (2015) anyway. And while it remains to be seen if Mr. Morale & The Big Steppers will eventually be able to stand side to side with GKMC and TPAB, it definitely is a sight better than DAMN, reconfirming Kendrick Lamar’s status as one of the leading and most important Hip Hop artists of his generation.

Kendrick Lamar always offers new sounds, new flows, and new perspectives with every project he releases, and Mr. Morale & The Big Steppers is no exception. Mr. Morale & The Big Steppers is an intimate album full of musical precision, with a sharp focus on Lamar’s personal traumas, doubts, and contradictions. Where GKMC explored Kendrick’s origins in Compton, and TPAB scaled up to the collective and intergenerational trauma of the entire black community, this album succeeds in finding the middle ground. Kendrick gives us a status update, a state of affairs, good and bad, still taking a confrontational look at himself. A large part of the bad influences that shaped his youth are behind him, but that past itself doesn’t just leave you behind. With his relatable and self-reflective content on Mr. Morale & The Big Steppers Kendrick Lamar shows us sensitivity, and how this sensitivity can be converted into anger, fear, uncertainty, and bitterness on the turn of a dime. The mental and emotional volatility that characterizes Mr. Morale & The Big Steppers is one of the album’s biggest strengths – even if some of the themes presented can seem contradictory (reflecting the ‘mirror’ concept of this double album).

There’s a lot to unpack on Mr. Morale & The Big Steppers – this is an album that will have to marinate a good while before making any determination where it ranks even in Lamar’s own catalog is possible. That said, there’s nobody quite like Kendrick Lamar, Mr. Morale & The Big Steppers is just another affirmation of his top-dog status.

100. The Expert - Vivid Visions (2025)

The Expert has long been a name associated with psychedelic textures and cinematic Hip Hop production, and with Vivid Visions he delivers one of the best producer albums you will hear this year. The Irish beatmaker curates an ambitious set: 18 tracks featuring an impressive roster of 21 rappers, weaving generations of underground talent into a loose psychedelic trip. Veterans like Blu, Buck 65, and Jehst appear alongside newer names such as AJ Suede, Milc, and Lungs, each navigating the hallucinatory beats with their own perspective and cadence.

The production is the glue, pulling from sources as eclectic as late-60s psychedelic rock, surreal cinema, and golden-age loops. One track may drift with woozy synths and ghostly vocals, while another lurches forward with heavy bass and sharp drums, keeping the record unpredictable without losing its cohesion. The sequencing is tight, with many cuts blending into each other, creating the sense of an ongoing mix rather than a collection of unrelated tracks.

What makes Vivid Visions so engaging is how the sound design and voices mesh without feeling repetitive. The beats are lush, strange, and often playful, filled with tiny details that reward close listening—snippets of dialogue, psychedelic guitar chops, warped keys that bubble up and vanish. The rappers, in turn, lean into the mood, whether delivering abstract wordplay, sharp observations, or offbeat humor. Highlights come from everywhere: Defcee anchoring several cuts with sharp poetics, ShrapKnel bending words over warped funk, and NAHreally helping steer the project’s direction through his multiple appearances.

Vivid Visions avoids the bloat that plagues many producer projects, instead sounding like a carefully designed collage with every voice in its place. The album is a celebration of underground Hip Hop’s range and imagination, but more importantly, it’s a reminder of The Expert’s ability to create immersive, forward-thinking records that balance craft with unpredictability. Psychedelic, gritty, and endlessly replayable, this is one of 2025’s most impressive Hip Hop releases.

101. Arrested Development – Don’t Fight Your Demons (2020)

Arrested Development debuted in 1992 with the now-classic 3 Years, 5 Months, and 2 Days in the Life Of... (4x times platinum!) – a masterpiece of conscious Hip Hop, and because of its positive thinking and positive imagery a breath of fresh air in the era dominated by gangsta rap – celebrating life instead of death.

Ever since that monumental debut (except for a 4-year break between 1996 and 2000), Arrested Development has continued to create quality music in ever-changing line-ups (frontman Speech is the only AD-member who has always in the group since its inception in 1988). Despite Arrested Development’s long history, Don’t Fight Your Demons arguably is the group’s best album since 3 Years, 5 Months, and 2 Days in the Life Of...

Don’t Fight Your Demons really is a GREAT album. Speech’s lyrical imagery is as sharp and thought-provoking as ever, and extremely topical in a year of unreal political and societal turmoil. The album is as musical as you’d expect an Arrested Development record to be – but the work on the boards from British producer Configa gives this album an authentic Hip Hop vibe at the same time. Only the poppy “Journey On” could have been left off, but on a 14-song tracklist one small misstep can be forgiven (there are 16 tracks actually, but two are remixes of the anthemic “Amazing” – which IS an amazing track by the way).

Next to “Amazing”, standouts include “Back Down”, “Moses”, “The Same People”, “Play With Fire”, the soulful single “Becoming”, and the awesome “Sunset In Ghana” – besides the one mentioned there are no weaker tracks on Don’t Fight Your Demons really.

With Public Enemy, Paris, and Arrested Development all dropping new quality albums, September 25 2020 truly proved to be a memorable day for conscious Hip Hop, showing that Hip Hop as an art form still is perfectly suited to bring a meaningful message the people. Both Public Enemy and Paris dropped albums that are among their best since their work in the 1990s, and the same can be said unreservedly about this Arrested Development project.

102. Guilty Simpson & Gensu Dean - EGO (2021)

This Mello Music Group release is one of our favorite releases of 2021. Detroit-based emcee Guilty Simpson has a characteristic flow that’s not for everybody, but those who’ve been following and digging him since his excellent Stones Throw solo debut Ode To The Ghetto (2008), will no doubt quickly count EGO a favorite too.

Texas-based producer Gensu Dean’s stripped-down boom-bap production proves to be a perfect fit for Guilty Simpson’s baritone and for the contributions of guest vocalists Marv Won, Black Milk, Skyzoo, Georgia Anne Muldrow, and Yarbrough. Flawless beats and sharp bars – EGO is a top 20 Hip Hop album released in 2021.

103. Evidence - Unlearning, Vol. 1 (2021)

Evidence is an emcee/producer from Los Angeles, known for being a member of the group Dilated Peoples and from being one-half of Step Brothers with The Alchemist. He has also built a strong solo catalog, with The Weatherman LP (2007), Cats & Dogs (2011), and Weather or Not (2018) – all three albums rank high on our best-of-lists for the years they were released in.

Unlearning, Vol. 1 is Evidence’s fourth solo album, like his last two albums released on the renowned Minneapolis powerhouse Rhymesayers Entertainment. The album features excellent production from Evidence himself and from The Alchemist, Nottz, Sebb Bash, Animoss, Mr. Green, V Don, Khrysis, Daringer, and EARDRUM (QThree). It also features guest vocals from Boldy James, Murkage Dave, Conway the Machine, Navy Blue, and Fly Anakin.

Unlearning, Vol. 1 is just as good as his other solo releases, but different too – basically a reinvention of himself after Weather or Not ended his Weatherman trilogy. Unlearning, Vol. 1 is more subtle musically, with buttery toned-down boom-bap beats to give more room for Ev’s authentic and relatable rhymes. “Better You”, “Pardon Me”, “Moving On Up”, and “Taylor Made Suit” are stand-outs, but there are no weaknesses – overall this is another thoroughly consistent project from Mr. Slow Flow.

104. Nord1kone & DJ MROK - Tower Of Babylon (2022)

Following their underground hit LP Escape The Yard, emcee Nord1kone and DJ MROK re-team to bring more boom bap to the masses. This time they brought along an all-star lineup including Kool G Rap, Chuck D, Gift Of Gab, Masta Ace, Craig G, Chip-Fu, Donald D, Chill Rob G, El Da Sensei, Phill Most Chill, and more to construct a rap odyssey strictly for the heads. Hard beats, razor-sharp lyrics, scratches & cuts. Tower Of Babylon is our kind of Hip Hop.

105. Aesop Rock - Black Hole Superette (2025)

Aesop Rock has long held a reputation as one of underground Hip Hop’s most intricate and singular voices. Since the early 2000s, he’s built a catalog known for dense lyricism, surreal storytelling, and off-kilter production, from Labor Days to The Impossible Kid and beyond. He’s collaborated with artists like Homeboy Sandman and billy woods, and his last record, Integrated Tech Solutions, satirized modern tech paranoia. Now, with Black Hole Superette, Aesop turns inward, offering one of his most understated and strangely inviting works.

Self-produced from top to bottom, the album feels like it was recorded inside a vending machine during a power outage. The beats are synthetic but handmade—full of warm crackle, oddball samples, and clunky drum loops. It’s less confrontational than his past work but no less detailed. Aesop fills every track with tangents: forgotten artists, unusual pets, obscure snacks, malfunctioning memories.

“Secret Knock” opens with sputtering drums and a lo-fi shimmer, setting a tone that’s part dream logic, part malfunctioning tech. “1010WINS,” featuring Armand Hammer, offers one of the album’s sharper moments—claustrophobic, paranoid, and lyrically ferocious. “Movie Night” and “So Be It” lean into quiet reflection, with soft loops and hooks that feel like internal monologues.

A standout is “John Something,” a meandering recollection of a houseguest from the ’90s whose name Aesop can’t quite recall. It’s funny, sad, and oddly resonant—about memory, identity, and the slow erosion of detail. Other tracks like “Snail Zero” (about an asexual aquarium snail) and “Ice Sold Here” (a celebration of coldness) show his gift for absurd specifics without slipping into novelty.

The closer, “Unbelievable Shenanigans” featuring Hanni El Khatib, ends on a warm, nostalgic note—half-lullaby, half-sitcom credit sequence. Throughout, Aesop sounds more at ease than ever, sharpening his voice without raising the volume.

Black Hole Superette doesn’t strive for grand statements. It’s an inventory of curiosities, built with care and strange affection. It plays like a weird mixtape of late-night thoughts and thrift store finds—a quiet triumph from a veteran still exploring the edges of his imagination.

106. Armand Hammer - Shrines (2020)

Between RTJ4 and Shrines, the 1st week of June 2020 was a great week for political rap and forward-thinking music. Where RTJ4 is hard-hitting and in-your-face, Shrines is more subtle and layered – but no less intelligent and thought-provoking.

Masterfully produced left-field instrumentals serve as claustrophobic backdrops for a barrage of dense and dizzying lyrics. By now we know what to expect from Armand Hammer. There’s never anything straightforward in the messages ELUCID and billy woods come with, and on Shrines, their lyrics are as fogged in metaphors and hidden meanings as always – it’s going to take a while to dissect these bars.

Shrines has vocal contributions from Quelle Chris, Earl Sweatshirt, Akai Solo, Curly Castro, Pink Siifu, and R.A.P. Ferreira – among others. A stacked features list, but a carefully curated one – none of these artists feel out of place here. They were invited because they are all perfectly in tune with the Armand Hammer aesthetic, and not for marketing purposes as we so often see in more mainstream rap releases (think Wale showing up on a Westside Gunn album, or Ed Sheeran appearing on Eminem’s latest).

Shrines is singularly attuned to the grim political and societal realities of 2020. The cover art of the album (which is a real news photo of the subduing of a 425-pound Siberian-Bengal tiger reared and living in a Harlem apartment) is like a micro snapshot of the crazy world we live in, and the image reflects the album’s content. This is not a casual listen by any means, but an album that demands – and rewards – close attention and engagement. Shrines is another Armand Hammer master class in left-field Hip Hop, and a superlative continuation of their hot streak.

107. Killah Priest - Rocket To Nebula (2020)

Wu-Tang Clan affiliate and Sunz Of Man member Killah Priest is one of the most prolific artists in Hip Hop. Artists like Kool Keith, Tech N9Ne, and K-Rino may have more releases on their names, but it’s not easy to keep up with Killah Priest’s release schedule either, taking into account all his solo projects, group and collaboration efforts, and his endless list of feature appearances.

Heavy Mental (1998), Elizabeth (2009), The Psychic World of Walter Reed (2013), and Planet Of The Gods (2015) are the standouts in Killah Priest’s catalog, and Rocket To Nebula rivals these titles in terms of quality – even if it’s even more of an acquired taste than most of his other releases, a perfect example of a hate it or love it kind of project.

On Rocket To Nebula we get the same kind of stream-of-consciousness type lyricism we know from Killah Priest, filled with his characteristic abstract metaphysical musings and slick subliminals. Musically, this album is totally different from his best works though – there are no bass-heavy beats to be found here, in fact, the whole album is practically drumless. The instrumentals on Rocket To Nebula are very low-key, offering dream-like backdrops to Killah Priest’s lyrics and his conversational-style delivery, which makes listening to this album something akin to a meditative experience.

This may not be an easy album to get into, and it certainly demands real attention – but if you’re willing to take an hour and 15 minutes to tune out everything else going on around you Rocket To Nebula will be sure to satisfy.

108. Preservation & Gabe 'Nandez - Sortilège (2025)

Sortilège by Preservation and Gabe ‘Nandez is an immersive 14-track Hip Hop experience, pulsing with gritty, cinematic energy—blending eerie, slowed-down boom bap with a vivid, dreamlike intensity. Preservation’s production is a dense collage of thumping drums and eclectic samples, from the haunting, wind-swept keys of “Harmattan” to the jazzy, muted horns in “Ball & Chain.” The beats breathe with space, letting each instrument—grimy basslines, whispering snares—carve out its own territory, evoking a nocturnal cityscape alive with tension.

Gabe ‘Nandez’s baritone cuts through like a blade, his flow precise and relentless. On “Shadowstep,” his measured cadence dances over Preservation’s skittering drums, delivering sharp, introspective lines about survival and identity. Tracks like “Mondo Cane,” featuring Armand Hammer and Benjamin Booker, brim with chaotic energy, its distorted guitars and pounding rhythm framing ‘Nandez’s vivid storytelling. His lyrics, steeped in cultural references and personal history, carry a weighty, philosophical edge, particularly in “War,” where billy woods’ gravelly verse adds a layer of brooding menace.

The album’s structure is deliberate, shifting from short, punchy tracks like “Spire” to sprawling, narrative-driven pieces like “Nom De Guerre,” featuring Ze Nkoma Mpaga Ni Ngoko’s hypnotic vocal flourishes. The Francophone influences—Preservation’s French heritage and ‘Nandez’s Malian roots—infuse the record with a distinct texture, heard in the subtle vocal samples and rhythmic choices. While the dense production occasionally overshadows ‘Nandez’s voice, as in “Kurtz,” the synergy between the two artists is magnetic. Sortilège is another Backwoodz Studioz winner— a gripping listen, its heavy beats and incisive rhymes painting a world both esoteric and immediate, like a lucid dream projected onto a concrete wall.

109. Recognize Ali - Back To Mecca II (2023)

After having had a quiet 2022 elite underground emcee Recognize Ali returned in 2023 with Back To Mecca II – a sequel to his 90s-inspired Back To Mecca (2017) with producer Giallo Point. Recognize Ali is taking the listeners back to like 1993 on this album, once again with production from Giallo Point, with additional beats provided by Anu EL, Sibbs Roc, and Hobgoblin. Back To Mecca II offers some of the hardest beats and overall raw gutter production you will hear this year. Recognize Ali is a lyrical emcee who’s got bars for days, and his raspy flow is made for the rough and rugged beats he gets to work with here. Recognize Ali has released plenty of dope projects in recent years, and Back To Mecca II is one of his best.

110. Open Mike Eagle - Component System With The Auto Reverse (2022)

Component System With The Auto Reverse is FIRE – peak Open Mike Eagle in terms of clever bars full of relatability, charm, humor, and emotion. Where his last album Anime, Trauma, and Divorce (2020) was intensely personal, this one has more of an outward focus – looking back on the days when OME first got into Hip Hop. The album’s focus comes back in the sound of the album too, through a ‘mixtapey’ messy feel at times. Appearances by Aesop Rock, Diamond D, Armand Hammer, R.A.P. Ferreira, and Serengeti, plus production from Diamond D, Madlib, and Quelle Chris (among others) add extra value to what is an awesome project, one of Open Mike Eagle’s most enjoyable efforts. Dark Comedy (Mello Music Group, 2014) and Brick Body Kids Still Daydream (Mello Music Group, 2017) remain our favorite OME albums, but Component System With The Auto Reverse comes close.

111. Apollo Brown & Ty Farris - Run Toward The Monster (2025)

Run Toward the Monster brings together Detroit producer Apollo Brown and veteran MC Ty Farris for a full-length record rooted in cold truth, hard-earned wisdom, and sharp technical focus. We’ve always been fans of Apollo Brown’s stylish boom-bap production, and we’ve appreciated much of Farris’s catalog—especially the No Cosign Just Cocaine series—so this combination promised a strong result. The album delivers that and more. This is our favorite Ty Farris project to date, the sound of an artist stepping into a higher level under the guidance of one of Hip Hop’s most consistent producers.

From the opening moments of “Run” and into “Follow My Soul,” Brown’s production brings dusty soul loops, thick drums, and a steady, cold-weather mood. Farris uses that space with intent, moving through themes of discipline, pressure, and survival with a clipped, controlled delivery. “No Celebrations” continues the focus on work and sacrifice, while “Details” pushes back against street mythology with direct shots and grounded self-assurance.

Mickey Diamond joins Farris on “Authenticity,” building a firm midpoint anchored by Brown’s grainy, slow-burn loop. “Ctrl Alt Delete” shifts into a slightly psychedelic tone, its murky atmosphere giving Farris room to reflect on awareness and vigilance. On “Beautiful Struggle,” he takes stock of the long road behind him without drifting into sentimentality. The steady tone continues on “Sacred,” where he describes the rush and responsibility of touching the mic.

The final stretch—“Cold Is the Gun,” “Street Patriots,” “Traffic,” and “Flawless Victory”—moves like a series of snapshots from Detroit streets, each one delivered with a level head and a precise pen. The closer, “Young Rebels,” lands as a clear-eyed look at the next generation facing the same storms.

The album is tight, cold, and built with purpose. Brown’s production keeps every track anchored, and Farris uses that foundation to deliver some of the most focused writing of his career. Run Toward the Monster is a grounded, forceful record from two Detroit artists who know exactly what they want to make and execute it with discipline.

112. Lupe Fiasco - Samurai (2024)

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Lupe Fiasco’s ninth studio album, Samurai, is an intriguing concept project dedicated to the life and career of neo-soul singer Amy Winehouse, imagined from her perspective as a battle rapper. Though the concept may not fully come across, the album is a compelling listen anyway.

The album’s concept, inspired by an actual voicemail from Winehouse, is a creative homage to her legacy. Standout tracks like “Samurai” and “Cake” feature minimalistic, jazzy beats that perfectly complement Lupe’s dense rhyme schemes, making the album an easy and at the same time complex listening experience. The absolute highlight, “No. 1 Headband,” is one of the best Hip Hop songs of the year. The production throughout the album is smooth and jazzy, with clean and polished instrumentals that emphasize Lupe’s intricate lyrics and diverse flows, allowing listeners to focus on the depth and complexity of his storytelling.

Samurai consists of eight tracks and runs just over 30 minutes, which we feel is too brief to really be considered a full album. However, by our standards, it qualifies for making the cut for our best albums list, if just barely. Because of its short length, it demands perfection, and while the album starts strong, not all tracks maintain the same level of quality musically. Lupe’s pengame and lyrical prowess are as impressive as ever, but the beats, particularly in the latter tracks, tend to meander.

For us, Samurai is better than Drill Music in Zion (2022) but doesn’t quite reach the heights of Tetsuo & Youth (2015) or Drogas Wave (2018). It also falls short of the brilliance of his first two albums, Food & Liquor (2006) and The Cool (2007). Nonetheless, Samurai is a strong addition to Lupe’s discography, with his technical skill and lyrical depth on full display.

Samurai may require multiple listens to fully appreciate its lyrical intricacies, but it is a smooth, thematically rich album that will satisfy both long-time fans and new listeners alike.

113. Navy Blue & Budgie - Ways Of Knowing (2023)

Ways Of Knowing is Navy Blue’s major label debut and his best project to date. Budgie’s soulful production is simply gorgeous, a perfect fit for Navy Blue – whose continuing growth as an artist and a human being are evident through his relatable content here. The introspection we know from his previous works remains, but his outlook is somewhat sunnier and more mature. Ways Of Knowing is a beautiful piece of music, with no weak spots at all. A couple of highlights though – most notably the superb “Windows To The Soul” (with an awesome feature from Kelly Moonstone).

114. Awon & Phoniks - Nothing Less (2021)

Phoniks (from Portland, Maine) and Brooklyn-born Virginia-based rapper Awon have given us a series of superb Hip Hop projects in the 2010s, individually and collaboratively – their collaborative debut album Return To The Golden Era (2013) is a masterpiece, Knowledge Of Self (2015) and The Actual Proof (2018) are not far behind. With Nothing Less, Awon and Phoniks continue their streak of excellence.

The album is laced with Phoniks signature jazz-infused, boom-bap production style and Awon’s raw, honest lyricism. Produced on vintage samplers like the gritty Emu SP-1200 and Akai MPC 2000xl the music evokes memories of classic east coast “golden era” Hip Hop. Features include Don’t Sleep Records label mates Dephlow, Anti-Lilly, and Tiff The Gift, as well as Masta Ace, Blu, Ill Conscious, Kid Abstrakt, and more.

For HHGA, it doesn’t get much better than this. At 33 minutes, Nothing Less is not long enough for our tastes but its short duration is the biggest knock against the album. “Everlasting Game” (with Masta Ace and DJ Ill Digitz) is a highlight, along with tracks such as “Sunshine” (with Blu), “The Cool Out” (with Kid Abstrakt), and “Fatherhood” – a song that will especially resonate with parents of (pre)teens.

Don’t sleep on Awon and Phoniks and go cop Nothing Less, and also check their earlier music if you missed out on it up to now for some reason.

115. Roc Marciano - Mt. Marci (2020)

In the neo-mafioso subgenre of Hip Hop, there’s NO ONE who can touch Roc Marciano (with the possible exception of Freddie Gibbs that is, these two really should do a full-length project together). Roc Marciano is one of the indisputable Hip Hop MVPs of the past decade. After being part of Busta Rhymes’ Flipmode Squad and a quarter of underground crew The U.N. around the turn of the millennium, he reinvented himself to become the main player responsible for revitalizing the mafioso subgenre, and the originator of the atmospheric, gritty lo-fi beats he rhymes over – setting the trend for lots of newcomers who would go and build on this style (think Griselda and all their affiliates and copy-cats).

Marcberg (2010), Reloaded (2012), Marci Beaucou (2013), Rosebudd’s Revenge (2017), RR2: The Bitter Dose (2018), Behold A Dark Horse (2018), Kaos (with DJ Muggs, 2018), and Marcielogo (2019) are all excellent projects, and at least the first two or three are subgenre classics.

Mt. Marci is Roc Marciano’s eighth full-length studio album, and it offers another dose of that raw but soulful NYC street Hip Hop – building on the sound and style of last year’s Marcielogo, with a continuation of that album’s aesthetic and production. Mt. Marci is expertly put together, sequenced just right, with well-placed guest appearances from ScHoolboy Q, Action Bronson, Stove God Cook$, Kool Keith, and Trent Truce, and with production from Roc Marciano himself (with some input from Chuck Strangers and Jake One).

Highlights on Mt. Marci include the album opener “Downtown 81”, “Spirit Cookin” (with Action Bronson), “Butterfly Effect”, SOTY-contender “Broadway Billy”, with a terrifying musical backdrop and a dope feature by the legendary Kool Keith, “Trenchcoat Wars” with its sinister beat, and “The Eye Of Whorus” with some show-stealing bars from Stove God Cook$ – but there are no real weak spots, which is pretty impressive considering the album runs for close to an hour.

LOTS of albums similar to Mt. Marci out in 2020, but NONE like Mt. Marci. The atmospheric instrumentals on this one are really something else, unlike anything you’ve heard this year – more experimental and left-field than what is generally on offer in this niche, and incredibly dark and eerie. Add pristine lyricism to the pristine production and what you get is another Roc Marci winner, and one of the top albums of the year.

116. Boldy James & The Alchemist - The Price Of Tea In China (2020)

Following their supremely underrated debut collaboration My 1st Chemistry Set (2013), Detroit emcee Boldy James and top-tier producer The Alchemist team up again for the long-awaited The Price Of Tea In China, their second collaborative full-length project. Like My 1st Chemistry Set, The Price Of Tea In China delivers on all fronts. Their Boldface EP from late 2019 proved to be a great appetizer for this project – we get powerful lyrics from Boldy James and elegantly understated boom-bap beats from The Alchemist, and the synergy between the two is as tangible as ever.

The album holds 12 tracks, all masterfully produced and expertly sequenced, with just the right amount of features. Lots of artists today tend to clutter their projects with guests, on The Price Of Tea In China Boldy James avoided that trap and went the exact right route. Only 4 of the 12 tracks feature guest appearances, and the guests Boldy James recruited – Freddie Gibbs, Benny The Butcher, Vince Staples, and Evidence – all are A-listers who add their own distinct flavor to the album. Boldy James’ pen game remains razor-sharp, and The Alchemist’s excellent soundscapes are perfectly suited for Boldy’s lyrical finesse.

117. Revival Season - Golden Age Of Self Snitching (2024)

Atlanta’s music scene throws another curveball with the arrival of Revival Season, a duo defying categorization with their debut album, The Golden Age of Self-Snitching. Brandon “Bez” Evans and Jonah Swilley blend rap, rock, and more to craft a unique and captivating sound that is both innovative and infectious.

Drawing inspiration from genre-bending innovators like the Beastie Boys and Run the Jewels, Revival Season injects unbridled energy into each of the album’s 14 tracks. From the opening salvo of “Look Out Below,” the duo grabs hold of your senses and throws you into a world where genre boundaries dissolve and creativity reigns supreme.

One of The Golden Age of Self-Snitching greatest strengths lies in its seamless fusion of disparate elements. Bez’s dynamic flow effortlessly glides over Swilley’s eclectic production, a dope blend of bass-heavy synths, live drums, and pulsating computer beats. Tracks like “The Path” and “Chop” showcase Bez’s lyrical prowess, offering insightful social commentary woven into catchy hooks and irresistible grooves.

Swilley’s production serves as the perfect canvas for Bez’s lyrical fire, with Swilley crafting beats around Bez’s vocals, instead of the other way around. In an era where so much Hip Hop is formulaic and derivative, Revival Season delivers a breath of fresh air with this album, standing out for its bold originality. The Golden Age of Self-Snitching brings something new and exciting to the table, destined to leave a lasting impression, unlike the fleeting hype many releases experience in today’s music landscape. The Golden Age of Self-Snitching is a vibrant and fun album you won’t want to miss out on.

118. Ghais Guevara - Goyard Ibn Said (2025)

Goyard Ibn Said is a striking album from Philadelphia rapper and activist Ghais Guevara, marking a new chapter in his career under Fat Possum. The project revolves around a fictional anti-hero, Goyard, navigating the tension between mainstream Hip Hop success and the harsh realities of Black life and political consciousness. Divided into two acts, the album first celebrates the highs of fame and fortune before diving into the darker side of achieving success.

The production is bold and unpredictable, blending boom-bap, jazz, and electronic elements into a gritty and expansive sound. Distorted synths, heavy bass, and layered beats create an atmosphere that shifts between aggression and reflection. Guevara’s flow cuts through the mix with precision, delivering lyrics packed with political commentary, cultural critique, and personal introspection. Tracks like “Leprosy” and “3400” showcase his sharp wordplay and vivid storytelling, painting pictures of struggle and survival with an urgent and unrelenting energy.

Throughout the album, Guevara balances humor and anger while addressing capitalism, white supremacy, and the exploitation of Black art. His self-awareness and sharp wit bring depth to complex topics, making them engaging without losing their weight. As the album moves into Act 2, the tone shifts toward introspection, with songs like “4L” and “The Apple That Scarcely Fell” exploring the personal cost of success and the emotional toll it carries.

Each track offers a distinct sonic backdrop, whether it’s the eerie, orchestral flourishes on “Branded” or the stripped-down, soul-sampling approach of “You Can Skip This Part.” The album thrives on contrast—swagger and celebration sit alongside sobering reflections, highlighting the duality of ambition and consequence. Even in its most reflective moments, Goyard Ibn Said maintains an underlying urgency, pushing forward while grappling with identity and purpose.

By the time the album reaches its closing moments, Guevara leaves listeners with plenty to think about. The themes explored feel timely and deeply personal, yet the album never loses its energy or sharp focus. Goyard Ibn Said is a dense, thought-provoking body of work that rewards close listening and reveals new layers with each spin.

119. Conway The Machine - God Don't Make Mistakes (2022)

Conway The Machine’s God Don’t Make Mistakes is his best album yet. On his Shady Records debut and second solo studio LP – following From King to a God (2020) and a long string of collaborative projects, mixtapes, and EPs – the Buffalo-based Griselda rapper gets more introspective and personal than ever before, evidenced by standout tracks such as “Guilty”, “Stress”, “So Much More”, and “God Don’t Make Mistakes”. Other strong songs include “Tear Gas” (with a surprisingly good guest verse from Lil Wayne), “Piano Love”, “John Woo Flick”, with Griselda family Westside Gunn and Benny The Butcher, and “Chanel Pearls”, with a rapping Jill Scott. Production from Daringer and The Alchemist stands outs, of course, but all producers involved deliver – managing to keep the overall sound of the album reasonably cohesive, even if the differences in gritty vs polished production styles of the individual producers involved can easily be recognized.

A couple of small issues stand in the way from God Don’t Make Mistakes being an AOTY contender – some of the hooks and features are kind of weak, and we could have done without “Wild Chapters” in its entirety, the only song on the album that should have been left on the cutting room floor. That said: God Don’t Make Mistakes is a great album overall, another one in a long series of dope Griselda family projects that are instrumental in bridging the gap between the underground and the mainstream.

120. Napoleon Da Legend & Clypto – Maison De Medici (2022)

Maison De Medici is a collaboration between prolific Comoros-born Brooklyn-based emcee Napoleon Da Legend and West Coast producer Clypto. It’s hard to keep up with Napoleon Da Legend’s release schedule: he had a couple of strong projects in 2021, and Maison De Medici is his second full-length of 2022, coming hot on the heels of the solid as f Modus Operandi – a collaboration with French Marseille-based production duo Just Music Beats. Where Modus Operandi‘s sound is straight (but melodic) boom-bap with a focus on hard bars, Maison De Medici is a more toned-down affair, with stylish instrumentals crafted by Clypto and clever content from NDL and guests such as Supreme Cerebral and Nejma Nefertiti (among others). NDL’s cadence and flow are great, he is one of those natural emcees who makes riding a beat sound effortless. Maison De Medici is a mature and tasteful Hip Hop album, one of Napoleon Da Legend’s best yet, and a must-listen.

121. SKECH185 & Jeff Markey - He Left Nothing For The Swim Back (2023)

We love forward-thinking artists who dare to color outside the lines, making music different from what most others are coming up with. He Left Nothing For The Swim Back is such an envelope-pushing piece of music exactly to our liking. It is a collaborative album from rapper SKECH185 and producer Jeff Markey, and it is released on the Backwoodz Studioz – the indie label that has been at the forefront of progressive left-field Hip Hop for two decades now, in many ways taking up the mantle left by Def Jux. billy woods and Armand Hammer are Backwoodz Studioz’s flagship acts of course, but mostly everything that comes out of Backwoodz is excellent. He Left Nothing For The Swim Back is no exception. Jeff Markey’s instrumentals are chaotic and intense and slightly unsettling, perfect companions for SKECH185’s wild and haunting vocals. A bunch of strong features provide the icing on the cake, most notably from Backwoodz VIPs PremRock and billy woods. He Left Nothing For The Swim Back is not an album for the mainstream crowd, but it sure is one for listeners who dig other experimental Hip Hop projects that emerged out of the Backwoodz Studioz recently, or from labels like Def Jux and Anticon further in the past.

122. Kendrick Lamar - GNX (2024)

Kendrick Lamar’s new album, GNX, landed like a curveball, surprising fans and critics alike. Known for intricate storytelling and heavy conceptual themes, Kendrick flips the script here with a looser, more visceral project. The energy is pure West Coast—a soundtrack for blaring from car speakers on a hot LA afternoon. While unmistakably Kendrick, with clever wordplay, hard-hitting beats, and moments of brilliance, GNX lacks the ambition of masterpieces like To Pimp a Butterfly or Good Kid, M.A.A.D City.

Let’s address the elephant in the room: Kendrick’s releases often spark an almost ritualistic rush to proclaim “Album of the Year” before the first track even finishes. His track record justifies the hype, but this time, the worship feels overblown. GNX isn’t groundbreaking; it’s a digestible, fun collection of tracks that reflect Kendrick’s current mindset—mature, reflective, and less concerned with perfection. It’s not an album that redefines the genre or pushes a grand cultural agenda, but it doesn’t try to be.

The album opens strong with “wacced out murals,” where Kendrick’s fiery delivery takes aim at the industry and some of his idols over pounding drums and ominous strings. Tracks like “reincarnated” stand out for their introspection, with Kendrick weaving imagined past lives into a soulful meditation on history and identity. Meanwhile, songs like “gloria” and “luther” add depth, and SZA’s smooth vocals add texture in her two standout features. However, not all experiments land—tracks like “gnx” (featuring LA newcomers) and “dodger blue” falter under weak production, a recurring issue throughout the album.

While GNX lacks the cohesion of Kendrick’s earlier projects, its looseness offers charm. It feels less like a masterpiece and more like a mixtape—a snapshot of where Kendrick is now. Though uneven, it’s still proof that even on an off day, Kendrick remains miles ahead of most peers. Not “Album of the Year”, but undeniably a worthy addition to K-Dot’s legacy.

123. Nas - King’s Disease II (2021)

Queensbridge legend Nas is one of the GOATs, responsible for one of the best rap albums of all time, plus plenty more classic Hip Hop besides. His last truly great album was 2012’s Life Is Good, his output since that one has been hit-and-miss. Last year’s King’s Disease was good, but not great. King’s Disease II is not perfect either, but it is definitely better than its predecessor – more substantial and more consistent. The first King’s Disease had a shorter tracklist and tried too hard to awkwardly balance soul sample-based east coast Hip Hop and modern trap, which made it kind of a mixed bag with lows and highs in almost equal measure. Furthermore, King’s Disease could have benefitted from a more careful selection of features, which is also the case with King’s Disease II – but to a lesser extent, fortunately. King’s Disease II really has only one throwaway song – “YKTV” featuring YG and a limp performance from A Boogie Wit Da Hoodie – an artist who has no business being on a Nas album, as far as we are concerned. Most of the other features are OK – even if we’re not crazy about Eminem’s phoned-in verse on the otherwise strong “EPMD2” track.

Other stand-outs include “Rare”, “Death Row East”, “Count Me In”, “Store Run”, “Nas Is Good”, “Moments”, and “Nobody” (with a terrific Lauryn Hill) – Nas’ pen game is top-level and his rapping is as strong as ever, plus Hit-Boy’s production once again proves to be a good fit for Nas’ bars. Hit-Boy’s production on King’s Disease II continues to modernize Nas’ sound, staying in tune with the polished sound palette of its predecessor. Even those who don’t really care for everything Hit-Boy did on this album production-wise will have to admit that the modern blends are done in a tasteful way and Nas gels well with them.

It looks like Nas is finally ready to comfortably fulfill the role of an elder Hip Hop statesman, which is his due after 30 years on top of the game. King’s Disease II might go down as a late-career classic, and even it is not in the same league as Nas classics such as Illmatic (1994), It Was Written (1996), Stillmatic (2001), The Lost Tapes (2002), God’s Son (2002), Distant Relatives (with Damian Marley, 2010), and Life Is Good (2012), it is a damn good Nas project.

124. Killah Priest & Jordan River Banks - The Third Eye In Technicolor (2020)

Killah Priest had a great year in 2020. Rocket To Nebula is a left-field masterpiece, and The Third Eye In Technicolor is not far behind. Like Rocket To Nebula, The Third Eye In Technicolor feels a bit dreamy and spacey – but to a lesser extent. There are more drums here, masterfully crafted by Dutch producer Jordan River Banks – the instrumentals on this album are amazing, perfectly suited for Killah Priest’s style and lyrical content which is as complex and abstract as ever. Killah Priest is an acquired taste, but those with the patience and capacity to surrender to his stream-of-consciousness philosophizing will find a lot to unpack and enjoy here.

125. MIKE - Burning Desire (2023)

MIKE’s Hip Hop roots can be traced back to the dynamic streets of New York City’s underground scene where he became a crucial member of the sLUms collective in 2015. He learned from his peers while developing his own style, combining his reflective lyrics with the vibrant energy of the city. MIKE’s laid-back delivery and thought-provoking questions dive into topics such as grief, family, and identity, all while riding smooth, soulful beats that carve out his unique sound. Although MIKE has been consistent with his half-asleep flow, he also explores different beats and tempos, producing a diverse and dynamic sound.

The self-produced Burning Desire showcases his growth and maturity as both an artist and an individual, standing out against the flashy and loud personas often found in Hip Hop. This album is an intimate affair, with Mike’s verses whispering from the soul as he tackles universal themes with his signature flair.

Burning Desire is MIKE’s most cohesive album to date, with standout tracks such as “plz don’t cut my wings”, “Burning Desire”, “Let’s Have a Ball”, “Golden Hour”, and “African Sex Freak Fantasy” which highlights MIKE’s experimentation with a more aggressive beat and flow. Overall, if you are searching for a Hip Hop album that is authentic, soulful, and powerful, look no further than Burning Desire. This album deserves your attention and appreciation.

126. Skyzoo - Views Of A Lifetime (2025)

At this point, you don’t question whether Skyzoo will deliver—you ask how good it’ll be this time. The Brooklyn veteran’s Views of a Lifetime arrives billed as an EP, but at 36 minutes, it’s longer and richer than half the “albums” out today. Following 2024’s Keep Me Company, this project feels like both reflection and revelation, a continuation of Skyzoo’s unmatched consistency in narrating real life through artful rhyme.

Over warm, jazz-laced boom-bap from producers like Thelonious Martin, Camouflage Monk, Conductor Williams, and The Other Guys, Skyzoo unpacks the view from maturity. “Tags at the MOMA” sets the scene with hustler wisdom splashed across a gallery wall, while “Pardon Me” carries quiet pride in belonging to a higher creative lineage. On “Sky is Like,” he pays homage to Nas with intricate double meanings and layered cadence, and “Devotion” closes the book on the school of hard knocks with honors.

Elsewhere, “Love Day” wraps soul samples and flute melodies around heartfelt introspection, “The Soloist” explores self-reliance through a relaxed jazz bounce, and “Half Bloom” strips back percussion to leave only raw reflection. Through it all, Skyzoo marries density with clarity, every verse a balance of lived experience and writerly control.

Views of a Lifetime reinforces what heads already know: Skyzoo is one of the most consistent and complete MCs of his generation, still evolving without losing his foundation.

127. ELUCID - I Told Bessie (2022)

“I Told Bessie is the third solo album from New York City rapper/producer Chaz Hall aka ELUCID. The title is a reference to his paternal grandmother, Bessie Hall, a powerful presence in his life until she passed away in 2017. From childhood afternoons running around her apartment in the Red Hook projects to living under the same roof in Crown Heights when he was a young man, Bessie was an axis on which Hall’s family turned.

While best known as one-half of the critically acclaimed duo Armand Hammer, ELUCID has also built an impressive resume of other collaborations and side projects over the past decade. His debut LP Save Yourself dropped in 2016 on Backwoodz Studioz and still holds up as one of the best releases in the label’s catalog. It’s fitting that ELUCID returns to fertile ground for I Told Bessie, a record of such confidence and power that it feels like a culmination.

I Told Bessie features guests Pink Siifu, Quelle Chris, and billy woods. The album’s production is handled by Child Actor, The Alchemist, P.U.D.G.E., Sebb Bash, The Lasso, Kenny Segal, August Fanon, and Messiah Musik. It’s an impressive roster of producers, all of whom add something to the hard-hitting funk of this record’s ever-warping sonics. Add to that the talents of engineer Willie Green, who helped build this from the ground up. Executive produced by billy woods and ELUCID, I Told Bessie is dedicated to its eponymous matriarch.”

2022 was another strong year for both halves of Armand Hammer. ELUCID’s unorthodox delivery and lyricism make for intriguing listening and the eerie, dusty beats help pull you in even deeper. With I Told Bessie ELUCID put together an abstract Hip Hop album that is coherent and consistent, challenging and accessible at the same time. I Told Bessie is a captivating album, ELUCID’s best solo project yet.

128. Freddie Gibbs - You Only Die 1nce (2024)

Freddie Gibbs dropped another banger with You Only Die 1nce, proving he’s still got that fire. While his collabs with Madlib and The Alchemist are modern classics, this solo joint holds its own. Despite rolling with a squad of different beatmakers here, the album flows smooth like butter. Gibbs keeps it tight from start to finish, serving up that raw, uncut flavor we’ve come to expect. His flow is relentless, riding over tranquil beats that hit just right.

This isn’t an earth-shattering, game-changing record, but it’s solid gold from front to back. Gibbs gets personal, diving deep into his past and paying respects to fallen rappers. The production is chill, letting Freddie’s bars take center stage. No features, no gimmicks – just Gibbs doing what he does best. While it might not reach the heights of Piñata (2104) or Bandana (2019) it’s a strong project without a doubt. The beats might not be as memorable as his Madlib collab projects, but they provide the perfect backdrop for Gibbs to flex his lyrical muscles.

You Only Die 1nce is a dope 37-minute ride through Gibbs’ world, exhibiting his unmatched flow and introspective side. It’s a grounded, no-nonsense project that proves Freddie Gibbs is still one of the most consistent voices in Hip Hop today. This album has us hyped for whatever he’s cooking up next, especially if Montana, the long-teased third collaboration with Madlib, is on the horizon.

129. Wiki - Half God (2021)

Wiki is an emcee from NYC and Half God is his fourth full-length LP, entirely produced by Navy Blue. Wiki’s previous releases all were strong projects, but Half God is his best work yet, a fully realized work containing 16 full songs and an hour of music. Navy Blue’s stripped-down but hypnotizing instrumentals have heart and soul and they bring out the best in Wiki, whose pen game is better than ever before – it’s good to see a young artist demonstrating artistic growth and increasing maturity like Wiki does here.

Similar to the album cover, Wiki’s content is a jumble of ideas and thoughts, but his relatable lyrics are thought-provoking and/or entertaining and Half God manages to captivate from start to finish. Features from Earl Sweatshirt (on the fantastic “All I Need “), MIKE, and others add extra flavor. “Not Today”, “Roof”, “Never Fall Off”, “Drug Supplier”, “The Business”, “All I Need”, “Gas Face”, “Promised”, “Still Here”, “New Truths”, “Grape Soda” – lots of stand-outs and no real weaknesses on Half God. Navy Blue’s Dilla-Esque production is heavenly and Wiki’s simultaneously nostalgic and forward-looking bars match the quality of the beats. Half God is a slow-burner and not suitable for skim-listens – this is an album to sit with and to be immersed in, bucking the trend that sees artists releasing EP-length ‘albums’ to cater to the needs of the short attention span crowd and to the song-streaming music consumption reality. Half God is a REAL album and a memorable one at that – one of the best Hip Hop albums released in 2021.

130. Tyler, The Creator - CALL ME IF YOU GET LOST (2021)

Flower Boy (2017) is our favorite Tyler album. His output prior to Flower Boy was hit-and-miss, and IGOR (2019) was overhyped and overrated in our opinion. CALL ME IF YOU GET LOST is on par with Flower Boy, and it is way better than the edgy-for-edginess-sake IGOR is. CALL ME IF YOU GET LOST feels like Tyler put all of his previous albums in a blender, and kept the best aspects to fuse them into this project. He took some of the abrasive Hip Hop sounds from his older albums like Goblin and Wolf and combined them with the neo-soul synth-funk sounds of Flower Boy and IGOR to great effect.

This definitely isn’t the most conceptual or innovative album Tyler has ever released, but that doesn’t matter. The production on this album is immaculate, impressively done by Tyler alone (except for “JUGGERNAUT”, which was co-produced with Pharrell). Sure, overall production on CALL ME IF YOU GET LOST is less ‘grandiose’ and more understated than it was on his last few projects, but the album is better for it. There’s lots of variety, we get a couple of Hip Hop bangers alternated with smooth neo-soul/R&B flavored songs – which could have resulted in a messy presentation, but Tyler makes it work here.

Also, Tyler is rapping again (his so-so singing is something that brought down IGOR), which is a plus of course. Tyler is still maturing in his songwriting, and even if this album lacks a cohesive narrative structure, Tyler’s observations, introspective thoughts, and storytelling (especially on the epic “WILSHIRE”) are some of the best he ever penned – as evidenced by cuts like “CORSO”, “WUSYANAME”, “HOT WIND BLOWS”, “RUNITUP”, “MANIFESTO”, “MASSA”, and the aforementioned “JUGGERNAUT” and “WILSHIRE”, which all are top-tier Tyler tracks. And then there are the features, that more often than not, reinforce the tracks rather than take away from them – even the likes of Lil Uzi Vert, Lil Wayne, Ty Dolla $ign, 42 Dugg, and YoungBoy NBA manage not to irritate but to actually add value.

Not everything’s perfect though. At times the album meanders when R&B vibes take to the forefront, and it could have done without some of the skits. And who remembers DJ Drama, who made a career of ruining mixtapes with his ‘energetic’ ad-libbing? Well, unfortunately, he is doing his annoying screaming/talking routines on this record a couple of times too often too – every single track here with DJ Drama would have been significantly better without him. You can use his antics on an intro or an outro, but that should be it. This is a minor complaint though – overall CALL ME IF YOU GET LOST is a great album, one that can rival Flower Boy for the title of Tyler’s best album.

131. clipping. – Visions Of Bodies Being Burned (2020)

Visions Of Bodies Being Burned is a sequel of sorts to Los Angeles trio clipping.’s horrorcore-inspired 2019 album There Existed an Addiction to Blood. Unlike most horror-movie sequels, the second part of this clipping diptych is even better than (the already formidable) first part. More immersive, more intense, more bloodcurdling. The intro Visions of Bodies Being Burned opens with heavy drums and eerie background noises – perfectly setting the tone for the rest of the album: it’s clear from the jump this is going to be some heavy sh*t. Even more than Hamilton -star Daveed Diggs’ abstract lyrical imagery, it’s the haunting soundscapes created by Jonathan Snipes and William Hutson that turn Visions of Bodies Being Burned into the unsettling experience it is.

Like There Existed an Addiction to Blood, Visions of Bodies Being Burned is far from a casual listen, with its genre-bending and its boundary-pushing blend of ambient, industrial, techno, noise, and Hip Hop – the horror theme adding to the uncanny and hallucinatory vibe that is consistently maintained from start to finish. It’s an album to immerse yourself in – the dark and ominous atmosphere is intense to the point it’s truly chilling. Listen to this album on good headphones, in the dark, and you’ll be in for a disturbing and resonating meditative experience – Visions of Bodies Being Burned will make you feel anxious and uncomfortable but excited and delighted at the same time.

132. Ardamus - Psychedelic City Cowboy $h!t (2022)

Ardamus is a prolific Washington DC-based emcee/producer, and his Psychedelic City Cowboy $h!t is one of 2022’s hidden gems – arguably a career-best for Ardamus even. Psychedelic City Cowboy $h!t is an album about living in a city for so long that you develop a relationship with it, and about the effects of such a relationship. Ardamus shares production duties with Height Keech (the two worked together earlier on their 2020 album Astro Blocks) over the 16 tracks on this album – all songs composed of booming drums, creative sampling, dope throwback flows, and listen-worthy bars. Psychedelic City Cowboy $h!t offers close to 50 minutes of mature and relatable Hip Hop, you will not regret giving this album a listen.

133. Yugen Blakrok - The Illusion Of Being (2025)

South African rapper Yugen Blakrok returns with The Illusion of Being, a deep and defiant third album that blends political fire, spiritual depth, and unorthodox production without losing its Hip Hop foundation. It’s a dense, layered record—dark, intellectual, and fiercely grounded in rhythm. At 13 tracks, the album unfolds slowly, inviting repeated listening and deeper understanding with each pass.

Produced primarily by longtime collaborator Kanif the Jhatmaster, the beats move between eerie loops, tripped-out flutes, gritty samples, and bursts of guitar distortion. The sound is experimental but never loses the drum-heavy backbone. Yugen’s voice cuts through the mix—precise, poised, and poetic. She doesn’t waste bars. Her delivery stays steady even as the themes shift from cosmic allegory to revolutionary critique.

“Mesmerize” opens with surgical cuts by Loudmic and a slow, hypnotic groove. From there, tracks like “Osiris Awakens” and “Earthlinguist” dig into mysticism and identity with lush flute work and layered percussion. “Fighter Mantra” is short and aggressive—tight bars, no hook, all heat. “The Shining” brings dusty tension with cuts by DJ KCL and production from Lee Scott, while “Tessellator” features Cambatta in a cerebral trade-off full of coded language and cryptic wisdom.

Features throughout the album—Sa-Roc on “The Grand Geode,” Hannah Allen on “Regrettably,” and more—add texture without pulling focus. Every guest fits the tone, contributing to the album’s meditative but unflinching spirit.

Yugen’s lyricism remains the anchor: challenging, spiritual, and steeped in ancestral memory. Her flow adapts without losing clarity, moving through abstract themes with discipline and fire. Even in its most experimental moments, the album stays rooted in Hip Hop’s essence—loop-driven, lyric-forward, and rhythmically unshakable.

The Illusion of Being stands shoulder to shoulder with her excellent earlier albums, Return of the Astro-Goth (2013) and Anima Mysterium (2019). All three are immersive, uncompromising bodies of work that reward focused listeners.

If you’ve missed Yugen Blakrok until now, it’s time to pay attention. This album doesn’t follow trends—it builds its own world. And once you’re in it, there’s no mistaking the power of her voice or the vision behind it.

134. Infinity Knives & Brian Ennals - King Cobra (2022)

Experimental and political – Baltimore-based duo Brian Ennals and Infinity Knives’ King Cobra is a must-listen for anybody who appreciates forward-thinking and thought-provoking Hip Hop. Like fellow Baltimore experimentalist JPEGMAFIA, these two pull no punches. Brian Ennals has a straightforward old-school flow, his socio-political bars hit hard, and Infinity Knives’ unsettling soundscapes amplify his content – the production on King Cobra is genuinely great. On the album, their sound is described as ‘post-apocalyptic Run-DMC’, and that sounds about right: the instrumentals and flows on King Cobra are abrasive and innovative at times but rooted in traditional 80s Hip Hop at the same time (listen to “Premium Malt Freestyle” for instance – old heads will recognize the Schoolly D and Sir Mix-a-Lot inspiration there). King Cobra is a special album, unlike anything else released in 2022.

135. Blu & Evidence - Los Angeles (2024)

Blu and Evidence’s Los Angeles is a love letter to the City of Angels, crafted by two of its most talented sons. This collaborative effort brings together Blu’s seasoned lyricism and Evidence’s masterful production, resulting in an album that captures the essence of L.A. in all its gritty, sun-soaked glory.

Blu, who first made waves in the underground scene with his and Exile’s 2007 classic Below the Heavens, has had a somewhat inconsistent output since. However, Los Angeles marks a return to form, arguably his strongest work in the 2020s decade. Evidence’s production provides the perfect backdrop for Blu’s introspective bars, ranging from hard-hitting boom bap to jazzy, soulful instrumentals that perfectly complement the lyrical content.

The album kicks off with “54th,” a stripped-down track that sets the tone with shout-outs to the neighborhood. From there, we’re taken on a journey through the city, with tracks like “The Land” and the title cut painting vivid pictures of life in L.A. “3 Wheel Motion,” featuring Kokane, offers a syrupy, laid-back vibe that’s perfect for a smoke session, while “L.A. Tourists” with M.E.D. cleverly switches up from piano-driven boom bap to psychedelic sounds midway through.

Blu’s storytelling shines throughout the project. He touches on everything from the infamous L.A. traffic (“L.A. Traffic” featuring Cashus King & Self Jupiter) to the rare cold days in the typically sunny city (“The Cold”). “Heaven” stands out with its gospel-infused production, as Blu recounts a letter from a departed friend describing the afterlife.

The features on “Los Angeles” are well-chosen and add depth to the project. The Domo Genesis and Navy Blue collaboration on “Lights at Night” is a particular highlight, with the trio painting a vivid picture of the city’s nighttime skyline. Evidence himself steps up to the mic on “Wish You Were Here,” delivering passionate bars alongside Blu.

Evidence’s production deserves special mention. He effortlessly switches between styles, from drumless tracks to hard-hitting boom bap to jazz-infused beats. This versatility provides a rich sound that will keep you engaged throughout the album’s runtime. While Blu’s flow might not be the most technically complex, it fits perfectly with the melodies and production. His delivery is consistently on point, whether he’s delving into grittier street narratives or more introspective material.

Los Angeles is a homerun for both Blu and Evidence. For fans of thoughtful lyricism and top-tier production, this album is a must-listen. With Los Angeles, Blu and Evidence have created an authentic, engaging portrait of their city that will resonate with long-time fans and new listeners alike.

136. The High & Mighty - Sound Of Market (2025)

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.

137. Danger Mouse & Jemini - Born Again (2023)

Producer Danger Mouse and Brooklyn emcee Jemini first joined forces in 2003 for the often overlooked but excellent Ghetto Pop Life. After being shelved since 2004, the sophomre album we never knew we missed has finally arrived.

Danger Mouse, who played a pivotal role in 2022’s best Hip Hop album with Cheat Codes, his collaboration with Black Thought, brings his signature production prowess to the table. Born Again bursts to life with “All I,” immediately reminding us of the magic these two can conjure together. Danger Mouse’s psychedelic underground beats set the stage for Jemini’s charismatic storytelling and vulnerability.

Born Again is a sonic journey that blends body-moving rhythms, crate-digger samples, and old-school soul. Danger Mouse’s sophisticated musicianship, with its layers and intricacies, keeps the listener engaged. It’s a rare gem that’s both an instant banger and a piece of art to dissect. Jemini’s lyrical prowess is evident, especially on tracks like “Dear Poppa,” where he navigates complex feelings about his father. But he can also bring the classic Hip Hop swagger, as showcased on the gritty and funky “Knuckle Sandwich II.”

With a compact ten-track lineup, “Born Again” doesn’t overstay its welcome. Tracks like “Locked Up” and “Brooklyn Basquiat” capture Jemini’s blend of pain and playfulness, offering a balanced listening experience. Born Again is a top-notch collaboration that was delayed since 2004 but now finally sees the light of day. Do we have a long-lost classic here? It sure feels like it.

138. Quelle Chris & Chris Keys - Innocent Country 2 (2020)

If there’s one constant in Quelle Chris’ body of work it’s that he never does the same thing twice. Unlike many other artists who make the same album over and over again, this eclectic Detroit rapper never takes the easy way out, instead, he is always looking for new directions. Innocent Country 2 is sort of a sequel to 2015’s Innocent Country. A sequel, but a direct opposite as well – where the initial Innocent Country focused on isolation, pessimism, and the notion of finding peace within pain, this one offers soothing light in a bleak timeline: a hopeful record in a hopeless moment, precisely when it’s needed most.

Innocent Country 2 is a jazzy and warm listening experience with smooth synth loops over dusty drums crafted by Chris Keys, but it’s not breezy – there’s always depth to Quelle Chris’s lyrical musings. And although this album is not as deep or important as last year’s Guns (on which Quelle Chris addressed the impact of gun violence on American society in particular and the uncertainties of living in modern America in general), Innocent Country 2 is an album with substance as well.

Standout tracks include “Living Happy”, “Graphic Bleeds Out”, “Black Twitter”, “Grease From The Elbows” (featuring billy woods and Pink Siifu), “Sacred Safe”, with a show-stealing verse from Homeboy Sandman – but Innocent Country 2‘s strength is its consistency, it’s a perfect album to keep on rotation in the summertime (and in other seasons too, for that matter).

139. Curse Ov Dialect - Dark Days Bright Nights (2021)

“Formed in 1994, Australian surrealist multicultural rap group Curse Ov dialect has been an anomaly in the music scene. Curse Ov Dialect has revolutionized the language of Hip Hop throughout decades of music-making. Across eight album releases and 25 years of performances, they have defined and pioneered a new golden age of rap — playful, poetic, enlightened, and essential.

Curse Ov Dialect is internationally renowned for its intense live performances involving elaborate symbolic costumes, audience participation, and Dadaist stage theatrics. Cultures are bridged, traditions are taught, stereotypes and rules are broken. The heaviest beats are matched with unexpected samples from every era of music and every corner of the globe. Each emcee brings a powerful voice against ignorance.

Dark Days Bright Nights is their stunning new album. Bursting with revolutionary energy, sociopolitical fervor, and a laser focus on the hypocrisies of Australian culture, this watershed double album powers past the medio-core masses to enshrine Curse Ov Dialect at the forefront of intelligent, original, musically astute Hip Hop worldwide.”

Dark Days Bright Nights is a unique album, laden with eclectic instrumentals, idiosyncratic flows, and thought-provoking content. This is not a casual or straightforward listen, but musically adventurous Hip Hop fans up for a challenge will be amply rewarded.

140. AKAI SOLO - Spirit Roaming (2022)

“Spirit Roaming is AKAI SOLO’s first full-length collaboration with Backwoodz Studioz. Spirit Roaming arrived on the heels of his Body Feeling EP, building on its material and existential themes. Here, AKAI’s unique palette is applied to a bigger canvas, without losing the intimacy and the sardonic self-awareness that helps define him as an artist—alongside a delivery and cadence all his own.

Spirit Roaming features an eclectic group of producers, from vets like Preservation, Animoss, Messiah Musik, and August Fanon, to emerging talents Theravada, ibliss, WifiGawd, Roper Williams, and JUNIE. AKAI lends bits and pieces of his own production to the mix, but goes mostly dolo on the mic, with Armand Hammer as the lone feature arriving just in time for the curtain call.

Working amidst a renaissance in NYC indie rap, AKAI is both part of that wave and a man apart. The 27-year-old Brooklyn native has collaborated extensively with many of the scene’s stalwarts (including Pink Siifu, Armand Hammer, and Navy Blue), but, true to his name, has always navigated his own course.”

AKAI SOLO and Backwoodz Studioz are a perfect fit. His music is for a niche audience, as is most of what comes out of Backwoodz Studioz. Still, the move to Backwoodz is likely to raise AKAI SOLO’s profile – also because this easily is his best-rounded and best-produced album. Not an easy listen, but accessible enough to gain him more exposure and take him to a next level.

141. Previous Industries - Service Merchandise (2024)

Service Merchandise is a collaborative album from Previous Industries, that brings together Open Mike Eagle, Video Dave, and STILL RIFT in a nostalgic, but forward-thinking exploration of time and memory. Named after a defunct retail catalog, the album is infused with a sense of longing for the past, captured in both its lyrics and production. Each track title evokes a bygone era of American consumer culture, while the beats, primarily crafted by Child Actor, carry a hazy, lo-fi aesthetic reminiscent of the golden age of Hip Hop.

The trio’s chemistry is great throughout the album. Their verses flow effortlessly, weaving between playful banter and introspective musings. Video Dave’s wistful lines on “Roebuck” and STILL RIFT’s sharp reflections on “Fotomat” highlight their ability to blend humor with deeper themes. Open Mike Eagle, as always, delivers intricate rhymes filled with cultural references that strike a chord with listeners who remember the days of Blockbuster and Kay Bee Toys.

Service Merchandise is more than a trip down memory lane; it’s a meditation on the passage of time and how our memories shape our present. The album’s blend of quirky beats, clever wordplay, and genuine emotion makes it a standout project in all their careers.

142. Nas - Magic 3 (2023)

Nas and Hit-Boy’s sixth collab, Magic 3, marks a solid finale to their journey that kicked off in 2021. It’s a noteworthy entry in their collaborative journey, clocking in at 45 minutes, making it a proper full-length. A fitting wrap to an impressive run.

Now, we’ve voiced some reservations in the past about Hit-Boy’s overly polished beats, but on Magic 3, the production feels more on point especially when compared to the first King’s Disease album for instance. Nas, as usual, brings the lyrical heat and, considering this release celebrates his 50th birthday, he proves he’s still reigning in the Hip Hop realm.

Magic 3 boasts plenty of standout tracks, notably “Sitting With My Thoughts,” characterized by its captivating melody and personal lyrics. Other tracks like “Jodeci Member”, “I Love This Feeling”, “Based On True Events”, “Based on True Events Pt. 2”, “Speechless Pt. 2”, and “Japanese Soul Bar” also showcase Nas’s lyrical power.

Despite our reservations about the production styles Hit-Boy employs, it’s safe to say Nas and Hit-Boy consistently deliver as a duo, and Magic 3 keeps their collaborative magic alive. King’s Disease 3 is the best project they did together, but this album stands as a commendable addition to their joint efforts, reaffirming Nas’s enduring talent. Props to the Hip Hop OG for continuing to hold it down in the 2020s.

143. Aesop Rock – I Heard It’s A Mess There Too (2025)

Aesop Rock’s I Heard It’s a Mess There Too arrived without warning—streamed for free on YouTube, downloadable from his site, and pressed to vinyl later. It’s his second album of 2025, and it sounds like a reset. Produced entirely by Aesop himself, the record pares back the dense layers of Black Hole Superette in favor of a cleaner, stripped-down sound. The drums are tight and unhurried, the basslines steady, and each small texture—hum, chime, hiss—lands with intention.

Across twelve tracks, he turns his restless eye to a world that feels permanently unstable. The title came from checking in with friends overseas and realizing every place is unraveling in its own way. Aesop doesn’t moralize; he observes. His writing remains intricate, but his delivery has loosened into something closer to conversation—measured, wry, and quietly tired.

“Crystals and Herbs” opens with crooked percussion and a low, pulsing bass, his voice threading through the mix like static from an old radio. “The Cut” carries an eerie calm, while “Full House Pinball” moves with springy drums and small bursts of piano, a reminder that lightness still exists. “Spin to Win” rides a funk loop that swings without swagger, and “Oh My Stars” drifts in slow circles, full of deadpan humor and fleeting wonder.

Late in the record, “Pay the Man” and “Poly Cotton Blend” bring sharper edges—classic boom-bap filtered through Aesop’s offbeat timing. “Call Home” closes things down to a whisper, circling the album’s core idea: connection in chaos.

The production’s restraint is its power. By clearing space, he gives his voice room to settle. The result is clear and grounded, a late-career work that finds comfort in small motions. I Heard It’s a Mess There Too doesn’t chase grandeur—it lives in the quiet rhythm of staying human when everything else is noise.

144. Killer Mike - MICHAEL (2023)

Killer Mike’s return to solo form with MICHAEL is a bruising, reflective Atlanta rap record built like a full autobiography rather than a playlist grab. Across the album he digs into childhood, faith, family, and grief with an honesty that hits hard without drifting into preachy territory. The cover—nine-year-old Mike with halo and horns—matches the writing: a man reckoning with grace and damage at the same time.

Musically, MICHAEL leans into Southern tradition: gospel choirs, organs, bluesy textures, and thick low-end sit next to boom-bap grit and modern Atlanta swing. Instead of chasing radio, the production gives him room to talk, shout, and testify. Guest spots are stacked, but they mostly feel like extensions of his world rather than distractions; Andre 3000 in particular turns his appearance into an event.

This is not a copy of R.A.P. Music and not an extension of Run The Jewels. It is an older, sharper Killer Mike taking stock, praying out loud, and still rapping with enough command to cut through big arrangements and crowded hooks. MICHAEL plays as a heavy, gospel-soaked life update from one of Hip Hop’s most distinctive voices.

145. One Be Lo - Baby (Being A Black Youth) (2020)

BABY (Being a Black Youth) is One Be Lo’s best project since his magnum opus S.O.N.O.G.R.A.M. (2005). One Be Lo has always been a fan of acronyms, evident here not just in the album’s title but in the tracklist as well: all song titles are composed of the four letters in BABY too.

BABY packs 16 tracks and runs for close to an hour, but it’s not a minute too long. All 16 tracks were produced by Seattle-based producer Eric G (together with One Be Lo himself), and all tracks have scratches by DJ Abilities – this synergistic cooperation ensures an entirely cohesive sound throughout. One Be Lo recruited a bunch of interesting guests to add some extra flavor – the likes of Freeway, Guilty Simpson, Black Milk, Royce Da 5’9″, Jean Grae, and Phonte make appearances, among others. BABY is a beautiful Hip Hop album filled with soulful boom-bap beats and meaningful lyrics. Don’t sleep on One Be Lo and BABY.

146. Anti-Lilly & Phoniks - All Good Things (2025)

All Good Things is a calm, clear-headed record shaped by Anti-Lilly’s period of isolation and recovery. His delivery stays close to spoken rhythm, as if he’s sorting through pressure, sobriety, and self-repair in real time. The writing keeps its weight in ordinary details and steady reflection, avoiding grand gestures in favor of direct, grounded insight.

Phoniks builds an atmosphere of warm jazz loops, soft Rhodes chords, and crisp drums with a relaxed, open feel. The pacing gives Anti-Lilly space to think without losing direction, and the tone stays consistent from track to track. Contributions from ScienZe, Devante, and Awon fall naturally into place, expanding the emotional range without breaking the album’s quiet focus.

The project arrives six years after That’s The World, following the duo’s earlier collabos Stories From the Brass Section and It’s Nice Outside. Their rapport remains easy and intuitive: Anti-Lilly brings thoughtful, unvarnished writing rooted in lived experience, while Phoniks supplies a signature blend of jazz and soul that has become central to the Don’t Sleep Records identity. We pretty much love everything the label releases, and this album fits right into that tradition.

Across fourteen compact tracks, All Good Things stays centered on clarity and emotional honesty. Songs like “Too Late,” “Swim in Fire,” and “Window” trace burnout, doubt, and cautious renewal with direct language and steady control. The record never slips into sentimentality; its impact comes from its calm tone, its patience, and its attention to the small shifts that define recovery.

It’s reflective, warm, and grounded, without any need for dramatic framing or oversized statements. If chilled-out, mature, thoughtful, jazz-soaked Hip Hop is your bag, All Good Things is a must.

147. Dälek - Precipice (2022)

“Forged in the fires of the East Coast underground music scene in the 90s, experimental Hip Hop pioneers, Union City, NJ-based duo Dälek has spent decades carving out a unique niche fusing hardcore Hip Hop, noise, and a radical approach to sound. Their brutal sonic temperament pushes rap music’s capacity for noise and protest to some exhilarating conclusions. For their latest and eighth album, Precipice, Dälek unleashes a work that is practically bristling with fury and power. Predominantly the work of the core duo, Will Brooks, aka MC Dälek and Mike Manteca (Mike Mare), Precipice features a guest appearance of Adam Jones of Tool.”

From Filthy Tongue Of Gods And Griots (2002) and the masterful Absence (2005) are Dälek’s best albums, iconic records in the industrial Hip Hop subgenre. Precipe is not as memorable as these two classics are, but it is a strong album nonetheless. Boom-bap-driven beats backed up by an unsettling ambient droning create an overall dark and dreary atmosphere, further exacerbated by MC Dälek’s thought-provoking semi-abstract lyrics. Precipe is a slow-burner of an album, a fitting document for the chaotic and uncertain times the album was released in.

148. ScHoolboy Q - Blue Lips (2024)

After a five-year hiatus, Los Angeles rapper ScHoolboy Q’s long-awaited sixth studio album, Blue Lips, proves the wait was worth it. This project throws listeners into a world of captivating duality, blending jazzy and soulful sounds with eerie, menacing beats, and mixing up mature introspection with trash talk to great effect. Blue Lips is a clear step up from the very underwhelming CrasH Talk (2019) and rivals his critically acclaimed earlier works like Habits & Contradictions (2012) and Oxymoron (2014). While Blank Face LP (2016) remains our favorite ScHoolboy Q album, Blue Lips holds its own.

Blue Lips throbs with the signature darkness that has always defined Q’s sound, yet it feels refreshingly inventive. The production is strong throughout, featuring lots of dope beat switches and soulful samples that complement Q’s dynamic and at times fiercely biting delivery. Particularly the first half of the album is powerful, boasting standout tracks like “Pop”, “THank God 4 Me”, “Blueslides”, “Love Birds”, “Cooties”, “oHio”, and “Foux”. Guest appearances from artists like Freddie Gibbs, Ab-Soul, and Rico Nasty add extra flavor to the project.

Q isn’t afraid to be experimental on Blue Lips. He navigates smoothly between visceral trap-flavored bangers and jazzy vibes, sometimes within the same track. While the second half of the album, might not quite match the strength of the first, the overall experience remains finely tuned and engaging. Whether you’re a longtime ScHoolboy Q fan or just discovering his music, Blue Lips is a strong modern rap album that demands to be heard.

149. Knowledge The Pirate & Roc Marciano - The Round Table (2025)

The Round Table is Knowledge the Pirate’s most focused and refined album to date, a cold and calculated project built entirely on Roc Marciano’s production. Across 14 tracks, the duo sticks to what they know—no filler, no spectacle, just airtight beats and street-minded verses delivered with patience and precision.

A Harlem native and longtime Marciano collaborator, Knowledge the Pirate emerged in the 2010s after a brief early stint with Interscope. Since Flintlock (2018), he’s carved a lane through albums rooted in East Coast grit, shaped by his Five Percent Nation beliefs and street experience. He raps with calm authority, moving deliberately through every verse, trusting the listener to keep up.

Marciano’s production leans hard into drumless loops, chopped soul, and pitch-shifted vocal samples. “Eating Etiquette” and “Addicted to Danger” ride without drums, forcing attention to cadence and tone. Tracks like “Golden Rules” and “The Outfit” use minimal arrangements to amplify Knowledge’s clipped, conversational delivery. It’s a sound that never hurries. There’s space between every bar, letting the tension sit.

“Takes a 10” brings in a funkier energy, and “Magic & Kareem” lands on a rich, pitched-up soul loop. “Food for Thought” taps deeper into chipmunk soul territory, giving the back half of the record some movement without changing direction. Humor surfaces in “Ride wit a P” and “1 on Me,” but the tone stays dry and measured. The final stretch—“Servitude” and “Receipts”—eases the album into a calm exit, trading street pressure for self-possession.

There’s no grand concept here. No guests. No hooks engineered for attention. Every decision is lean, deliberate, and in sync. The beats never overpower the verses, and the verses never chase the beats. It’s a quiet power move, the kind of record that doesn’t announce itself, but lingers long after the last track. For us, this is the best Knowledge the Pirate project yet, also thanks to Roc Marciano’s excellent work behind the boards.

150. Third Root – Passion Of The Poets (2020)

Third Root is a trio that consists of Charles Peters (Easy Lee), Marco Cervantes (Mexican StepGrandfather), and DJ Chicken George (DJCG). Peters is an accomplished poet/author/MC & educator, Cervantes is a producer/MC/Ph.D. who teaches at the University of Texas at San Antonio, and DJCG is a world-renowned DJ, musicologist, designer, and Jazztronica! Peddler. Passion Of The Poets is their fourth full-length album. The album is produced by Grammy-winner Adrian Quesada, nu-cumbia legend El Dusty, and veteran beatsmith Illfudge, and has features from Black Pumas, Kam Franklin, Grupo Fantasma, Bavu Blakes, and Mad1ne.

Passion Of The Poets is a soundtrack to the time we live in now, with clever and thought-provoking lyrics from Easy Lee and MexStep. Both are educators and their backgrounds show in their lyrical content. Without becoming preachy anywhere, they succeed in being educational and entertaining at the same time, perfectly balancing sh*ttalking with insightful socio-political commentaries.

Musically, Passion Of The Poets offers a potent blend of 90s-centric boom-bap, Southern Hip Hop, and Latin sounds. The album’s 12 tracks are perfectly sequenced, and every song hits, no skips are necessary. Even the cover art is done exactly right. Passion Of The Poets will probably fly way below most people’s radars, but those who take note will discover one of 2020’s best projects.