BILLY WOODS – Golliwog
Posted inRap albums

BILLY WOODS – Golliwog

Indie rap isn’t dead. By bringing in his longtime producers (El-P, Ant, Preservation, Kenny Segal, The Alchemist) and rappers in his vein (Bruiser Wolf, Elucid, Cavalier), by invoking Company Flow, MF DOOM, and Antipop Consortium, and by delivering a Black, committed, and experimental form of rap, Billy Woods carries on the underground tradition of the 1990s.
MCKINLEY DIXON – Magic, Alive!
Posted inRap albums

MCKINLEY DIXON – Magic, Alive!

McKinley Dixon, this is artistry through and through. A jazz-infused musical framework, with real instruments weaving unpredictable flourishes. Lyrics that tell a story, play with layers of meaning, and explore major themes. Guest appearances from artists rooted in other genres, or from the same school of rap. And in the end, an album filled with standout moments and, yes, a touch of magic.
15 of the best rap albums of 2025
Posted inSelections

15 of the best rap albums of 2025

Welcome to 2025. Welcome to the postmodern era of rap. The era in which it no longer truly calls the shots or sets the cultural agenda. The era in which it has ceased to be the game changer it was for four decades. But also the era in which it remains everywhere - alive, protean, endlessly mutating, and, for those willing to venture off the beaten path, still immensely rich in satisfactions.
MEXIKODRO – Still Goin The EP
Posted inRap albums

MEXIKODRO – Still Goin The EP

MexikoDro, the producer who, together with his Beat Plugz colleagues, created plugg, returns to his roots. Stepping up to the mic, he successfully revisits the motivational trap music of its early days. Except that after all these years, that same motivation has changed in nature: the veteran’s aspiration now is to live a sober, ordinary life, harboring no illusions about anything.
JOHN GLACIER – Like A Ribbon
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JOHN GLACIER – Like A Ribbon

This occasional model that is John Glacier has all the hallmarks of a Londoner. Her wide-ranging circle, her music infused with post-punk and electronic influences, her monotone, low-key poetry, and her doubts and uncertainties ultimately have very little to do with rap. Nevertheless, on this compilation album, her formula often proves as haunting as it is seemingly disembodied.
SWAVAY – BILLY2
Posted inRap EPs

SWAVAY – BILLY2

In 2024, the EP "Billy" was R&B for the girls. So in 2025, its successor "Billy2" brings us trap music for the boys. Nothing particularly sensational in the end from this release by Metro Boomin’s protégé and James Blake’s rapper friend. But it is an improvement nonetheless. There's some “real trap shit” there, as SwaVay himself puts it, with a few well-aimed lines that hit just right.
TYLER, THE CREATOR – Don’t Tap The Glass
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TYLER, THE CREATOR – Don’t Tap The Glass

This is Tyler, the Creator’s dance album. His return to basics, as signaled by a cover that evokes 1980s hip-hop. But as this grotesque, parodic image also suggests, everything very quickly takes on a particular tone - acidic, acrimonious, and atrabilious - with a rapper like him. The sound is funky, but the sharp-tongued provocateur from Odd Future is still very much present.
KEY GLOCK – Glockaveli
Posted inRap albums

KEY GLOCK – Glockaveli

Following the success that was "Glockoma 2", Key Glock once again demonstrates, with his first album released through a major label, that he is capable of stepping into Young Dolph’s big shoes. With releases like "Glockaveli", he and his crew are securing for their label, Paper Route Empire, another decade at the forefront of the rap game - and the top spot within Memphis’s vibrant scene.
BIG YAVO – Dingers
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BIG YAVO – Dingers

Like him, hailing from Birmingham, Alabama, Big Yavo is Luh Soldier’s brother-in-arms. If "Dingers" is not quite what its title claims - a perfect hit, a home run - it is nonetheless his best album to date. It is a funny, full-blooded release, delivered with gusto by a bona fide showman, in a style that may be well-worn but remains effective: that of rough, unruly Southern rap tradition.
PAYROLL GIOVANNI – If Not Me Then Who
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PAYROLL GIOVANNI – If Not Me Then Who

Payroll Giovanni is one of the greatest, period. Since his days with Doughboyz Cashout, he has built a remarkable and hard-hitting discography. With this album, he adds yet another solid brick to an already towering body of work. It’s titled "If Not Me Then Who", and this is a fair question. If this man isn’t the greatest rapper to come out of Detroit, then who else could truly claim that title?
RIO DA YUNG O.G. – F.L.I.N.T. (Feeling Like Im Not Through)
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RIO DA YUNG O.G. – F.L.I.N.T. (Feeling Like Im Not Through)

Some come out of prison worn down, but others emerge in top form. In 2025, Rio Da Yung O.G. clearly belongs to the latter category. Dedicated to his city, his second album since his release is a success. Whether solo or alongside RMC Mike, YN Jay, and a few others, its leading figure does justice to Flint rap with a project packed to the brim with his flavorful, off-the-wall antics.
CLIPPING – Dead Channel Sky
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CLIPPING – Dead Channel Sky

Clipping still loves its concepts. This time, the trio leaves horrorcore behind to explore the cyberpunk universe and the threats looming over our hyperconnected world. True to its taste for experimentation, the Los Angeles band ventures into the realm of 1990s electronic music. All of this brings to mind the science-fiction-infused indie rap of that same era. And for that very reason, we like it.