“This is a warning: Your time is up,” announced Mariah the Scientist in the trailer for her fourth album, *HEARTS SOLD SEPARATELY*. “We will not be led by heartless womanizers. We are more than soldiers. We are heartbeats in a world of hollow men, defenders of a cause worth living and dying for. This is for the lovers.” Since her debut album, 2019’s *MASTER*, romantic drama has been the Georgia native’s muse, as she unpacks the complexities of disappointment and desire with an old soul and a light touch. Drawing from the classics of ’80s R&B, when slow jams by the likes of Sade and Babyface ruled the radio, *HEARTS SOLD SEPARATELY* harkens back to a smoother, sexier time, though there’s a tinge of melancholy to singles like “Burning Blue” and the Kali Uchis duet “Is It a Crime.” The pair of singles represent the 27-year-old singer’s biggest hits to date. “I tried new things with my voice,” she tells Apple Music. “I tried new vibes. New perspectives.” As for what’s changed personally since 2023’s *To Be Eaten Alive*—after four years of her highly publicized relationship with Young Thug, during most of which he was incarcerated, the rapper was released in October 2024. Mariah delves into the situation on “Sacrifice,” the wistful opening track. “When you love somebody, you make sacrifices,” she says. “There was a point in time when there was a lot of distance in my relationship, and I feel like I had to make that sacrifice.” Amidst the sea of love songs floats one self-reliance anthem: “All along, it was me, myself, and I,” the self-professed loner sings on “More.”
Scores of Puerto Rican artists have used their music to express love and pride in their island, but few do so with the same purposeful vigor as Bad Bunny. The superstar from Vega Baja is responsible for numerous songs that center his homeland, from unofficial national anthems like “Estamos Bien” and “El Apagón” to powerful posse cuts like “ACHO PR” with veteran reggaetón luminaries Arcángel, De La Ghetto, and Ñengo Flow. More recently, he’s been decidedly direct about his passions and concerns, expressed in vivid detail on 2024’s standalone single “Una Velita.” Positioned as his sixth proper studio album, *DeBÍ TiRAR MáS FOToS* centers Puerto Rico in his work more so than before, celebrating various musical styles within its legacy. While 2023’s *nadie sabe lo que va a pasar mañana* validated his trapero past with a more modern take on the sound he emerged with in the 2010s, this follow-up largely diverges from hip-hop, demonstrating his apparent aversion to repeating himself from album to album. Instead, house music morphs into plena on “EL CLúB,” the latter genre resurfacing later in splendorous fashion on “CAFé CON RON” with Los Pleneros de la Cresta. Befitting its title, “VOY A LLeVARTE PA PR” is set to a sleek reggaetón rhythm for prime-time perreo vibes, as is also the case for “KETU TeCRÉ” and the relatively more rugged “EoO.” A bold salsa statement, “BAILE INoLVIDABLE” pays apparent homage to some seminal Fania releases by Willie Colón and Héctor Lavoe, with traces of the instrumental interplay of “Juanito Alimaña” and an irresistible coda reminiscent to that of “Periódico de Ayer.” Regardless of style, the political and the personal thematically blur throughout the album, a new year’s gloom hanging over “PIToRRO DE COCO” and a metaphorical wound left open after the poignant “TURISTA.” As before, Bad Bunny remains an excellent and inventive collaborator, linking here primarily with other Puerto Ricans as more than a mere symbolic gesture. Sociopolitically minded indie group Chuwi join for the eclectic and vibrant “WELTiTA,” its members providing melodic vocals that both complement and magnify those of their host. Carolina natives Dei V and Omar Courtz form a formidable trio for the thumping dancehall retrofuturism of “VeLDÁ,” while RaiNao proves an exceedingly worthy duet partner on “PERFuMITO NUEVO.”
LiAngelo Ball never quite made it to the NBA like his brothers LaMelo and Lonzo. But, like any good entrepreneur, he built his own alternative in the form of his 2025 debut album, *League of My Own*. GELO doesn’t need a hoop to ball out, as he made abundantly clear on his world-beating debut single, “Tweaker.” The song was a hit among NBA players and rap devotees alike, even earning him a deal with Def Jam. On *League of My Own*, the top prospect cashes in on all the hype, proving that professional basketball was just a detour to his real calling: rap superstar. The only featured spot on the entire 13-song project comes from GloRilla on “Can You Please,” which finds GELO interpolating the gritty rap culture from Glo’s hometown of Memphis and turning it into his own intoxicating club anthem. Elsewhere, it’s GELO’s stage, and he leans into his superhero origin story. Take “Shook Da Game,” where he outlines how he damn near took over the entire basketball world without having to step on the court.
The phrase “your favorite rapper’s favorite rapper” is used all the time, but what’s the equivalent for the moral direction of the genre? Shortly after taking a stance for hip-hop’s principles in his battle with Drake, Kendrick Lamar shouted out Lecrae as his own example of who he looks to for guidance. “Sometimes I wonder what Lecrae would do,” he rapped aloud on an untitled track. “Fuck these n\*\*\*\*s up, or show ’em just what prayer would do?” The Texas native has topped the Billboard 200, won four Grammy Awards, and collaborated with other rap greats over his 20-plus-year career, all while creating music that’s firmly rooted in his Christian faith. It’s easy to see why Kendrick would look up to him: He’s stuck by his principles and reshaped the face of Christianity in hip-hop in the process. But a listen to *Reconstruction* shows that Lecrae isn’t the pillar of spiritual steadiness that many think. He’s had rifts with sects of the religious community that made him consider abandoning his faith, he’s still reeling from the deaths of loved ones, and memories from his past in the streets are still fresh in his mind. It’s all led him to a new perspective on his faith, as he explains in the title track, angrily chastising institutional Christianity for getting in bed with crooked politicians and evil forces. “They said we were walking away from faith?/We wasn’t walking away from faith, we was walking away from fraud,” he proclaims. “This ain’t a crisis of belief/It’s a reconstruction for clarity.” But Lecrae hasn’t gotten this far by being preachy. He has just as much skill on the mic as he does conviction in his beliefs. “Brick for Brick” cleverly uses drug and housing metaphors to illustrate spiritual stability, and “H2O” flips water-and-ice wordplay to emphasize the prioritization of spiritual connection over material wealth. “Headphones” finds him bonding with Killer Mike and T.I. over grief and survivor’s guilt, and on “Politickin,” he surprisingly sounds right at home over a thumping West Coast homage. But on “Die for the Party,” he directly responds to Kendrick’s shout-out, mirroring his peer’s disgust with a lack of morality in rap and the world writ large. But he also laments his own imperfections in the same context. “Truthfully, I’m nobody to judge,” he admits.
Following Mereba’s 2019 solo debut, *The Jungle Is the Only Way Out*, and 2020’s *Spilligion* as part of the Spillage Village supergroup, her perspective was shifted by the birth of her son. *The Breeze Grew a Fire* honors her role as maternal figure while leaving room for her to examine her own place in the world. On the album, Mereba, who cut her teeth in Atlanta’s underground scene, creates uplifting anthems of triumph and perseverance. Opener “Counterfeit” has her rapping over a sugary synth melody and shuffling drums. The chorus explodes as she sings, “You’re the original/Don’t let ’em counterfeit you.” She takes this advice to heart, embracing a number of genres and unexpected detours on *The Breeze Grew a Fire*. “White Doves” hearkens back to the neo-R&B of D’Angelo and The Soulquarians, while “Meteorite” skips and shuffles alongside a lo-fi rap beat.
In a fun bit of irony, Joyner Lucas spent the lead-up to the release of his 2025 LP, *ADHD 2*, with his attention elsewhere. After Skepta called out Lucas on his July single “Friendly Fire,” the Massachusetts-born spitter took a pause and addressed Skepta’s diss in a scathing retort entitled “NOBODY CARES.” While it’s unrelated in spirit and theme to the rapper’s third LP, Joyner knows the rules of rap: If you get dissed, you diss back. On “NOBODY CARES,” his lyricism, flows, and rhyme schemes are superlative, which he showcases throughout *ADHD 2* as well. Take “One of Them,” which features skittering synths and stomping drums. Lucas promises 2025 is the year he’s “gotta make shit bloody.” Elsewhere, he turns contemplative, like on the blackbear-assisted “Anxiety Wins” and the pre-release single “White Noise.”
Nearly all of YoungBoy Never Broke Again’s *More Leaks*, the prolific Baton Rouge MC’s first project of 2025, was available on the internet in some capacity before the album’s release. The music is as current as any we’re going to be able to get at this moment, with YB serving a two-year sentence. As YB fans, we’re extremely lucky that the music of *More Leaks played no part in the court proceedings, because there are some dastardly claims herein. Some are dark. “I’m in my backyard cutting billygoats by the throat,” he raps on “Cut Throat.” Some are seasonal. “Jingle bells, jingle bells/Who gon’ die today?” goes the repurposed melody of “Jingle Bells.” Some are potentially incriminating. “Kept the same stick that killed your man, and I put it at my grandpa house,” he raps on “Trap 101.” But all are YB, an artist who won’t be censored and one whose mystifying ways have brought him this far. “I’m a fuckin’ villain with them millions/But they know that though,” he raps on “Paparazzi.”***
Kevin Gates dropped *I’m Him* some five years after “I Don’t Get Tired,” the breakout hit that transformed him from mixtape upstart to mainstream rap rule-breaker. Beyond the controversies and improprieties that added a tabloid-ready gloss to his career, the Baton Rouge artist stood out on that second proper album for his inventive, oft-energetic takes on the trap era’s street-hustle mindset. Now, another half-decade later, freshly independent and pushing 40, he reveals both the rewards and the toll of that lifestyle on this concise sequel. In line with hip-hop’s ongoing mental health journey in rhyme, opener “Therapy Sessions” dives deep into a psyche so fraught with trauma that it would send most so-called pain rappers into hiding. “Same Way” finds him operating as a master of that particular subgenre, calculating loss amid the wins as a form of cautionary tale for the listener. Via the duality of “Big Bruddah (Don’t Be Mad),” he recounts betrayals and slights endured in the trenches while also flaunting his wealth and the intricate means through which he’s acquired it. Still, he can’t help but come off as triumphant on “Brasi the Eagle,” evoking his infamous mobster moniker to emphasize that his successes surpass his suffering. Gates’ characteristically unfiltered approach serves him well here. Whether truth-telling on the grimy motivational “Manifest” or casually pulling the baddest of baddies on the explicit “No Pressure,” that outlandish streak resurfaces enough times that it rewards his day-one listenership. Those long-term fans know that he’s remained true to form all these years, though anyone needing a reminder can reference “Block Away” and “Kiss the Ring” for clarity.
The first words heard on Eem Triplin’s debut album, 2025’s *Melody of a Memory*, come in the form of a message: “You are, you are a special gift/And you have taken the gift that God has given you.” Over the course of the album’s 13 tracks, the Pennsylvania-born rapper aims to spell out all the ways in which said gift has impacted his life. He’s both in awe of the blessings he’s received through rap and confident that he’s earned the life he’s built. Once most widely known as a producer for frequent collaborator $NOT, Triplin has taken his first crack at solo success on *Melody*, turning in a confident and infectious ode to the world and people who have shaped him. Despite the wins, Triplin is well aware throughout the project that there’s something left to be desired in his life. On “Feyoncé,” he sums it up when he raps, “I need a Beyoncé fiancé/To come and keep my mind straight, my vibe throwed off.”
Teyana Taylor’s fourth studio album commands an A-list cast of Hollywood talent (collectively owning an Oscar, seven Emmys, three Golden Globes, and a Tony) helping the multitalented singer-songwriter to bring the intimate, complicated world of *Escape Room* to life. A charged R&B drama unfolds between scene-setting interludes narrated by stars including Taraji P. Henson, Sarah Paulson, Kerry Washington, Regina King, and Issa Rae, as Taylor demolishes the fourth wall and opens the audience up to a front-row view of life in metamorphosis. The narrative that plays out across *Escape Room* runs parallel to events in Taylor’s own life, finding herself and falling in love again following her separation and subsequent divorce from former Brooklyn Nets player, Iman Shumpert. Opening track “Fire Girl” deploys a distorted vocal sample and lilting, Spanish guitar which lights a blazing trail of raw emotion that stretches the entire expanse of the album. “Long Time” simmers with regret, the KAYTRANADA assist “Open Invite” burns up with pure desire, while “In Your Skin” melts devotion. Although a turbulent ride at times, the gentle acoustic ballad “Always,” which strums the record out—ending on a message to their mother, read aloud by Taylor’s children—makes for a smooth landing, bringing the curtain down on a happy ending.
The Louisville slugger kicked off 2025 with January’s *I Ain’t Feeling You*, his star-studded second album with guest spots from Travis Scott, Lil Baby, and Veeze. Not six months later, Gee returns with a surprise third album, *My World*, whose unfussy song titles suggest a more spontaneous approach from the gravelly-voiced hustler who’s spent the six years since his 2019 debut mixtape *El Toro* ascending from the Kentucky hip-hop underground to the mainstream. He’s still balancing stone-cold street tales with a healthy dose of soul-searching. On “Take my time Geeski SH Feb 23,” Gee reflects on his trajectory as one of few rappers to make it out of his hometown. And an appearance from Yo Gotti on “PABLO FINAL GOTTI version” as the album’s only feature should implicitly quell the recent rumors of Gee’s supposed departure from the Memphis veteran’s CMG label.
Babyface Ray secured his standing in Detroit hip-hop over more than a decade’s worth of records, not the least of which being his 2022 pairing *FACE* and *MOB*. Firmly in his independent bag, he maintains the high quality of those standout projects on *Codeine Cowboy*, a narcotized trip that accentuates the themes found in his existing body of work while going deeper on other routes. Early on, fans will gravitate to streetwise cuts like “American Psycho” and “Kick the Cup Campaign.” Over time, however, a clear desire to explore R&B vibes crops up, particularly notable on “Nobody’s Perfect” and the JMSN collab “Don\'t Misuse Me.” Though his guests here represent an assortment of locales, those with close ties to Michigan (such as Lil Yachty on “Wavy Crete” and Veeze on “Half Sleep”) provide some of the most memorable features. Detroiters G.T. and Samuel Shabazz show up with their A-games for the faded “I Know” and the breezier “Sin Aire,” respectively, with the latter returning for thought-provoking closer “1 On 1 Talk With God.”
Will Smith has heard the chatter. So much of it, in fact, that the armchair punditry he apes on his *Based on a True Story* opener, “Int. Barbershop - Day,” sounds like it could be a field recording from any number of Black American gathering spaces. “Who the fuck Will Smith think he is?/And that boy damn crazy how he raising them kids,” goes a particularly cartoony quip. But that’s the beauty of Smith’s creative practice. Whether as star of television’s groundbreaking *The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air*, hunky lead of rom-coms like *Hitch*, and even action flicks like the *Bad Boys* franchise, Smith has never had a problem poking fun at himself. But keep playing…and he’ll get serious quick. Which is exactly what happens on *Based on a True Story*, Smith’s first body of work following 2022’s infamous Chris Rock/Oscars altercation and his first full-length album since 2005’s *Lost and Found*. Once he gets the jokes out of the way, Smith is out to remind us that he can still rap, and maybe more importantly, that he’s one of the greatest entertainers of all time. The album is Smith doing him to the fullest extent of his abilities, reveling in a storied legacy of acting and rapping (“You Lookin’ For Me?,” “Bulletproof,” “Tantrum”), while affirming his faith and the respect he has for his status as a role model (“Beautiful Scars,” “Make It Look Easy,” “You Can Make It”). It’s no light lift, but as he states on “Work of Art,” he’s built for it: “Ima king no denying this/Every limit, I’m defying it/Everybody wanna be a lion/Until it’s time to do lion shit,” he raps. Say what you want about Will Smith—you probably already have—but if you let him tell the story, there’s gonna be a little bit of boasting and a whole of gratitude. And that’s as close to the truth as we’re gonna get.**
A veteran MC and Los Angeles native, Murs has seen multiple sides of the music industry, with releases on respected indies and a brief dalliance with a major label. Yet as he prepares for a self-imposed rap retirement, he rightfully intends to end on a high note with *Love & Rockets 3:16 (The Emancipation)*. The third and final installment in a series that began in 2016, the roughly half-hour-long send-off both overtly and subtly calls back to an earlier time in his life and career in an apparent bid for closure. Opener “Silverlake Rec League” blends childhood reminiscing with clear-eyed metaphoric recognition of his underground king status. From there, he continues with the heartfelt “Enjoy,” the defiant “Chopper,” and the educational motivational “F.A.M.I.L.Y.,” all the while demonstrating how he’s endured in the game. After the autobiographical “Flowers For will.i.am” and the expansive “OCH,” he eventually reaches “Stylus Groove,” an exemplary finale for his discography.
