As we move into the 200s and 100s, the quality takes a massive jump. This is where we see the workhorses of the culture—the artists who seem to drop high-level projects every other month. This section also highlights the “next up” stars who officially put the industry on notice this year.
🏗️ Building the Momentum (299–200)
- 283. Cardi B – Am I The Drama?: Crazy we finally got another album from Cardi B.
- 276. Central Cee – CANT RUSH GREATNESS: Maybe the most I’ve ever enjoyed Central Cee.
- 265. Boldy James & Antt Beatz – Hommage: Boldy James dropped so much that even his “worst” project is good.
- 261. Joey Bada$$ – Lonely At The Top: A good album but still left me disappointed compared to expectations.
- 257. Key Glock – Glockaveli: All Eyez On Key: This extension should have been its own thing.
- 237. Offset – KIARI: Offset dropped a more mature album than I was giving him credit for.
- 232. Chance the Rapper – STAR LINE: A great return from Chance the Rapper! Happy to see it for him.
- 228. Tyler, The Creator – DON’T TAP THE GLASS: As a person that’s mixed on Tyler, The Creator, I thought this was good.
- 211. Slick Rick – VICTORY: The first Mass Appeal release in the Legend Has It series. A good return to form.
- 200. Ro$ama – Orange Tape: He writes hits for BigXThaPlug; I’m ready to crown Ro$ama as the star of that clique.
The Rest of the 200s:
- Defcee & Parallel Thought – Other Blues | 294. Ace Hood – S.O.U.L. | 285. Monaleo – Who Did The Body? | 281. Smif-N-Wessun – Infinity | 275. Willie The Kid & V Don – Catch Me If You Can 2 | 271. Ransom – Cabrini Green | 270. Lloyd Banks – AON 3: DESPITE MY MISTAKES | 264. RJ Payne & Erick Sermon – 3 Piece | 260. A$AP Ferg – FLIP PHONE SHORTY | 258. Logic – Aquarius III | 255. Benny The Butcher – Excelsior | 253. Joey Valance & Brae – HYPERYOUTH | 247. That Mexican OT & Sauce Walka – Chicken & Sauce | 242. Rome Streetz & Conductor Williams – Trainspotting | 238. Juicy J & Logic – Live And In Color | 231. Ransom & DJ Premier – The Reinvention | 224. Coast Contra – In Case You Forgot EP | 216. Tory Lanez – PETERSON | 204. A-F-R-O & 60 East – At The Sideshow 2: Art House | 201. 2 Chainz – Red Clay (Official Movie Soundtrack)
🔥 Entering the Top Tier (199–100)
- 188. Boldy James & Rich Gains – Murder During Drug Traffic: The drop that started the 2025 Boldy James run.
- 181. Roc Marciano & DJ Premier – The Coldest Profession: A legendary pairing that lived up to the hype.
- 160. Le$ – Steak X Shrimp, Vol. 4: This project actually flipped me back into Le$ after a period of losing interest.
- 159. Papoose – Bars on Wheels: A Journey To Save Hip Hop: Papoose raps so damn good.
- 157. JID – God Does Like Ugly: A great album but far from flawless.
- 147. Danny Brown – Stardust: This exceeded my expectations. Danny Brown is awesome.
- 140. Mobb Deep – Infinite: Not perfect but crazy how good this is all things considered.
- 124. Larry June & Cardo Got Wings – Until Night Comes: Larry June and Cardo Got Wings are a cheat code.
- 120. Norman Sann – The Audition: Norman Sann is a super-talent; this was a January 1st staple for me.
- 102. Lefty Gunplay & JasonMartin – CANT GET RIGHT: This release officially sold me on Lefty Gunplay moving forward.
- 101. Hit-Boy & The Alchemist – GOLDFISH: Masterclass production from Hit-Boy and The Alchemist.
The Rest of the 100s:
- Bun B & Statik Selektah – Trillstatik 5 | 193. Payroll Giovanni – If Not Me Then Who | 180. Westside Gunn – HEELS HAVE EYES 2 | 169. Roc Marciano & Knowledge the Pirate – The Round Table | 167. A-F-R-O – AFRODEEZEAK | 166. Richie Rich – Richard | 165. Curren$y & Harry Fraud – Never Catch Us | 156. Lloyd Banks – HHVI THE SIX OF SWORDS | 154. Che Noir – The Color Chocolate 2 | 153. OC from NC – Project 25 | 151. YoDogg – Raised By Wolves 2 | 150. Kamaiyah – First Lady Of The Mob | 149. Boldy James – Permanent Ink | 146. The Game & DJ Drama – Every Movie Needs A Trailer | 141. Joel Ortiz – Love, Peace & Trauma | 139. Raekwon – The Emperor’s New Clothes | 127. A-F-R-O – No More Patience | 114. Ty Farris & Apollo Brown – Run Toward The Monster | 113. Smoke DZA – On My Way To Berlin | 112. Curren$y – 7/30 | 105. Daniel Son & Body Bag Ben – Brown Body Bags | 100. Ramirez – THA PLAYA$ MANUAL II
Coming Up Next: The Elite. We break into the Top 99, featuring the projects that defined 2025.
Ready for the Top 10 Finale?
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