Favorite Songs of '25 So Far....
2025 was filled with great music, new discoveries, and more memories with songs attached to it.
This year has been very eventful from the mainstream artists down to underground, up and coming artists making a name for themselves or already established. Hip Hop to R&B these songs have made an impact on me for the year and have been in constant rotation since it released.
ALIVE - Playboi Carti, NBA Youngboy
This record is evil, grimy, nasty main villain music, Youngboy delivered a once in a lifetime verse as if his life depended on it. The beat is just “CRANK” from Carti’s latest album “I AM MUSIC” but with more reverb and a pounding 808 with Swamp Izzo’s insane refrain every second shouting “ALIVE”. While Youngboy raps the best he’s ever done in a while, Carti does his own thing with disjointed flows, a incredibly deep voice that sounds like a parody, and the consistent flexing of his lifestyle. It fits this song so well Carti doesn’t need to do much to match Youngboy’s presence.
Have a Baby (With Me) - Daniel Caesar
Probably the most intimate, and vulnerable song Mr. Caesar has released yet. The message in the song can be confusing at first listen as his partner plans their departure he wants to “have a baby” with her. However, he wants something to remember her by since the relationship is ending and nothing is going their way. Hence, “have a baby with me…..before you leave”. The instrumental and the song in general is very light and soft but, the words are so heavy it makes me you wonder how things would be.
Exhaust - Earl Sweatshirt
This song (the album in general) feels so comforting, as if we made it through the darkest days and basking in the the glory of just living and thriving. Live Laugh Love feels like a landmark in Earl’s career, a far cry from his album 10 years ago, “I Don’t Like Sh*t, I Don’t Go Outside” a dark melancholy record that shows the growth in Earl’s mind state and artistic evolution from 2015 to 2025. Exhaust stands out on this album as the full circle moment for Earl’s career and it feels like life from what we know.
Ring Ring Ring - Tyler, The Creator
From “Don’t Tap The Glass” a 29 minute dance album that features different styles of music from the NOLA bounce, to that 90s disco ball skate rink music, and the trademark South LA bounce on the album. It’s pretty straightforward record that gets in and gets out proving it’s point in making you want to move regardless if the rapping is subpar for Tyler’s standards. Ring Ring Ring, has elements that gravitate me to Tyler’s music. The very awkward singing all over the track and the world building and texture his songs put you in. The environment and the soundscape this song puts you in feels very Miami, Vice, middle of the club sweating while the beat keeps progressing and progressing into the essential dance record.
Mumbleman - Niontay
This song sure enough lives up to it’s title but it’s top tier rapping with enough witty and slick bars to keep you entertained throughout the record. “They told me speak up well I den slept walked to a bag….off mumbling.”Niontay has one of the best albums of the year with sticky beats that warp between regions in rap, slick talking bars to keep us engaged.
MIKE - Man In The Mirror
MIKE is incapable of dropping a bad verse, bar, song, album, or anything. He is so good at what he does , he leaves no room for disappointment. Probably the most consistent rapper in the world right now and shows no signs of slowing down at any time soon. Showbiz! is another installment in MIKE’s discography with more self reflecting bars of growth and pain. Man In The Mirror is like a mix of a little bravado with the vulnerable lines that we all know he delivers on.
Lelo - Limbless
One of my favorite rapper right now and I fortunately discovered him this year through the Detroit pipeline. He’s like if Lucki was actually from Detroit and didn’t take from Veeze and Babyface Ray. Lelo sounds cool, calm, and collected especially over these what it feels like cloud rap inspired beats. New Detroit was an album he dropped earlier this year which one of my favorites this year and it made me realize the potential in the Detroit rap scene and the different avenues in rap they can take. Lelo definitely has his own lane when it comes to his voice and cadence, no one right now raps or sounds like him.
xaviersobased - Double Whammy
Another rapper I discovered through Plaqueboymax “Song Wars” (which was a big thing for the underground rap scene) the NY rapper is extremely unique bridging the gap between jerk era beats and the hazy, cloud rap era sound. He sounds nothing like what you think a NY rapper would sound like. He doesn’t hop on the played drill beats or the looped soul samples that Griselda and company raps over. Xavier is truly a gem in the very oversaturated and watered down New York sound that he sticks out like a sore thumb. Double Whammy is one of those songs where you feel his presence, anytime you hear a bar you can’t do nothing but be amused.
Pluto & YKNIECE - Whim Whammie
This song is just pure fun for the women who live carefree and put on some overpriced lululemon. It just sounds so good, it’s undeniable no matter how much people like to say “it’s ghetto” or “they’re not rapping about anything” as if men don’t do the same. Let’s be consistent and call it what it is. Good Music. It’s everywhere from TikTok, radio, parties, clubs you can’t escape and I’m not mad at it. Let the women have their fun with party songs and just tune in to some good music is all.