13 Anticipated Hip-Hop Albums For 2025
No more delays, please!
I do not own the rights to this image.
The cover art to Mac Miller’s posthumous album, Balloonerism, which is set to drop Friday.
“Most Anticipated Albums” lists are a dime a dozen. (Not unlike the cliche “dime a dozen”).
In fact, I almost didn’t do one. After all, who’s to say what’s the most anticipated? Sure, there’s popular consensus, but in today’s polycultural landscape, asking 10 different hip-hop fans what they’re most looking forward to may field 10 different answers.
So rather than try to figure out what the world is anticipating, I followed my heart and went with albums I want to hear and hopefully enjoy this year. Fortunately, I have varied tastes, so a lot of you will probably find something you want to hear here, ya hear?
The list features 13 albums, which just happens to be the number of albums I’m looking forward to. It’s also ordered alphabetically by artist.
You already know how I feel about intros. Let’s do this.
A$AP Rocky, Don’t Be Dumb
What’s up with A$AP Rocky?
Is he more focused on his duties as a family man? Is he in the same headspace as his wife, Rihanna, when it comes to putting out more music? Is it really about song leaks or sample-clearing issues, as he claimed? Or does it have to do with his forthcoming criminal trial for allegedly shooting his former friend, A$AP Relli, in 2021?
The truth is, we don’t know. Any speculation is just that: Speculation. But when Rocky – one of the most unique, creative rappers of his generation – says he’s going to drop an album, it’s enough to at least cause intrigue.
What we do know is that Rocky said the album was dope enough to keep Tim Burton’s head ringin’. That makes sense if, as Rocky told Complex, Tyler, the Creator will be featured, and producers Pharrell, Madlib, The Alchemist and Metro Boomin are contributors.
Three singles were released last summer. “Ruby Rosary,” featuring J. Cole, is tepid. But if “Tailor Swif” and “HIGHJACK” are any indication, we’ll get more of Rocky’s signature breezy confidence over enriched sonics.
Let’s hope we get to hear it.
Cardi B, TBA
Cardi B hit the scene like a tsunami in 2018, exciting listeners with hits like “Bodak Yellow” and “I Like It” from her Grammy-winning debut, Invasion of Privacy. She’s kept herself relevant since then through features, social media and interviews, but nearly seven years later her sophomore effort still hasn’t materialized.
The album was supposed to come out in 2024, but in October, she revealed on X Spaces that she was headed back to the studio for fine-tuning.
“It’s just gonna be a one-two,” she said of the refinement. “I did it when I was pregnant, and nothing came out how I wanted it to come out, so we gotta do it again.”
Not much is known about the project, but Cardi hyped it up by saying, “It’s gonna come out amazing.”
Cardi B is nothing if not entertaining, so if her sophomore album does see the light of day in 2025, it’ll be sure to get people talking.
Chance the Rapper, Star Line
Another dope Chance project would go a long way in boosting his legacy. After becoming a fan-favorite in the mid-2010s, Chance followed up a three-year hiatus with the lackluster The Big Day. The next few years came and went, and it seemed as if Chance was just…done.
A life-changing trip changed all that. Chance was so inspired by a January 2022 journey to Ghana, that in 2023 he announced a new album, Star Line Gallery. The title came from Marcus Garvey’s short-lived Black Star Line, which transported goods between Black businesses in the Caribbean, North America and Africa.
In 2024, Chance again spoke of a new project, stating plans to release a mixtape called Star Line. He released a trailer showing him working with artists including Lil Wayne, T-Pain, Jermaine Dupri and DJ Premier on the project.
If the music in the clip, as well as the singles “Buried Alive” and the Premier-produced “Together” are any indication, Star Line will be a triumphant comeback that both stands tall against naysayers and features the sweetly soulful nostalgia Chance is so beloved for.
Meanwhile, the single “Stars Out” hints that Chance may be expanding his musical palette beyond his calling cards.
While it’d be wonderful to hear Star Line this year, Chance is clearly in no hurry. As he told BET last year, “I don’t have to rush anything and that gives me the confidence and security knowing that it’s cool to wait until I have everything packaged. Then, I’ve fallen in love with it over and over again before I release it.”
I do not own the rights to this image.
In a now-deleted post on Instagram, Pusha T shared a T-shirt that came from a collaboration with Denim Tears to promote the Clipse’s forthcoming album.
Clipse, Let God Sort Em Out
It seemed like the Clipse would never release music again. After Malice got serious about his faith and changed his name to No Malice, it was clear he and his brother Pusha T were on different wavelengths.
Yet, while Push slayed Drake in a battle and developed a cult following by dropping excellent solo albums, anyone who paid close enough attention knows No Malice never really fell off. His own studio albums – Hear Ye Him and Let the Dead Bury the Dead – weren’t extraordinary, but contained enough standouts to prove he still had quality music in him.
The duo reunited on Kanye West’s “Use This Gospel” in 2019, a gem that highlighted both their brotherly bond and the stark contrasts between them. It wasn’t until No Malice popped up as Malice on Push’s “I Pray For You” in 2022 that they seemed thematically in sync, as Malice found a way to imbue his spirituality into the Clipse’s competitive spirit.
Now, the duo is back and set to release Let God Sort Em Out, entirely produced by longtime collaborator Pharrell, through Def Jam. It will be interesting to see how their different philosophies gel for an entire album, though Malice spoke of the group’s maturation in a June 2024 interview with Vulture.
“It just seems like in other genres of music, they have the luxury of growing,” he said. “For some reason, we act like we’re not supposed to evolve. This is what the true evolution of the Clipse looks like. It’s just good to be able to show that and still have high-level raps.”
Doechii, TBA
Doechii is poised for superstardom. Her first full-length, Alligator Bites Never Heal, dropped last year as a multi-layered showcase of her musical talents. The mixtape earned her three Grammy nods, undoubtedly building upon the exposure she gained on her global tour last fall. On top of that, she got a cosign from the current MVP of rap.
Doechii is a compelling artist, capable of being entertaining, biting and insightful in the span of a few bars. She clearly expressed passion for her craft in a December interview with Variety, in which she said that her official debut album will drop in 2025 and will include live instrumentation.
“All I can think about is this album,” she said, “so I’m just looking forward to making more hits, making more music and achieving more of my goals. That’s it.”
Album artwork courtesy of Finale
The cover of Finale’s upcoming album, The Good, is a painting of a young Finale with his late grandfather, Charles Cooper. It was done by French artist Yann Coudeur, who also painted the cover for Finale’s 62.
Finale, The Good
Detroit rapper Finale has his priorities straight. The underground gem, whose 2009 album A Pipe Dream and a Promise earned a positive review from an indie-era Pitchfork, is more focused on family than his rap career.
But it’s precisely his family that looks to make his latest offering special. Finale said on Jan. 4 that the album is personal and inspired by his late grandfather, 1950s music artist Charles Cooper, whom Finale credits as the biggest influence on his life.
“I call it The Good because I think inherently in everybody, there’s a battle between being good and being bad,” he said.
The album boasts a strong lineup of features including Fatt Father, Homeboy Sandman and T’nah, as well as producers Apollo Brown, Nottz Raw, DJ Jewels, Trox, Jah Freedom, Mark Cooper, Kev Brown and Manipulator. Marv Won and Yu appear both as features and producers.
Finale said he held nothing back musically while making the album.
“Collectively, the whole album is like, I’m gonna give it all to you,” he said. “Because I don’t know how much longer I got with this mic, but I think I’m gonna just throw it all on the table. So it’s an important record.”
The Game, The Documentary 3
If there’s one rapper I want to hear a threequel from, it’s Raekwon. But if there’s two rappers, Jayceon Taylor is definitely on that shortlist. The Game said on the Tacos & Shawarma podcast in August that The Documentary 3 will drop on the 20th anniversary of the classic The Documentary, which would mean the album will drop this Saturday. To date, he hasn’t released a single, so it’s unlikely the album will be released this week. Still, a 2025 release is reasonably likely.
While sequels often smell of cash-grabs, Game earned good faith after dropping the strong, conceptual The Documentary 2 and The Documentary 2.5 on back-to-back weeks in 2015.
In September, he shared a partially visible tracklist of The Documentary 3 on Instagram, adding hype to what Game acknowledged are high expectations for the album.
“I’m up for the challenge,” he told Tacos & Shawarma. “It’s gonna be tough.”
J. Cole, The Fall Off
This album is starting to feel like Detox. Cole has been talking about this it since 2018, when he named the last track to KOD, “1985 (Intro to ‘The Fall Off’). He’s been coy about the album ever since, teasing a 2020 release that never materialized.
Instead, we got the stellar The Off-Season in 2021 and an outstanding run of features in ‘23. Last year, he gracefully (and wisely) bowed out of the Kendrick vs. Drake battle after surprise-dropping Might Delete Later. The project was underwhelming, though, and fans have grown restless.
At this point, Cole just needs to deliver the goods.
Mac Miller, Balloonerism
Raise your hand if you wish Mac Miller was still here.
Me too. But the late Pittsburgh MC’s spirit will be once again felt with his second posthumous album, dropping this Friday on the five-year anniversary of Miller’s first posthumous album, Circles.
Miller’s estate announced the album on Instagram in November.
“We believe the project showcases both the breadth of his musical talents and fearlessness as an artist,” the estate said. “Given that unofficial versions of the album have circulated online for years and that releasing ‘Balloonerism’ was something that Malcolm frequently expressed being important to him, we felt it most appropriate to present an official version of the project to the world.”
The estate also noted that Miller had already commissioned artwork for the project. The album will feature music recorded from 2013-14, and will consist of 14 tracks and include features from SZA and Delusional Thomas.
A single, the whimsical love joint “5 Dollar Pony Rides,” was released Friday. While posthumous releases can be dicey, it seems Miller’s family is continuing to treat the late artist’s work with care.
The Roots, TBA
It’s been nearly 11 years since The Roots dropped an album, but according to The Roots drummer Questlove, we won’t have to wait much longer.
During a conversation with Pete Rock and Common on his Questlove Supreme podcast in August, Questlove said the album will drop in 2025. He also noted that Pete Rock and Common’s Grammy-nominated The Auditorium Vol. 1 inspired him and Roots MC Black Thought to finish the album.
Questlove said his raving over The Auditorium Vol. 1 “planted a seed” in Black Thought, while The Roots’ Hollywood Bowl performance in July “lit something” under the MC.
The Roots don’t have anything left to prove, but in these turbulent times, it sure would be good to hear from them.
T.I., Kill the King
The road to T.I.’s alleged final album has been a long one. Way back in 2017, Tip declared his desire to retire in an interview with The Breakfast Club. He released the masterful Dime Trap a year later, and followed that up with the excellent The L.I.B.R.A. in 2020.
In 2021, in what was clearly a knee-jerk response to the sexual assault allegations he and his wife, Tameka “Tiny” Harris faced, he announced that he’d be dropping his final album, Kill the King, that year.
Instead, T.I. put out loosies and features over the next three years, culminating in “Thank God,” a record released in August 2024 after the last remnant of the allegations – a lawsuit alleging sexual assault against the couple – was dismissed without prejudice.
In October 2023, he said on the We in Miami podcast that Kill the King would be a double album, with the second half titled Kiss the King. A single, “VACAY” followed in November 2023, but it proved to be another false start.
It seems T.I. is putting a lot of thought into his finale. In 2023, Tip explained to Business Insider the meaning behind the album’s title.
“Now, I just feel like I’m at the place I am in my life where I’ve learned to starve the ego,” he said. “That’s where peace is. ‘Kill the King’ is a metaphor for that philosophy.”
Tech N9ne, 5816 Forest
Like Voldemort in Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire, Hockey Drew confessed himself disappointed.
“Tech let me down for the first time ever,” he texted me, and he has no problem standing on his word and allowing me to post this for the world to see.
To be fair, Hockey Drew and other diehard Tech fans are as devoted to the indie hero as he is to them. So he’s got a right to be crestfallen at the fact that 5816 Forest – an apparently autobiographical Tech album that was supposed to be released on Tech’s birthday, Nov. 8, 2024 – has yet to see the light of day.
The lead single, “The Punishment (Lockdown),” dropped in August, and showcases Nina’s versatile flow and emotional resonance. The worldwide chopper slows his pace to conversationally tell us about his upbringing over a Reggae-inspired jam.
If the rest of 5816 Forest sounds like that, the album will surely be worth the wait.
Kanye West, Bully
It’s hard to make even an educated guess about what a new Kanye West album will sound like, because often even he doesn’t know. Constant tinkering, last-minute tweaks and even complete overhauls have been part of his process for years.
Yet, in October, music journalist Touré provided potential insight into Bully on his Substack, Culture Fries, through information from an anonymous source whom Touré reported is close to Ye.
“This album is 100% him,” the source said. “He’s producing everything 100% himself.”
The article also stated that Kanye is holed up in a Tokyo hotel, rather than a studio, to record the album. It further quoted an anonymous source claiming Bully will feature an “eclectic pool” of music, varied sound-wise in a “Kanye-esque form.”
The most exciting part of that statement is that it could mean absolutely anything.