As much as his Griselda affiliation connects him with a Buffalo, NY state of mind, Boldy James remains a Detroit rapper through and through. Coming amid a fast-and-furious run of new releases from the prodigious spitter, *Hommage* rightfully centers him in his hometown both physically and sonically. With the help of Antt Beatz, producer behind favorites by 42 Dugg and Icewear Vezzo, he shares his astutely local vision of the city on cuts like “Concrete Connie” and “Super Mario.” Even the track titles themselves reflect the rapper’s clever brand of lyricism, as cuts like the exultant “Brick James” and “Himothy Mcveigh” contain his all-but-patented blend of narco knowledge drops and street king statements. As expected, the guest list is rightfully restricted to residents, with Baby Money giving nothing but straight talk on the booming “Off the Richter” and BandGang Lonnie Bands trading tight verses off with Boldy on the melancholic “Met Me.”
CMG’s Louisville connect EST Gee made the shift from mixtape marvel to certified hitmaker with seeming ease. Linking with the likes of 42 Dugg, Future, and Jack Harlow, he’s impacted the charts without having to compromise his core strengths and the experiences in which those were forged. That hood-borne integrity continues on *I Aint Feeling You*, its title yet another variant on his discography’s prevailing theme. Such ruthlessness dominates his verses, both when taking calculated aim on \"Slime” and in showing love for his environs on “The Streets.” Recognizing that trap-house politics and personal matters invariably intertwine in the lifestyle, he turns baby-mama drama into opportunities on “Crash” and surveys a veritable war zone from his particular point of view on the vengeful “RIP LU MIKE.” A genuine love for Southern rap helps to rightfully secure Gee’s own place within its legacy. To that end, he nods to regional hip-hop greatness on “Plug Motivation” and reconnects with Lil Baby for “Houstonatlantaville,” with no less than Travis Scott representing the first part of that tri-city trifecta. Drawing direct inspiration from a Lil Scrappy hit, “Do My Own Stunts” showcases Gee’s defiant individualistic streak via a string of flexes and threats. An auspicious reunion with his “5500 Degrees” cohort Rylo Rodriguez out of Alabama, the Veeze-infused “My Love” sets unflinchingly real-life storytelling against a snappy, soulful beat. That reflectively confessional approach carries through to the album’s “Outro,” a clear-eyed accounting of his imperfections and mistakes that makes him even more relatable.
Like a fine wine, soul diva Mariah Carey matured into a classic vintage with the release of 2005’s *The Emancipation of Mimi*. The songs reflect a newfound intimacy and humor, while exploring gospel, hip-hop, and live band influences. The airy, then yearning vocals of “We Belong Together” are offset by the harmony-packed head-nodder “It’s Like That.” Meanwhile, blingtastic club bangers with Snoop Dogg and Pharrell Williams will start a party in your heart.
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.”
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.
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.”
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.**
