The Best New Hip-Hop This Week includes albums, videos, and songs from Drake, PartyNextDoor, and Cash Cobain.
Ah, Valentine’s Day. A day for romance — or, if you’re a rapper, for flying in the face thereof. It also happens to be the busiest release day of the year so far, with folks dropping new music all over the place, including new EPs from Coi Leray (What Happened To Forever?) and Chow Lee (Girls Cum First), to celebrate the holiday. This week, we got new singles from the likes of:
Jack Harlow, who got an early jump on the festivities with the Tuesday release of “Set You Free.”
Cash Cobain, who was joined by Bay Swag and Rob49 on the genre-bending “Trippin On A Yacht.”
Macklemore, who returned with a characteristic protest song, “F*cked Up.”
And Offset, who chose to use the holiday to send a reverse Valentine to his ex, Cardi B, with “Ten.”
Here is the best of hip-hop this week ending February 14, 2025.
Albums/EPs/Mixtapes
ASAP Twelvyy — I Did More With Less
While his former ASAP Mob compatriots duked it out in court last week, Twelvyy shared a 12-song collection (heh) of soulful, observant street rap. He’s low-key been the most consistent member of the erstwhile blog-favorite collective, putting out one smooth compilation after another. After taking the year off, this was one heck of a return.
Brother Ali & Ant — Satisfied Soul
From its worshipful intro (delivered by none other than Yasiin Bey) to its 17th track, the latest offering from the purposeful poet refuses to compromise or bow to modern rap mores. Atmosphere’s Ant shoots the instrumentation through with nostalgic ’70s bop, infusing funk, gospel, and soul into the hard-hitting beats.
Nems — America’s Sweetheart
Very little tickles my funny bone like the incongruity of the rough and rugged “Bing Bong” guy dropping a V-Day themed album — especially as he refuses to reel in his signature New York bark, boasting of all the unhinged behaviors he’ll engage in, from tackling UPS trucks to smacking foes.
OhGeesy — Paid N Full
The central artist of the Shoreline Mafia revolution returns with his first official studio album. In our interview with OhGeesy, the LA native noted he had elevated his rap game on the album, just in time for an official Shoreline reunion at Coachella in a couple of months.
P-Lo — For The Soil
In addition to a certain holiday, the weekend also brought the NBA’s annual All-Star festivities in the Bay Area. So it’s fortuitous timing for the Bay’s foremost flag-bearer of late to drop a collection of new tracks embracing the freaky funk the region’s purveyed for the past 40 years, along with a who’s-who of local faves from E-40 and Too Short to Larry June and Rexx Life Raj.
PartyNextDoor & Drake — Some Sexy Songs 4 U
Despite Party’s front billing, don’t get it twisted; most fans were checking this out for Drake — even if only to see if he addressed his rough 2024. Those fans won’t be disappointed, as the two Torontonians deliver what it says on the tin with a sprinkling of spiteful shoulder brushing to prove they’re unscathed.
Westside Gunn — 12
Gunn absolutely refuses to slow down. His first tape of 2025 is his third project in four months, but the quantity of his releases hasn’t yet affected the quality. Stove God Cooks appears on three tracks, while Estee Nack, Brother Tom Sos, and Elijah Hooks get highlighted this time around.
Singles/Videos
Dave East & Ransom — “THE MOSQUE”
Two of New York’s underground titans have teamed up to seemingly work on a joint project, and the latest preview turns out to be very promising, indeed. If bars full of double entendres and street crime tales are your thing, this is the one for you.
Eem Triplin — “Duya”
Upon hearing the intro to this track, my brain first drew a connection to Tyler The Creator’s last album — not a bad first impression. The Pennsylvania rapper has had some early success fiddling around in the space between melody and rhythm, and while his sound is still raw, there’s an undeniable charisma to it, making a spin of his new project Melody Of A Memory a promising proposition.
Hurricane Wisdom — “Drugs Callin”
Built on a deconstructed sample of a Future hit, the Florida rapper gives his take on the subject, with his slick, slippery delivery on full display. Taken from his mixtape Perfect Storm, “Drugs Callin” is a terrific calling card ahead of the project’s release.
Kamaiyah — “The Flood”
In addition to popping up on P-Lo’s ode to the Bay for NBA All-Star, Yaya also released this smooth riding single, splashed with her signature melodic raps.
Logic & Oddisee — “Pipeline”
In other “unexpected, but not really” collaborations, Logic and Oddisee are, weirdly, two names I wouldn’t have thought I’d see together. It makes perfect sense, though; they’re both from the Maryland area, and Logic’s style has always leaned more toward backpack rap aesthetics than his Billboard placements would have you think. With Oddisee producing, Logic sounds better than he has for a while, and Oddisee always raps his best when paired with another MC to bounce off. A match made in mumbo sauce heaven.
