10 Albums That Got Us Through 2025 (The Shortlist)
Compiled by TRS’ Eric Jackson, and Cultural Commentator, Charlton "C.D.O.T" Wallace
We kinda figured 2025 was going to be a year to remember after Hip Hop survived one of the biggest public battles in its recent history. In the aftermath, the Hip Hop and R&B scene has been refreshing as water to dry land… and thirsty ears. But 2025 also arrived carrying tension. Political. Technological. Economical. At time almost comical type of shit, in the way it dared to challenge the peace we are. Through it all creatives and artist in the scene continued to navigate through the grit and grime — breaking through dry ground with beautiful works of art.
The artists behind these ten albums brought wildly different energies, yet together captured the exact emotional weather of the year we lived. Noah-O’s Charged Up Festival became a historic moment for the city, while long-time collaborator Big No & Noah-O delivered an anthem-level release event for Richmond Brave 2. Mad Skillz earned his second consecutive Grammy nomination for his spoken-word project Words for Days Vol. 1, while also participating in several speaking engagements that deepened the Culture beyond the music. And then there’s the long-titled, multicalibrated, wired, psychedelic provocateur $ilkMoney, still asking the most dangerous question of all: what does it actually mean to give?
Trust us when we saying, this is the shortlist, and not the list.
The albums below are ordered by most recent release.
10.
Noah-O & Big No - Richmond Brave 2
Noah-O and Big No are back following the success of their 2023 collaboration, Richmond Brave, with the sequel, Richmond Brave 2, blending trap and boom bap while embodying the essence of Richmond from both sides of the coin.
Released Dec. 19, the 18-track album ended the year with a bang, combining soul, trap, boom bap, pain, and more across the project. The album is executive produced by Richmond’s own Retro Izzy, who handled much of the production on the first Richmond Brave, with features from Nickelus F, Ed Da Realist, Michael Millions, T.R.I.G., and King Delt, and Street Religious Fry.
Charlton "C.D.O.T" Wallace
9.
LBE Hunt - Remedies
LBE Hunt released Remedies on Aug. 14, 2025, a 13-track album filled with soulful samples and elegant bars that feel like a late-night journey through a cigar lounge, juke joint, or old-school jazz bar, perfect for a luxury ride around the city.
Featuring Jamal J, Kai Fortyfive, Griot Noy, Chase Reaves, and Jafrmthe75, the project is entirely self-produced by Hunt, highlighting his signature sound, confidence, and presence as one of Virginia’s dopest MCs. Born and raised in Hampton, Va., Hunt has spent significant time in Richmond, Va., a city that now feels like it can rightfully claim him.
Charlton "C.D.O.T" Wallace
8.
Mad Skillz - Words for Days Vol. 1
When this record starts, you’re immediately transported to wooden pews, textured hymnal books, and blessings that are abundant.
Words for Days is a healing record. A refreshing spoken word.
The music: groovy bass riffs, snappy snare hits and R&B harmonies.
The artistry here is done very well. The storytelling and interludes within the songs, with skits laced throughout the record, become part of its spoken word fabric.
A complete and intentional project from the pulpit of Mad Skillz.
Eric D. Jackson Jr.
7.
Ty Sorrell, King Kaiju, MP - Joints in 4th Gear
Remember the mixtape era? DatPiff. LiveMixtapes. This project lives in that spirit.
Joints in 4th Gear is a collaborative effort between King Kaiju, Ty Sorrell, and MP, and sonically, the album is damn near immaculate. MP went off on the production. So much so that when listening, it would be a disservice not to bang this in the whip once summer hits. You can easily hear a Wiz Khalifa sliding across some of these records.
It just feels good. The type of album we needed for 2025.
Kaiju and Sorrell make a perfect duo, and MP’s ear for the 2000s glues the whole vision together.
The opening track, “So What,” lays the foundation for Sorrell and Kaiju’s laid-back, sing-songy chemistry, wrapped in strings and synths. Standout tracks like “S.I.T.W.,” “Hope Ya Know,” and “Starsky & Hutch” carry a Southern bounce, while songs like “Fly Away” and the HernBean5150-assisted “Escape” pull the listener into something more atmospheric.
This was one of the most unassailable thematic albums of 2025.
Eric D. Jackson Jr.
6.
$ilkMoney - Who Waters The Wilting Tree Once The Leaves Dry And Fruits No Longer Bear?
This sounds like the revelation after a shroom trip. The psychedelic Kang of Richmond rap. Elite. God tier. Another realm and timeline of lyricism and thought. The caviar of Hip Hop. Not intended for the low functioning rap fan.
WWTWTOTLDAFNLB stretches the wiring of the mind with its eclectic wordplay, poetic flow, and ethereal verses. The album confronts Black divinity, technology, rituals in entertainment, and his own personal traumas. The production is soulful, and stripped to minimals of cosmic hums allowing the sporadic cadences of $ilkMoney to breathe freely through the chaos.
Don’t look to this album for quick hits, choruses, or hooks. Go into it with an open mind, a dark room, and a psychedelic hit.
This album could be wrapped up with one of my personal favorite records, FIRST I GIVE UP, THEN I GIVE IN, THEN I GIVE ALL. This one is a tear jerker. $ilkMoney’s question on the Donny Hathaway sampled record: “How can I ever be more than I am, if I give me all away?” is heartbeat of this album and $ilkMoney is the tree that is given.
Eric D. Jackson Jr.
5.
MG x Rxch - Program 4 Players Vol. 1
“Stolen Camry,” the lead single from MG and P2P Rxch’s joint project Program 4 Players Vol. 1, was a major part of the heat wave of music that dropped last summer. The album’s release party was one of the most engaged events I witnessed all year, with “Run It Up” being requested and performed like it was “N***as in Paris” — back to back to back.
Program 4 Players Vol. 1 is, as the title suggests, an album for players, but tracks like “Rick Owing” and “Smile” reveal both artists’ ability to connect with the listener on a deeper level. The album sounds like West Coast funk meets Southern bass.
Every song reflects a rich mindset. Lines like “I keep a big rack like a boob job” communicate exactly the type of program MG and Rxch are running.
If there’s an album that succeeds in laying out the rules of player-ism, this is it.
Eric D. Jackson Jr.
4.
Big No - Junkie Lives Matter III
The third sequel to Big No’s Junkie Lives Matter series, Junkie Lives Matter 3, was released May 29, 2025, delivering a 16-track album packed with trap, pain, and soul.
The project is mostly produced by Goochland County’s Retro Izzy and Big No’s late cousin Poopado Beats, with features from King Delt, Waddie Guapo, Street Religious Fry, Big Street Deedy, and T.R.I.G.
Big No gives listeners a peek through the peephole of struggle in Richmond, defining what real Richmond sounds like with a raw, gritty approach that reflects the reality of street life in the Commonwealth without glorification.
Charlton "C.D.O.T" Wallace
3.
Troy - Pigs Can’t Fly
Recently, Poverty Worldwide’s Troy revealed that the sequel to his 2025 record Pigs Can’t Fly Vol. 1 is already in the works. It’s welcome news, especially considering how solid the first tape was.
Released in February and entirely produced by Gritty City’s own fan ran, PCFV1 plays like an honest memoir of a kid growing up in a system not built with him in mind, yet fully aware of how those systems affect his community every day.
The sound itself marks a first for Troy. The project leans heavily into classic boom-bap, threaded with cinematic dialogue samples and features from Mick Jenkins, $oup, and several drops from labelmate Ronnie Luxe. The production is emotional and introspective, and Troy meets it on equal terms. His layered vocals and the way he lingers on the final word of certain bars add to the record’s tension.
Eric D. Jackson Jr.
2.
Ronnie Luxe - Hermit
Released Feb. 18, 2025, Ronnie Luxe’s debut album is a soulful, jazzy, and meditative body of work through rhymes and song, reminiscent of Erykah Badu with a hint of Anita Baker.
The project, produced by Mos Poetik and mixed and mastered by Richmond legend Michael Millions, proves she is more than an artist known for singles and hooks and should be taken seriously as a complete artist.
With no features and one skit, Ronnie uses her voice not just to sing on beats but as an instrument that complements the production she flows over.
Charlton "C.D.O.T" Wallace
1.
Radio B - The Internet Is Fake
The Internet is Fake (TIIF), released by rapper and lyricist Radio B was released at the top of the year — January 1 and it’s more relevant more than ever. The 18-track album peels back the digital veil to expose how the internet shapes our dignity, joy, and identity.
Produced entirely by Don Dubious, the album’s layered, soulful soundscape feels like awakening from a dimly lit daydream into the sun.
Tracks like ‘Invisible Headsmacks’, ‘Is Anybody Real?’, and the harmonica-laced ‘Four Cornered Room’ hit hard, while ‘This is Fun’ encourages the listener to “put your MF phone down and put your feet in the grass.”
This album is a beautiful reminder of the timelessness of time, and to never lose connection to what’s real. And the most important album of the year.
Eric D. Jackson Jr.
Support Local. Stay On Scene. Subscribe to The Richmond Seen.
The Richmond Seen is a vibrant digital news outlet dedicated to highlighting the Richmond scene—both the scene and the unseen. We cover everything from Hip Hop culture and culinary delights to the diverse stories and experiences that connect our community. Our mission is to celebrate the rich tapestry of Richmond’s creative energy and the voices that often go unheard.
Purchase our newspaper HERE.
Help us continue the work by donating HERE.
Follow us on Instagram.
