Rap Power Rankings January 2025

January 2025

Rank

Artist

Last month

Kendrick Lamar

Dot did his big one on Grammy night (all while wearing a “Canadian tuxedo”) — winning five awards, including the history-making Record and Song of the Year (the first diss track to do so). With his Super Bowl performance right around the corner, he’s been dropping major updates for fans. He recently teased the event, confirming that SZA — who’s also joining him for The Grand National Tour — will be a special guest.

Rumors are swirling that Black Hippy might reunite for the performance after a cryptic tweet from Ab-Soul. Lamar also announced a special merch collaboration with designer Willy Chavarria to mark the occasion. In January, he set the stage for what’s shaping up to be one of his biggest months yet.

Lil Baby

The Atlanta rapper claims the second spot in this month’s Power Rankings, thanks to the long-awaited release of his album WHAM on January 3. With high-profile features from Future, 21 Savage, and a newly released Young Thug, he sold 140K units in its first week, debuting at No. 1 on the Billboard 200. Just days after, Lil Baby dropped an extended version of WHAM, but that’s not all—he’s got even more music on the horizon.

During an appearance on A Safe Place with Lil Yachty, he revealed that his next album, Dominique, is set to drop next month. He’s also working on a mixtape with Future and Young Thug. On top of that, he continues to make feature appearances on EST Gee’s new I Ain’t Feeling You album. Clearly, Lil Baby is in full “hustle mode” and starting off the year strong.

Central Cee

The British rapper made a big splash this month, dropping his highly anticipated debut studio album, Can’t Rush Greatness, on January 24th. Slow and steady truly does win the race—his album debuted at No. 9 on the Billboard 200 and racked up 37K units sold in its first week in the U.S. Across the pond in the UK, he moved 42K copies and claimed the top spot on the charts.

Central Cee has now made history as the first British rapper to break into the Billboard Top 10. Despite his Nike Tech theories, his upcoming tour is sure to expand his fanbase even further as he further cements his place as a dominant force in both the U.S. and the UK.

Travis Scott

La Flame was on the move this month, claiming the fourth spot in Power Rankings. On January 6th, he made a memorable appearance, escorting WWE wrestler Jey Uso to the ring for the Netflix premiere of WWE Monday Night Raw. That same night, his track “4×4” officially debuted as the show’s theme song. To top it off, he performed the track during the College Football National Championship halftime show. The music video dropped on January 23, but La Flame isn’t slowing down. He has been playing new snippets of music everywhere (hopefully, they aren’t on this laptop).

Playboi Carti

I AM MUSIC might still be MIA, but that didn’t stop Carti from dropping new heat. He teamed up with fellow ATL native Latto for the remix of her track “Blick Sum,” which is already getting tons of love online. He also announced his first-ever stadium tour, joining The Weeknd’s After Hours Til Dawn North American tour. The “Timeless” duo had one more trick up their sleeve. The Weeknd ended his Grammys boycott by surprising attendees with a special performance of “Timeless” alongside Carti. Here’s hoping Carti keeps dropping new heat at the top of 2025.

Latto

Latto held it down for women in rap this month. She linked up with Carti for the remix of “Blick Sum,” but she’s not stopping there. Tracks from her latest album, Sugar Honey Iced Tea, continue to trend on TikTok (for those who didn’t delete the app before its big comeback). The music video for her collaboration with GloRilla, “PROCEDURE,” is also in the works. Fans are hoping there’s even more music on the horizon—maybe even a new project to look forward to.

Future

Pluto continued his generational run of 2024 by teasing new music and dropping fresh features. On January 24, he made waves at Paris Fashion Week, sharing a stylish clip with the caption “new tape OTW.” He also dropped the visuals for “LOST MY DOG” from MIXTAPE PLUTO and showed love by donating funds through his Freewishes Foundation to D.A.R.E.’s anti-drug programs. Meanwhile, Ye previewed new music with Future in Japan, which fans are hoping will land on BULLY as the rapper gears up for another eventful year.

EST Gee

The rapper might not be “feeling us”, but we’re definitely vibing with his new project. Featuring Travis Scott, Veeze, and Lil Baby, I Aint Feeling You dropped on January 31st and has already received strong reviews, solidifying his place as one of the freshest voices in the game right now. While there’s no word yet on a tour to bring the new music to fans live, the rapper has always stayed deeply connected with his fanbase, so it’s only a matter of time.

Gelo

The brother of NBA stars Lonzo and LaMelo Ball came out of nowhere and dropped one of the biggest rap songs so far this year. “Tweaker” had everyone from your local weatherman to the Detroit Lions turning up to its classic 2000s sound. The single secured 94K first-week sales and eventually earned the up-and-coming rapper a contract with Def Jam. The official music video dropped on January 30, with a teaser for even more music at the end. One way or another, Gelo is still balling out.

BigXthaPlug

The Dallas native released his second studio album, TAKE CARE, in October 2024 and is still riding the wave of its success. On January 24, he dropped the deluxe version of the album, adding three new tracks, including the standout “Life of a Boss.” After wrapping up his tour for the project, he’s far from slowing down. He’s set to headline the Clemson Music Fest alongside Jessie Murph and the All-American Rejects, proving that his music resonates with fans of all ages.