Crowning something as “the best” in any category is a daunting task. This is especially true with a level playing field and thousands of options to choose from. With 2025 being another fantastic year for hip-hop, the difficulty of making a decision like this is through the roof, but we wouldn’t have it any other way.
There are a multitude of factors to look at when determining if a song is one of the best of the year—let alone the singular winner in a competition like this. Impact, quality, and memorability play a huge role in whether a song can stand with the big dogs. Streams, however, didn’t really affect these choices, as conversations about numbers can lack substance.
After plenty of debates (and maybe a few in-office arguments), we finally landed on a Top 10 we stand behind. Below is why these songs rose above the rest in 2025.
10. “Ensalada” by Freddie Gibbs, The Alchemist & Anderson .Paak
Every time Freddie Gibbs and Alchemist link up, they cook up something undeniable. Staying on the food theme, Alfredo 2 is a Japan-inspired spin on the original album, with just as much sauce as the first. And “Ensalada” (ft. Anderson .Paak) has the most sauce on the menu.
The jazzy sample, paired with the snappy drum hits, really paints the picture for the kind of lowkey, but lavish and dangerous lifestyle Gangsta Gibbs and .Paak are referring to. But “they’re still grateful, and never ever would they wanna trade it.”
9. “Bodies” by Offset, JID
JID could be the most energetic rapper in the world right now. Throw him and Offset in the same room, over a sample of the hard-metal track “Bodies,” and you get something fit for a WWE match between Roman Reigns and Brock Lesnar.
Set kicks it off, spitting about how real it gets in the field when dealing with him. “N*ggas got sticks, got Glocks, we ain’t fightin, start up a war, and it start up a riot.” JID keeps that same energy, rapping “If he ain’t the homie, I promose a homi-, just hand me a hammer and he right beside me.” Hearing that while the beat knocks can make you wanna run through a wall.
8. “Money on Money” by Young Thug, Future
Thugger came out swinging with the very first single from UY SCUTI, and he brought Pluto along for the ride. This vibey, atmospheric banger definitely set the tone for Thugger’s return. It’s been a minute since the Atlanta duo delivered a belt-to-ass trap song like “No Cap” or “Sup Mate,” and this one felt like the drought was officially over.
The first half of the track, handled by King Slime, motivates you to get to the racks, and the hook drives that point home. “Money on money, these millions ya dig? I’m spendin’ this sh-t on my b-tch and my kids.” But the beat switch for Future’s part? That’s what really gets you in that mode and takes the track to the moon.
7. “Dark Thoughts” by Lil Tecca
Lil Tecca took it back to the early 2000s in the best way on “Dark Thoughts.” The beat feels like something Pharrell and Chad Hugo would’ve cooked up on a Neptunes album, with all the bells and whistles you would expect from that era. But Tecca comes through and adds a touch of 2025 to the mix.
“B-tch I’m really him, tell a n-gga ‘keep up,’” is his way of telling shawdy to stop dealing with the lame she’s with and make a move with him. She’s already having “dark thoughts” about leaving him for Tecca anyway, so why not pull the trigger?
6. “Nokia” by Drake
The word “catchy” can’t even begin to describe this track. There are so many different parts that stand out, once you hear it once—even in passing—it sticks with you the entire day, leaving you asking, “Who’s calling my phone?”
“Nokia” is Drake back at his most dance-y, vibe-y, and carefree. The beat switches and accent choices throughout are undeniably fun, which is a side of Drake that people are ready to flock to at a moment’s notice. He should definitely keep making us dance.
5. “Him All Along” by Gunna
Still deep in the midst of YSL turmoil post-RICO trial, Gunna tends to find himself reflective in much of his recent music. “Him All Along,” the closing track on The Last Wun, speaks to his come-up and where he is now.
While talking about the newfound money and fame is a common topic for him, the sound and placement lend to the impact of the song. It’s a melodic, slow beat, and Gunna never speeds himself up, but his flow glides in that signature way that got us all hooked eight years ago. If anything, it feels like he’s pacing himself, as a reminder to “stay strong, you done been HIM all along.”
4. “So Be It” by Clipse
One of the best songs on one of the best hip-hop albums of 2025, “So Be It’s” reversed beat hooks you the moment it drops. Then, when Push raps “C-L-I-P-S-E et P, 8 Ball LV, I can show you how to bust a brick if you let me,” we knew we were in for something culturally inappropriate.
Push and Malice rapped their asses off all across Let God Sort ‘Em Out, and “So Be It” is no different. And little bro (Pusha T) probably knows, big bro (Malice) had him beat on this one. “Y’all tweet, bird talk, we all parrots” just takes the cake. Push’s insidious diss to Travis Scott at the end of the song leveled the score a bit—and left more than a few rap fans raging. But no matter whose side you’re on, you gotta admit the Clipse brothers have bars that are honor roll worthy.
3. “COMË N GO” by Yeat
2025 has been one of Yeat’s biggest years in his career so far, and a lot of it has been on the back of this very song. “COMË N GO” dropped in early August, on the DANGEROUS SUMMER EP, and took him places for the rest of the year. It’s a unique mix of hype and mellow, chaotic and cool—a balance that matches the song’s title.
During his Australian tour in October, each and every stop was full of fans who knew every single word to the track. While this isn’t a numbers list competition-wise, “COMË N GO” is one of his fastest-growing songs ever. Though the hook says “Go up, go down,” we don’t see Yeat’s stock going down any time soon.
2. “Like Weezy” by Playboi Carti
A lot of songs from Carti’s I AM MUSIC could’ve made the list, but we think the standout song on the album has to be “Like Weezy.” Not only does it encapsulate everything that this era of Playboi Carti has become, with multiple voice switches, Swamp Izzo callouts, and a bright-but-bass-heavy beat, it defines what so many other artists are going for with their sound.
There doesn’t feel like a wasted moment in the track. Whether it’s an ad-lib, a DJ tag, or a small addition to the beat, the song is consistently filling in the gaps and presenting something new, which is Carti’s whole formula for making music.
Carti always talks his shit, but starting with “Two-tone, yea, APeezy, lookin like Weezy,” while actively changing up how an entire fanbase dresses overnight (like Lil Wayne has in the past) is a Galaxy Opal-level flex.
1. “Shot Callin” by NBA YoungBoy
Every rapper that deals with unfortunate legal circumstances has to drop a “first day out” song, but YoungBoy’s might be the cream of the crop. The first song he dropped after being released from prison, “Shot Callin,” is the YN energy we’ve come to know and love, but ramped up to 10. There are sections where he lets the beat knock like crazy, plenty of bars and flow switches, and hella signs that let us know YoungBoy was back in a major way.
It was also the first in a series of dominoes that fell, leading to the most explosive year of his career. The MASA Tour was historic; videos dominated timelines, showing a sea of shiestys losing their minds to YB.
Out of the 60+ songs he released this year, “Shot Callin” was undeniably the standout. The explosive energy, combined with the cultural context of YB’s triumphant return, made it the go-to song to celebrate victory. For many, it’s become the YN National Anthem—for us, it’s our 2025 Song of the Year.
