ALIVE & DIRECT’! (Chapter VII.)
“Had a dream in the night
Where my arm and the bezel broke
Woke up in the morning raised up start selling hella dope”
From 1:1[FKDUP.BEZEL] by Pink Siifu feat. Conquest Tony Phillips, bbymutha & Elheist
40. ZelooperZ – Dali Ain’t Dead
Dali Ain’t Dead — beats and words melting into a single captivating whole — ZelooperZ is back with another dose of high-octane surrealist rap. The Detroit artist from Bruiser Brigade a great album last February called Dear Psilocybin (w/ Real Bad Man), yet his mind holds so many ideas that one album isn’t enough. The latest project’s production is handled by dilip, whose signature style is well-known to any ZelooperZ fan. In the album title, much like in Van Gogh’s Left Ear (2021), the rapper references a famous painter. The connection to Salvador Dalí isn’t superficial — ZelooperZ truly crafts surreal, immersive rap that feels like it melts and floods every space. His music engages the senses, and throughout the album, multiple tracks will fully absorb you. From Hypnagogia, through Broke Ass Hoes, to Play W Your Pride — Dali Ain’t Dead is a playful and entertaining record that never lets up on the gas.
39. Nicholas Craven & Boldy James – Late To My Own Funeral
Boldy James made rap history last year—he released nine projects. Many of them are truly great, but only one could make it onto the list. And that is Late To My Own Funeral. Why? When Canadian architect of melancholy Nicholas Craven joins forces with Detroit realist Boldy James, the result can only be a raw, meticulously constructed album that offers no escape—only confrontation. Late To My Own Funeral is a project that doesn’t demand your attention with force but quietly claims it—steadily, like an unspoken memory that surfaces just when you need strength the most. Boldy raps about the way he lives: with distance, composure, pain, and a cynicism not for effect, but for survival. Each verse sounds like it’s delivered with eyes fixed on the ground, where past selves and fallen friends are buried. Craven provides a backdrop that isn’t flashy but is strikingly cinematic. The samples flow like memories; the drums are solid yet never overwhelming. Craven gives Boldy space but also frames the narrative with a conceptual weight and beauty. Here, melancholy isn’t just an atmosphere—it’s the main character. The closing track, AT&T, brings the whole record to an end with a force that offers no redemption, only another angle on how hard it is to survive with dignity.
38. Freddie Gibbs & The Alchemist – Alfredo II
Freddie Gibbs is a rapper who, through his best albums, reminds us that he belongs among the very best. He last did so in 2020, when he teamed up with producer The Alchemist for Alfredo — a project where introspective, personal storytelling set against cinematic, meticulously crafted beats was stylized into a grand mafia tale. In 2022, he released the divisive $oul $old $eparately, followed by 2024’s very good and deeply vulnerable You Only Die 1nce. Still, we had to wait until last year for his next special project to truly shake the scene. As the Alfredo: The Movie set the stage, The Alchemist and Freddie Gibbs have now traveled to Japan to continue their rap saga. Alfredo II is a phenomenal journey — more diverse, stranger, and more magical than its predecessor. Sharpen your katana.
The Alchemist doesn’t just produce beats — he crafts stories, using samples, skits, and an endless stream of ideas. His attention to detail and care for every album make him a truly unique producer, whose work is beloved by millions around the world. Alfredo II carries a distinct and magical atmosphere; it’s a rap blockbuster packed with hits, yet it remains deeply personal and unmistakably original. Freddie Gibbs raps with urgency, grace, and technical precision. His commanding voice and relentless flows cut through the fourteen stunning beats like a weathered samurai blade. On his recent albums, Freddie has matured — his life experience shines through his lyrics, yet he loses none of his sharp wit. He’s always seen himself as an outsider, a perspective he reflects on tracks like Jean Claude, exploring his complex relationship with the rap game. And even if some still label him an outsider, this album proves that he’s been shaping generations of artists for nearly two decades. The track Ensalada (ft. Anderson .Paak) reminds us that when Freddie and Alc are locked in, they’re truly untouchable.
37. AKAI SOLO – No Control, No Glory
How do we withstand the chaos of the world around us? No Control, No Glory. A thousand and one thought-provoking bars — AKAI SOLO has released another album. The Brooklyn rapper, who moves through a tangled, unreadable zeitgeist like a Grip captain, has long been one of the most distinctive voices of the current scene. That very chaos is the essence of his rap style — not only unique but also consistently innovative. No Control, No Glory is another deep dive into his mind, and after about three tracks you’re lost — but that’s exactly what makes the record beautiful. It awakens a desire to explore, to understand, to step outside of habits, order, and convention. AKAI has taken another step toward a sharper, more hard-hitting sound; the beats he chooses defy any sensible genre box. If you enjoy artists like MIKE, Earl Sweatshirt, Sideshow, or Niontay, this might be the album for you. AKAI also selected production from a crew of truly gifted producers — Wavy Bagels, Lonesword, groundskeepr, August Fanon, charlieonthetrack, Mari Geti, coffeeblack, Stability, Shungu, playahaze — all artists who deserve your attention. “When I say ‘free the world’, I don’t forget nada.” Free Tigray, Sudan, Congo, Gaza.
36. El Cousteau – Dirty Harry 2
When you play Dirty Harry 2, you feel as if someone pulls you into a city that smells of gasoline, sweat, and perfume all at once. El Cousteau doesn’t hold back — the beats are heavy, and the lyrics at times read like a confession and at others like a movie scene. Dirty Harry 2 is an album riding the edge between euphoria and paranoia, and that’s exactly where its power lies. Supa Cousteau with A$AP Rocky is the precise moment when the world of big names collides with a personal vision. Rocky paints his vivid braggadocio flex rap in words, while Cousteau brings perspective, reminding you that behind all the glitter lies a reality that hurts. The result is a contrast that forces you to hear both sides at once — the celebration and the warning. The album offers much more than just star-studded features. Tracks like Bergamot or 08.04.2024 feel almost like diary entries — moments where Cousteau lets you see his world without the masks. Then comes something like Pico with Earl Sweatshirt, and the project shifts into a melancholy that lingers in your head long after it ends.
35. Lukah & Statik Selektah – A Lost Language Found
When it comes to monumental conceptual albums, no one does it better than Lukah. The artist from Memphis ranks among the best rappers of his generation. His records offer a unified and cohesive sound, yet feature a diverse range of dense beats like boom bap, g-funk, and soul. Behind the mic, Lukah is absolutely bulletproof, rapping with urgency all his own. However, his greatest weapon lies in his lyrics and the album concepts connected to them, as he already proved with Raw Extractions (2022), Permanently Blackface (The 1st Expression) (2024), or Temple Needs Water. Village Needs Peace. (2023). His latest project is no exception. On the album A Lost Language Found, produced by Statik Selektah, he explores social inequalities through a discussion of language. As the second track — South Still Speaking — announces, Lukah represents Memphis with both pride and a keen sense of detail. The entire album is woven through with the culture of the place that shaped him, which is also reflected in the guest list: Killer Mike, Bun B, Termanology, Passport Rav, Propain, Jay Worthy, Evryday Saints, Stooky Bros, 8Ball, and Adajyo. Yes, you read that right — the legendary 8Ball features on the album. Lukah reflects on the role of language in American society in a uniquely complex way — its place within an unjust system and the power people hold through it. Fourteen tracks, two masters in their fields, and 69 minutes of top-tier rap.
34. PremRock – Did You Enjoy Your Time Here…?
Label Backwoodz Studioz is a guarantee of quality. Every year with this label is a real ride, and month after month we wait in anticipation to see what billy woods and the other unique artists on the label have in store for us. Last year in March, PremRock, a member of the duo ShrapKnel, made a splash with his new solo record Did You Enjoy Your Time Here…?. On the album, he looks at a simple question from every conceivable angle: Did You Enjoy Your Time Here? PremRock raps with the sensitivity of a seasoned veteran and the empathy of a man genuinely interested in the world around him, meeting new people and communities and taking the time to listen to others. Traveling, different cultures, and new horizons. Did You Enjoy Your Time Here? Producers Sebb Bash, Blockhead, YUNGMORPHEUS, Child Actor, Controller 7, E L U C I D, Small Professor, Jeff Markey & Fines Double and guests Pink Siifu, billy woods, Cavalier, Nappy Nina, Illogic, AJ Suede, Mary Esther Carter, and Curly Castro create a diverse musical mosaic that will introduce you to stories of love, loneliness, and adrenaline. Did You Enjoy Your Time Here? At the heart of the album is a meditation on art and creativity. Doing things consciously, with interest and enthusiasm. Then, despite the hardships and pains of everyday existence, we can honestly and fearlessly answer the question, Did You Enjoy Your Time Here? “Say what you want, at least he’s writing again.”
33. Westside Gunn – HEELS HAVE EYES 2
Westside Gunn possesses a gift rarely found in rap—his music is like a collage. Luxury fashion, raw street life, prayer, and trauma are all woven into a single fabric. On HEELS HAVE EYES 2, he takes this aesthetic even further. The tracklist is diverse, ranging from HEEL CENA to POWER HOUSE HOBBS with Benny and closing with LOVE YOU PT. 2. But what makes the album more than just a continuation of the series is its humanity, present in both pain and joy, in tributes to fallen friends, and in the moments of gratitude when Gunn never forgets to thank God. The track PRICK showcases the heart of this album. Brother Tom Sos opens with a verse that feels almost like a confession—dreams, debts, funerals of loved ones, constant pressure from the world, yet gratitude that art ultimately provides a way out: “If it wasn’t for this art, then it would’ve been me.” Westside Gunn follows with his own mosaic of memories, from school days to the present, with six figures on his wrist and his own shoes on his feet. At the same time, he doesn’t forget friends in prison or Shaye, who passed away during the pandemic. The alternating luxury and pain aren’t for show—they’re reality. Gunn lives in contrast, where champagne mixes with prayer and every success carries a trace of loss. The album is full of features—Benny the Butcher, Stove God Cook$, Skyzoo, MIKE, and more—but it never feels disjointed. On the contrary, Westside Gunn manages to place everyone into his visual-musical world, where even chaos has its order. The production is once again an art gallery of samples and unexpected nuances, making the listening experience almost cinematic. Unfortunately, no official music video was released for the album, so here is the video for the track OUTLANDER.
32. Domo Genesis & Graymatter – SCRAM!
Domo Genesis has spent the past decade learning to slow down and move at his pace while the rest rush headlong forward. SCRAM!, produced with Graymatter, marks the moment Domo stopped looking back. This album breathes the calm of someone who knows they don’t need to prove anything, only to be precise. Graymatter’s sound is dusty, earthy, yet fresh—every beat feels like it was recorded in a room filled with smoke and streetlight. Domo raps with a confidence that doesn’t come from success but from perseverance. On KURTRAMBIS, he reflects on humility, grit, faith, and work that can’t be skipped. Where others talk about grind culture, he talks about calm in motion. Evidence and 3wayslim appear more as witnesses than featured guests. SCRAM! is an album about adulthood that isn’t boring—about an inner certainty that doesn’t need hype, confident and precise.
31. ShrapKnel & Raphy – Lincoln Continental Breakfast
Last summer, a dark rap season arrived, full of tense, abrasive atmospheres, hypnotic cinematic tracks, and gripping concepts. ShrapKnel Season! The duo ShrapKnel, consisting of rappers Curly Castro and PremRock, released three albums: Lincoln Continental Breakfast (w/ Raphy), Saisir Le Feu (w/ Mike Ladd), and Armature (w/ Ohbliv). Go listen to the entire trilogy, The Triple Steel Beam Collection, which is represented in our list by its first installment. The duo, together with producer Raphy, combines all the ingredients we love about underground mind-bending rap. The album is hard-hitting, biting, highly suggestive, inventive, and full of excellent humor. ShrapKnel come across like heroes from another dimension who have entered your city and answer to neither the local sheriff nor any mafia. The peak of the album is the closing track, Piecemeal, which sounds like a wormhole opening in the middle of a factory—metals decay, people die, and the main characters fight at the very edge of their strength. How does it end? The answer is offered by the next two albums. Unfortunately, no music video was released for the album, so I am attaching a video for the track Deep Space 9 Millie Pulled A Pistol.
