It was the best of hip-hop times. It was the worst of hip-hop times. Ha! 2025 was a rollercoaster of rap music’s highs and lows. The duality was so real. I can’t recall a year with such a wide array ...

Ask 10 hip-hop fans of different ages what the greatest year in rap music was, and you’ll get 10 different answers. Music consumption is a deeply personal endeavor, shaped by individual taste and ...

Every year, we’re told that hip-hop is in crisis. But if you ask us, it feels like there’s too much heat to keep up with. What’s lost on the chart-watchers lamenting rap’s mainstream lull is that the ...

Rap in 2025 was all about experimentation. From the year’s first runaway hit, NBA player-turned-musician Gelo’s single “Tweaker,” to the maximalist ecclesiastics of Playboi Carti’s Music, or even in ...

Explore the best rap albums of 2025, from Clipse to Cardi B. These projects defined the year’s sound and spirit. Dive into ...

Last month, we launched the Pitchfork Rap Readers’ Poll, in which we asked you to rank your favorite rap albums of all time. Thousands of you did. Below, find those results, and compare them to our ...

So much rap music comes out all the time, and especially with frequent surprise releases, it can be hard to keep track of it all. So, as a way to help keep up with all of it, here’s a roundup of the 5 ...

This year’s Best Rap Album race should come down to Kendrick or Clipse, even if the other three nominees are all worthy in their own right. Lamar and Clipse, however, are lyrical titans. And while you ...

Every month, The FADER's Vivian Medithi showcases all the standout rap songs from the past 30-ish days in one unranked list. After opening up for Lil Tecca on tour in 2024, 18-year-old tana has been ...

We should address the elephant in the room: hip-hop did not have a strong year on the charts. In fact, rap music had its worst showing in years. Back in October, it made headlines when—for the first ...

A recent tiff between underground rap promo pages has sparked an impassioned online debate about the definition of “gimmick rappers” over the past week. Most of it is boring and wrapped up in ...