Released May 16, 2025 through Def Jam.File under: hip hop/rap

Chuck D Presents Enemy Radio: Radio Armageddon is Chuck D’s first solo project since 2018’s Celebration of Ignorance. A pastiche of driving beats, fractured samples and spoken word, Radio Armageddon gives the sense of switching between radio stations, tuning in briefly to each short message, and receiving some only in part as fragments of messages. This politically charged album showcases Chuck D’s signature blend of nuanced lyrical content and hard-hitting beats, a signature of Chuck D’s work, showcasing everything from breakbeats to drum n bass. Radio Armageddon features a plethora of hip-hop royalty including Daddy-O (Stetsasonic), Schoolly D, Phill Most Chill, Donald D and Jazzy Jay (Universal Zulu Nation), dancehall legend 1/2 Pint, and a whole lot more, speaking to the American political landscape, as well as many issues faced by the world at large.

Listen to “Radio Armageddon” on:Apple Music }|{ Spotify }|{ Tidal

Released July 18, 2025 through Mass Appeal.File under: hip hop/rap

The 21st century is encreasingly the perfect petri dish to culture a spirit of “rage”, and means that the powerhouse that is Raekwon has plenty of material to rap about, delivering this brand new all-killer-no-filler album. The Emperor’s New Clothes is a powerhouse of raw hip hop energy, musically dropping hard beats, lyrically dropping hard facts. With an all-star cast, Raekwon is joined on the album by ex Wu-Tang members including Inspectah Deck and Ghostface Killah, as well as hip hop royalty including Nas and Benny The Butcher, The Emperor’s New Clothes is a laser focussed hip hop diamond in the rough. The best part is, with artists like Raekwon dropping albums like Emperor’s New Clothes, it’s almost like the Wu Tang Clan are still around, and delivering killer music for our earholes.

Listen to “Emperor’s New Clothes” on:Apple Music }|{ Spotify }|{ Tidal

Released May 9, 2025 through Backwoodz Studioz.File under: experimental hip hop

“GOLLIWOG” is a haunting and thought-provoking exploration of race, identity, and cultural memory. Steeped in horror movie sounds and samples, dark lyrics, wailing horns, creaking floorboards, crashing pianos and wailing winds, it’s by far his most unsettling album to date. Unsettling and nightmarish at times, the album flows track to track like chapters in the same story, each one amplifying the dark, brooding and moody tone of the album. Adding to the depth of this album, included are guest appearances by some of hip hop’s best producers including Kenny Segal, El-P, Conductor Williams and DJ Haram. GOLLIWOG stands as a significant work in Billy Woods’ discography, offering a layered and compelling examination of complex themes through a unique blend of musical styles and lyrical depth.

Listen to “GOLLIWOG” on:Apple Music }|{ Spotify }|{ Tidal

Released 31 October, 2025 through Mass Appeal.File under: hip hop/rap

Long after the murder of hip hop legend Big L in 1999, this album appears somehow larger than life, as if he never left us. Harlem’s Finest: Return of the King is the 5th posthumous release by Big L, and he’s never sounded better.

To quote the blog Hip Hop Golden Age “Big L was one of Hip Hop’s greatest natural talents, a writer and performer who had mastered his craft before the world caught on. This album can’t replace what was lost, but it restores the power of what remains—a bittersweet reminder of everything he was, and everything he might have become.”

This album remains a testament to the many years of his work we missed out on, and what should have been.

Listen to “Harlem’s Finest: Return of the King” on:Apple Music }|{ Spotify }|{ Tidal

Released March 14/September 19, 2025 through Sub Pop.File under: experimental hip hop

The sixth full length album by horror/tech/alt-hip-hop/big-beat outfit clipping. Dead Channel Sky is an aggressive assault of industrial sounds and cutting lyrics over 20 tracks. A unique sound with slick industrial production. This album was rereleased later in 2025 as a deluxe edition, their bandcamp page stating “Dead Channel Sky Plus expands and reorders the original 20-song sequence. The album is now 24 tracks long and includes the new songs Night of Heaven (feat. Counterfeit Madison and Kid Koala), Forever War, Hard-Eyes, and current live fan favorite Mirrorshades, Pt. 1.”

For those who like Death Grips, Anticon artists like Why?, JPEGMAFIA, Danny Brown, and older artists like Aphex Twin, Sophie, Autechre and Atari Teenage Riot.

As a supplement to this album, clipping also performed some of these tracks in an NPR Tiny Desk concert earlier this year, definitely worth watching and listening to.

Listen to “Dead Channel Sky” on:Apple Music }|{ Spotify }|{ Tidal