2025 has lived up to its expectations of being a busy year in Nigerian music, with several stars releasing new albums that have shaped the first half of the year.
With the stakes continuously rising for Afrobeats, some leading voices have released new materials to retain their grip on the market, while rising stars shared daring projects that declare their mainstream ambitions.
In the first half of 2025, veteran rapper A-Q released the third and final installment of his‘God’s Engineering’ series, which wraps up a two-decade-long stewardship in Nigerian hip hop.
Sensational star, GoodGirl LA, also returned with a new EP ‘goodgirl’ after a 3-year absence.
So far, the first half of the year has delivered a fine collection of projects that wet our appetite for what to expect in the second half has to offer.
Below are our picks of the top 10 albums between January and June 2025.
The quality of ‘GE3’ is drawn from the mindset of a man who has nothing left to prove. A-Q has gone to war for Nigerian hip hop and his steadfast love for the game. He came out on top.
With his legacy safe and impact guaranteed, A-Q takes a victory lap while revisiting his journey. He reflects on the state of hip hop and ponders the state of a country reeling from unhealed injuries of the past.
Despite its tame production, ‘GE3 (The Beginning)’is a victorious curtain dropper for the hip-hop icon who bows out triumphantly with his legacy assured and impact guaranteed. He’s won on his terms and can now live free.
It’s a glorious and deserving end to a long, arduous, and courageous journey, yet the start of a new and exciting one.
9. Odumodublvck – The Machine Is Coming
After spending a better part of 2024 preparing listeners for the release of his next album‘Industry Machine,’ OdumoduBlvck decided to release a surprise 16-track project to further drum home the message that ”The Machine is Coming.”
With a combination of his hyper-masculine rap flows, aggressive chest-thumping writing, colorful use of Nigerian lingo, and stunning melody-wielding abilities (he calls it Okporoko flows), he tells listeners that he’s the leading hip-hop protagonist in the country who is ready to dominate.
8. Falz – The Feast
Falz’s‘The Feast’is a buffet of exciting songs that treat listeners to various aspects of his compelling artistry.
His capacity to write and flow easily in English, Yoruba, and Pidgin is an advantage he wields, and this shines on ‘The Feast’ where he switches between all three languages while retaining a flow of thought and seamless delivery.
His storytelling, exciting commentary, and guy-next-door persona combine to create music that embraces multiple genres tied together by rapping versatility and desire to entertain and pass a message.
It’s through music like this that Falz has maintained his place as one of Nigeria’s finest rappers with an enviable discography that not only entertains but reflects the times.
7. Davido – 5ive
Ultimately, it’s this desire to deliver hit records and the big moments they bring that shapes ‘5ive’.
