THE REAL-EASE RADAR (The Best Chicago Albums, Mixtapes & EPs of 2025)
Some of the best music blogs out right now have rolling lists that track new releases. But as far as we know, there’s nothing like this EXCLUSIVELY focused on Chicago music. And I simply can’t let that slide!!
Below, we have an exhaustive list of every project (EPs, Albums and Mixtapes all count!) released by a Chicago artist in 2025… THAT WE KNOW OF! Oh, and we also have a section for upcoming projects, whether the release date is confirmed or not. Chicago artists: let this be a sign to start that rollout!!
Thank you to everyone for sharing your music, and special thanks to BKRY Worldwide for sending in so many EPs & albums we weren’t hip to. If you’re a local artist and your project isn’t on here, don’t feel bad! Just click the button below to tell us why we neeeed to include it.
Already-Released EPs
Slopdogs - Slopdogs (8/19)
jbreaux - unveiled. (8/8)
Kwatt - KENNY SKYLARK (8/6)
Jacob on the Moon - The Gemini Club (7/18)
zofia - novus (7/1)
Sydny August - Damage Control (6/20)
This House is Creaking - Something to Digest (6/16)
Jae Haze & DVNTBEATS - Free Bass (6/11)
D2X - Boy In The Blue Hoodie (6/3)
Khari Ennui - FLASH INNE PAN (5/26)
Gayun Cannon - Fallen Angels (5/23)
Angelo LeRoi - eLRoi (5/20)
Nate Isaiah & Kwillo - GRAYSCALE (5/15)
clairice - patient on me (5/9)
Time Thieves - Come Home (5/6)
Kenny Morningstar - Paradiso (5/3)
Smba - Body of Work (5/2)
Ranika - In the Grey (5/2)
Qari - Violence Jack (5/1)
blood club - sufres porque quieres (5/1)
Future Nobodies - Unloveable (4/25)
evangelina - frequency illusion (4/25)
Naked Brunch - At the Humanoid Motel (4/25)
Sydny August - ROTATIONS ii (4/18)
Kai Akili - Insomnian (4/13)
DJ Slugo - Ghetto Music Box (4/12)
75 - SHOOTERS NEED LOVE TOO (4/4)
Chanelle Tru - NOT TOO MUCH (4/4)
Liv Roskos - Growing Pains (4/3)
The Era Footwork Crew - Let the Record Reflect (3/26)
$imba P - P. (3/26)
Ëkoli - SKILLED BOOTY TECHNICIAN, Vol. 1 (3/21)
myekehl - EARTHSTRONG (2/28)
Adamn Killa - ADHD Rant Vol. 1 (2/21)
Melvin Knight - BACKSHOTS (2/14)
Loqum - Jungle Juke Jams (1/27)
Ine’a J - 4 (1/9)
Already-Released Albums/Mixtapes
Jah - LOCTIN (8/26)
Godly the Ruler - the subtle art of getting by (8/15)
Walt From The Future - IF THE WRLD ENDS TMRW (8/15)
Tom Cox - Modal Fixture (8/15)
Recoechi, Renzell - FLAVAS (8/14)
Jaynsanity - WHO NOT OUTSIDE (8/8)
ADIA - Every So Often (Live) (8/4)
Jessica Risker - Calendar Year (8/1)
LowLife - SUKRPNCH (7/23)
Weegi Wizers - CRUSHED VELVET (7/23)
Okdeazy - deazywrld 2 (7/19)
JG Shadid - The Art of Speaking Softly (7/18)
Fuego Baine - LIT PAIN (7/18)
Rich Jones & Good Food - Comemos (7/11)
Hrsh - BIGGER, FLYER, FASTER. (7/4)
Mello Buckzz - HollyHOOD (7/3)
Dialect Tre - RABBIT SEASON (6/27)
Daisychain - All In A Name (6/27)
85MAY$ - 85 Seconds To Midnight (6/25)
DA’LIGHTBEAM - UGH! (6/19)
eastsidemalc - One of them Ones (6/17)
Casino Trell - Nowhere to Run (6/13)
Dwayne Neff - I Deserve (6/7)
Pleasant Sherman - LOVELANTES (6/3)
Samuel Aaron - Rambler (5/30)
Justice Hill - Cooler By the Lake (5/16)
Waine Ghazi - Easier Said Than Done (5/10)
Family Junket - Did you tell the bees? (5/9)
TBA - the lost years, lost en route (5/5)
Chillona - GOTA (5/2)
Roy Kinsey - Dandelions: Gods Don’t Cry (4/30)
KingTrey - DESERVING (4/30)
Kenny Bureaux - we love you, kenbowski! (4/30)
Cldwaterr - Hands Still Feed Me ! (4/28)
Silas Short - LUSHLAND (4/25)
Luke Titus - From What Was Once Grew A Flower (4/25)
Amira Jazeera - The Amira Diaries (4/25)
Luke Almighty - Seeing Is Believing (4/11)
Dreamer Isioma - StarX Lover (4/4)
lil2posh - Fiesta Boy (4/4)
Ajskells - TGEV: Afterlife (4/4)
Menace4hire - With All That I Know Now (3/21)
Pictoria Vark - Nothing Sticks (3/21)
Saba, No ID - From the Private Collection of Saba and No ID (3/18)
Elijah LeFlore - Lonely Lover (3/18)
Rufus Sims, Master Ill - ILL Dirty Rufus (3/22)
Jack Riedy - Raw Deal (3/10)
Intellect RFG - Four SZN’s (2/26)
8MatikLogan - Paradox 003 (Reqiuem) (2/18)
Okdeazy - Evil Bitches Broke My Heart (2/15)
Aheronamedvillain - Wheres Your Heart Pharoh? (2/14)
Linda Sol - MOTH (2/14)
aRios - 2K! (2/13)
Traxman - Da Mind Of Traxman Vol. 3 (2/7)
Mees! - DROPTOP LESBIAN MUSIC (1/30)
MOYANA & 7VNTH - PTCHWRK (1/25)
Brino - achievemephobia* (1/22)
thirteendegrees° - Clique City Vol. 2 (1/13)
femi ishola - the shola tapes (1/6)
Looking Ahead
Upcoming EPs
m.e.h. - it’s all starting to make sense now (9/5)
ryan - [title TBD] (9/15)
femdot. - KING DILLA 2 (9/30/25)
Time Thieves - If You Survive (10/3)
Yada Yada - All of these Evils (10/24)
MANSA - Love, Amongst Other Things (TBD release date)
Chi Waller - Circa 2004 or 2005: An Ode to the Journey (TBD release date)
Upcoming Albums/Mixtapes
Wide Orbit - Introducing... Wide Orbit (9/5)
Kenny Morningstar, Paul the Kid - Paulward (TBD release date)
J Bambii - BLACK AMERICAN BEAUTY (TBD release date)
Sparklmami - In This Body (TBD release date)
Cabeza De Chivo - TBD (TBD release date)
Rich Robbins - TBD (TBD release date)
