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 we 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
Strxtch - Shine (11/19)
Rico The Artist - Open Gym (11/17)
Tala Silva - Highs and Lows (10/29)
Akeem - 4 UPTOWN. (10/29)
Yada Yada - All of these Evils (10/24)
Eric Solitude - Beneath Hazel (10/23)
JRNY GZ - ACT I (10/20)
No Lonesome - Am I What I’m Not? (10/15)
Stunna Montana - YOU CAN’T STUNT (10/14)
femi ishola - a lil ol EP (10/6)
Tre Johnson & JelilDaKid - NICKELS IN A FOUNTAIN (10/4)
Time Thieves - If You Survive (10/3)
femdot. - KING DILLA 2 (9/30)
Kip - Please Don’t Play While Driving (9/30)
Mari Mix - Fall From Grace (9/22)
Monte Gallo - FREE SPACE (9/20)
ryan - weeks away 2 (9/15)
Zalma - Things I’ve learned on earth (9/9)
CRASHWOLVES - CRASHWOLVES (9/5)
m.e.h. - it’s all starting to make sense now (9/5)
Slopdogs - Slopdogs (8/19)
jbreaux - unveiled. (8/8)
Kwatt - KENNY SKYLARK (8/6)
Latter - What Lives Inside of Me (7/25)
Jacob on the Moon - The Gemini Club (7/18)
Qari - Volume 2 (Superhuman) (7/16)
Qari - First Times (7/15)
zofia - novus (7/1)
Jay Tyre - PLEASURE (6/27)
Jay Various - Variety (6/24)
Sydny August - Damage Control (6/20)
This House is Creaking - Something to Digest (6/16)
Cabeza De Chivo - Cabeza De Chivo (6/14)
Jae Haze & DVNTBEATS - Free Bass (6/11)
D2X - Boy In The Blue Hoodie (6/3)
FINGY - CLUB ETiQUETTE (6/2 - SoundCloud only)
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)
Neptvne Blvez - NEBULA (4/25)
PDA - Public Display of Affection (4/25)
Dawn Ali - SO MUCH JOY SO MUCH PAIN (4/19)
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)
$imba P - P. (3/26)
Ëkoli - SKILLED BOOTY TECHNICIAN, Vol. 1 (3/21)
myekehl - EARTHSTRONG (2/28)
Adamn Killa - ADHD Rant Vol. 1 (2/21)
Melvin Knight - BACKSHOTS (2/14)
Qari & Ari Burns - Can’t Hide Inside (1/30)
Loqum - Jungle Juke Jams (1/27)
Rashida Briana - Sorry, We're In Our Feelings (1/21)
Ine’a J - 4 (1/9)
Already-Released Albums/Mixtapes
Cantbuydeem & Theisy - CUL.t Leader (11/18)
GREYISHERE - WOLF’S BANE (11/14)
Hannah Lacava - False Love Identity (11/14)
Mani Jurdan - ANCESTOR MONEY (11/11)
Jxnoir - All At Hand (11/11)
keiyaA - Hooke’s Law (10/31)
Your Stepdad - blackAlt (10/31)
Big Opp - Big Opportunity (10/31)
Saba - C0FFEE! (10/30)
Jay Wood - Paradise Don’t Last Forever (10/28)
ICYY B - GLASSER MUSIC! (10/27)
Kwatt - What Would I Do Without You Clef? (10/25)
Orilla - Fire-Weed (10/24)
D’Andre Adonis - Hard Hitting Questions (10/20)
Cash$tarr - THE ONE & ONLY (10/6)
thirteendegreesº - BLACKFRIDAYZ (10/3)
GIRL’S PEARLS - FLEA (10/3)
Dawn Ali - DAWN ALI PRESENTS: SLUMDOG MILLIONAIRE (9/30)
Judy x Swäm - Dirty Diancing (9/29)
Juby DaGod - INFAMOUS (9/29)
boyponder - in media res* (9/28)
Kai Laniese - Room To Grow (9/26)
JEFF K%NZ & Theisy - PIGMENTS (9/25)
Hitxion - like the sun, forever (9/21)
Kaicrewsade - Joint4u! (9/17)
kels! - RENAISSANCE (9/17)
Ur Mom - Shrinks for Suburbanites (9/6)
Wide Orbit - Introducing... Wide Orbit (9/5)
Rich Robbins - IN GOOD TASTE (9/4)
Mykele Deville - Rings Around the Tub (9/2)
WAJ. - 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)
Kenny Morningstar, Paul the Kid - Paulward (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)
Cash$tarr - RUNWAY MUSIC (6/23)
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)
The JuJu Exchange - BEHOLD (5/16, EVEN exclusive)
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)
Upcoming 2025 EPs
OG Stevo - For You And Her (TBD November)
MANSA - Love, Amongst Other Things (TBD release date)
Chi Waller - Circa 2004 or 2005: An Ode to the Journey (TBD release date)
Upcoming 2025 Albums/Tapes
Billy Joel Jr. - Ur A Star (12/11)
Khari Ennui - IN THE PITCH BLACK, REMEMBER ME (12/29)
J Bambii - BLACK AMERICAN BEAUTY (2026?)
Sparklmami - In This Body (2026?)
Munna Ikee - Hope In My Hood Vol 1 (TBD release date)
Elton Aura - i thought i needed (TBD release date)
