New Hip-Hop and R&B Albums Dropping August 22, 2025

Fridays always mean fresh music, and this week’s lineup is stacked with some of the biggest names in Hip-Hop and R&B. Fans across North America can look forward to a mix of long-awaited returns, soulful storytelling, and genre-bending collaborations that will set the tone for the rest of 2025.

Leading the charge is Ciara, who returns with her highly anticipated full-length album CiCi. Expanding on her 2023 EP, the project delivers 14 tracks blending R&B and pop, with powerhouse features from Chris Brown, Busta Rhymes, Latto, Tyga, and Lil Baby. For Ciara fans, this release marks her most complete body of work since 2019.

On the Hip-Hop side, Offset steps into the spotlight with Kiari, a personal and reflective project that showcases his growth as an artist. The album includes features from JID, John Legend, Gunna, YoungBoy Never Broke Again, and Teezo Touchdown, cementing it as one of the most anticipated rap albums of the year.

Legendary Wu-Tang member Ghostface Killah also returns with Supreme Clientele 2. This 22-track follow-up to his 2000 classic features heavyweights like Nas, Raekwon, Method Man, GZA, Styles P, and Conway the Machine, making it a must-listen for Hip-Hop purists.

Adding a unique twist to the week, BigXthaPlug crosses genres with I Hope You’re Happy, a bold rap-meets-country project featuring Luke Combs, Jelly Roll, and Darius Rucker. Meanwhile, Baltimore’s Nourished by Time drops The Passionate Ones, an R&B-driven release via XL Recordings that blends futuristic production with heartfelt lyricism.

With so many major drops, August 22, 2025 is shaping up to be one of the biggest New Music Fridays of the year.