The Year in Music 2025: Most notable comebacks in hip-hop and R&B
Written by ABC Audio ALL RIGHTS RESERVED on December 26, 2025
“Don’t call it a comeback, I been here for years.” That’s what LL Cool J famously declared on his hit “Mama Said Knock You Out.” The lyric feels fitting in 2025, a year marked by quite a few musical returns.
– After 15 years away, Keri Hilson returned with “Bae,” the lead single from We Need to Talk: Love, her first independent release and the beginning of a three-part series. We Need to Talk: Drama followed in September, with Redemption forthcoming.
– Pusha T and Malice officially reunited for Let God Sort Em Out, their first album together in over 15 years. Led by “Ace Trumpets” and “So Be It,” it has been nominated for best rap album and album of the year at the 2026 Grammys.
– Miguel returned with Caos, an album shaped by eight years of personal upheaval and self-reflection. It serves as the follow-up to 2017’s War & Leisure.
– Though she last released a studio album in 2018, Mýa stayed active with EPs before returning in 2025 with two singles, “Face to Face” and “Give It to Me.” The songs are a preview of her upcoming album.
– Teyana Taylor ended her retirement with the visual album Escape Room, which earned her her first Grammy nomination for best R&B album.
Mass Appeal’s Legend Has It series can be credited for several other iconic returns in 2025:
– Slick Rick released Victory, his first album since 1999, teaming with Nas and executive producer Idris Elba. The visual album, written and recorded across London and France, premiered at the Tribeca Festival.
– Raekwon followed with The Emperor’s New Clothes, his first album in eight years, featuring Nas, Westside Gunn, Method Man and Ghostface Killah.
– Havoc assembled Infinite, the final Mobb Deep album, using unreleased verses from the late Prodigy. Produced with The Alchemist, it marked the group’s first release since 2014.
– De La Soul released Cabin in the Sky, their first album in nine years, honoring late member Trugoy the Dove. Nas, Common and Killer Mike are among those who appeared on the project.
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