This is a ranking of the rap verses of 2025, so far.
www.complex.com
Best Line: “Hundred dollar nightmares turn to million dollar dreams/ Ridin' past the block where my dad got left on the scene/Look at your lil' boy now, we done turned to kings/ shyt turned me a grown man 'fore I was seventeen”
The newly
independent Meek Mill has been on a tear all year, but nothing matches the intensity of his verse on Fridayy’s sentimental standout, “Proud of Me.” This is Dreamchasers-era Meek—spitting pure pain in every bar. We haven’t heard him this impassioned in years, as he opens up candidly about the death of his father, Robert, who was killed when Meek was just five.
In many ways, the verse highlights the strength and range of Philly rappers. Yes, they’re battle-tested—capable of delivering bars that could rip another MC apart. And they’ve got a knack for anthems. But their real power lies in their ability to be emotive. Think Beanie Sigel on “This Can’t Be Life.” Meek channels that same lineage—capturing not just the devastation of the streets, but the lifelong weight of trauma.
We’ll see where things stand come December, but right now, this feels like the verse of 2025. —
Nwo Sparrow