HHW Presents: CRT FRSH (Certified Fresh) Playlist 8.22.25

Young man enjoying music with headphones in an urban setting, holding a smartphone and looking away

CRT FRSH (Certified Fresh) is back again with a collection of tracks we hope land on your playlists for our latest. This week, we’ve got joints from a Houston superstar paired with one of the south’s young legends in the making, along with a woman producer and rapper who should be part of the conversation a hell of a lot more.

I want to explain how I approach curating the CRT FRSH playlist. Most importantly, I don’t segregate my Hip-Hop. Every form of music from the main cultural tree deserves a listen and a look. When I construct the playlist, I want to include all regions across the States and, when applicable, across the globe. I also want to entertain every fan of Hip-Hop, not just those who enjoy one segment of it. Now that we’ve got that out of the way, let’s get to it.

The CRT FRSH playlist is a labor of love. We don’t take payments, nor do we do favors. We only add joints to our playlist that fit the theme and vision we’re going for and don’t seek to waste the listener’s time. Further, we don’t stick to one lane of Hip-Hop. We believe that all aspects of the music should get some light, whether it’s young lions in the trenches or those hoping for that one shot to blow up to grizzled veterans puffing out their chests with lots more to say. — D.L. Chandler, Lead Curator, CRT FRSH

Has it been two weeks already? Summer is zooming by fast, isn’t it? Let’s not waste any more time; let’s get to this week’s update!

We open up the playlist with “SHYNE” from Travis Scott with GloRilla on the assist, and her verse is definitely a standout. We follow that with Buffalo’s Che Noir, a rapper who makes dope beats herself, but gave the reins to the capable production crew, The Other Guys, for “Sugar Water.”

Larry June, 2 Chainz, and The Alchemist’s breezy Life Is Beautiful album got the deluxe treatment, and the bonus track “Spy Hunter” is more of their cool, calm, and confident lyrics with Uncle Al’s strong backdrop. We follow that up with Earl Sweatshirt’s “TOURMALINE” with production from Theravada, one of the top songs from his new album, Live Laugh Love.

We usually cap the playlist at 20, but we added a bonus of sorts. Not as afterthoughts, but we couldn’t ignore the heat. For those tracks, Gunna’s “satisfaction” with Asake and “The Edge” from the duo of Madlib and Your Old Droog as Droogie Otis cap the playlist.

Salute to Tyler, The Creator, Hidden Renaissance, New Villain, T H R O N E, Wafflejax, Dp0mmy, Offset, Youngboy Never Broke Again, Ghostface Killah, Joey BadA$$, Evidence, Jim Jones, Keem Streetz, Conway The Machine, Tay Supreme, Chuck Strangers, A$AP Rocky, Preservation, Gabe ‘Nandez, Valee, Harry Fraud, Sir Michael Rocks, Z Money, Recoechi, BIA, Lord Sko, Flippa T, DJ Premier, Roc Marciano.

Circle back in two weeks, where we’ll be back with 20 (or more) fresh tracks! Enjoy the joints!

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Photo: Getty