Hip-Hop Wired Presents: CRT FRSH (Certified Fresh) Playlist 5.23.25
Written by djfrosty on May 23, 2025
CRT FRSH, Hip-Hop Wired’s playlist where we showcase music that we believe is “Certified Fresh,” is back with the newness! With our latest update this week, we’re gonna focus on Joey BadA$$ and his feud with what seems like the entire West Coast before sharing new heat.
I want to explain how I approach curating the CRT FRSH playlist. Most importantly, I don’t segregate my Hip-Hop. Every form of music from the main cultural tree deserves a listen and a look. When I construct the playlist, I want to include all regions across the States and, when applicable, across the globe. I also want to entertain every fan of Hip-Hop, not just those who enjoy one segment of it. Now that we’ve got that out of the way, let’s get to it.
The CRT FRSH playlist is a labor of love. We don’t take payments, nor do we do favors. We only add joints to our playlist that fit the theme and vision we’re going for and don’t seek to waste the listener’s time. Further, we don’t stick to one lane of Hip-Hop. We believe that all aspects of the music should get some light, whether it’s young lions in the trenches or those hoping for that one shot to blow up to grizzled veterans puffing out their chests with lots more to say. — D.L. Chandler, Lead Curator, CRT FRSH
Like I said, I’m opening up this week’s update with all the joints I could find from Joey BadA$$, Ray Vaughn, Daylyt, and anyone else who hopped in the ring, including some of Badmon’s Pro Era team like CJ Fly. Not every song is on DSPs, so what we’ve amassed here is all we got unless folks can clear samples and production to get it up on streamers.
I’m not picking any sides in the battle. I’m just enjoying good rapping, and that it’s all being kept to recordings and not spilling into nonsense in real life. If rapping is a sport, then battling is one of the ways to show and prove one’s mettle. One super impressive thing is that in the back and forth between coasts, folks are working quickly and addressing bars head-on instead of ducking from any smoke.
If I missed a joint you feel like should’ve been added, let me know and I’ll adjust. This playlist is live for two weeks, so we’ll probably have plenty of time to update this. And, from what I’m hearing online, there are over 90 songs recorded by several artists since Joey took the first swipe at the West Coast on his Conductor Williams-produced track, “The Ruler’s Back.”
I’m not going to break down every joint. Instead, check out the collection of songs we did find, search out the rest online, and just enjoy the collection of new heat I tacked on at the end of the disses.
Salute to Joey BadA$$, Daylyt, Ray Vaughn, AZ Chike, REASON, CJ Fly, Kai Ca$h, Hitta J3, YG, Shoreline Mafia, IDK, Joey Valence, Brae, DRAM, Ellis Quinn, Chance The Rapper, Erick The Architect, Joyce Wrice, Smoke DZA, Dave East, Mike & Keys, Niontay, Sideshow, MAVI, Troy Ave, Boldy James, Your Boy Posca, Mike Shabb, CRIMEAPPLE, DJ Skizz, Estee Nack, ETO, Grafh, Benny The Butcher, NYC Rap Star, Ransom, Jay Electronica, Numbz, Larrin, Defcee, Paralell Thought, Lukah, Statik Selektah, Larry June, Cardo Got Wings.
We’ll be back with an update in two more weeks. Check out the CRT FRSH update below.
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Photo: Peter Carruthers / Getty