It’s been another action-packed year for Hip-Hop concerts in Toronto. From younger artists still building up their discography and in the thick of promoting new music, to OGs celebrating 20 and 30-year milestones for classic albums, all aspects of Hip-Hop were well represented in the concerts Toronto got to see in 2025. This blog missed out on more concerts than I would’ve liked, particularly underground shows featuring local artists and a lot of tours coming through on weekdays, but we still got decent coverage with several Hip-Hop shows attended, plus a few Rock, Metal and RnB shows. The year felt dominated by the large arena and stadium concerts, with the new Rogers Stadium making its debut this year, and some smaller venues sadly closing down.
To look back on 2025, I’m counting down the Top 10 concerts I got to attend this year. Ranking these concerts came down to the challenge of pitting younger artists with all the energy in the world and popularity with younger fans against veterans who have more music, allowing for better curated setlists. Let’s get into it and see how the year went!
As always, big thank you to all the promo companies and artist management who put these shows on and helped grant media access for this blog to review a lot of them, including JD Era & Roadman Productions, She Be Lady, MODO-Live, Sauga Live, Supreme Genes Entertainment, 5 Elements Entertainment, RAP SEASON, and Live Nation. Wishing everyone a Happy New Year!
Click here to check out last year’s Top 10 covering 2024.
(All shows were in Toronto, Ontario, Canada, unless otherwise noted)
*Indicates a show I did not write a review for
Honourable Mentions (in chronological order):
re.verse – J Dilla Tribute Show at Longboat Hall*
Onyx at Lee’s Palace
MC Lyte at The Phoenix Concert Theatre
Blu & Exile at Lee’s Palace
Talib Kweli & The Liquid Crystal Project at The Living Arts Centre in Mississauga, ON
Cypress Hill, De La Soul & The Pharcyde at Coca-Cola Coliseum
YASSiN & Sean Terrio at The Sound of Music Festival in Burlington, ON*Lil Wayne at Budweiser Stage*
Caribbean Day Festival at Central Park-Music Haven in Schenectady, NY
Gabriel “Fluffy” Iglesias at Scotiabank Arena*
NxWorries at HISTORY
Freddie Gibbs & The Alchemist at HISTORY
Nardwuar’s Video Vault at The Great Hall*
Raekwon & Mobb Deep at HISTORY
CL Smooth at The Phoenix Concert Theatre
Priyanka + YASSiN & Sean Terrio at El Mocambo*
10. Doechii at Coca-Cola Coliseum
(October 17, 2025)
Doechii’s first ever concert in Toronto was a moment to witness. A relatively new artist who had her breakout year in 2025, Doechii was coming off a Grammy win for her album Alligator Bites Never Heal, and went on to have the biggest concert tour of her young career. She set multiple attendance records at some of the venues she performed in, including this show at Coca-Cola Coliseum, and the concert itself had a ton of energy. Although most of her fans are in their teens and 20s, Doechii’s music brings together all generations of Hip-Hop heads, and she was sure to reflect that in her performance, from rapping over throwback Wu-Tang and Missy Elliott beats to the dance choreography she had with her DJ and twin sisters. Not many emcees can pull off the choreography and dance moves Doechii does on stage while still nailing their raps, and she did it with style.
With a consistent classroom theme throughout her concert, Doechii took her fans to school and bridged the gap between old-school and new-school, proving to be an artist we can count on as the future of Hip-Hop.
Read the original concert review here.
9. Tyler, The Creator at Scotiabank Arena*
(July 24, 2025)
“The biggest out the city after Kenny, that’s a fact now” – a lyric that stands true when it comes to the modern era of Hip-Hop coming out of Los Angeles. Looking to three-peat in the Grammys’ Best Rap Album category with 2024’s Chromakopia, Tyler, The Creator of course put together an epic concert tour that brought to life the imagery and feeling of that album, just as he’s done with his three most recent albums before it. Tyler has now built himself a discography big enough to take fans through years of throwbacks, to the point where he even had a segment of the concert where he casually flipped through vinyl records of both his biggest influences and his own albums, using it as a way to dedicate parts of his setlist to each album. He of course also had all the epic visuals, from pyrotechnics to a levitating platform connecting two stages, as he brought to life the Chromakopia character portrayed in his album art.
This concert happened to be just three days after Tyler surprise-released his latest album, Don’t Tap The Glass, which added a lot of excitement going in but also some disappointment after he didn’t perform any of those new songs. Still, the energy was on point and the fans definitely got another epic performance from Tyler.
8. Linkin Park at Scotiabank Arena
(August 8, 2025)
One of the biggest comebacks in recent years was seeing Linkin Park return from their hiatus after losing their lead singer, Chester Bennington, as they released the new album From Zero in late 2024 and embarked on a massive world tour that will see them on the road for nearly two full years. While some fans may feel Linkin Park will never be the same without Chester, those willing to give the new-look version of the band a chance got to enjoy a show filled with both nostalgia from the early 2000s and excitement from the new music. The new lead singer Emily Armstrong absolutely kicks ass on stage, doing an admirable job covering Chester’s vocals while also cementing her name in Linkin Park’s legacy with the new songs. You also had the heart of the band, Mike Shinoda, back to doing what he does: rapping, singing, and playing both keys and guitar throughout the performance.
If this concert could be summed up in one word, it would be “bittersweet,” as it’s sad knowing we’ll never get the original Linkin Park roster again, but the new look with three new band members is the closest we can get to experiencing those songs live in concert.
Read the original concert review here.
7. System of a Down at Rogers Stadium
(September 3, 2025)
I’m surprised by this ranking too. The newly constructed Rogers Stadium had a lot of negative feedback from fans in its opening year, including a long walking commute to/from the nearest parking lots and transit stations, overpriced food and drinks, flimsy seating that feels far away from the concert itself, and less than par sound quality for a venue that was designed specifically to host concerts. As much of a pain in the ass it is to attend a concert at Rogers Stadium, it still doesn’t take away the incredible show System of a Down put on, and fans who’ve been waiting decades to see them perform live will definitely overlook the negatives of the venue. It’s been 20 years since the band last released a full-length album, and yet the concerts they’ve put on recently have been some of the biggest shows they’ve ever done, as the music has only aged gracefully, reaching new generations of music fans. Also taking into account their sparse touring, this concert being their first time performing in Toronto in over a decade, and you had fans that much more excited to see them perform, some even flying from out-of-province to attend this rare concert – their only stop in Canada during this run.
This blog doesn’t review many Metal shows, but it’s always an epic experience seeing System of a Down, as they pulled songs from all four of their main albums (excluding Steal This Album!), and kept the energy levels high. When a band’s discography is nothing but classics, it doesn’t matter what kind of venue they perform in.
Read the original concert review here.
6. Ice Cube at Scotiabank Arena
(October 9, 2025)
It feels like yesterday that we got to have the rare experience of seeing Ice Cube perform in an intimate nightclub setting back in 2023, and yet he found a way to keep things fresh for fans returning to see him on the Truth To Power: Four Decades of Attitude Tour. Celebrating 40 years in the music industry, this would be Ice Cube’s first time headlining Scotiabank Arena, and the scale and production value of the show was stepped up to fit the occasion. With no openers on tour with him, the show would simply be a 2+ hour deep-dive into the career of one of the greatest, most influential emcees to ever come out of California. The setlist was structured masterfully, flowing chronologically with video interludes dividing up segments of the show dedicated to different eras of his career. He’d start the show with an N.W.A. setlist (joined by special guest Lil’ Eazy), followed by segments dedicated to AmeriKKKaz Most Wanted and Death Certificate, a segment for the mid-late ’90s, another for his collaborations with Westside Connection (joined by WC), and of course moving on to the 2000s, 2010s and even pulling out a 2024 song for the encore.
This was easily my favourite setlist I’ve seen at an Ice Cube concert, as the extended length of the show allowed him to pull out some rare, deep album cuts he doesn’t perform often, along with the classic hit records you’d expect, touching on all 12 of his solo albums. The arena-sized budget also allowed Ice Cube to make his show more cinematic, with rising platforms and even a blimp flying around to help bring to life the lyrics from “It Was A Good Day.” This was truly the ultimate Ice Cube concert experience.
Read the original concert review here.
5. J.I.D at Rebel Nightclub
(October 22, 2025)
An emcee arguably in his prime, J.I.D is coming off his fourth album with Dreamville Records, earning his first Grammy nomination as a solo artist, and is currently on the biggest headlining world tour of his career so far. When the God Does Like Paradise Tour landed at Rebel Nightclub in Toronto, it turned out to be one of the most energetic concerts of the year. The fans were jumping for damn near the entire setlist, as he rocked several new songs off of God Does Like Ugly, and took us through highlights of his still growing discography. Having been a fan since his early days of first signing to Dreamville, it was a first for me seeing an entire crowd knowing all the words to one of his oldest hits, “Never,” and also a special full-circle moment seeing him proudly showing off a Rolex while rapping about never being able to afford one – a testament to his success. I have a feeling the brightest days of J.I.D’s career are still ahead of him.
One thing that sets J.I.D apart from other emcees in his age group is the rawness he delivers on stage. Often rapping really, really fast, it’s dope to see him spit it live with no backing vocals, and even when he slips up and misses a word here and there, the way he’s able to catch himself and move right to the next bar is a skill in and of itself. The future of Hip-Hop is in safe hands with artists like J.I.D around.
Read the original concert review here.
4. Kendrick Lamar & SZA at Rogers Centre
(June 12 & 13, 2025)
Arguably the biggest, most hyped, publicized and most anticipated concerts of the year, Kendrick Lamar & SZA’s Grand National Tour stops in Toronto were definitely a moment to witness. With Kendrick Lamar’s lyrical battle with Drake being an all-time Hip-Hop moment comparable to Ice Cube vs. N.W.A., Jay-Z vs. Nas, or 50 Cent vs. Ja Rule, all the hype was around seeing Kendrick perform his diss tracks in the biggest concert venue Drake’s hometown has to offer – a venue Drake’s never headlined himself – and yet the concert was so much more than that. Yes, fans did get to see the Drake diss tracks “Euphoria” and “Not Like Us” performed in epic fashion on the Skydome stage, and Kendrick Lamar’s setlist leaned heavily into his latest album, GNX, but the overall concert was about celebrating an emcee with more than a decade’s worth of music behind him (good kid, m.A.A.d. city still continuing to set the record for longest charting Hip-Hop album in Billboard history), as well as one of the top RnB stars of today with SZA. Although you had blends of Pop, Rock and RnB in the mix, this was another affirmation that Hip-Hop can make it to Toronto’s biggest stage.
After the record-breaking Superbowl Halftime Show performance by both Kendrick Lamar & SZA, The Grand National Tour had all the stadium-sized extravagance you’d expect, with pyrotechnics and fireworks perfectly timed to emphasis Kendrick’s punchlines and adlibs, plus epic stunts and visuals during SZA’s time on stage. Naturally you lose the intimacy of a live concert experience with a venue this big, but it was still a sight to see.
Read the original concert review here.
3. The Roots at Rebel Nightclub
(June 21, 2025)
The Legendary Roots Crew are almost always going to be near the top of these lists, as they perform all raw, no gimmicks, letting the talent speak for itself on stage without needing any special effects or flashy visuals to rock a crowd. With a discography spanning more than a dozen albums, you can see The Roots perform multiple times and still get a unique setlist nearly every time. This was my 6th time seeing them perform, and I was hyped to see rare cuts off Illadelph Halflife and The Tipping Point get added to the mix of classics they usually perform. It had been just about a decade since they last performed a full-length setlist in Toronto, and so even seeing the usual hits like “The Next Movement,” “The Seed 2.0,” and “You Got Me” was still refreshing after all these years. As they always do, this was 2+ hours of non-stop music, as the band filled the space between their own songs with covers of ’60s and ’70s Funk and Soul records to keep things fresh, never leaving a moment of silence.
The Roots are always top-tier performers, Black Thought in particular still having impeccable breath control not many emcees can compete with, allowing him to rap every word effortlessly. If there’s anything bringing this concert down, it’s the fact that it was an early show with a second event booked at Rebel later that evening, the night still being young by the time the show ended. It was a tightly-coordinated, quick in-and-out event that simply had The Roots on stage for two hours, and that was still enough to put this near the top of the countdown.
Read the original concert review here.
2. DJ Premier & More at Bastid’s BBQ at The Bentway
(July 26, 2025)
Simply put, Bastid’s BBQ is the best way to have a fulsome Hip-Hop experience in Toronto. All of the Hip-Hop elements are present at this outdoor summer festival, with graffiti art on display, a breakdance competition going on throughout the afternoon, dope emcees on the mic, and of course with this being Skratch Bastid’s festival, the DJ being the most prominent. World-class DJs from around the world perform at this annual event, each showcasing their own unique set of skills including blending different songs’ vocals and instrumentals together, scratching, having an ear for samples, and production. Although you had some legends headlining the event, with DJ Premier and 9th Wonder being two producers responsible for some of Hip-Hop’s all-time classics, the festivities throughout the afternoon also made this an epic day, from Juno award-winning group Naturally Born Strangers reuniting on stage to comedian Russell Peters delivering a surprisingly dope DJ set, with Smif-N-Wessun as a special guest.
The slogan “good music, good food, good people” held true for Bastid’s BBQ, as it’s turned into the best Hip-Hop festival Toronto has to offer. This is an annual must-see event for any Hip-Hop head in Toronto.
Read the original concert review here.
1. Wu-Tang Clan at Scotiabank Arena
(July 14, 2025)
As someone with both a Wu-Tang Clan and Run The Jewels logo tatted on my arm, this concert felt like it was made for me. You had arguably the greatest Hip-Hop group of all-time supposedly on their farewell tour, and one of the dopest groups from the 2010s era (with their roots in the ’90s) opening for them. The Wu-Tang Clan have developed an infamous reputation when it comes to touring over their 30+ year career, with a rotating door of members being absent from their concerts for different reasons, and this was just the third time in that entire history that they had a complete roster on stage in Toronto. With it becoming more difficult to get all nine of them to set aside their individual business ventures and commit to a tour at the same time, they decided The Final Chamber Tour would be their last time fully united on stage, and they made sure to go out with a bang.
After seeing the Wu-Tang Clan perform in all kinds of settings over the years (check out my article counting down the Top 10 times I’ve seen them perform live), it was dope seeing their potentially last time in Toronto be their biggest concert they’ve performed here, as it was their first time headlining Scotiabank Arena and having an entire two-hour time slot to themselves on stage. It wasn’t perfect, as there were plenty of classic songs and iconic verses left off the setlist, but they still made the most of their time on stage, pulling out rare cuts I hadn’t seen performed live before, and stepped up the scale of their stage production to fit the arena setting without sacrificing the authenticity of the performance.
Read the original concert review here.
And that wraps up the Top 10! Let us know in the comments on social media which were the best concerts you saw in 2025, links below!
Check out the SYpherSights Youtube channel for more concert videos.
Also follow SYpherSights on social media below:
Facebook
Twitter
Instagram
SYpherSights 