Most of Fear of God feels like detached, competent, common-denominator, major-label hip-hop, which would be fine if we weren't already aware what he's capable of.

Gambino's strength is also his weakness. As a TV writer and a comedian he's naturally focused on punchlines and creating moments, which at his best is enormously entertaining and at the worst forced

Maintaining the same "burn down the building" energy that your most loyal fans demand while not actually burning down the building is no easy task, but it's a fine line that MGK mostly manages to walk with success on Lace Up.

We can safely assume that Dreams and Nightmares is the best Meek can possibly muster. And if this is indeed Meek's best, Meek's best is pretty good.

The overall result is an album that's easily enjoyable, but not particularly interesting.

Paperwork is at its most compelling when it feels like he’s being the most autobiographical.

At its best, the California singer offers sweet but forgettable elevator music.

No doubt about it, Finally Famous is full of good music.

Strange Clouds isn't perhaps as thrilling as Adventures, mostly because the thrill of the unknown is gone, but B.o.B.'s second album is superior in almost every respect.

The simple truth is this is the kind of music you're best off not thinking too much about.

While everyone else is solid, there are no epiphanies, no "that artist is the next to blow!" moment that particularly deserves mention.

Songz isn't doing anything new, but when he's still delivering music this high quality it really doesn't matter that much.

The album might not be nearly good enough to launch him into any "classic" conversation, but it also not nearly bad enough to be viewed as a sign of his impending demise.

This is an album you play during a lazy Sunday afternoon, an album you reach for during a long road-trip, and in a way that's far more valuable than the month's new hottest thing.

Chiddy Bang is the sound of the younger generation, which is to say that they sound like whatever they feel like at the time, and their debut album Breakfast proves it.

Forest Hills Drive has enough twists and turns to inspire an almost schizophrenic stream of reactions.

Z is a mood piece, 10 homogenous tracks that breeze by and flow on a winning combination of sweet vocals, sweeter hooks, and the sweetest of melodies and instrumentals.

Jesus Piece certainly isn't his best album, but if it ends up being his worst, then Jayceon's doing pretty damn good for himself.

These are good songs, but we don't come to Waka for good.

That leaves us with a placeholder project while Dream sorts out some contractual "issues" with Def Jam over his delayed fourth album Diary of a Madman, and frankly I'll take this placeholder over 90% of R&B's official projects.

Her talent and voice makes up for the fact that Lioness isn't really an album, but more like a collection of unfinished business.

The Gifted is a collection of tracks from an unarguably talented emcee, but the point at which a collection of music becomes an album, a singular work with a focus and unity strong enough to truly make an impact, Wale still hasn’t reached that point.... In the meantime, we’re left with a quality album.

This is certainly his most sonically diverse album ever.

Overall, Kiss Land is a decent first full-length, but for the hype that The Weeknd had built up leading to this release, some (if not most) will say that it failed to meet expectations, especially compared to the incredible hype that surrounded his 2011 debut.

Influenced by what The Pharcyde did two decades ago, what Drake perfected a few years ago, and what many others have attempted since, Ink’s melodic tastes and rhyming style draws from all of these influencers. The problem is, he can’t quite charm like Wiz Khalifa, rhyme like Big Sean, or create art like Drake. Yet.

The forward momentum shown on previous releases continues with Because the Internet. The jokes and gimmicks show up less often and in their place are introspective questions about himself, his relationships, and his family. Most of the time it works.

While Rowland continues to define her own sound, it still feels like she's giving us who she thinks we want to hear, not who she is.

It may have been a little long for my liking, but that's a small price to pay for listening to something this remarkably unique.