Each of the eight songs on You Only Live 2wice can be taken as different scenes from a movie, with the one-trick pony effect dulling brighter moments such as “Homesick.”

Listeners who like Drake’s pop songs will have plenty to enjoy here, while huge fans of his old stuff can play “Jimmy Cooks” on repeat until Scary Hours 3 drops. ... It’s simply an album of Drake songs people will actually listen to in public, not just while driving, or at the pregame, or through headphones in the early AM uber home.

Neither timeless nor immediately disposable, Rather You Than Me is an above average outing that displays why he’s steadily remained within the public eye without having a long line of record-breaking hits.

The Circus is an overall creative win and a nice precursor for his next album. The EP’s lack of substance holds it back from matching some of his previous work, but in lieu of a bigger idea, it provides a cohesive, quick and enjoyable flow fest perfect for listeners looking for a relaxed set of songs to escape the craziness of everyday life.

Genre inconsistencies aside, Effected is a clear statement Cozz doesn’t just want to be the conversation with the best rappers.

Casting such a wide net over the span of 20 songs ends up being a gift and a curse as the brighter moments risk getting dimmed out by extremely ambitious attempts that fall short. Running so long ensures filler and repetitive topic material, but overall Snoop makes a strong case against ageism as he fuses the adult contemporary and Gangsta Rap genres.

The project suffers a bit from hit-chasing evidenced from the bubbly Kevin Gates-assisted “POP” and catchy but baseless Nicki Minaj pairing dialed up on “iPHONE.” Unlike Baby on Baby, which sported “Suge,” it’s the hardcore “XXL” that serves as the album’s most complete record.

The end result sounds like a distillation of contemporary popular music, the kind of blockbuster pop album following the much larger footsteps of Ariana Grande’s Dangerous Woman or Katy Perry’s Teenage Dream, albeit not as polished.

It results in superior storytelling and simplicity that few in the genre could hope to achieve, providing a solid base for him to return to if he ever loses his way, whether it be emotionally or creatively.

A conscionable affair from start to finish, it’s a reminder of Future’s effortless ability to release solid tracks within his wheelhouse.

This album is a big win for Gunna, an even bigger win for executive producers Wheezy and Turbo but a championship win for contemporary rap as a whole that should be appreciated by all.

The sequel to his 2018 two-pack ranges from “just OK, I guess” to “pretty damn impressive” — in a smooth 3-song sonic gradient.

It’s the stellar storytelling that elevates East’s themes above standard thuggery and stamps P2 a memorable affair.

With its brevity and risk-taking, The Last Rocket succeeds at illustrating Takeoff’s talents. Though there’s no outright banger and some filler, this solo album serves as a glimmer of hope for the longevity of Hip Hop’s current favorite trio.

In a time where her late age peers getting major release priorities get more experimental, introspective or attempt to follow trends, Iconology works as a reminder of Missy’s DNA not only in the recent explosion of female rappers but pop music in general.

This project takes the proper time and attention to fully digest. After repeated listens, it suddenly becomes crystal clear — this is mood music.

For Future, his latest work will be more than enough to keep his name ringing in the streets, but not enough to have him be immortalized as an urban legend. Not yet, at least.

What emerges is something that treads into uncharted waters and even if it isn’t fully understood yet, it can at times be quite a spectacle.

It Was Good Until It Wasn’t‘s back half will earn respect from core fans for its consistency, muddling the notion Kehlani played it safe with this one.

Scorpion solidifies his universal relatability while yet again supplying fans with an overload of tracks to willingly keep or ditch.

There's noticeable growth from their EP and mixtape in both Majid's singing and Jordan's production.

Clocking in at nine tracks and 31 minutes, Mars and Paak are in and out, delivering their best impression of ’70s funk, soul and R&B — albeit each track is so spit polished and clean, it noticeably lacks the raw charm of the original. But that in no way means An Evening With Silk Sonic doesn’t have its merits.

The listenability is at an all-time high, but the writing itself is still lackluster.

While it may be a bit disjointed at times, Captain California reels in his superhero status as a gifted storyteller and proficient rhyme executor, making his home at Strange Music the idyllic place.

The title harbors on his crash-landed placement in the mainstream where he simply wants to co-exist while the music, albeit a times disjointed, makes up one of the most self-aware, socially conscious rap albums in recent memory, if not ever.

It’s fun and inventive; a mashup of experimental Hip Hop that harnesses a truly demented collection of sounds and influences from 80s commercials to gospel chorus. That combination might not make sense to everyone, but it’ll be a long revisited cult classic for those who get it.

Filled to the brim with ideas even when it sometime sounds as if he’s creatively a little too all over the place. Thankfully, even when he fails, listeners should be fascinated by even those attempts.

It’s not exactly the blockbuster conclusion Nas fans were looking for. Instead, it’s the cliffhanger ending that offers the chance for a reunion in the future.

When you factor in all its dexterity, randomness and overall generality, it’s hard to truly believe NASIR was the album he had been cerebrally building these past six years. No, this isn’t “grown man Hip Hop” to bring balance back to whatever the younger generation of mainstream rappers are doing at the moment; nor will it ever reside in the upper echelon of the living legend’s catalog. It is, however, imperfect fine art.

Ultimately, amid very high highs, it heavy-handedly embraces a sound that his most devout fans often turn to Griselda to avoid. Whether the initial shell shock wears off for those listeners remains to be seen.

The first half of the album, Khaled showed precise execution, stacking banger after banger. Had he sliced the album down to 15 or 16 tracks, he could have secured a very special project.

It’s a safe follow-up to the previous breakout project, serving as an ideal reference point for when she fully decides to take wholesale risks with her sound.

RTJ3 ultimately mirrors the sentiment of too many movie franchise sequels that make the brand go stale.

Magic 2 has a high floor as a rehashing of a proverbial tried and true formula of a Nas and Hit-Boy collaboration. It can still be magical, but you’re left with the sense that Hit could use a few new tricks.

Keith’s magnetism is absurd yet inspirational to think different.

Young Thug's extensive catalog is spotted with dynamic moments and this project seems to forgo such progressiveness. The range is still there, but sectioned into neatly packaged offerings.

The Canadian megastar avoids the pitfalls of cheap, nostalgia bait by earnestly repurposing and breathing life into deep cuts from a bygone era.

Weighing in at 19 tracks and 86 minutes, PP&DS sprawls to a fault, but it sticks true to its branding.

On Eden, a follow up to this year’s Ephorize, CupcakKe refines her lyricism, diversifies her subject matter, and proves why she shouldn’t be dismissed.

Despite the casualness of everything, The Off-Season still earns buckets from the level of microphone craftsmanship he’s developed for himself and the melodies it brings.

ColleGrove peaks when it stumbles onto potential hits off sheer energy but it never sparks the same fervor that songs about their old stomping grounds could.

Although You Still Here, Ho? doesn’t boast as many catchy hits as its predecessor, Flo Milli’s studio debut still finds success by exploring new genres. Contrary to the record’s cohesiveness, each track is unpredictably experimental in sound and style when compared to Flo Milli’s previous work.

The good far outweighs the bad on 2000. It doesn’t reach the highs the hype promised and, no matter how much he believes it, the album doesn’t make the case for his self-proclaimed G.O.A.T. status. It is, however, a highly listenable, uncomplicated rap album, not burdened by any weighty conceit; a showcase for an MC with a great ear for production and innate rapping ability.

Music To Be Murdered By is far from the star-studded, commercially sustainable album Recovery was, but that isn’t necessarily a bad thing. On this album, despite its handful of flaws, Em shows strong signs of adapting to the times through modern musical choices and smarter songwriting.

Despite the occasional uncertainty, Always Strive and Prosper answers more questions than it poses. Ferg has clearly stepped up his game by delivering his most well-rounded project thus far.

Voir Dire is an exceptional collection of raps, but missing connectivity between Earl and Alc holds back the tape’s potential. Where Earl breathes life into his verses, Alc plays it safe with more simple ideas that feel a bit boring and recycled.

While Come Over When You’re Sober Pt. 2 puts the cap on Peep’s short-lived career, it leaves behind clear evidence of his once-limitless potential.

It’s Almost Dry is a good rap record that delivers a few hard hitting tracks, some great production and bar-for-bar excellence by one of the best rappers in the game, but the album lacks the bite of past releases.

It’s clear that DROGAS Wave has enough value to be memorable but is less than the sum of its parts.

As abrasive as it feels, it’s a lyrically rewarding payoff for listeners who choose to sift through the muddle and explore a high-brow exercise into poetry. Otherwise, old Odd Future fans and casual Hip-Hop listeners will be turned off by its off-putting and annoyingly grating aesthetics.

Woods brings a lot of strong vocal performances to this project that get mixed smoothly with the production staff’s downtempo rhythms. Those seeking more upbeat output from Woods will appreciate the few times there are bustling bumps in the baseline but at its core it’s the type of hour-long album that makes for a perfect rainy-day playlist.

His highly anticipated debut album The Healing Component serves as a 15-track showcase of youthful positivity.

One of Cudi’s most digestible albums in a long time. The songs are equal parts catchy, meaningful and galaxy-brain without taking more than 45 minutes altogether.

Pain is practically synonymous with art, so it’s not surprising Blige has delivered another round of raw, gritty and emotionally transparent songwriting.

Mike WiLL Made-It and Zaytoven construct a cinematic backdrop, but Gucci’s execution is a bit wanting. Regardless, it’s a clear step in the right direction, a completely different beast than the b-side littered mixtapes he’s sanctioned from behind bars over the past three years, and begs for repeat listens.

Stuffed with a handful of sub-two-minute tracks and a few interludes, The Age of Pleasure sounds more like a short week of longing and sexual liberation, the epilogue to a coming of age story.

Tory has ceremoniously set the stage for his new indie path and become among Hip Hop’s elite. But for his mission to join the rap’s upper echolon, Tory has to diversify his content beyond ex-lovers, sex, his drug dealing past and Quarantine Radio twerkathons.

It’s just a rap album, albeit a very good one, and it shows just how dynamic and forceful Denzel Curry can be when he releases himself from the poisonous burden of perfection.

Ultimately, while the album can get introspective and quite personal, the moments are buried under music that feels slightly unsure of its audience. It’s things he’s done before, and (for the most part) better. ... Not that it’s terrible music — it isn’t. In a few instances quite the contrary. It just isn’t the wall to wall classic fans may be hoping to get from him at this point.

As his name indicates, Mr. Muthafuckin’ eXquire is profane and unashamed. ... Left to his own devices, and free from the constraints of a major label, his eponymous album announces his arrival, once and for all — and warts and all.

Still Striving is yet another noticeable notch in his growing catalog that might just make his fellow Mob members, specifically Rocky, understand it’s time to really start putting in work.

While he may not be at the level of Compton’s Most Wanted’s 1992 classic Music To Driveby or DJ Quik’s 1995 magnum opus Safe + Sound, Perico is making a valiant effort to get there. To his credit, he’s reignited an interest in G-Funk during a time when trap music and one-hit wonders rule the airwave.

Releasing a handful of incredible singles ahead of an album sets a pretty lofty standard that the rest of the LP doesn’t always meet. In spite of its drawbacks, Culture showcases Migos at the top of their artistry and there’s no indication that it’s their peak either.

The light, nimble, casual nature of Robed in Rareness makes it a pleasant interlude within the Shabazz Palaces discography.

Dirty Computer falters along the way with a few weak hooks and some questionable lyrics but at least she was able to wipe out the old Monáe and reboot who she’s truly meant to be--both artistically and personally.

Offset or no Offset, Quavo and Takeoff’s stylistic DNA holds steady. It’s home-grown. It’s theirs, and it’s as potent as ever.

Suncity (named after his former El Paso stomping grounds) goes the distance in capturing slow-moving society, accented with inviting sunbeams, especially on the first-person acoustic number “Saturday Nights.”

K.R.I.T. IZ HERE is neither a career-defining album nor a complete flop. Instead of building off the creative momentum of 4eva Is a Mighty Long Time, K.R.I.T. is on auto-pilot. But thankfully, he’s still effortlessly exciting.

With production wizards such as Mustard, Hit-Boy, Cubeatz and more on deck, the production checks all the boxes as steroidal bass and encompassing synths permeate the project for modest results.

At 18 songs, Wunna’s tracklist is dense but not padded.

Slay-Z isn't quite such a project [that will eclipse anything she does offline] but her talent is still apparent throughout its run time.

While The Chief sets him up for a more focused sophomore effort, Jidenna’s genre-hopping album is merely a sliver of his versatility as an entertainer.

Legends Never Die functions as a goodbye to and from Juice WRLD. His exact wishes for a post-death album might never be known, but this avoids feeling exploitative.

And the Anonymous Nobody is an album that, though lacking in congruence, displays De La’s staying power.

While Karma 3 isn’t the show-stopping follow-up to Survival, East is still going to outwork any MC, dropping album after album until he’s good and ready to hang up the mic.

It’s a well-calculated offering from a living legend whose abilities are still very much intact.

The result is a fun, irreverent showcase of women’s empowerment and underdog grit with plenty of room to grow.

He can use his voice for rapping and singing, but he’s still getting the hang of using it to truly deliver a message.

The flows are slicker, and the hooks more engaging. His writing is still standard fare for Gucci, but he doesn’t hesitate to play with his delivery.

JPEGMAFIA is at his best and most focused when he has a specific target.

Big Baby D.R.A.M. is presented as a playlist of D.R.A.M.’s best conceptual songs rather than achieve the glory of playing a perfect album from front to back.

His penchant for memorable music makes up for a lack of dexterity and gives DropTopWop a strong sense of unique artistry.

Luv Is Rage 2 is proof that Lil Uzi Vert is simply an artist who succeeds in makes music he loves, for people that hold tightly to his carpe-diem attitude.

6pc Hot offers different shades of 6LACK, and if the flavors not always perfect, it’s never bland.

Hip Hop’s gatekeepers will say that timing and the repetitive nature of Logic’s lyrics hurts Everybody but for Logic’s younger core fan base, especially those going through struggles of their own, his latest work will be the catharsis to keep them from plunging off the deep end.

Heaven knows may not creatively propel PinkPantheress to new heights, but it’s a poetic and dramatic compilation of breakup songs that will leave a listener dancing around their living room while yearning for their toxic ex.

In many ways, ANTI is a step in the right direction for Rihanna, creatively.

The album doesn’t move the needle for Guwop’s creative progression forward and at times sounds as if it doesn’t even aspire to. In a nutshell, Mr. Davis is simply a party celebrating Gucci’s personal growth alongside his star-studded friends.

Dixon is locked in as his verses speak on the duality of gripping steel while hitting the concrete to earn a living. It’s beautifully written, using imagery of fists clenched, finding your heart, and smiling in the sunshine. It’s the clear-eyed Dixon you want to hear more of.

The end result is his most introspective material since “Daylight.” Dedicated fans will appreciate it for its familiarity, which ironically, might also be their deterrent from it.

For nearly 49 minutes, her voice oscillates between the foreground and background like she’s constantly trying to decide whether she wants to unleash the full capabilities of her warbling croons. This inconsistency is distracting at times but is often masked by an eclectic mix of production styles that feel invigorating at every turn.

DS4EVER is proof he presumably won’t allow stardom to make him complacent, balancing improvements in song topics and technical skill, even if the drip talk has gone stale.

So while it’s not perfect, Gang Signs & Prayer is still a fairly absorbing consolidation of Stormzy’s position within the higher reaches of today’s grime movement.

The Saga Continues is not the home run that Wu-Tang Clan fans have been waiting for, but to keep the baseball analogy, it’s an RBI double. Mathematics does some much-needed course correction.

It’s a standard debut album, with plenty of flaws and high moments that flash greater potential but not much else.

Overall, the 16-track project is mostly cohesive aside from the few disposable tracks that clutter its message and, at times, elementary lyrics.

Even with all the underwhelming guest performances and filler, Evil Genius demonstrates that Gucci Mane hasn’t completely lost it. That being said, it’s definitely time for him to disrupt the formula.

CLB can feel formulaic, as if checking off boxes on an executive producer’s clipboard. Despite the frequent predictability, it’s exciting to see a consummate professional at work.