Experimental is a tag few artists at his age would attempt, and yet Ghost does it with immeasurable confidence.

His sexual callousness wears off quickly, and what listeners are left with is a release better fit for a Ramada Inn than a Four Seasons.

Using Wolf as a platform to let his imagination run wild while remaining accessible, Tyler, the Creator displays maturation on his own twisted terms.

Inspectah Deck, 7L & Esoteric use '90s East Coast Hip Hop as a blueprint to innovate, and ultimately, that’s what made that era so special in the first place.

For the casual Weezy fan (one that hears the music but doesn't listen), I Am Not a Human Being II is perfect mindless fun. However, for those who expected more from this repeatedly delayed effort, Wayne may have to hop in his spaceship and try again.

The biggest success of The 20/20 Experience lies within Justin Timberlake being able to gracefully glide into Adult Contemporary Music without coming across as trite or cheesy. There is enough oomph for the youngins, yet a defined maturity that proves Timberlake’s overstanding of eventually aging out of the capricious sect of R&B.

Short but sweet, Disrupted Ads chalks up another win towards Oh No's already prolific legacy as one of the present underground's consistently effective studio rats.

By co-opting the title of John Coltrane’s 1965 classic, A Love Supreme, Bilal is at least hinting at lofty expectations. For the most part he exceeds them.

The most glaring issue with No Love Lost is the truly terrible production featured throughout.

Debuts this good just don't come along very often, and it all comes down to the precocious Harlem rookie's vision.

Despite its missteps, GMB is a commendable project that should hold over diehard fans.

With Selling My Soul, Masta Killa seems to have winged his way through songs that are lazy and conceptually not well put together.

This is a strong return to form for the self-proclaimed King of the South.

Though French Montana fits well on "Diamonds," his presence distracts from the youngster's appeal with similarly dull results stemming from rivals Young Jeezy & Rick Ross on "Understand Me" and an updated "3Hunna" respectively. These flaws along with the senseless experimental delivery of "Laughin' To The Bank" water down an otherwise exciting listen for anyone willing to humor Keef's madness.

His sophomore solo set, God of the Serengeti, sticks to the script, and that's not a bad thing.

Jesus Piece ends up being the least compelling release in Game's storied catalogue, but that doesn't mean it's not worth a listen.

Through the first 11 tracks on Diamond In The Ruff, Freeway is near flawless, showcasing an array of styles and fresh patterns while refusing to peddle shallow perspective. And then, over the course of the final five songs, the album nearly falls off a cliff.

Girl On Fire pushes her superb writing skills forward without losing what makes Alicia Keys the artist she promised to be 11 years ago.

General Patton walks a fine line between putting his troop of featured artists in their place, while still showcasing his own five star pedigree.

The album slightly suffers from copycat syndrome with "Initiation" being the latest in Hip Hop's long line of Lex Luger replications (guest starring Lola Monroe, Taylor Gang's Nicki Minaj soundalike) and "Remember You" following the trend of working with drug chic singer The Weeknd, but Wiz Khalifa mostly succeeds at occupying his own comfortable lane.

From mic to plug, Wu Block is a vintage Rap release only lacking in invention.

For now, MHz Legacy fits the group's journey quite well with strong highlights and a few struggles along the way.

The Solution once again combines Buckshot and 9th Wonder's accomplished and refined skill sets as pioneers of the '90s and the past decade respectively.

As its own EP, The Re-Up would help provide balance to the pop chart aspirations from last year. But as a tack-on for Roman Reloaded, it plays like a band-aid over a shotgun wound.

The album itself morphs from Dubstep, to R&B, to ballads, EDM, to Pop-Reggae--and that is its biggest achilles heel. It isn't something that other jumping-genre albums couldn't get over if it weren't for the the fact that it suffers from a serious sequence problem.

Overall R.E.D. is concise and beautifully simple, making it one of this year's smoothest R&B albums.

The mixtapes remain practically untouched, giving any new The Weeknd fans a genuine look into what allowed an unknown artist to transform himself into someone who breathed new life into R&B.

Skyzoo's sincerity as a rapper is shot through A Dream Deferred, but the album has a seamless musical charm.

"Stocking Cap" Sai may be no more, but Saigon proves that he still hasn't lost his touch on the mic.

Though his delivery, wit, and overall presence are exciting and the EP is good for surprises such as Gucci Mane exceeding expectations over El-P's contribution "Telephuck," the continual insistence on raunch risks becoming stale.

Marciano's outright refusal to relinquish his old school ways and broaden his reach results in enjoyable glorified crime fiction that could render him archaic sooner rather than later, but for right now it's perfect.

As a Wu-Tang project it is one of the most complete and consistent in the post-Supreme Clientele canon.... Iron Fists is also a compilation that wears its love of Asian cinema on its sleeve.

It's a matter of execution, and in that regard, fans will have little to complain about.

Two Eleven, while a well-crafted and produced album, falls short by comeback standards.

The title-track to Meek Mill's album has all the makings of a classic opening.... And yet, what transpires on the rest of Dreams & Nightmares is an inconsistency of lyrical ingenuity and thematic execution that will haunt the Philadelphian rapper on his debut.

First Of A Living Breed is another powerful entry into the Good Sun's discography.

His involvement in the actual song-making process may be limited, but his ear for the finished product shouldn't be understated.

Lace Up is an imbalanced project that fails to establish MGK's grand message. His debut is decent at best.

An exemplary balance of serious and cheerful cuts alike, very seldom does The Heist reach beyond its means.

Napalm finds X fluctuating between trying to recapture the sound he perfected when he was cavorting with the Aftermath staff, and exploring elder statesmanship a la "Thank You" from 2006's Full Circle. When he goes too far in pursuit of either extreme, Napalm falters.

With Good Kid, m.A.A.d. City, Compton's flag bearer unveils a group of songs equally potent individually and collectively, meeting the mainstream and rabid fans in the middle, improbably touching that thinnest slice between mass appeal and mass respect.

Numbers can be applauded as the mature nature and notably impressive songwriting displays progression from MellowHype's older riotous material.

With points rewarded for originality and innovation the composer's greatest strengths are also his faults, as this effort lacks cohesion and sensible sequencing making for an exercise in patience that only biased fans would process as a sign of genius.

Murs and Fashawn forge an exceptional chemistry on This Generation that more importantly doesn't compromise their stylistic individuality.

There's nothing to startle about the music or the lyrics and there's little that isn't coated with a whiff of having heard it all before.

With Food & Liquor 2: The Great American Rap Album Pt. 1, Rap's resident Judo master of juxtaposition sounds inspired again, dishing out shifting dichotomies through a scattering of deliveries without encroaching on petulance.

Mourning in America and Dreaming in Color takes an inspiring and heartfelt stance, representing another triumph for the resilient and complex orator Brother Ali.

Cruel Summer is heavy and brash, and in that sense, it succeeds. G.O.O.D. Music's first outing successfully showcases the collective's talents, but it's ultimately an underachieving and uneven effort.

With welcome to: OUR HOUSE, Slaughterhouse has somehow managed to improve upon its already-absurd skill set.

With his debut album he's revealed himself as bare and buffoonish.

StereoType finds both Statik and Strong Arm Steady breaking new ground that is free of expectations and limitations, proving themselves capable of making relatable music that can't be boxed in and assigned a personality.

Lacking any cohesion, Kiss The Ring is a series of single tracks that hit or miss.

This Time isn't Sigel's strongest endorsement as an emcee--that would be The B. Coming--but it is a testament to his impeccable ability to select production.

What makes 3 listenable in its darkest moments is the production, where P often struggles to sound comfortable.

Bold and indulgent, God Forgives, I Don't embodies why Rick Ross has become a fixture that listeners can depend on, as well as an executive who can strategize success for not only himself but others around him.

Although it feels druggy and improvisational at times, the outcome is soberingly great.

The complete package displays an obvious maturation from the veteran that is effectively in tune with a focus many have considered missing for some time.

The album is a storyteller's album. In fact, it's an immensely inclusive R&B album.

Ultimately, fans of Aesop will love this release, but those who have yet to find a reason to listen to his music won't find one here.

Overall, Fortune further indicates a changing of the guard in urban music, as Chris Brown's feel good songs find his most staunch advocates willing to overlook his lowered standards of musical content.

Wild Ones is an unfilfilling [sic] and detached listen.

Self Made Vol. 2 is a noted improvement from its predecessor.

Attractive Sin, an album that is sure to add to his discography as another solid effort from Sir DZL.

Smoke DZA and Harry Fraud deliver a solid collection of songs that grow more interesting on repeated listen, basking in an evolved sound equally representing vintage and avant-garde New York Hip Hop.

Love & Danger leaves a confusing stain on the veteran's legacy and does little to strengthen the cause of loyalists with a vested interest in his haphazard easily misunderstood art.

While there are some highlights on the album, they don't nearly make up for the glaring flaws throughout, the lack of noteworthy lyrics or the redundancy in topics, flows, hooks and beats.

Azealia Banks has an endearing charm, magnetic glow, and aggressively attitudinal confidence that come together as 1991's short collection is equally catchy and unique rendering her one to continue watching.

Oh No's execution is slightly off the mark in sticking to its motif, but that shouldn't detract from the goods he's brought this time around. We can dig it.

His singular sound gives the project a wonderful sense of cohesiveness and gels Purpp's vision together with a maturity beyond his young years.

The album is brimming with peerless content and an enlivened ambience that is manifested from his spoken word introduction to his grandmother's parting words on the closing track.

Curren$y's big league debut The Stoned Immaculate remains faithful to the spirit of his beloved witty arrogance, while bolstered by star power intended to propel his career at this pivotal stage.

The project furthers Top Dawg Entertainment's winning streak and marks the formal arrival of a cornerstone for this organization, an interestingly deep thinker whose determination and expanding consciousness seek to uplift and shape the world around him.

Elitist as it might seem, it's a Rap album that sounds better if you can name most of the Gang Starr Foundation.

There's no doubt--R.A.P. Music is the best Southern Rap album since Big Boi's Sir Lucious Left Foot: The Son of Chico Dusty.

There's still a bit more growing to do, but Master of My Make-Believe shows that's she's headed in the right direction.

B.o.B. has been adamant about his latest album being created organically, yet that doesn't justify the lack of cohesion or quality found on Strange Clouds.

This is an escapist listen that appeals to fans beyond the traditional Hip Hop consumer, and is as forward-sounding as it is nostalgic.

At times tasteful and other times tasteless, Pluto demonstrates a bravado that knows no shame.

Gift of Gab is a craftsman, and achieves goal to provide uplifting music.

While her voice may be a point of contention for newcomers and the album's content risks going over heads in its catering to the progressive sect, openminded listeners will find fortune, self-esteem, and inspiration from her constantly growing womanhood.

Pop Star Nicki is still going strong so her fans should have nothing to worry about, but those of us who started collecting with the original line should probably just find a new hobby-Mixtape Nicki has been discontinued.

The album is replete with humor, drama, and a satisfying sense of duality and resolution.

For anybody who's ever considered Rap cliche or walked away believing all has possibly been said, this is one emcee whose writing and candor is trailblazing the conversation.

The 17 tracks that precede Oldie are a hodgepodge of styles and line-ups; they're random in an ineffective way, with crew members seemingly shoe-horned together and the songs rolled out with little thought as to how the mixtape-slash-album plays as a whole.

It's not an understatement to call Carnivale Electricos one of the most fun, vibrant, and culturally-diverse albums in recent years.

WZRD's strengths are rooted in Kid Cudi's vocal tone, one that is gripping and melodic despite his quite limited singing ability.

In addition to her general growth as an artist, All of Me mainly works due to Estelle having the confidence to let it work instead of over-thinking it.

It's serious when necessary, occasionally triumphant, and impressive enough that you have to consider him a force to be reckoned with.

More Beautiful Than Silence, is one of the year's most authentic rap collections.

Black Cocaine is still raw in the right ways.

Underground Hip Hop in the right and literal sense of the term, Vodka & Ayahuasca is an uncompromising listen that dwells in the underbelly of an increasingly saccharine rap scene.

With pitfalls and all, Wiley is still going strong as artists come and go.

The rhymes and the beats are correct on every song on The Earn, and whenever he speaks against something, he offers an alternative.

Habits & Contradictions may be no follow-up to fellow Kendrick Lamar's Section .80, but ScHoolboy Q definitively shines through as a formidable rapper with immense future potential.

Live From The Kitchen is just about the most predictable rap album you could ever listen to.

He gives a worthy addition to the series and continues his reign as one of rap's best.

Lioness: Hidden Treasures preserves the gift of a true diamond in the rough.

Every song on The Dreamer/The Believer succeeds off the strength of Common and No I.D.'s seasoned chemistry.