The album takes a more digestible approach than its predecessor, Feet of Clay; while still heavy on metaphors and wordplay, it’s not buried under cryptic mystique, allowing one of rap’s most prominent enigmas to come out of the shadows.

If Covert Coup was the beginning of two trailblazers starting to find their path, then Continuance is the victory lap as they reflect with gratitude and satisfaction over the legends they’ve built for themselves.

Mr. Wonderful isn’t everything for everybody, but it seems to belong completely to Bronson.

Thugger has performed vocally like this before on Jeffrey, lyrically like this on Slime Season and emotionally like this on Beautiful Thugger Girls but not consistently have they all converged together like this, forging the ultimate Young Thug Voltron. Plus, this top-notch performance has been spread across such perfectly paced beats. Quite literally, the production on this album is just a blast.

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

Please Excuse Me For Being Antisocial is the type of debut every breakout artist strives for. The album flaunts commercial appeal with hints of immense potential when it becomes more thoughtful, gritty and shows off Roddy’s knack for songwriting.

Mozzy’s strengths are YG’s weaknesses and vice-versa, which is the making of an ideal collaboration. There is an iron-clad authenticity to every note and word on the album: It’s rap that makes you start doing pushups, rap that you’ll most likely hear in the next Fast and Furious movie, and most importantly, rap that you’ll remember for longer than a few weeks.

There’s no glorifying of childish trends or negative influences, instead Monae favors creating music that could be embraced by varying demographics and is molded to withstand the test of time.

The project succeeds in tying its theme of spiritual crisis amidst stardom to an analogy for the struggle to satisfy purists, but the overall results for this concept are fairly lackluster.

Eminem and Royce Da 5'9" are perfectly capable of standing on their own, but it's clear that even after all these years, they inspire something special in each other.

Each word he raps is carried by an exhausted voice devoid of emotion on the surface, painting a scene of what it’d be like if he was trapped in his neighborhood. In doing so, he reveals more about himself and an ignored slice of America than sensationalized news stories ever could.

Its focus on breadth is also part of its charm, and although the project is 18 songs deep it does not feel rushed through, but rather lived through.

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

On Marciology, he dazzles for 45 straight minutes, whether he’s talking about the Bible or someone’s aunt he went to bed with.

Flying High leaves you wanting more, and that’s a good thing.

Urgent and impactful as always, his heartfelt music succeeds at balancing out traditional drum programming with original music composition.

While Chainz’s level of authenticity remains intact throughout the album’s duration, the commercial ambitions of its third quarter give way to a lapse of quality.

There isn’t a ton of lyrical progression for La Flame on this album. ... But he soothing digitized finish and woven through the most polished contemporary drums in Hip Hop, it’s truly hard to hate. That puzzling beauty is the best part about Scott’s music.

Sremmlife 2 is worthwhile (and much needed) bid for album of the summer. It’s top heavy, “By Chance,” “Look Alive,” and “Black Beatles” feeling a lot like one of the best three song stretches of the year, but Swae brings a promising sense of experimentation to the entire project.

Vacation in Hell is a worthy effort that showcases the individual strengths of each Zombie member, from Arc Elliott’s compelling concoctions to Meechy’s raspy, full-throated raps and Zombie Juice’s sing-songy hooks and spiritual-political leanings.

From the jamming intro to the sublime closer, Jeffery is a testament to the rapper’s carefree spirit.

He doesn’t dazzle with sinewy flows or clever melodies; he spits what’s on his mind and trusts it will resonate. It definitely resonates on Beyond Bulletproof, due to his transparent lens and well-suited production. Chalk it up as a victory for Sacramento’s lyrical champion.

Encapsulates everything a Gen Z rapper should be aiming for; young gun energy mixed with traditional skill.

With 4 Your Eyez Only, J. Cole deserves consideration for tugging at the heartstrings of listeners with raw human emotion but still leaves open the door to reach a musical zenith.

It may take more than one sitting to get through it, but anyone who dives in as fan will discover there are plenty of contact highs to be had.

Ghostface Killahs won’t shake up the current Hip Hop ecosystem but does offer a gritty detour down those commercial highways. But longtime fans could argue the project is his strongest since 2006’s Fishscale.

Starboy won’t immortalize his legacy just yet but it will strengthen a once desolate Toronto kid’s placement in a musical sect he probably couldn’t even have ever dreamed of being in.

DISCO! demands to be met halfway. Without listener buy-in – it’s just a collection of musings. However, when the listener allows MIKE to conduct his symphony of introspection, the album reveals itself to be a treasure trove of compassionate nihilism and a definitive body of work by one of rap’s most understated lyricists.