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.