Ultimately, the album is challenging and uncompromising as it makeshifts a rallying cry for the disenfranchised Millennial Redditor; a manifesto for the misunderstood.

In sum, the mysterious Tahliah Barnett has created a devastatingly beautiful and industrial debut.

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.

Alfredo is a master class in rap — 35 minutes of cutthroat bars that feel like 15, leaving you hungry for another course.

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.

On Wildheart, Miguel excels in embodying the name of the album by being an artist both making a progressive album, but also uncovering more knowledge of self in the process, too.

With its glitchy instrumental palette backing it, Lahai is a serene look to the future where Sampha can be at peace with his memories and can raise his family in a positive environment.

There are several JAY-Z albums that are superior in terms of musical creativity, but never has the man behind the Roc chain been more prolific in thought. It’s catharsis on steroids, walking the tightrope between FYI and TMI.

Monét weaves an instant R&B classic out of empowerment anthems, genuine respect for her soul elders, and an unflappable confidence that can only be admired.

Phonte and Pooh have released the best Little Brother album since 2005’s The Minstrel Show. In doing so, they’ve reaffirmed why LB means something special to so many people and proven the improbable is still possible.

With Care For Me, Saba accomplished his objective by making an album that can endure for years to come.

One of the best R&B/soul albums of 2018.

With Cudi playing the role once occupied by his own ego, Kanye’s music sounds freer than ever before. Together, these two studio wzrds have managed to produce something that is equal parts raw, honest, touching, spooky and ethereal. We’re going to need more than seven tracks next time.

GUMBO’ is arguably Siifu’s greatest work to date. It’s an album that’s accessible but never treads on its underground street cred or lessens the dusty aesthetic to conform. It’s compact with moments of wonder, tenderness and fun folded into each other. GUMBO’! is as complete as it is essential to Siifu’s discography.

Minor potholes aside, Victory Lap not only boosts Nipsey’s stock but it raises expectations for the next time he eyes a checkered flag. The benchmark for quality has been set and the race to officially hit the championship podium is only getting revved up.

She’s unafraid of uncharted territory and willing to step outside the conventional box Americans place on Afrobeats, all while broadening the umbrella of dance music.

Through thick and thin, Tribe embodies the fully fleshed out idea of the Hip Hop their impassioned audience clamors for: work that’s soulful, thought provoking, and gripping enough to transport minds away from strife to another world sonically.

On IGOR, Tyler showcases a more polished iteration of the hazy pop he’s been perfecting for years. Though some might be disappointed that he’s becoming more of a singer than a rapper, this is the kind of project that should encourage more artists to disavow labels and relish in taking risks.

Each of the tracks contain replay value, but the standouts besides the aforementioned are the blues-tinged “New Thangs,” “No Window Tints,” and the punchy funk-heavy snares and easy listening jazz keyboards on “Buddy & Sincere.”

The 17-track project finds Tyler leaning into his rap prowess and flexing more bars than on previous efforts like 2017’s critically acclaimed yet sonically lighter album Flower Boy. ... The blatant dichotomy between emotiveness and almost blind arrogance peppers nearly every track, shedding even more light on who Tyler is beneath the surface.

It’s indeed Summer Walker’s authenticity she sells on Over It that feels right at home with ’90s R&B, and adjacent to contemporary druggy Atlanta-centric Hip-Hop. Summer Walker is unashamed, contemplative, and despite her debut album name, far from over.

What strikes you most is the sheer joy present in the sessions, imperfections galore. The free-flowing yet concentrated totality of Kendrick’s method.

Keith has built an entire career on his abstract, stream-of-consciousness rhymes, which scream loudly throughout the 11-track project. ... An undeniably intriguing affair.

Moments like “Pt. 2” where Yeezy reflects on his parents divorce, his mother’s passing, his near fatal car crash over Rick Rubin, Mike Dean, and Metro Boomin’s bouncing madness linger long after last listen.

With Pieces of a Man, Jenkins is surely having his own Frank Ocean-esque moment--he’s expressing himself on his own terms with poignant lyricism and nuance.

Overall, it works and is another jewel in her crown — one that she, overall, can be proud to call hers.

Noname overwhelmingly succeeds in telling her coming-of-age story where she removes all emotional layers to explore everything from comical socio-political ideology to sexuality minus self-serving preachiness.

The seven-track album goes the distance to add further refinement and distillation to the steely, luxurious drug raps that earned him rap relevance. ... The album is only seven songs and 21 minutes long, but Kanye covers a lot of ground sonically without getting scatterbrained.