Few producers in the game boast similar originality and creativity, which makes Invite the Light a refreshing new album for 2015 and beyond.

In an artist exploring her brand new self pairing with a producer doing his best to pair up beats with her wild new imagery, this one never quite meshes, but is yet still impressive enough to sit back and marvel at the emotive and lyrical force that Angel Haze is evolving into.

Though not the blow away success that meets the considerable hype surrounding its debut, What A Time To Be Alive certainly features 2015’s top-selling rap superstar duo turning up and having a helluva lot of fun.

The release of his third studio album GO:OD AM showcases maturity beyond Miller’s years, the result of which is a cohesive project that is as cohesive as it is profound.

A solid effort that is up there with the best of the year but it definitely sets the stage for the emcee who made Follow Me Home and many feel could be the second best in the set to Kendrick to make the jump to great when sophomore time comes around.

If Welcome to JFK is meant to take Chinx Drugs to a national level, the song structures may be right, but the content shows Chinx was still in transition of fully realizing this aspiration.

Rodeo's back end after “Antidote” begin to mesh together and gets repetitive.... Nonetheless, the originality of Scott’s sound within this new movement provides for a strong rookie effort leaving the listener excited for a career that is just getting started.

Though their formula is simple, the pair takes precisely measured efforts to make sure each song remains true to their refined essence.

The Meth Lab may be Method Man’s return to solo work, but without a true connection between the tracks the album feels more like a mixtape than an album, a string of songs that range from uninspiring to a reminder that Method Man was once one of Hip Hop’s elite.

In reaching out and grabbing every pop sound that’s been successful in the past half-century of mainstream pop, rolling it tightly in a blunt and setting them ablaze with Abel Tesfaye’s sonorous vocals, this release gets much higher than most anything else released in 2015.

Each of Compton’s 16 tracks feel like individual set pieces bound together perfectly.

While his long journey has finally paid off, Living Legend lacks it factor to have listeners clamoring for a follow-up anytime soon.

Dom Kennedy once again makes another solid effort that’s perfect for the mid-summer kick-back.

Dirty Sprite 2 doesn’t survey any new territory for the croaking crooner, but it magnifies the depth of his distress and channels it into an even richer multilayered sonic experience.

While Ghost can tell a story and his skills are sharp (despite Action Bronson’s recent claims to the contrary), he’s sounded far more at home on this past winter’s Sour Soul LP with Hip Hop jazz band BadBadNotGood.

Lucky 7 doesn’t deviate from the framework of Statik’s previous compilations, but it does highlight his masterful command of each individual track, without ever simplifying the approach or integrity of the album.

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.

Overall, In Another Life is an easy, efficient listen, that caters to all facets of Bilal’s musical identity.

With a dynamic range that stretches from speedier tracks like “I Wish” to the slow and steady “90’s Class Act (Ek),” PeteStrumentals 2 refuses to settle on a single model, rather incorporating snippets of what Pete Rock has shown has fans over the years.

Throughout Free Weezy, Wayne is merely drawing in the spaces on a coloring book rather than in unique hues.

Ego Death is an album both suited specifically for the social media age of music listeners but simultaneously rich and permeated with the traditions of the soul and R&B music of the past.

Music For My Friends is an above-average effort from Skyzoo.

The Gold Album is underscored by its poor creative choices.

Dreams Worth More Than Money is a slight misfire for Meek Mill, but enough is there the we think he can eventually achieve in his music the high he’s achieved in his personal life.

No I.D. and company have helped him make music that’s both uncomfortable and lived-in, and Staples sounds more himself inside of it than ever before.

Troy Ave’s self-confidence skews towards myopic arrogance, as high points like “Young King” are practically ruined by intentionally off-key vocal melodies and “Real Nigga” comes off as Maybach Music Group karaoke.

Every Hero Needs a Villain is simply an enjoyable listening experience that any longtime Hip Hop fan is sure to appreciate.

Regardless of whether his hands are tied creatively to coded lyrics, such as “500 Homicides,” the music undoubtedly suffers as a result. But there are ephemeral periods on Remember My Name where Durk is more illuminative of his world, like “Resume.”