Overall Breakfast effectively blends alternative and hip-hop elements into an eclectic montage of fresh lyricism and bursting musical backdrops.

Oh No is certainly a capable lyricist but the tracks on Ohnomite tend to work best when he lets his guest artist take the foreground.

It's functional, escapist, I-hate-my-job-and-live-for-my-weekends, music.

Rugby Thompson is by far the most cohesive piece of work Smoke DZA has put out and it's clear he has developed in to a serious player in the independent hip-hop scene.

Overall Together/Apart is a very good record, and a few minor missteps from being a great one.

In the end, the high points here are more than compelling enough to warrant repeated spins, and the weak spots are simply forgettable, not unlistenable.

Though it may not be the knock out aural masterpiece one would expect from the likes of a Flying Lotus production, The Golden Age of Apocalypse excels by harnessing the spirits of Pastorious, Sun-Ra, and other left-of-center demigods, dazzling us with FlyLo and Bruner's unique brand of collaborative eccentric genius.

Overall, the album displays an artist in total command of his style and vision, which only makes sense considering how long and accomplished Dennis Coffey's career has been.

It's a challenging, complex and sometimes brilliant album from an extremely talented artist who doesn't place limits on himself, though at times you may wish he had thrown a few small ones in there.

While the project may not rack up repeat spins for most listeners, the sheer boldness will certainly hold attention whenever it does land in the deck.

While the material on Second Chance is quite straight forward and not very new, the album works, because it's a comfortable move forward for an artist who is trying to make up for lost time. The album is a defining second chance.

This album may not appeal to some (especially those heads looking strictly for lyricism and weighty content). However, fans of both grime and dubstep will undoubtedly enjoy this offering, and most notably: Wiley's evolution.

While casual listeners may be left scratching their heads a time too often for their liking, connoisseurs of pure MCing will find plenty to admire in Beans' craftsmanship, and long time fans of the Consortium will likely add this project to their collections with no regrets.

Their conversational deliveries and every man personas, cultivated in the often self-effacing world of blog rap sometimes feel small atop sparse, up tempo production clearly inspired by the late '80s when larger than life mic controllers brought the color to often minimalist canvases.

Crafty lyricism exemplifies this release by the guys from Portland, with the infectious zeal for hip-hop that's as instantly apparent and possessive of endurance as true as that of another famous Oregonian, runner Steve Prefontaine.

Between the obvious hits and the Halcion fuzz however lays an interesting sound.

There is no visible rust on Game Tested, Streets Approved, Rob's first album in six years.

Though the album hits all the right notes, the muted horns, understated strings and whispery vocalist with major funk potential leaves you nostalgic for something more.

Packaged together here, The Fall does not feel like a proper Gorillaz album, but more like a musical scrapbook of the tour. Fortunately for us, even Damon's scraps are worthy of a casual listen.

Finally Famous boasts enough bouncy beats and catchy hooks that he should have no problem landing a follow up on the charts. Still, the album falls short of establishing him as an artist of a magnitude to match his name.

It's not a bad album, it's actually pretty good. Just not their best.

Ultimately, listening to Goblin feels a lot like reading a creative writing assignment by the kid in the army boots and trench coat who sits in the corner. There are moments of clarity that show a unique talent, if only he weren't trying quite so hard to be unique.

9th Wonder and Buckshot have delivered a plate of comfort food that fans will enjoy, if not necessarily savor.

Stereotype succeeds in melding styles seamlessly, and delivering enough synergy to help each one of the acts involved broaden its audience.

It's a solid DOOM album to add to the catalog of previous releases.

It's a testament to Ghostface's MC bonafides and sheer force of personality that, while easily his weakest solo outing, Apollo Kids is far from a bad album. It just doesn't quite feel like a Ghostface Killah album.

The Man with the Iron Fists soundtrack is certainly an adequate companion piece to the film, and will likely earn a spot in the collection of most Wu diehards. Still, it feels like a missed opportunity for a grand musical statement to further bolster the Wu-Tang legacy as it makes its transition to the silver screen.

It's an indulgent side project and the monotony of the production is enough that the 'McKayla is Not Impressed' face may be unavoidable.

A band exploring a new sound is great, but that's what demos and the studio are for. Some of what The Strokes seem to be aiming for with Angles unfortunately isn't realized.

Something Big, does not have many musical surprises and may not bring aboard any new Mary Mary fans, but it will most definitely bring listening pleasure to the faithful Mary Mary fans.

It is readily apparent on Love Me Back that Ms. Sullivan is making a huge push at greater mainstream success.

Camp is powered by the same blend of quirk, wit and vulnerability that drives Glover's comedic endeavors.

Random Axe don't break the mold on this album, but they are sure to make stalwart fans of each individual rapper happy with a release that's thematically consistent if not repetitive and evocative of the three's surefire chemistry.

The album is certainly worth a spin for any music enthusiast who wants to further expand their already-eclectic listening tastes.

The album certainly works as ambient background noise, but it completely falls apart under close scrutiny.

Overall this will be a very divisive record for people: fans of non-traditional hip hop and abstract lyricism will love this record, fans of more mainstream sounding hip hop who enjoy flow and deliveries will probably not enjoy it as much.

Unlike the legends of BK past, London doesn't riff on drugs and housing projects, which in and of itself earns him a fair shot. He may be redefining what it means to be a rapper in the 21st century, but it wouldn't hurt if he practiced more rules of the game before changing it.

In music, the best artists bare their souls and shed light into unknown realities. With Cudi, however, the wounds might still be too deep, since he bemoans his way through the impressive soundtrack and lacks the essence needed to make this project resonate.Life has its ups and downs, but there's no need to implode.

The band is tight, the tunes are fine, and Ebo himself is on good form. But in general it simply lacks the power of his earlier material.

Here the stylistic plurality advances beyond likable ADHD-antics to the point where it no longer leaves the listening value unscathed.

Love & Danger fits the mold per Keith's willingness to unleash a tweaked stream-of-consciousness upon his listeners, but his flow isn't nearly as succinct as on records past.

As an album, there is nothing Aaron Neville is offering in these remakes that would make anyone want to listen to his versions instead of the originals. Therefore the album falls flat, and comes across as a well executed, but arbitrary project, from a legend.

While Nothing isn't N*E*R*D*'s strongest effort, it does offer an interesting take on pop music.

This album doesn't suck... it's just boring.

You gave it a listen, and it sounded like a good time. But deep down you know you didn't actually have one.

The sad thing is that if this concept had been presented as a one-off concert, it could have been amazing; a fitting tribute from the brightest stars of the 21st century to the man who taught them everything they know. But on record, it simply fails to take off. Quite frankly Quincy Jones, and his legacy, deserve better.