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.

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.

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.

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.

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

The album is a pleasure to listen to, with enough airy energy to fit a summer playlist and angst raw enough to carry it over into the shorter, colder days of winter.

It had that intangible love and passion behind it that so, so many albums these days are essentially lacking. The tone will brighten your day, while the passion will inspire you.

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.

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.

Yet, for all of GaGa's flamboyance, there was a humanity in her most memorable work that inspired a devotion in her legions of fans that went far beyond vigorous dance floor workouts. On Born This Way the quirky vulnerability is often lost behind the massive productions.

It's not a perfect album, nor is it always easy listening, but its imperfections make it even more of a human album from a rapper who's at its best at his most personal.

Just as the two's previous solo projects, the music will probably not sit well with most hip-hop heads, but it's the perfect LP for each of their respective fan base.

The Lonely Island continues to remind us that taking life too seriously isn't nearly as fun as putting bags over our heads during fellatio or shitting our pants during bank robberies.

Overall Killer Mike and Pl3dge is focused, hard hitting, a little pissed off at the way things are, and overall a breath of fresh air.

Despite talk of the non-living, one can say more resolutely that The Upsetter is back at it, town crying and rousing the most lively music lovers among us while keeping great reggae alive.

While it might sound more suitable for spins on a clunky, stereophonic hi-fi, this stone soul picnic is a breath of fresh air in the here and now amidst the throng of techno R&B androids scaling the charts.

While this album definitely has its FFWD moments, the Beasties' lighthearted approach still manages to hand the smack down to crab rappers and school the bratty new kids on the block in one fell swoop.

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.

Nine Types of Light is a damn good place for those of us as yet unfamiliar with TV on the Radio to start investigating one of the most adventurous bands around today. And I can guarantee that if you start here, you won't stop.

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.

Coming off the digital releases of Funk Man, and Automatik Statik comes Golden Era, the last third of the trilogy, which is, frankly, more of the same. But with Del, that's a good thing.

There are some tracks on this record I don't appreciate much now as a college student in my early 20s, but I can guarantee as I get older and more mature, I will find this album more relatable and more enjoyable.

House of Balloons is a surprisingly strong and confident debut for a new artist.

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.

The Defamation is one of those records that's just too easy to love; its best moments are simply undeniable.

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 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.

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.

This record a solid improvement over the excellent Causers Of This, and I am excited for his continued growth as an artist.

Even though there were a few points at which this album dragged for me, (see back to back six-minute songs), there is no doubt that this is not only a strong debut for Saigon, but a strong album that indicates he'll be a force in hip-hop for years to come.

The sheer ferocity of Monch's rhyming is more than enough to bridge any gaps and plow through any detours.

There's not a slacker in the bunch on 21, which is hard enough for many an artist to pull off at 31 – or even 51 – much less at an age when they're still too young to rent a car on their own

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.

If I were asked to document the unrest within Detroit, The Left's Gas Mask would be the backdrop. Journalist 103 and Apollo Brown have created a beautifully ugly masterpiece that seethes with urgency and raises the bar considerably for their peers at home and beyond.

This is a piece of work that raises the bar for all his contemporaries, and I would not be surprised to see this album at the top of many Best of 2011 lists.

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.

Bailey Rae's The Love EP is a short, but great listen with some of the finest love songs ever written.

All Day offers a departure of sorts from Night Ripper and Feed the Animals, his previous releases. The composition of those two essentially follow the same furious blueprint, whereas All Day allows the musical ideas a bit more time to breathe and evolve.

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.

Gutter Rainbows may not be promoted heavily due to its independent release, but it should be rotated heavily in our MP3's, it's a definite win for the listener/consumer.

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

With My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy, Kanye West transgresses paradigms and defies the limitations of genre, thusly granting himself the highest compliment payable to an artist.

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

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 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.

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.