There's a decade of depth to D. Swain that shows in every bar, note, and beat of this Payback, one which should hopefully give the music biz a big smack in the face.

Vodka & Ayahuasca is not only one of the strongest rap releases so far this year, in terms of 'crazy combinations' it stands up to "Madvillainy" and "Hell: The Sequel."

Sour Soul isn't the best album in Ghostface's discography, but it is a fine effort.

While the tracks never reach and identity outside their own samples Greg does breath fresh new life into them and make things you've probably heard a thousand times, exciting again.

A$AP's charisma and finesse mostly compensate for his shortcomings as a lyricist. That, combined with the trippy heaviness of Danger Mouse's production, make "A.L.L.A." an album worth spending time with, even dead sober.

The songs that were already previously available on "So Far Gone" are a winner and the new songs don't bring Drake down off the high cloud he's already on.

Gift of Gab remains a fire-spitter but his flow has withered slightly since the immaculately delivered rhymes crafted in the early 2000s, but it's not always noticeable. Musically, there's some jarring moments that hold this back from being one of their best works.

“The Force” is a successful return for the 56-year-old, and possibly the most impressive example of a rapper approaching sixty, demonstrating why he’s one of the greats. Q-Tip frontloads the record with some stellar sounds, and it’s an album open to repeated listens, but it gets a bit bogged down in proving LL can still rap his ass off. A strong return, but doesn’t quite match those classics from yesteryear.

Pro Tools could be called a return to form, but since GZA never lost the form in the first place, it would be more apt to say that he's kept the peak form he already had and just honed his lyrical tongue to an even sharper and more polished edge.

Golden Era is hit or miss, but thankfully it's more of the former than the latter.

It's no secret the Twins get gully. Fortunately for listeners, it's very contagious. Unfortunately, it comes at the expense of lyrical content.

I think there’s room for “alternative hip-hop” in the mix, not everything in rap needs to be swaggering cock grabbing male posturing, and the difference between a rapper who sings and a singer who raps has diminished greatly. That doesn’t mean “Pony” is going to take the place of all-time classics like Organized Konfusion in my rotation, but it does mean that I can see a more open-minded interpretation of rap music as not necessarily destroying hip-hop music and culture. Rex Orange County has his place too.

While there are a few tracks that take left turns, most of the album follows a similar template and sound palette, which leads to a sense of sameness for such a short album. Malibu Ken is an Aesop Rock joint, which means it is worth listening to you until you decipher every pun and metaphor. If it feels less weighty and consequential compared to his solo albums, maybe that is point.

There’s a very real, dare I say relatable feel to Cole’s music that “The Off Season” continues to highlight. Unfortunately, it’s a few songs short of being a great album as Cole experiments with some different styles of production that aren’t always successful. Cole’s nearly-man mentality produces a nearly-great album.

It's an emotional and creative masterpiece in the genre of hip hop.

For me personally their sound isn't progressive any more--it's regressive.

It's certainly an enjoyable listen, with a few great songs – and at least it actually happened – but with the combined power, money and talent that Carter and West continually brag about, you can't help but feel that Watch the Throne could and should have been better.

The Odd Couple [is] thirteen songs chock full of honest, unabashed, experimental self-expression that isn't afraid to take chances.

Kiss of Death is the Jadakiss album that everybody's been waiting for, 'Kiss fans and critics alike.

If not here, then on the EP as a whole, Freddie Gibbs is clearly in command, fully aware of his own potential and self-assured that if we don't get it now...we'll catch up eventually.

Eleven tracks featuring Gift of Gab's superb rhyme writing, breath control and musical flow just don't seem like enough, but the amount of content he packs into that small space creates an energy density comparable to NOX, fueling this rocketship all the way to Mars and beyond to distant stars.

The album is an excellent listen from start to finish, and a generally successful snapshot of London in 2008.

The fans that know and love P or Havoc will immediately identify with H.N.I.C. Pt. 2 and will enjoy listening to it, for sure.

"Return of the Mac" is everything that "Blood Money" should have been and wasn't.

This is not a bad album – on the contrary, I like it. Drake is a clever guy, sure – but he will look back on this with disappointment at the imbalance of it, the intermittent connection, the lack of boldness.

The Life of Pablo has a lot going for it, but sometimes, even with all the best intentions, you can mess up a good thing just by virtue of being yourself.

The Music Scene is a good album, but one that is hard to get excited about.

Songs like “Wishing Well” carry on the things that made him popular — a catchy melody and hook, AutoTuned lyrics, tales of depression and drug use. All of Juice WRLD’s trademarks can be found here.