Malibu more than lives up to the high expectations facing Anderson .Paak.

Through over 70 minutes of Lamar’s latest, every facet of life for the young Compton rapper is held up to the light. Love, pain, hope, despair, triumph, defeat, it’s all there. ... He’s a rapper who understands rapping is more than just a good beat, a good punchline, or a good vocal tone. He’s blessed to have all of that but he takes the platform he got from it and makes art that will last a lifetime.

Even though I said Curry raps more than his peers, I didn’t say he NEVER sings. He flips back and forth between both on tracks like the Rugah Rajh produced “Speedboat,” but the nice thing is that he’s not so heavily medicated and AutoTuned that you can’t follow along with his delivery.

"Beauty and the Beat" is a rare, valuable record that channels two markedly different types of music into a new one, a collage of sounds that hasn't been heard in a very long time.

The Exxecution is twelve songs of slamming, grimey, take-no-prisoners NY hip hop. Ruste Juxx and Marco Polo show lames how it's done, and leave a trail of dead in their wake.

Hommy albums get better with repeated listens and he’s an artist that suits the album format. The antithesis of a regular coke rap rapper, his music carries a richer quality than Griselda regulars. Whether you can truly appreciate his craft depends on your patience and willingness to hear something a little different.

Atrocity Exhibition is a party rap album, a drug rap album, an emo rap album, and a post-punk album all rolled into one.

King Push's Darkest Before Dawn: The Prelude is a damn good record, but it is not flawless.

While Aesop Rock may not be every hip-hop fan's cup of tea, you must respect the man's grind. All-in-all The Impossible Kidis like (yet unlike) any Aesop Rock release: Ill underground beats and a lyrical prowess that yields rewards with each willing listen.

There's nothing to really get mad at, but there's not much to get excited about either. Scott is just "aight."

Lil Nas X set out to make a crossover pop album with “MONTERO” and succeeded.

Kool Herc: Fertile Crescent succeeds because it manages to balance Homeboy Sandman's unique delivery with fun, free-wheeling production.

Lizzo is a level-headed rapper who besides rhyme and reason also balances endearing and terrifying qualities. But she wouldn't quite be the standout if it wasn't for her screwball moments, which are frequent.

No one will forget after Emeritus, an album that proves Scarface deserves accolades and titles just as much as we deserve for him not to retire.

It's easily one of the best albums of the year so far, and has the sound and feel of a classic.

There’s a clarity in thought behind his bars that makes him stand out. He’s not content to drink cough syrup, AutoTune his vocals, and make up a bunch of nonsense that makes no damn sense but sounds catchy as hell. In fact if I was actually to pinpoint a shortcoming about Kream it would be that he makes “songs” instead of “singles” and that makes it hard for someone with a solid reputation from mixtapes to break out mainstream.

This is a quiet, mellow album that works better as chill out music than work out music. ... Well worth checking out, especially if you thought Tyler was a one-trick pony.

It is prime El-P, deep, heavy, funny, and banging all at the same time.

Years from now these "Donuts" will still be just as fresh as the day they first hit the store.

This is as essential as any other producer/emcee collaboration this year ("Pinata", "Run the Jewels 2") and proves that Premier (with the assistance of Adrian Younge) can still craft great albums with his well-worn formula.

By providing a cinematic narrative throughout, Royce proves that he is more than a one-trick-pony witty lyricist. He's introspective and not afraid of laying down confessional lyrics.

Let Them Eat Chaos is another fantastic album by an incredible talent.

Even if you struggle with the minimal production, “The Book of Traps and Lessons” is still an important album and one worth repeated listens. We are in an age of chaos and outrage, and Tempest offers clarity and compassion. She is one of the great voices of our age, and an essential artist.

It's not at Radiohead's level, simply because it's not as conceptually coherent; the lyrics may shock but they don't bite; the production (save for "On Sight" and a couple of others) is interesting but barely truly revolutionary within his own career arc, let alone when we count other contemporaries such as M.I.A. But while it might feel like an opportunity missed, at least Yeezus feels real.

After two studio albums and a handful of mixtapes she's reached a level of confidence where she can do a track like "Self Interview" and answer all the questions anybody would want to ask, all while humorously noting that "most people already skipped this song/cause it ain't about sex and killing".

Amusing, yes. Revolutionary? Not quite so much. ... Right now she's doing what sells and it's "Bodak Yellow" all day until her 15 minutes fades away.

Only "Friendly," another lightweight track recorded a few years back, makes Common Sense end with a question mark. ... With only one mixtape and one album J Hus has been able to enter the top ten in a competitive market, and Common Sense shows why, hitting the right notes with its expert composition and overall emotive quality.

Lizzo is kinky and playful too, but the most sexy thing of all is her unlimited confidence in herself. She thinks big, dreams big, and achieves it all on this album.