If you're not expecting an hour of profound wisdom from start to finish this is an ideal late summer mixtape to ride around to.

Nevertheless, while it’s difficult to get past the wording of Travis Scott’s “Astroworld” follow up, the instrumental completeness and overall energy is difficult to forget.

The Mountain Will Fall is DJ Shadow's best album in over a decade, largely because it is his most consistent since "The Private Press."

Overall, aside from some promising lines and one, maybe two standout tracks, “Richer Than I Ever Been” is an album that predictably falls short. It simply features too many weak beats backing up bars that often do more to bore than they do to convey a sense of skill or originality.

It's about as weird and wonderful as you'd expect from a guy who looks like he's been living on a commune for the past ten years.

Stay Trippy may not be the album you play for doubters to prove the artistic merits of hip-hop, and its subject matter wears thin after a while, but damn if it doesn't sound good loud.

"The Massacre" is still a fine follow-up to his last full length release, and despite a few miscues avoids letting down his fanbase.

While it's not better than 50's national debut or G-Unit's album, it's certainly no worse.

Fabolous is borderline to being cornball with his jokes, but he's got the one hundred to pull it off when you add all the elements together. Add in the fact he pulls some of the hottest guest stars in hip-hop for albums like Loso's Way and you've got it made.

While he's still the 21st century's answer to KRS-One, a rapper who is simultaneously intelligent and engaging, he needs to work with producers who are capable of sharing that vision with the masses in an equally engaging way. At times "The Beautiful Struggle" achieves this perfection combination, and at other times you're left loving the lyrics but lacking in headnodding dopeness.

Like Big Boi and Andre 3000, Lyrics Born is on a mission to expand the boundaries of the genre. He doesn't always succeed, and the result is an album that is a little inconsistent, but it is damn good more often than not.

To be honest, this just doesn't really feel like a Game album--there's a distinct lack of drama, of real hyperbole, of genuine excitement. It tends to come across as a resume.

All in all this project comes up very short. Lil Wayne is simply not what he used to be, and 2 Chainz leaves much to be desired.

There's a noticeably muted tone to his delivery and a bit of his defiant "proud to be country" attitude has faded away.

There are enough songs with worthwhile beats and guests to hold this album together to some degree, and depending on whether or not you like Flocka's lyrical style will be the degree.

She's going for Nicki Minaj meets Eminem meets Rihanna on the Tyra show. It feels like a major missed opportunity.

Napalm is remarkably focused, not forsaking the established Xzibit sound but neither rehashing it.

While "White People" certainly shows no lack of adventure... one is ultimately left wishing that Dan and Paul toned the wackiness down a few knobs this time around.

Even with the occasional humorless rhyme and plodding beat, Joey Badda$$'s latest mixtape is further proof that he is a force to be reckoned with, and that the hype around him is not unwarranted.

There's far more good here than bad, but there's definitely a sense of familiarity to Diamond in the Ruff.

I'm not saying Wale is Jay-Z yet--and it's not certain he ever will be--because a Shawn Carter only comes along once in a generation. What I do see on The Gifted though is that potential.

There are flashes of this kind of openness, honesty and personality throughout but a whole album of "Tango" type tracks would have been really special. As it is though "Still Striving" isn't a bad release.

The end result is an album that is as unsuccessful as it is daring.

Ice Spice provides very little in the way of significant or substantial thematics on this album and that lacking is certainly felt as her technical ability takes a dive and her beat selection goes down with it. With little to look to on this album, it falls flat on the floor.

However he chooses to create his albums, both Logic's talent as an emcee and his insightfulness can't be denied.

The Return of Mr. Zone 6 is the best and worst of Gucci Mane in almost equal measure, though it's enough of the best to pull up to an acceptable level.

At times their shared mic duties on this CD seem very forced, but the beats and guests smooth out those rough edges and help you to overlook the fact this unit isn't what it used to be.

Getting a sequel to the first two volumes was an unexpected and pleasant surprise, but outside of his hardcore fan base of Wu-Tang Clan fans there's not much chance of this album succeeding.