He'll never win any of those freestyle battles but he can damn sure make a record that you'll enjoy listening to multiple times.

“Unlocked” is a blast. It is a highly-enjoyable snapshot of an otherworldly dimension traversed by the superbly-skilled rapper Denzel Curry and the fantastic Kenny Beats. This EP delivers loads of strong bars and beats alike and is most definitely worth the listen.

Even when you don’t understand his choices, you can’t argue with them, because you know they are coming from a place of thoughtful artistic creativity.

This isn't an immediate album. It's one that will take a few listens, but your patience will be rewarded.

I like what I see and hear on Tha Carter IV and no one is going to convince me he isn't a full-fledged artist worthy of being the household name he now is.

It's not your mother's, father's, sister's or brother's cup of tea, but for fans of D12 and/or Hunter S. Thompson, "Hannicap Circus" is one crazy trip through the mind of a lunatic.

G-Unit fans and Lloyd Banks fans in particular will be satisfied with "Rotten Apple."

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

SremmLife definitely lives up to the hype--yes, it's more focused towards the youth market, but it shouldn't preclude anyone reading this who enjoys the youthful energy of debut artists going nuts once they get a big chance.

There are no phony builds, no bass dropping, no obvious patterns. Faith in Strangers keeps listeners on their toes, and keeps their head nodding the whole time.

Overall, it's hard to find much fault with The Wonder Years, and it's remarkable how cohesive it feels given that it's a compilation album.

Long-time MF Doom fans and relative newcomers to his innovative beats and flows will both be satisfied by this release.

The rest of the album is rock solid, even if it takes a while to sink in. Whilst it does occasionally have a bit too much of an underground feel, it also chucks in a couple of more commercial numbers ("Confess" and "Out the Trunk") to help bring some ecological balance.

The beats and rhymes give life to a truly cinematic experience, as though the Souls had been airlifted from Oakland to a Hollywood soundset. It's a short trip geographically but a long player musically that's worth revisiting many times after your initial purchase.

I suspect as Ross continues to evolve as a lyricist there will be even more of a message in his music, but in the meantime the production and guest stars on "Trilla" make for an effective album that shows Ross has yet to tap into his full potential.

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.

"Chilltown, New York" proves itself a worthy successor not only to 2002's "React" but to the rest of Sermon's long and storied rap career.

Royce Da 5'9" is a well rounded beast throughout; and it's similar to the Bad Meets Evil EP in tone, but more expansive in ambition.

None Shall Pass is a record you can listen to over and over, simply in trying to decipher exactly what's being said, adding almost infinite replay value.

It's accessible enough to be listenable, challenging enough to be interesting, and has many layers for the listener to unfold and decipher.

He's clearly fought his corner admirably, because he's achieved it--it's an album that creates a particular mood, and vehemently sticks to it, even bending the will of the traditional rap joints in the process.

While Labor Days isn't perfect it is definately the underground Ghostface's most satisfying release to date.

This is certainly a fine album, pretty much throughout.

The fans who ride for Ev won't be disappointed by Cats & Dogs. He continues to show that love for hip-hop on tracks.

The music alone would be enjoyable, the words read on a page with no music would still be profound, but it is in their combination that The Last Poets still continue to create magic into their 70's and beyond. Maybe a little of that magic can rub off and help some melanin-deprived people "Understand What Black Is" but if not at least it's still a pleasure to listen to.

XXX is another excellent release from the man who is one of the best rappers out there, proving that you can be lyrical and street at the same time, and that hip-hop doesn't have to be one dimensional.

The fact that this record features Ab-Soul, Kendrick Lamar, Childish Gambino and Vince Staples means it is worth checking out for hip hop fans anyway; that it's actually a brilliant listen makes it all the better.