The project is one of his best thus far by virtue of him composing an album in which listeners can empathize with how he views religion ("Hallelujah"), the club ("Ball"), women ("Guns and Roses," "Can You Learn," and "Crusin'") and so forth.

The Saga Continues falls hazily to the side. While the project's title indicates the "saga continues"--featuring solid rhymes from each member and sample-heavy beats from Mathematics--it's not the opus that will surpass the classics in Wu's already established legacy.

At such a flourishing stage in his career, Kodak should continue to refine his sound throughout a full body of work but growing the brand via authentic hit records should be somewhere on his radar. With attention spans shortening by the second, Kodak’s follow-up project should aim to have something go far beyond the Internet.

The kind of God level rapping that Ab-Soul showcases on Do What Thou Wilt means this album will exist predominantly in the headphones of those shrewd enough to understand.

Even with so many features, Tyga rarely lets the album get away from him, remaining in the driver's seat even when next to young stars and legends.

Overall, Rodeo has plenty of bangers and noteworthy collaborations that help bring out a futuristic trap sound that could bleed into the mainstream of hip-hop in no time.

Ye feels lyrically scatterbrained, as if its creator was unable to focus on anything for long enough to deliver a cohesive message.

For the majority of the 20 tracks, each has a different producer and no two songs sound alike. This both helps and hinders the listening experience. On one hand, the scattered sounds align perfectly with the overarching idea of wildly varying teenage emotions, but on the other, it’s hard to attentively listen to all the way through--especially with a whopping 21 songs.

Self Made Vol. 3 won’t silence the haters of Rick Ross’ MMG movement, and it certainly does not break the mold of previous iterations in the series. However, the album’s hits should have a lasting impact, serving as jump off points for several of the artists on the label.

True to Self may fall short in terms of being a showcase of Bryson Tiller’s maturation, but wins in terms of its aesthetic and addictive refrains.

He could have benefited from having the album broken up into seven-track EPs and released over the course of two-three months, but we’re forced to aimlessly sift our own way through D.Z.A. Lucky for us, there’s enough gold in there to go around.

RetroHash is a confused jumble of ideas that has its heart in the right place.

X certainly proves that Chris Brown’s talent will forever shine through over whatever troubles come his way.

Raekwon’s passion and well-crafted rhymes show he’s still capable of creating high quality work as an MC, but F.I.L.A. is too disjointed to stand beside his best work.

While Ludacris’ name may miss several Best Rapper Alive lists, he never fails to deliver on each album. If Ludaversal is a reminder that he hasn’t fallen off lyrically, the game should pay attention.

With so many personalities vying for attention, the artists struggle to display their own individuality, instead constantly relishing in their new spoils.

The album is a standout effort that introduces the full-range of his talents as an MC with crafty songwriting abilities and deft ear for a sonic palette.

Kiss The Ring is brief and overrun with enough proven formulas and artists that the opportunity for a miss barely exists.

By using his seasoned ear and stuffed phonebook, Dram has fed his base with what is indeed Quality Street Music.

While some may feel the clap-back approach reeks of bitterness, there's no denying how skillfully Em runs through these six minutes of lyrical acrobatics. He keeps listeners more attentive than he has in quite some time with an abrasive attitude that was missing from Revival.

With his gruff tone and no-nonsense flow, Rob holds down 14 tracks with only one guest appearance without any problems.

On Finally Rich he continues to execute a his niche sound, and at a high level.

If you’re willing adjust to a less joyful Guwop, there are actually some great things happening on Trap House III.

Though the content of We The Best Forever is what we've come to expect from a DJ Khaled offering-grandiose odes to the grind and getting yours-that he understands how to create those better than most is what makes a DJ Khaled track, and album, worthwhile.

Even without being a completely authentic offering from the Killa Beez, Legendary Weapons is a solid listen that can hold fans over and shows the Wu's weapons remain razor sharp, leaving hope for an official LP.

It pans out as--at the very least--a unique and varied production that asks to be received seriously, even if Riff Raff’s choppy, uneasy flow and absurdist imagery runs counter to that.

Major Without A Deal is another step forward for Troy Ave, but it’s also another win for the birthplace of hip-hop.

Khaled sticks to what he knows best throughout this LP and that’s creating hits with ease. The 22 songs on Grateful aren’t anything out of the ordinary for Khaled or any of his featured guests but they remain hits nonetheless.

What you'll find in Power & Passion isn't anything outside of his unorthodox style and New York bubble. Rather, it's a fine appetizer before he gears up for an album debut.

It’s the heated Cash Money conflict that’s carrying the project, no question, but aside from some of his singles and featured verses, this is as focused and engaging as we’ve heard Wayne since Tha Carter III. S4TW2 falls short of being a great standalone project, but it’s not built for that anyway.

A scattershot collection of fresh-yet-familiar thumpers that will nicely keep the Migos brand bubbling through the forthcoming solo sets from kinfolk Offset and Takeoff. This is step one in building anticipation for the inevitable reunion record of three voices that, until proven otherwise, are best experienced playing off one another.

More than it's lack of rap, Pink Friday: Roman Reloaded suffers most from not fully being any one thing, as it's unable to balance multiple approaches into one package.

Brevity in music can be good, but some of these songs seem to end as quickly as they start, and could be fleshed out a bit. Desiigner’s lyrics also seem to be limited in subject matter, and the themes of the song can all seem the same after a while.

Satellite Flight captures Cudi’s adventure back home to the moon and does it brilliantly.

With a slimmed down tracklist and looser vision, A Better Tomorrow would be a fantastic offering. But as it stands, what could be the last Wu-Tang album ever leaves much to be desired.

Although D4 will not be celebrated as much some of his other work, he does reminds all why Hova considered sending "D.O.A. (Death of Auto-Tune)" to "the Mixtape Weezy."

He may be coming to grips with the fact that there are limits to what you can do at the top, as his clash with Billboard regarding his Samsung deal showed, but that doesn’t stop him--lyrically, promotionally, or otherwise--from trying to push the boundaries out a little further.

Even with some lack of vulnerability and risk, Tha Carter IV displays the nonsensical approach that fans have grown to love. Future and previous aside, Weezy's present is bright.

Overall, the album has a good balance of solo tracks and features.

With Violence Begets Violence, JMT are as vicious and energetic as ever, reminding why they've been able to enjoy such longevity.

He proves easy to listen to both as a capable MC with some shining moments.

Rubba Band Business plays to Juicy J's strengths and succeeds in highlighting the best of what he has to offer.

The album isn’t necessarily a classic, or better than The Heist, but it does prove Macklemore is here to stay.

The result is tailored toward the stereotypical collegiate definition of "fun," sounding like the soundtrack to a keg party, rather than the "grown and sexy" interpretation of a good time.

There was opportunity on Blue Slide Park to genuinely capture some real elements of youth, and the album doesn't capitalize on the opportunity.

The two music minds came up with a project that wavers between brilliant synergy and occasionally uninspired filler.

Indicud is an at-times very good album, but it’s certainly no 2001. This isn’t because of a lack of ingenuity or creativity on Cudi’s part, but rather because the decision to act as the project’s sole producer didn’t do him any favors.

Spanning 16 tracks, 1017 Bricksquad Presents: Gucci Mane & Waka Flocka Flame – Ferrari Boyz gets redundant at times, but it features more studs ("PacMan,") than duds ("Mud Musik").

While the songs with Rae's contemporaries bang, the joints starring his artists--JD Era, Ceazar-N-Reason, Camoflauge, Big B, Tommy Nova and R&B singer Altrina Renee--are hard to sit through

The album probably has more features than any other Budden project, but it’s not overbearing. Also, Joe does not move away aimlessly from what he is good at and what he enjoys.

The seasoned MC isn't exactly saying goodbye to rap. However, whenever he does decide to hang it up, Trill O.G. will surely go down as a testament to why Bun B is one of the trillest to ever do it.

Kurupt’s energy doesn’t carry over to every song on Streetlights.

Unfortunately, the third installment of the critically acclaimed series fails to excite.

He simply doesn’t provide enough flash to continue his meteoric ascent toward becoming an independently viable brand.

Khalifa likely won’t sway opinion of Wiz Khalifa, whether positive or negative. For better or worse, it’s a portrait of the rapper we’ve seen for years. It does do things a little more consistently and adds a little more detail than what we’re used to seeing.

What works for Wiz is crafting similar songs to perfect the Taylor Gang aesthetic.

Rolling Papers 2 may not eclipse Wiz's most acclaimed work, but it is an admirable effort that shows growth in a creative evolution that gives hope that his best could still be ahead of him.

Although a few late quarter misfirings render the album’s title misleading, there is too much good here to say with a straight face that Iggy will amount to nothing more than a flash in the pan.

Not unlike Lasers, lots of songs on this album have focused verses from Lupe and large scale, sing-along choruses from featured guests, which both helps and hinders the overall listen.

Rise Of An Empire, Young Money Entertainment’s sophomore album, is marred by its lack of star power.

Overall, Full Speed is probably Kid Ink’s best project to date. He sounds focused and he executes by pleasing his core fans with quality radio and club-friendly music.

There are no lyrical acrobatics-just his patented simple-sounding yet soon-to-be-sewn-in-your-brain one liners.

Excuse My French is a good album, possibly the best one the Coke Boy could make.

The lyrics on this album are more of the same.

The album is a welcomed return for 50, who sounds like his hiatus didn’t affect his ability to create his signature street records.

Nuthin’ 2 Prove, like it’s 2018 predecessor, Lil Boat 2, largely sees Yachty spinning in place, warring with his past and grasping at a murky future.

There is a lot of content geared towards the party, bullshit and get money topics that are present in rap culture. However, the production (which is mostly done by Bobby Ray) evokes a deeper appreciation for his music as a whole.

While Revival isn’t the defibrillator that Eminem needed to revive his dominance, the album has enough highlights to maintain decent replay value and enough lyrical miracles to keep mindful rap from totally flat lining. His pen game hasn't lost even half of a step, and he still possesses the neurotic edge that's always made him such a driving force in hip-hop.

It takes fewer risks than Careless World and as a result there are less payoffs.

What makes Total Xanarchy shaky is also what makes for an honest debut. Sure, there are moments of redundancy and filler songs that could have been left on the cutting room floor. But a lot of music on this album is fresh, exciting and a sign of the changing times.

Rich Gang is not especially lyrical, but that’s not really a shocker; its strengths lie more in its hooks and club appeal, and it’s fully stocked with tracks that demand to be played at ear-shattering and floor-shaking volumes.

The highs of PND 2 have replay value, and the lows--though there are certainly more of them--blend with the rest of the album as it plays in the background of a bedroom.

Chris Brown and Tyga have given fans what they wanted, but with an abundance of turn-up tracks, the album fails to tackle more serious topics, as the duo has in the past on “Deuces.” It’s a wonder why they avoided the prior formula this go round.

Tyga has served up a solid effort with The Gold Album: 18th Dynasty, exploring new territory and pushing himself in a different direction than he’d gone during his ratchet past work. It’s just not necessarily a better one.

The songs are short, not mixed particularly well and--perhaps due to his untimely passing--feel unfinished. Had X been around to see this album all the way through and hash out some of its rushed wrinkles, it has the potential to have been his best project yet. But as it sits right now, Skins renders itself another opportunity for XXXTentacion's cult-like following to continue enjoying new music.

This joint LP produces sub-par lyrics, multiple cartoon beats and a whole lot of, "What the hell did they just say?"