Redemption might be Jay Rock's most consistent yet. At 44 minutes, the album breezes by without many frills. Rock raps, makes his point, and gets out quickly after, allowing the TDE vet to chalk up his biggest win yet.

Knock Madness is indeed a stepping stone album, one that can only produce even better music in the future.

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

All in all, The Divine Feminine is an experiment well done. Mac Miller’s creative mind explores the ins and outs of the modern relationship while maintaining a certain level of sophistication that can be considered timeless.

Madlib and Freddie Gibbs are both total pros who knew exactly what they wanted out of Piñata, went out, and did it.

The emotion and power is not missing from MMLP2--but you’re getting one with more perspective, a version which has seen 13 more years and has a different outlook on some of the same topics that he first visited in 2000.

The lean guest list of trap all-stars Young Thug, Gunna and Travis Scott delivers solid if unspectacular support down the home stretch. Diehard Future fans, of which there are legion, will be satisfied. But at 20 tracks, The Wizrd runs overlong. Jewels like “F&N” (with its nifty beat switch), “Promise U That” and “Faceshot” run the risk of getting lost in all the streaming.

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.

Imperius Rex is a worthy entry into the Sean Price canon, and proof that his voice will still live on in hip-hop well after his untimely passing.

The album is a hulking catalog of Drake in his comfort zone, a space in which his ability to create memorable music that sits perfectly in the cradle of the cultural zeitgeist is unmatched. Still, the excessive 25-song tracklist is a misstep.

Rugby Thompson, an album that not only strips him of an unfair "weed rapper" label, but is also probably the best rap album to come out of New York this year.

Although the music is undeniably the most exciting part of the tape, A$AP does little to get in the way, oftentimes, enhancing the beats with his Bone Thugs-N-Harmony inspired flows.

The combination of one voice and one like-minded production team makes for a very clear, concise body of work, which FUTURE definitely is.

Big Sean is justifiably basking in his moment on Finally Famous, oozing lyrically dexterous flamboyance over lighthearted production.

A very strong debut album from J. Cole.

With Live from the Underground, through deeply authentic takes on his own life and surroundings, the 2011 XXL Freshman has found a way to create some of the most resonating, least selfish rap music around.

With both touching on their experiences in the prison system and their rise to the top of the food chain, Plata O Plomo is a triumphant return for Fat Joe and Remy Ma.

In his most recent solo endeavor, Control System, Soul craftily proves that he is indeed a potent weapon on a team full of heavy artillery.

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.

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.

His cadence and dance party-made flow make light of his more serious situations in a way that translates well to listeners. His rhymes are relatable and the beats are bumping—a true win-win.

When Fish Ride Bicycles is an energetic and fun summer album with lots of warm-weather references and car talk.

Maybe influenced by Marshall himself, Royce has learned to channel his loquacious voracity into a controlled rage, and the end result is perhaps his most complete body of work.

With Self Made 2, MMG takes another step toward truly becoming untouchable.

This is him at his creative peak. Bloated though it may be, these discs are The Game that was promised by a desperate industry in 2005.

The realest, most honest rap album in recent memory.

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

Without Warning is more than a Halloween novelty. Offset and 21 Savage turn their differences in delivery into an undeniable chemistry, while Metro Boomin's production gives the project a proper Halloween-inspired sound so their comparisons to classic villains like Freddy Krueger and Jason Voorhees aren't in vain.