The album still possesses enough of the classic Slug and Ant material that the underground has come to love that it will prove a welcome addition to their catalog.

While this project falls short of his more seminal offerings, 4:44 is among JAY-Z’s more meaningful bodies of work to date and showcases another dimension of the greatest rapper alive.

He's not always as nuanced as he's shown the ability to be, and can indeed come off preachy, so those with already established ideologies may find aspects of this album off-putting.

It's packed with the right ingredients for yet another solid appraisal from both fans and critics.

On past projects he has been comfortable sticking to a script he’s outlined for himself but here, he operates without rules. He isn’t bound by tempo, theme, style or even genre for that matter. All that appears to matter to Big Boi on Boomiverse is making good music that players can still bump in their Cadillacs.

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.

DAMN. may be Kendrick’s most commercially viable body of work to date and contains a number of breezy tunes that should keep him on the Billboard charts for the foreseeable future, but is at its best when the rapper delves inward.

Whether Tech wants the bigger fame or not is unclear, but it’s safe to say the growth he displays here is one step nearer. He’s strange, he’s provocative, but the lesser shock value on this album marks it as his true debut to a larger audience.

What makes this album so great is Statik’s ability to coagulate the old with the new.

G I R L not only represents a proper representation of his creativity, but, with high-profile guest spots (Timberlake, Cyrus, Daft Punk) and a number of radio-ready singles, it should also be a success on the charts and further his reputation as a pop icon.

YSIV succeeds when it forgoes pretentious views on what hip-hop should be and instead focuses on what makes the self-proclaimed Young Sinatra unique. The trio of “Everybody Dies,” “The Return,” and “The Glorious Five” feature the Everybody MC at his most fluid and nimble.

Overall, Bush is a fun and enjoyable listen from start to finish with the album’s retro imagery brought to life by Snoop Dogg and his slick persona.

In the grand scheme of rap music, Killer Mike and El-P get more and more niche with each project they release together and this new album is no different. If this dynamic duo can keep their rebellious spirit alive without beating it to death, they’ll continue to thrive.

Shunning party-hearty staples for the mainstream and taking it back to the concrete, Snoop Dogg turns back the hands of time on Neva Left, delivering an album that is a testament to his unprecedented staying power.

Don’t Smoke Rock is another great entry into Smoke DZA’s ever-expansive discography.

7 Days of Funk is a fun and refreshing experience--one of Snoop’s most enjoyable projects since Tha Blue Carpet Treatment. George Clinton would be proud of this fresh take on funk music.

Big Sean rises to the occasion on I Decided., arguably the best album of his career, and one that secures his spot as one of the top five artists in hip-hop today.

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.

[An] urgent, wise and poignant fourth LP.

Luda may not have evened the playing field, but he certainly created an excellent musical forum for the sexes to air out their differences.

MFH2 highlights everything we have come to love about Gates and more. Even though he wavers with some vocal performance on a few tracks, he still manages to put together a solid free sample project that should tide us over until his sophomore offering drops next year.

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.

Ultimately, lyrical dexterity and a versatile delivery prove to be ScHoolboy's biggest assets.

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

With the exception of a few fillers, Legends Never Die is a truly compelling entry in the two-decade discography of R.A. the Rugged Man.

Featuring Rick Ross, Wiz Khalifa, and TeeFlii caps off an impressive debut album for a producer who plans to be around for a while.

The compilation is short--12 tracks--but if fans are looking for relentless lyrics in their R.A.P. Music, this ATL MC remains a Killer on the mic.

Dreams and Nightmares doesn't break new grounds in hip-hop, however it does serve as a respectable release from the rapper who's on the verge of universal acceptance-a road similarly traveled by his cohorts Rick Ross and Wale.