XXL's Scores

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For 380 reviews, this publication has graded:
  • 68% higher than the average critic
  • 6% same as the average critic
  • 26% lower than the average critic
On average, this publication grades 0.7 points higher than other critics. (0-100 point scale)
Average Music review score: 74
Highest review score: 100 Good Kid, M.A.A.D City
Lowest review score: 40 Hotel California
Score distribution:
  1. Positive: 260 out of 380
  2. Mixed: 120 out of 380
  3. Negative: 0 out of 380
380 music reviews
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    • 67 Metascore
    • 60 Critic Score
    B.O.A.T.S. II: #METIME
    He’s perfected his lane, but he hasn’t pushed anything forward or changed anything significantly.
    • 67 Metascore
    • 80 Critic Score
    I Decided.
    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.
    • 67 Metascore
    • 80 Critic Score
    The Album About Nothing
    The Album About Nothing has an infectious, feel-good vibe with an undeniable cohesiveness.
    • 67 Metascore
    • 80 Critic Score
    Future
    The combination of one voice and one like-minded production team makes for a very clear, concise body of work, which FUTURE definitely is.
    • 67 Metascore
    • 60 Critic Score
    MC4 [Mixtape]
    What he does on MC4 is play to his strengths. French knows he isn’t a lyrical miracle but recognizes what it takes to make a strong rap song whether he plays point guard or not.
    • 67 Metascore
    • 80 Critic Score
    Land Of Make Believe
    The tandem intuitively displays a concept--the grind, fame, and reconciliation--by evolving the lyrical content and changing the aural backdrops
    • 67 Metascore
    • 60 Critic Score
    Nehruviandoom
    Weighing in at a terse 32 minutes in length, spanning eight tracks plus an introduction, the album is a cohesive and methodical offering yet because of the constrained spin time, neither Bishop Nehru nor MF Doom have the space to flex their creative impulses and push the envelope in their respective spheres.
    • 67 Metascore
    • 60 Critic Score
    Breakfast
    It's a pretty fun album to listen to--just don't listen too closely.
    • 67 Metascore
    • 80 Critic Score
    2014 Forest Hills Drive
    J. Cole is righfully satisfied with the end product, as will the fans.
    • 67 Metascore
    • 60 Critic Score
    Float
    ll in all, the project is a welcome addition to the D-Block rapper’s catalogue, though it’s narrow vision holds the album back from reaching any great heights.
    • 67 Metascore
    • 80 Critic Score
    Scorpion
    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.
    • 67 Metascore
    • 80 Critic Score
    The Adventures Of Bobby Ray
    While Adventures of Bobby Ray is B.o.B’s story, the feeling he conjures makes it easy to relate. It’s safe to say this genre-blending debut is a step in the right direction for the young rap star.
    • 66 Metascore
    • 80 Critic Score
    Stay Trippy
    Stay Trippy is a record that knows to stay within the lane that it’s carved for itself. Big-budget stripper rap has rarely sounded so fresh.
    • 66 Metascore
    • 60 Critic Score
    Collegrove
    ColleGrove isn’t necessarily a letdown but doesn’t exactly exceed expectations. There are some moments of brilliance from both sides but overall, a collaboration of this magnitude should have stronger replay value across more songs.
    • 66 Metascore
    • 80 Critic Score
    Triple F Life: Friends, Fans and Family
    The rapper coolly exceeds expectations in his artistic self-awareness and this go-round shines like his diamond-studded Fozzy Bear chain.
    • 66 Metascore
    • 80 Critic Score
    Plata o Plomo
    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.
    • 66 Metascore
    • 40 Critic Score
    Dirty Gold
    Dirty Gold‘s shortcomings overshadow the shining moments on the album as Haze struggles to find her identity, somewhere between underground rebel and mainstream player.
    • 66 Metascore
    • 60 Critic Score
    Napalm
    Napalm is a well-rounded LP full of illustrative and cohesive tracks, while surviving a few average hooks, such as on "Gangsta Gangsta."
    • 66 Metascore
    • 80 Critic Score
    Summer Knights [Mixtape]
    Summer Knights is for the hip-hip heads and less for the kids that are Joey’s usual teenaged fanbase.
    • 65 Metascore
    • 80 Critic Score
    Diamond in the Ruff
    It's packed with the right ingredients for yet another solid appraisal from both fans and critics.
    • 65 Metascore
    • 80 Critic Score
    The Gifted
    Matching his lyrical abilities with polished production and radio-ready hooks, The Gifted sees Wale inching towards hip-hop’s upper echelon, while still exhibiting the hunger of a young MC on the rise.
    • 65 Metascore
    • 80 Critic Score
    Everybody
    Complete with unbridled lyricism, top-notch production and conceptual brilliance to tie it all together, Everybody is a hallmark release that further solidifies Logic solid standing in hip-hop.
    • 65 Metascore
    • 80 Critic Score
    Shine
    Five albums in, Wale remains one of the more mercurial talents in rap, with SHINE serving as further evidence of his abilities as an MC and a reminder of his lyrical radiance.
    • 65 Metascore
    • 80 Critic Score
    Sorry 4 the Wait
    The majority of Sorry 4 The Wait reinforces that he's still capable of doing this [dismantling aggressive beats with purpose and flair], even if it doesn't exactly live up to classic mixtapes in his catalog.
    • 65 Metascore
    • 60 Critic Score
    MellowHigh
    MellowHigh has its thrills with some credit going to Earl’s playful verse on “Cold World,” but too often the album feels stagnant.
    • 65 Metascore
    • 80 Critic Score
    My Own Lane
    There aren’t many who can effortlessly make the transition from mixtape rapper to hitmaker. For Kid Ink, it is proving to be an incredibly smooth one.
    • 65 Metascore
    • 60 Critic Score
    Drink More Water 6 [Mixtape]
    There isn’t enough here to make Makonnen’s name start buzzing like it used to. The jury is still out on whether or not he will fade into the one-hit wonder category but one thing is for sure, the EP hinders more than it helps.
    • 64 Metascore
    • 80 Critic Score
    Because the Internet
    Because The Internet shows off his full array of talent (writer, musician, comedian) and makes him stand out from the rest.
    • 64 Metascore
    • 80 Critic Score
    Birds In The Trap Sing McKnight
    Birds in the Trap Sing McKnight is a roller coaster ride of an experience, with an endless amount of highlights, whether it be an indelible hook here or timely guest verse there.
    • 64 Metascore
    • 60 Critic Score
    I Am
    When he does step out of his zone, his temperament--hood and Memphis to the core--feels out of place. But luckily for Gotti fans, these moments of mediocrity are brief. On the majority of I Am, he stays rooted in the ideas and melodies that he’s been refining since he first dropped From Da Dope Game 2 Da Rap Game over 10 year ago.
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