Are we talking about the GOAT of hip-hop albums here? For me, Liquid Swords is easily top 5 of all time, maybe even top 3, maybe even number one. This is albums just feels like it transcends the genre. Just pure brilliance front to back. And GZA is criminally underrated nowadays. Sure, real heads know, but he still doesn’t get the flowers he truly deserves. Liquid Swords is his magnum opus. This is the album that solidified him as one of the best to ever do it.

GZA’s always been a ... read more

Two new tracks, let's go!!!

I already really liked the original album as it had some top-tier Alchemist beats and great performances from both 2 Chainz and Larry June. It’s such a rich, luxurious, laid-back, and well-produced project. Sure, there were a few tracks that were not on the same level as the very best ones, but overall it was a solid and enjoyable listen.

Now with the deluxe, they’ve added two tracks that are right back up there with the very best on the album. ... read more

New JID!!! The wait is finally over, and if this album is anywhere near the level of his last one, The Forever Story, then we’re definitely in for something special. I wasn’t sure what to expect after that Preluxe EP, but man, JID came through big time.

The album kicks off with YouUgly, and we have Westside Gunn???? Honestly, that pretty much caught me completely off guard. I thought I accidentally clicked on a Westside Gunn project for a second. The beat, the crazy beat switch, ... read more

Ed’s back with another single for his upcoming album. Look, I’ve never been the biggest fan of his, and honestly, most of the recent singles didn’t really do much for me too. But this one is actually kind of decent.

Look, it’s still Ed Sheeran, so you know it’s going to be safe, plain, and very vanilla, I mean, that’s just his thing. But at least this one isn’t annoying. It’s a sweet little track, has a nice flow to it, and there’s not ... read more

After the already great self-titled album, Prince came back with something even better. Dirty Mind is where he really started to become Prince. Like, this is him fully stepping into his own world, again writing, producing, playing everything himself again, but with even more confidence, more boldness, and just… more funk.

This album is raw. It’s sexy, unapologetic, and just straight-up wild at times. Prince dives even deeper into funk, blends in some new wave touches, and comes ... read more

After a pretty great run through the '70s, Queen rolled into the new decade with The Game, and honestly, it's another pretty solid album in their catalogue. You can really hear how their sound continued to shift here – less of the big theatrical rock and more into pop and pop rock territory. But they still make it work.

The album kicks off strong. Play the Game is a great opener, dramatic and classic Queen, and then Dragon Attack hits with that funky groove. Of course, Another ... read more

After the already great More Songs About Buildings and Food, Talking Heads took it up another level with Fear of Music. And what an album this is. It’s darker, more anxious, more experimental, and you can even see that shift in the album cover. But at the same time, it still grooves, it’s still weird, and it’s packed with some of their best work to date.

The songwriting is sharper, the production is once again spot-on (shoutout to Brian Eno), and David Byrne is just on fire ... read more

Earth, Wind & Fire is just pure feel-good disco. This is the kind of stuff that instantly lifts your mood, like, how can you not move when this is on? And I Am might honestly be one of their best albums. They just go all out with the grooves and good vibes here. It’s so carefree and full of joy.

Sure, it might not be the most lyrically deep or groundbreaking record ever made, but that’s not the point. This is about energy, about feeling good, about dancing around your room like ... read more

Prince’s second album — his self-titled one — already shows a big step forward from his solid debut. You can hear it right away: the songwriting, the production, the performances... he was levelling up fast. What’s so wild is that he did everything himself. Wrote the songs, produced the album, played every single instrument, at only 20 years old too. That’s not just impressive, that’s next-level talent. You could already see the superstar in him. The ... read more

Queen in the ‘70s was just on a roll, man. After News of the World, which was already pretty solid, they came right back with Jazz, and it’s another good one. Despite the title, there’s no jazz on here at all (classic Queen move honestly), but there is a bunch of great music.

You’ve got some top-tier Queen tracks here. Fat Bottomed Girls and Bicycle Race are really iconic, of course, and Don’t Stop Me Now is THE highlight on the album and also one of their most ... read more

Following the already amazing ATLiens, OutKast came back with Aquemini and man… they just continued their legendary streak. You can really feel that they were in their prime, completely locked in. Big Boi and André 3000 were unstoppable on this, the chemistry is just so insane. They just bounce off each other in a way no other duo really does. Big Boi’s slick and rapid delivery next to André’s wild, creative, unpredictable flows, it just works so perfectly. Two ... read more

When Mos Def and Talib Kweli team up as Black Star, you already know it’s gonna hit. And with this album, they absolutely hit the jackpot. It’s just front-to-back greatness. Every single track feels like it was crafted with so much care: dope boom bap beats, jazzy touches, detailed and layered production, and both Mos and Talib rapping their asses off. The lyricism is absolutely next level on this record. Thoughtful, sharp, poetic, political, personal, they bring everything. Their ... read more

Yeah, this album is absolutely untouchable. With Moment of Truth, DJ Premier and Guru dropped an absolute bomb. It’s just hit after hit after hit. Classic boom bap beats, sharp and clever verses from Guru, that iconic voice, those fresh Preemo cuts — everything absolutely clicks here. The chemistry between them is just insane. One of the best producer/rapper duos of all time, period.

Every time I throw this album on, it hits. There’s never a day where it feels outdated. ... read more

Their first official album, Behind the Front, is pretty decent. When you look at where the group ended up, it’s kind of wild to think about. They started off with something much more rooted in classic hip hop, and it’s honestly better than what they’d become later on. This album has real energy and some solid bangers like Fallin’ Up, Joints & Jam, The Way U Make Me Feel, Movement, Duet, Communication, and What It Is. The verses feel tight, the flow is good, and the ... read more

If you’re only ever gonna drop one solo album, this is exactly how you do it. Honestly, this album is just on another level. A total masterpiece. It’s soulful, personal, political, just full of heart and full of groove. Lauryn really brought everything here. The bars, the vocals, the energy, the vibe.

From the start, there’s this huge confidence in her voice, like she knows exactly what she’s doing, and she really did. The way she mixes hip-hop, R&B, soul, ... read more

Man… MF DOOM is really one of one. There’s no one like him and there never will be again. Operation: Doomsday is where it really began: his first solo album after everything he went through, and you can just feel that hunger, that creativity, that weirdness in the best way. This album is like stepping into a whole new world. MF DOOM’s world.

The whole thing sounds like a villain’s origin story, which, I guess, it kind of is. The comic book-like samples, the lo-fi ... read more

Dr. Dre really didn’t miss when he was in his prime, huh? After The Chronic basically redefined West Coast hip hop, Dre came back years later with 2001 and proved he still had it. This album is just straight-up iconic. The production is absolutely insane, it’s that classic West-Coast Gangsta Rap Dre sound. You hear those drums, those synths, that bounce, and you know it’s Dre.

Right from the start with The Watcher, you’re pulled straight into that cinematic G-funk ... read more

After Illmatic, the bar was set so damn high that anything Nas dropped afterwards was always going to be judged in its shadow. And to be fair, It Was Written did a pretty great job living up to the pressure: more polished, more cinematic, but still filled with sharp writing and crazy flows. But then we get to I Am..., and this is where things start to wobble a bit.

Don’t get me wrong, this album is NOT bad. There are some really great tracks here. N.Y. State of Mind, Pt. II kicks the ... read more

#REVIEW 1,000
So… here we are: my 1,000th review. First off, a huge thank you to everyone who’s supported these reviews, I really appreciate y’all 🙏. I joined this site in 2023 and started writing reviews more actively about 10 months ago, and I haven’t really stopped since. It’s been such a joy to listen to albums, discover new ones, share my thoughts, and discuss with all of you. As I still find so much fun in it, I'm definitely going to keep going, so ... read more

So imagine this: you’re going through a messy divorce, your wife is the sister of your label boss, and the court decides she’s getting half the money from your next album. What do you do? If you’re Marvin Gaye, you make that album about her. Literally. Here, My Dear. Like, here’s your album, here’s your money. Petty genius move, but also? It turned into one of the most soulful, emotional records he ever made.

This album is full of emotion. You feel the ... read more