I like the project a lot, but that second half really drags the momentum of the EP. The first four songs or so have so much fire and energy poured into them that it’s a bit of a disappointment the way the last few songs turned into softer cuts, minus an interesting EDM inspired track near the end. The features were all pretty damn good, and Denzel himself was incredible as always. I do wish we kept a set direction on this project, but in the long run, it’s a good building block and ... read more

This man just doesn’t miss. It’s hard to make a worthy sequel to one of the greatest trap albums of all time, but he comes up here with just raw talent and passion. The Snowman continues to be one of the most consistent trap artists to ever do it, with one of the most underrated trap albums of the decade so far

YG keeps a consistent level of energy through a pretty decent tracklist, watered down by some pretty terrible features. The tape starts up really strong but slowly starts to lose your attention towards the end. Still one of the better YG projects of recent years, and it’s pretty well produced

It’s better than their previous outing, with a way better beat selection, but the rapping is still extremely hit or miss. There’s improvement all around from the group, which is aided by Karrahboo leaving the group, which is in opinion a step in the right direction in terms of rapping and energy. Still needs to be polished in terms of flow and consistency, but it’s more bearable than the first outing

It feels like Snoop listened to one or two of his old songs, felt like making something of that caliber, but simply didn’t put in the effort to do so. He churns out some lazy slop on this project, and it’s not captivating at all

Gucci put in so much effort into this album that it’s almost unrecognizable from most of his catalogue. Straight bangers all across the tracklist make up one of my personal favorite Gucci projects. I don’t hear anyone talking about this when bringing up his discography, and this definitely deserves more love

This is one of those cases where if you cut the tracklist to about a dozen songs, then it’s an incredible trap album. But as it is, the YSL label doesn’t really shine on this bloated tracklist outside of Thug himself

Nudy having a project that is not a tape full of straight bangers will forever be extremely unlikely. He just brings so much gritty energy on everyone song he makes, and this is no different. An amazing effort for his sophomore full length LP

Honestly it’s kind of underrated. The album is produced very well, and while 2 Chainz himself is pretty hit or miss, the album as a whole is very solid

The epitome of pure hatred. Ice Cube dumps his truest feelings into this record about race, sexuality, and his former brothers, the NWA. It’s captivating, its ear-grabbing, its controversial, and its fucking amazing

Really enjoyed the first listen of this album, especially the more introspective and lyrical songs given to us by Keem. He’s grown as a person over the last five years, and it shows through his reflection over family drama and other personal matters. It feels a bit weird that the whole album wasn’t just those kinds of tracks for a full on concept album, but the few light hearted songs we got were solid bangers for the most part. Honestly not much to complain about here, and I feel ... read more

The first half of the album is honestly just terrible. Goofy production combined with terrible bars from Busta, and way too many bars about fecal matter for my taste. But the second half of this long ass album saves it. Great emotional content, good soul beats, solid bar work, and incredible features. Busta turns it around, but it can’t fully revive the momentum of the album

One of the most influential hip hop albums of all time, and while parts of the album have aged a bit poorly, everything flows together smoothly, and allows the path to be paved for mainstream hip hop. Very good rapping from Rakim, and a really good selection of samples from Eric B’s keen ear for soul samples

For those who know of El-P from Run The Jewels, but don’t know any of his solo work, do yourself a solid favor and check this album out ASAP. Take his contributions to RTJ, and make the 10 times weirder and just as captivating to listen to, and you get this incredible experimental album that is just a joy to dissect

This is an album that takes you on a journey into the dark realism of everyday life. The sins of humanity are present on every song, reaching into the stories of how our demons control every decision we make. It’s absolutely haunting and captivating. Dave writes pure poetry over this album, telling stories so intricate but so real that they really hit home. Fantastic shit on this album, one of the best UK rap albums of all time

Brent’s best album, and it’s not even close. 33 minutes of amazingly curated, consistently beautiful modern RnB music. Every song here is just so enjoyable, and they all have their own specific vibe and groove to them. Amazing project

An extremely weak middle stretch holds back what could’ve been one of the most powerful hip hop albums of the decade so far, and what could’ve been one of the best U.K. hip hop albums ever. The beginning and ending stretches are so emotionally filled, and the lyricism is heartbreaking and beautiful. But the few weak melodic tracks just kind of kill the mood of the album, and really take you out of the whole listening experience. Beside that, this album has some of the best uk ... read more

Who knew political oppression could sound so damn good

I don’t know what they thought they were cooking on Bring Tha Noize, but everything else here is absolutely fantastic. The bars and messages are as potent and standout as always, with Flava Flav in particular bringing straight heat on the album. PA stays solid in the early rise of hip hop

After spinning the record several times, I can say with 100% confidence that this is J. Cole’s best album, and is already an album of the year contender. You can tell there were 10 whole years of work that went into this album, and every single one of those years was worth the wait. The concept is genius, with Cole visiting his home Ville at age 29 in disc one and at age 39 in disc two, comparing his visits and growth in maturity. His one game is top tier, with some damn good beats to go ... read more