This is just run of the mill Yachty, nothing more, nothing less

This blend of conscious hip hop and reggae music is not one I expected to be anything of note, but I was completely wrong. Combining the efforts of one of the greatest lyricists of all time with the son of one of the greatest musicians of all time holds a classic collab album. Marley spreads his influence across all of the beats on this album, and Nas meshes perfectly with each song here. Nas’s least talked about album is by far one of his most fun and interesting.

Nas keeps doing Nas things, but this time over the shittiest beats he’s ever had to rap over in his entire career. There’s a few highlights, but a lot of lowlights, especially near the back end of the tracklist. His attempt to appeal to the mainstream audience failed, and we are left now with an ultimately forgettable outing from one of the best to ever do it

If Nas thought hip hop was dying then, he must hate to see the state of (specifically mainstream) hip hop today. His discussions into the acts of greed that are motivating people to tarnish the art that he loved so much are really compelling and make for a good listen. There are so many underrated tracks on this album that it’s shocking that we don’t talk about this album as much as his earlier works. It’s no Illmatic or Stillmatic, but it’s one hell of a star power ... read more

SoFaygo caps off his sudden career resurgence with a solid project following his admittedly disappointing showcase on Jackboys 2. However, he capitalized greatly on his regrowing popularity, as he captures a chaotic sound on this album that still somehow sounds polished and controlled. This is a trap rage album done right, with a good amount of bangers, and little filler to be found. His maturity shines through here, and this is sure to be one of the more unexpectedly good albums of the year

Trugoy is smiling down on the duo from his personal cabin in the sky as they continue this prestigious legacy. De La Soul is still capable of making a high quality, heavily conscious album this deep into their careers, and it is simply wonderful. Amazing production with a nice, hopeful bounce to it, an all star feature list, and heartwarming writing gives this tribute album a nice touch of pride and glory

Easily the most lavish and luxurious Nas album, boasting a number of incredible tracks backed by rich, heavenly beats. It’s also responsible for one of the best 5 song stretches in Nas’s career, from A Queens Story to World’s An Addiction. Phenomenal album that tends to go overlooked

This is one of those cases where a mediocre double album could have been a FANTASTIC project if the curator had cut half of the tracks and only kept the best of the best. Keeping most of the tracks on the first disc, minus the ones with Scarlett on them, and sprinkling in a few of the highlights on disc two would’ve been the play here. The album would’ve been SO much better if Nas didn’t get overzealous with the tracklist length and the questionable need for club bangers in ... read more

I enjoyed this compilation a good amount, with some solid underrated tracks and leftovers from his 2000’s and 2010’s outputs, and while it was a good project, it clearly didn’t meet the bar of the original Lost Tapes. Underrated nonetheless, and a back half of the album worth checking out

This is one of the biggest missed opportunities in the history of hip hop in my opinion. After a full 6 years without any releases, Nas releases an album fully produced by Kanye West. This had the potential to be a hip hop classic, but what came out of their efforts was an ep filled with shoddy worksmanship. The beats by Kanye feel lifeless and repetitive(ahem, cops shot the kid), and not to mention every feature on this thing absolutely STINKS. Nas does his thing per usual, discussing the ... read more

For a compilation of loosies and “b-sides” of Nas’s early career, this is fantastic. The intro track holds up as one of his best songs to this day, and his rapping here is incredible to listen to. A few weird production choices here and there throw off the pace of the album during the middle stretch, along with weaker hooks spread throughout the project. Thankfully, the performances and writing from Nas carry this project to a respectable standing in his hefty catalogue

There may be a solid case for Boldy and Craven being one of the greatest rapper/producer duos to come out of the entirety of the 2020’s decade. I feel like a broken record with how many times I have praised this duo to no end. Their respective styles are just too damn perfect for each other, and they make quality music every single time they link up for an album

Super emotional album from Navy Blue, and potentially his best cohesive work. Every song here touches the heart and the soul. So many great, inspiring messages are spread throughout this project about self growth, mental health, and inner mindsets. It’s a very deep look into religion, personal beliefs, and depression. An extremely thoughtful album with some of the most comforting and therapeutic beats and rhymes I’ve heard all year

A great take on a modern rap project from Nas and Hit Boy. The mix of features from different time periods in hip hop is a great addition, and Nas doesn’t slow down a bit himself with his bars. A great, consistent project that especially starts and ends strong

As if PND couldn’t get any blander, he somehow accomplished it on this album. Mediocre vocals, run of the mill beats, and a needlessly long runtime on each track. We do not need any more 6 minute songs by one where he just repeats the same mediocre bridge and chorus on end

For such a long album, you’d expect there to be real substance here, for there to be several interesting and creative ideas on each song. Instead we get same old same old PND for over an hour, and it’s starting to get even more monotonous than the usual

Yall tripping. Uncle Al still deserves his flowers. All parties involved absolutely kill it on this record, with a flawless first half stretch of songs. E L U C I D brings a nice jolt of energy to the album, with contrasts really well with Billy’s drab and depressing poetry. Very good album all around

Easily his most experimental album yet, although this is one of the few cases where it doesn’t all work out in Danny’s favor. His vocals and raps about his sobriety and mental health don’t exactly mesh the best with the thumping electronic production and bass heavy melodies. The album has so many interesting and unique ideas, I just wish it was executed a bit smoother. Props to Danny for some of his best verses of his career though. Dude raps his ass off

Having a legendary posse cut like Oldie on here certainly helps this record, but it’s a very poorly produced, poorly curated compilation record, with a mixed range of performances from this of the group

SIGNIFICANTLY better than the first Drogas album. This one has an amazing concept of escaping the controlling grip of the music industry, with imagery being painted by the slaves escape from the ships. It’s an incredibly well written album with plenty of depth. If it wasn’t so god damn long this would be in contention with Food & Liquor and Samurai for Lupe’s best album