Personally, I don't really enjoy gospel-inspired music, so this probably isn't a great review. The production on this is pretty messy and questionable at points, and the lyrics don't help much either. Overall, I still have no idea how Kanye managed to fit in a Chick-Fil-A reference in an album. Happy pride month I guess.

FAVORITE TRACKS: Selah, Follow God, On God, Everything We Need
LEAST FAVORITE TRACKS: Every Hour, Hands On, Jesus Is Lord

A nice self-titled album from Kanye and Cudi, telling the stories of their individual struggles and where they are at today. Very well polished with genuine lyricism, finding closure and tying together the release of ye. No tracklist for this one.

Kanye's shortest and most polarizing album yet. Self-reflecting on his mental health and his current relationship state, this is one of his deeper and more thoughtful releases. Not much else to comment, this had some pretty great production and lyricism. No tracklist for this one.

During a time when Kanye's general reception with the public was very negative, MBDTF was probably the greatest comeback album any artist could make. Following the Taylor Swift incident at the VMAs, Kanye left America to pursue fashion and contemplate his next album. What came of his few weeks in Hawaii became My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy - a work that Kanye poured his heart and soul into, creating one of the best albums of the decade. Starting on a high note with gospel-inspired Dark ... read more

Yeah, this one hasn't grown on me much. I see Yeezus as a much more aggressive and less emotional version of 808s and Heartbreak. Kanye uses loud and harsh instrumentals to talk about some questionable topics...not very inspirational. Not much to say beyond that, I didn't enjoy Kanye's experimental music through this period. Bound 2 is nice tho.

FAVORITE TRACKS: On Sight, Black Skinhead, Hold My Liquor, New Slaves
LEAST FAVORITE TRACKS: I'm In It, Guilt Trip, Send It Up

For its impact on hip-hop culture today, this album pretty much shows Kanye's innovation and foresight in the genre. His widespread usage of 808s when they were considered robotic and harsh led to a new generation of music production. However, I didn't enjoy this album much when seen as a musical work. Although it brought raw emotions from the loss of Kanye's mother and recent breakups, the execution throughout the tracks felt subpar. His heavily autotuned vocals didn't help the production ... read more

The first Kanye album that I listened to - and I'll admit, it wasn't the best place to start. In my opinion, this was probably the weakest off of the "college trilogy" - although, to Kanye's credit, some of his greatest hits came off of this album. At this point in his discography, it is apparent that Kanye is going for a different style of music than what he became popular with. Nice vibes overall, with a couple more electronic beats than his other works. Kanye's signature writing ... read more

Following the success of The College Dropout, Kanye worked to replicate the best of his work in Late Registration, the second part of his "college trilogy." It turned out great, but in my opinion, was weaker than College Dropout. Again with the great instrumentals and features, Kanye mainly focuses on relationships and the societal expectations of African Americans. Overall, I enjoyed hearing more of his older discography before his experimentation with the hip-hop genre.

FAVORITE ... read more

Inspirational. The College Dropout, Kanye's debut album coming off of being a producer, proved to his doubters that he had potential as one of the greatest rappers of our generation. Pushing through a devastating car accident that potentially would've ended his career before it started, Ye changed the landscape of modern hip-hop as we know it.

The first time I listened to this album, I was stunned. Although it was released almost 20 years ago, College Dropout was unlike anything I had ever ... read more

Really enjoyed this album for what it is. Coming off of a YouTube career, Joji's music ventures faced many doubters. However, his unique vocal style brought light to a new genre of lo-fi/r&b combo in Nectar. Covering topics of love and heartbreak, each song describes a unique part of his journeys in relationships. Although lacking in album structure (overall album storyline/track placement) and production quality, Joji's music has a long way to go and I look forward to future ... read more

Debut album by Baby Keem, carried by Kendrick Lamar. Unfortunately, gotta call him out for this one - I felt that most of the album's best tracks were features with Lamar's verses. Baby Keem touches up on his childhood, rising popularity, and gang culture within his album. Although the album has some nice production and instrumentation, Keem's vocals seemed low effort in multiple tracks. Overall, not the best debut - I hope Baby Keem will bring something fresh to the table in future ... read more

Cash in, cash out, cash in, cash out, cash out, cash out, cash out, cash out. Pharell is really on something. Jokes aside, nice freestyles from 21 and Tyler - both went well with the beat. However, I felt that their parts didn't work well together and could probably go as individual singles off the same beat. This song will likely be remembered more for its video rather than the music.

Nice comeback single - beautiful vocals and use of piano instrumentation that grows on you. However, not really much to say beyond that. Definitely not my favorite of Joji's music, but it's up there for relatability and storytelling.

After Tyler, the Creator's mainstream growth with IGOR, fans had great expectations of the up-and-coming artist - and he didn't disappoint with CALL ME IF YOU GET LOST. Although different from the storytelling in previous albums, every track has stunning production and jazz instrumentals, not to mention great features across the album. Varying track styles, such as slower "love songs" (WUSYANAME, SWEET / I THOUGHT YOU WANTED TO DANCE), contrast high-energy rap entries. Good ... read more

Pretty decent album from The Weeknd - a couple of tracks stand out, but the second half dies down a considerable bit. As the second part of Abel's trilogy of album releases, Dawn FM follows the massive mainstream success of After Hours. In a similar synth-pop mood, The Weeknd ventures back into his drug/lust addiction from the perspective of an older version of himself. Tracks such as Gasoline and Sacrifice with heavier instrumentals contrast light city-pop tunes, including Out of Time. ... read more

When you're having a mental breakdown, this album hits different. Following the release of My Dear Melancholy, The Weeknd began to shift to darker tones of synth-pop and r&b in 80's-inspired After Hours. Genuinely one of my favorite Weeknd albums and has great replay value, not just for billboard hits. Addressing Abel's rocky history with drugs and lust in relationships, each track brings light to hardships in his childhood. With brilliant mixing and instrumental backing, The Weeknd's ... read more

Love it or hate it, Playboi Carti's music cannot be compared to any other artist - his use of adlibs and "baby-voice" sets him apart from others in the genre. Released on Christmas Day, Carti stans rushed to defend experimental vamp trap album WLR from haters. While lacking in features, Carti's tracks are generally carried by instrumentals on this album. However, some tracks seem to be more polished and structured, while others repeat the same phrases over and over again. Overall, ... read more

You can get really far with just charm and charisma, and Jack Harlow is a perfect example. Come Home the Kids Miss You quickly becomes repetitive, following topics of fame and lust on similar flows. His lack of comprehensive lyricism makes each track bland, and this album really doesn't deserve to have 15 tracks expressing his ego.

FAVORITE TRACKS: I'D DO ANYTHING TO MAKE YOU SMILE, FIRST CLASS
LEAST FAVORITE TRACKS: TALK OF THE TOWN, MOVIE STAR, POISON

Not one of Kendrick's most polished albums, but Mr. Morale & The Big Steppers covers a range of vulnerable and relevant issues in American society. With fresh, experimental tracks such as Worldwide Steppers and We Cry Together in Disc 1, Lamar explores personal family issues and feelings of lust. Continuing onto Disc 2, Kendrick addresses religion and sexuality in African American households through Auntie Diaries and Mother I Sober. The main takeaway: Kendrick has grown a lot from his ... read more

After the release of Cherry Bomb, which was not well-liked by the majority of critics, Tyler, the Creator's Flower Boy album switches his production style for a calmer and more mediated approach to the hip-hop genre. Addressing the concerns about his past lyrics and developing into a mainstream artist, Tyler approaches topics of love with revealing lyricism and fiery instrumentals. Some of his finest work at its release, Flower Boy remains a highly-acclaimed part of his discography.

FAVORITE ... read more