HipHopDX's Scores

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For 889 reviews, this publication has graded:
  • 64% higher than the average critic
  • 4% same as the average critic
  • 32% lower than the average critic
On average, this publication grades 0.4 points higher than other critics. (0-100 point scale)
Average Music review score: 73
Highest review score: 100 Undun
Lowest review score: 20 Neon Icon
Score distribution:
  1. Positive: 723 out of 889
  2. Mixed: 164 out of 889
  3. Negative: 2 out of 889
889 music reviews
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    • 74 Metascore
    • 76 Critic Score
    2000
    The good far outweighs the bad on 2000. It doesn’t reach the highs the hype promised and, no matter how much he believes it, the album doesn’t make the case for his self-proclaimed G.O.A.T. status. It is, however, a highly listenable, uncomplicated rap album, not burdened by any weighty conceit; a showcase for an MC with a great ear for production and innate rapping ability.
    • 73 Metascore
    • 84 Critic Score
    Wasteland
    Even with a lengthy tracklist, WASTELAND is economical and patient with its time. Songs are given a chance to breathe and arrive at their full potential rather than being sequenced and chopped to appease streaming requirements.
    • 79 Metascore
    • 82 Critic Score
    Drill Music in Zion
    With no filler or fluff, this album is bound to satisfy those who like their bars bountiful and Lupe Fiasco in peak form.
    • 73 Metascore
    • 78 Critic Score
    HONESTLY, NEVERMIND
    Listeners who like Drake’s pop songs will have plenty to enjoy here, while huge fans of his old stuff can play “Jimmy Cooks” on repeat until Scary Hours 3 drops. ... It’s simply an album of Drake songs people will actually listen to in public, not just while driving, or at the pregame, or through headphones in the early AM uber home.
    • 81 Metascore
    • 84 Critic Score
    Deathfame
    It’s a continuation of his intense focus on a singular topic, which results in a clear elevation in quality that few could hope to achieve, setting the standard for any plan to follow his formula.
    • 74 Metascore
    • 72 Critic Score
    Heart on My Sleeve
    As a follow up to the massive success of her self titled – and only her second full length feature, Heart on My Sleeve does what needs to be done to secure Mai a path to longevity.
    • 74 Metascore
    • 72 Critic Score
    You Can't Kill Me
    For nearly 49 minutes, her voice oscillates between the foreground and background like she’s constantly trying to decide whether she wants to unleash the full capabilities of her warbling croons. This inconsistency is distracting at times but is often masked by an eclectic mix of production styles that feel invigorating at every turn.
    • 68 Metascore
    • 50 Critic Score
    Twelve Carat Toothache
    Lukewarm contributions from Doja Cat, The KID LAROI, Roddy Ricch and others can’t help Post Malone get out of the quicksand. He continues to be pulled in an obvious direction of glitzy Hollywood stardom but instead, maintains a chokehold on comfortability.
    • 85 Metascore
    • 84 Critic Score
    Mr. Morale & The Big Steppers
    Mr. Morale & The Big Steppers paints a gripping portrait of how trauma and therapy have morphed the 34-year-old artist beyond recognition. Even with superior production choices and a semi-triumphant tone of self-actualization, it feels as if listeners can’t fully define what place he’s in — the question of what’s left for him lingers.
    • 83 Metascore
    • 76 Critic Score
    Blue Water Road
    What emerges is something that treads into uncharted waters and even if it isn’t fully understood yet, it can at times be quite a spectacle.
    • 51 Metascore
    • 44 Critic Score
    Come Home the Kids Miss You
    Jack Harlow’s sophomore effort was meant as a testament to his passion for the game but instead, it translates into a monotonous record that often plays out like a direct contradiction to what he’s claimed — and that contradiction is ultimately damning.
    • 79 Metascore
    • 78 Critic Score
    No Fear of Time
    Lack of everyday slappers aside, it’s a grand return to form, giving truth to the bars, “Black Star shines eternally,” off their debut single 24 years ago.
    • 82 Metascore
    • 80 Critic Score
    Ramona Park Broke My Heart
    Each word he raps is carried by an exhausted voice devoid of emotion on the surface, painting a scene of what it’d be like if he was trapped in his neighborhood. In doing so, he reveals more about himself and an ignored slice of America than sensationalized news stories ever could.
    • 69 Metascore
    • 70 Critic Score
    I NEVER LIKED YOU
    I Never Liked You continues his stagnation from High Off Life, settling for comfort rather than experimentation. The songs are rehashes he’s done more effectively in the past. His signature consistency is still there.
    • 76 Metascore
    • 70 Critic Score
    Back in Black
    Back In Black certainly sounds like the core duo is having more fun making music than in years past. The album features some of the best music the group has made in years but doesn’t stack up to their trailblazing efforts of the ’90s.
    • 64 Metascore
    • 66 Critic Score
    B.I.B.L.E.
    While B.I.B.L.E. doesn’t break any new or exciting ground and lacks any song of the summer contenders, it is solid enough to command streams and further prove his commercial viability.
    • 60 Metascore
    • 66 Critic Score
    Trendsetter
    The faults in Trendsetter come mostly because she relies on the star power brought by her guests but negates her ability to identify herself within the music.
    • 85 Metascore
    • 74 Critic Score
    Melt My Eyez See Your Future
    It’s just a rap album, albeit a very good one, and it shows just how dynamic and forceful Denzel Curry can be when he releases himself from the poisonous burden of perfection.
    • 83 Metascore
    • 76 Critic Score
    It's Almost Dry
    It’s Almost Dry is a good rap record that delivers a few hard hitting tracks, some great production and bar-for-bar excellence by one of the best rappers in the game, but the album lacks the bite of past releases.
    • 77 Metascore
    • 78 Critic Score
    Forever
    Forever grants a mirror into Phife’s soul in the post-ATCQ breakup years. His musings on the importance of family and dedication to those around him, draped in a tight cloak of agile raps that could act as the standard for any era, exist as a timeless sendoff fitting for a legend.
    • 84 Metascore
    • 82 Critic Score
    Frank
    Frank has proven to be his most compelling work to date.
    • 71 Metascore
    • 66 Critic Score
    7220
    The album is full of minute details that highlight Durk’s complexity as a character and a writer, wielding pain with a skill far beyond others who call themselves melodic rappers. However, too often the production formula runs stale as the piano-led instrumentals mush tracks together.
    • 80 Metascore
    • 80 Critic Score
    Continuance
    If Covert Coup was the beginning of two trailblazers starting to find their path, then Continuance is the victory lap as they reflect with gratitude and satisfaction over the legends they’ve built for themselves.
    • 78 Metascore
    • 78 Critic Score
    Tana Talk 4
    While it doesn’t push the envelope, this is a more than worthy follow-up to its predecessor — further solidifying his status as pound for pound, one of the better MCs breathing.
    • 66 Metascore
    • 62 Critic Score
    Digital Roses Don't Die
    The ambition of Digital Roses is also its downfall, leaving K.R.I.T. with pieces of a good album but not coming close to completing the puzzle.
    • 48 Metascore
    • 68 Critic Score
    Donda 2
    The rawness of Kanye West’s current existence manifests in music that actually means something, which is the first time we’ve been able to say that about a Kanye album in some time.
    • 81 Metascore
    • 80 Critic Score
    God Don't Make Mistakes
    Though he’s still lyrically sharp, in the moments when he revisits and spins familiar themes, things begin to feel comfortable and less remarkable. Still, this album succeeds by expanding on what hardcore Griselda fans already know.
    • 66 Metascore
    • 66 Critic Score
    Richer Than I Ever Been
    If slightly unexciting, Richer Than I Ever Been is a testament to the lasting talent of the MMG commandant, even if he doesn’t break new ground.
    • 58 Metascore
    • 52 Critic Score
    Dope Don't Sell Itself
    In attempting to recreate his peak, he offers some familiar flows but mostly unimpressive lyrics that lean more toward grown-up nursery rhymes than his catchy, skillful couplets of days past.
    • 83 Metascore
    • 78 Critic Score
    Few Good Things
    It results in superior storytelling and simplicity that few in the genre could hope to achieve, providing a solid base for him to return to if he ever loses his way, whether it be emotionally or creatively.
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