This project truly is an American requiem as the opening track states; it’s Beyoncé’s reminder that much has been sacrificed to allow her to claim her identity as a southern girl and fully partake in all of America’s unique artistic and cultural traditions.

In short, WE DON’T TRUST YOU should have been shorter. The first half dozen tracks, with a few other gems scattered scarcely throughout, show just how musically connected Metro and Future truly are but fans will be able to tell when the focused material ends and the frivolous filler starts.

Overall, Tyla’s debut fulfills the promise of her first international hit: sonically, she is truly the foreign exchange student who is ready to take America by storm. And she has all of the makings of a relatable, cross-genre, international star intent on carving a lane of her own.

The album is littered with allusions to Whack’s mental health struggles, but it never feels overbearing, owing to Whack’s ability to balance darkness with her trademark wit and playfulness.

Whereas a lot of listeners might be tempted to ask themselves if ScHoolboy Q’s latest offering was worth the wait, his remarkable growth also suggests that years of experience is perhaps what births the richest music, especially in a word-heavy genre like rap.

On GRIP, the singer-songwriter has a voracious appetite to be loved, but equally apparent is his capacity to give love, too. This is an album of romance and sexuality, but in these general terms is a symphony of emotions and feelings.

On COMING HOME, Usher meets the moment without trying to eclipse the past, serving as a reminder that the King of R&B hasn’t gone anywhere.

The 12-cut package is a concoction of sharply digitized beats and eloquent instrumentation in mechanical form, processed further to synthesize hard-headed mafioso bars. .... Lyrically, Everybody Can’t Go is the latest addition to the empirical evidence piling up in favor of Benny The Butcher’s craftiness with words.

Even at over an hour long and spanning a multitude of genres, it lacks any depth of feeling that grows tiring over 64 minutes. There’s a truly great 12-track version of INSANO hiding away somewhere.

The tension that fuels this album is exciting, dynamic, and worth examining. It’s when 21 sits back and coasts or tries to land a radio hit that this record comes up short.

With this sequel, Minaj transitions from innovator to adapter, producing a polished collection of songs that stick to the Rap trends that are hot right now, not quite living up to the expectations of the original, but still giving her fans a solid body of work that asserts her legacy.

The album largely succeeds off the natural chemistry of its co-creators and the wide range of instrumentals that touch on several regional rap styles that both rappers learned to conquer during their decades-long careers.

Yes, New Blue Sun is receiving a healthy amount of praise because it’s André 3000, but it’s also a truly wonderful piece of music.

Heaven knows may not creatively propel PinkPantheress to new heights, but it’s a poetic and dramatic compilation of breakup songs that will leave a listener dancing around their living room while yearning for their toxic ex.

Though each installment seamlessly fluctuates from one temperature to another, redemption and regret guide the package’s dark enchantment.

The light, nimble, casual nature of Robed in Rareness makes it a pleasant interlude within the Shabazz Palaces discography.

Water Made Us, Woods’ third, and best, album, tackles an even more grand and universal experience: relationships. But she does so with a fine-tooth comb, crafting songs bursting with intimate details on a diorama-sized scale that loosely trace the relationship lifecycle.

Ultimately, amid very high highs, it heavy-handedly embraces a sound that his most devout fans often turn to Griselda to avoid. Whether the initial shell shock wears off for those listeners remains to be seen.

With its glitchy instrumental palette backing it, Lahai is a serene look to the future where Sampha can be at peace with his memories and can raise his family in a positive environment.

Despite the somewhat lethargic back half, falling or flying ends on a high note thanks to a powerful set of closing tracks in “Backwards” and “What if my heart beats faster.”

We Buy Diabetic Test Strips feels like an accumulation of that gained experience, a moment of breakthrough clarity. Kenny Segal, Messiah Musik, SteeltippedDove, JPEGMAFIA, and Child Actor handle the production, with every beat maker retreading past ideas to create invigorating new ones.

Scarlet is an album worth hearing but not listening to. It’s still arguably Doja’s most gripping body of work to date because it sounds amazing, but it lacks the integrality to secure a legacy.

Monét weaves an instant R&B classic out of empowerment anthems, genuine respect for her soul elders, and an unflappable confidence that can only be admired.

The Patience is a rewarding opening chapter, a satisfying burst of fresh air after a period of holding his breath.

With a debut studio album as refreshing and well-rounded as MID AIR, it seems like they’ve found that lane, and may be the leaders.

The Love Album is at its best when Diddy creatively assembles unexpected collaborations, chooses inspired beats, and lets his co-stars lead the show.

It’s not exactly the blockbuster conclusion Nas fans were looking for. Instead, it’s the cliffhanger ending that offers the chance for a reunion in the future.

This album won’t go down as a modern day classic, nor will it slingshot NLE to the top of the charts, but it will give listeners a battery in their back for their next big gym session or block party.

Voir Dire is an exceptional collection of raps, but missing connectivity between Earl and Alc holds back the tape’s potential. Where Earl breathes life into his verses, Alc plays it safe with more simple ideas that feel a bit boring and recycled.

It, like so many mainstream rap records, could be five songs shorter, and would be more successful if some of this fat was trimmed. Even though some of the material sounds like it was left over for solo work pre-tragedy, or supposed to be on the second Unc & Phew tape, it holds back an album that could have been in the best of the year conversation.

Flying High leaves you wanting more, and that’s a good thing.

Pink Tape is a sprawling listening experience that struggles to ever find its footing – and tries to be too much at once without taking the time to offer much of any substance.

Magic 2 has a high floor as a rehashing of a proverbial tried and true formula of a Nas and Hit-Boy collaboration. It can still be magical, but you’re left with the sense that Hit could use a few new tricks.

The result is a fun, irreverent showcase of women’s empowerment and underdog grit with plenty of room to grow.

She’s unafraid of uncharted territory and willing to step outside the conventional box Americans place on Afrobeats, all while broadening the umbrella of dance music.

Dixon is locked in as his verses speak on the duality of gripping steel while hitting the concrete to earn a living. It’s beautifully written, using imagery of fists clenched, finding your heart, and smiling in the sunshine. It’s the clear-eyed Dixon you want to hear more of.

There isn’t much more context to be found in the music, which isn’t nearly as fun or inventive as his previous work. It’s unclear exactly what Thug was trying to communicate here; if it’s meant to be a good bit of escapism, both for artist and audience, it’s a little too brooding.

It’s powered by honesty that goes beyond any titles fans have come to associate with the venerable spitter. In a career that’s stretched more than 20 years, Michael sees Mike as his most honest self, and it’s his most comfortable role yet.

Stuffed with a handful of sub-two-minute tracks and a few interludes, The Age of Pleasure sounds more like a short week of longing and sexual liberation, the epilogue to a coming of age story.

Gunna’s still making songs that would fit on a Drip Season deluxe, but it’s juxtaposed with pain ballads you’d hear on a Lil Durk album. And though the instrumentals and somber delivery evoke the pain he’s clearly going through, he keeps the audience at a distance, making the album poignant, but also obligatory.

The two have undeniable chemistry; woods always sounds exceptionally comfortable over a Kenny Segal beat, and Segal complements woods’s intricate writing brilliantly, keeping the backdrops uncluttered but ever-evolving.

Subversion is what distinguishes Never Enough from his previous efforts. Instead of sprinkling female voices across the album as he did on Freudian, this record exclusively focuses on the male perspective — save for a handful of background harmonies from women and a Summer Walker remix on the deluxe.

The masterful way in which Thought delivers his bars, the sequencing and the soulful, almost comforting tone of the production (outside of a few cuts) make it a highly enjoyable listen.

It’s fun and inventive; a mashup of experimental Hip Hop that harnesses a truly demented collection of sounds and influences from 80s commercials to gospel chorus. That combination might not make sense to everyone, but it’ll be a long revisited cult classic for those who get it.

Maintaining its cohesion while avoiding monotony, Nudy’s latest is at once chill and animated — an extravagant adventure that’s as controlled as it is fun.

Brimming with synth undercurrents, transfluid melodies, and delightfully jarring production shifts, Raven is a transfixing ode to human connection, interpersonal communication, and Black femininity.

Girl In The Half Pearl emits confidence despite being out of bounds for the average musically unconscious listener. Liv.e makes it clear she’s not here for external approval.

Let’s Start Here. is exciting at the first listen because the style is new to Lil Yachty himself. Alas, the shiny sheen of new experiences tends to dull over time and with repetition.

The rhythmic excellence of producer RIOTUSA and Ice Spice comes to a peak on “Actin A Smoochie.”

This project is simply too long. The songs themselves are actually quite good in their own unique way but it’s difficult for anyone to jump around a 25-track album and get the most out of it. The Mansion would have been better off as a collection of mini condos.

The theme of newfound optimism opens Beware of the Money with “Nuthin I Can Do Is Wrong.” The DJ Blackpower produced record contains a soothing soul sample from Forrest’s “I Just Want to Love You,” in which MIKE sings along halfway through the opening hook. It’s not hard to imagine a cheeky grin from the esoteric rapper as he raps with radiant pride.

The peaks on SOS, (“Used,” “Smoking on my Ex Pack,” and “Forgiveless”) find SZA sounding refreshingly comfortable rapping over gritty, hazy, and grimy productions.

Component System with the Auto Reverse is no landmark of rap music, but it is rock solid, and contains enough pearls of wisdom and displays of swagger to justify Open Mike Eagle’s endless tenure.

KD3 keeps Nas in the relevancy conversation because his voice is still impactful, calling to action when some might say he doesn’t need to do this anymore. It’s a lesson in purposeful storytelling and aging with grace.

One of Cudi’s most digestible albums in a long time. The songs are equal parts catchy, meaningful and galaxy-brain without taking more than 45 minutes altogether.

For better or worse, at an overwhelming 23 tracks, It’s Only Me is more of a playlist experience than a concise and focused album, an endless stream with occasional stylistic flourishes but a mostly consistent energy.

The realization of internet dream collaboration chatter, where the result is better than fantasy.

A vulnerable, sexy, and fun record, Age/Sex/Location is a fitting eye-roll at the R&B is dead debate.

Offset or no Offset, Quavo and Takeoff’s stylistic DNA holds steady. It’s home-grown. It’s theirs, and it’s as potent as ever.

It’s quite good, and a good Freddie Gibbs album is an already high standard to match.

JID raps like a Harlem Globetrotter on The Forever Story; the skills are there, it’s littered with flashy displays of technique and it sounds better than fine most of the time. But there’s nothing on the line: at the end of the day, it doesn’t matter who wins the game.

Those who are less dedicated to the soul-trap genre might find the hour-long, 24-track album a test of their aural endurance. Beautiful Mind shows every element that contributed to Wave’s rapid ascent to the top of his genre: the interplay between his vocals and verse; the bitter honesty with which he describes his early life experiences; and his skill for turning any sample – no matter how well-known – into his own anthemic trap-soul style.

Gemini Rights is a coming of age album where Lacy asserts that whatever journey he’s been on, it’s clear he now knows who he wants to become.

Although You Still Here, Ho? doesn’t boast as many catchy hits as its predecessor, Flo Milli’s studio debut still finds success by exploring new genres. Contrary to the record’s cohesiveness, each track is unpredictably experimental in sound and style when compared to Flo Milli’s previous work.

It’s an unexpectedly, confusingly good collection of rap songs.

There’s plenty of substance peppered in, but listeners will have to skip around to find it.

On Traumazine, Meg recaptures her narrative, sound and essence, ready to swing into the next chapter of her life.

While Cheat Codes sometimes walks the tight-rope of being another installment in the Streams of Thought series, it’s still a lesson in supreme lyricism and pristine production that should have any aspiring MC/producer combo aspiring to get on their level.

Renaissance is both backward-looking and forward-thinking. A colorful, euphoric and glittery celebration of what has passed and what is still to come.

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.

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.

With no filler or fluff, this album is bound to satisfy those who like their bars bountiful and Lupe Fiasco in peak form.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

Frank has proven to be his most compelling work to date.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

DS4EVER is proof he presumably won’t allow stardom to make him complacent, balancing improvements in song topics and technical skill, even if the drip talk has gone stale.

The album takes a more digestible approach than its predecessor, Feet of Clay; while still heavy on metaphors and wordplay, it’s not buried under cryptic mystique, allowing one of rap’s most prominent enigmas to come out of the shadows.