Every song on The Dreamer/The Believer succeeds off the strength of Common and No I.D.'s seasoned chemistry.

The triumph of Rap Album One is that Wayne manages to experiment sonically while his rhymes maintain an undeniable true school appeal.

The end result is an album that is as much a wild party as it is brutally honest.

Dreams Worth More Than Money is a slight misfire for Meek Mill, but enough is there the we think he can eventually achieve in his music the high he’s achieved in his personal life.

Tweet’s songwriting on Charlene is profound enough for us to feel something but doesn’t go over the top with wild emotions.

For those willing to experiment, Age Against The Machine serves as both a piece of art and a rewarding risk in an age where established artists are fearfully playing it safe.

Despite the occasional uncertainty, Always Strive and Prosper answers more questions than it poses. Ferg has clearly stepped up his game by delivering his most well-rounded project thus far.

It’s a true spiritual successor to the original, and is everything fans could have asked for: a worthy follow-up, well-thought-out standalone project, and a very necessary commentary on society, government, and machinations by which the two interact.

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.

Taking steps to advance his career without compromise, Michael Christmas uses Fudge’s Lady Parts to make what’s arguably the greatest showing off his talent to date.

In addition to being Dam Funk’s best production work to date, 7 Days Of Funk is Snoop's most enjoyable album in years.

In reaching out and grabbing every pop sound that’s been successful in the past half-century of mainstream pop, rolling it tightly in a blunt and setting them ablaze with Abel Tesfaye’s sonorous vocals, this release gets much higher than most anything else released in 2015.

Where his debut was concerned with building on his formative years, this incubated follow-up hatches a newly minted worldview from the embattled singer.

Aside from its individual weaknesses, as a whole, The Art of Hustle doesn’t feel very intentional; it’s a collection of songs more than a body of work.

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.

While it would be easy to get lost in the eclecticism of the album, that’s frankly what makes N.E.R.D the group they are.

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.

An exemplary balance of serious and cheerful cuts alike, very seldom does The Heist reach beyond its means.

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.”

Despite its missteps, GMB is a commendable project that should hold over diehard fans.

The project suffers a bit from hit-chasing evidenced from the bubbly Kevin Gates-assisted “POP” and catchy but baseless Nicki Minaj pairing dialed up on “iPHONE.” Unlike Baby on Baby, which sported “Suge,” it’s the hardcore “XXL” that serves as the album’s most complete record.

Dillatronic highlights the producer’s grand vision, but in the end, we’re left with pieces of what could’ve been.

A crossover single aside, LILDURK2X, at its core, really lacks any unique personality. From song to song we just get served disappointingly mediocre aggressive rap music that is hard to hate but also challenging to love.

Pain is practically synonymous with art, so it’s not surprising Blige has delivered another round of raw, gritty and emotionally transparent songwriting.

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 pitfalls and all, Wiley is still going strong as artists come and go.

While Shaolin vs. Wu-Tang at face value might not be the most agreeable title for Raekwon's album, a closer look would prove it's actually perfect.

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.