So while it’s not perfect, Gang Signs & Prayer is still a fairly absorbing consolidation of Stormzy’s position within the higher reaches of today’s grime movement.

There’s no glorifying of childish trends or negative influences, instead Monae favors creating music that could be embraced by varying demographics and is molded to withstand the test of time.

Listeners will find themselves going back to the top of the tracklist and letting the album roll through the variety of worldly sounding tracks. A true GoldLink summer vacation. A true summer diaspora.

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.

While it may be a bit disjointed at times, Captain California reels in his superhero status as a gifted storyteller and proficient rhyme executor, making his home at Strange Music the idyllic place.

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.

By co-opting the title of John Coltrane’s 1965 classic, A Love Supreme, Bilal is at least hinting at lofty expectations. For the most part he exceeds them.

From the jamming intro to the sublime closer, Jeffery is a testament to the rapper’s carefree spirit.

Boosie’s eighth studio album is ambitious in scale, and contains some of his best work to date. The message and content aren’t always constant, but the ebb and flow of the experience enable a strong diversity of sound, and Boosie adapts to the beats like a chameleon with different colors.

There are several JAY-Z albums that are superior in terms of musical creativity, but never has the man behind the Roc chain been more prolific in thought. It’s catharsis on steroids, walking the tightrope between FYI and TMI.

Where he has yet to master the art of making complete songs (“Uncle Al” clocks in under a minute long) and his diction tends to lacks clarity, Earl paints pictures in a manner more poetic than just about all within his peer group.

Every story and every hook connects on a human level, which in a Rap game moreso than ever defined by absurdity and ephemeral aspirations makes this a worthwhile listen.

As Gangster Rap, Piñata is free of conceptual pretense; it’s a slice more than a thesis. It’s also a new benchmark for Gibbs and may end up as a career calling card. If nothing else, it quickly sounds like one of the year’s best.

If his discography to this point was the regular season, From King To A GOD could be a sign that play-off Maquina is going to be a problem.

JPEGMAFIA is at his best and most focused when he has a specific target.

Success Is Certain should certainly be viewed as successful if Royce Da 5'9's goal was to rap his ass off over knocking production from legends to create an album worthy of quite a few rewinds and replays.

Each of Compton’s 16 tracks feel like individual set pieces bound together perfectly.

While Karma 3 isn’t the show-stopping follow-up to Survival, East is still going to outwork any MC, dropping album after album until he’s good and ready to hang up the mic.

In an artist exploring her brand new self pairing with a producer doing his best to pair up beats with her wild new imagery, this one never quite meshes, but is yet still impressive enough to sit back and marvel at the emotive and lyrical force that Angel Haze is evolving into.

Benny raps with so much confidence and gratitude here that listeners have to tip their hat to the certified Buffalo legend. For those used to the aggressive, violent music of The Butcher will be happy to hear this fresh, refined take on his sound.

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.

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

.Paak’s newest project is less cinematic and epic than its companion piece but it’s just as ambitious, texturely rich, and bustling with pleasant surprises.

While Chainz’s level of authenticity remains intact throughout the album’s duration, the commercial ambitions of its third quarter give way to a lapse of quality.

This may be one of Roc’s most energetic yet and puts him foot down as one of Hip Hop’s most influential underground rap hitmen in the digital age.

The group's unpredicatability and totally unique style is grassroots Hip Hop at its best.

Ultimately, while the album can get introspective and quite personal, the moments are buried under music that feels slightly unsure of its audience. It’s things he’s done before, and (for the most part) better. ... Not that it’s terrible music — it isn’t. In a few instances quite the contrary. It just isn’t the wall to wall classic fans may be hoping to get from him at this point.

By the Time I Get to Phoenix has arrived, an album loaded with deep emotion and detailed texture that makes every track feel revelatory.