Feist manages to deliver an understated, yet powerful resolution that ultimately defines Metals not so much as a break up album or a make up album, but as a journey to acceptance.

GZA for his part conveys overarching ideas of war with self, the world at large, and pushing oneself artistically to the limit as a coping mechanism--expressing a coherent worldview through top flight craftsmanship.

Fly Lo manages to create an unusually sophiticated and well-produced album with mostly a laptop.

Surely there's despair and persistent uncertainty, but there's an unspoken beauty to the struggle.

If one devotes their time to the music, they'll come away experiencing one of the best Hip-Hop albums released in the last few years.

BlackenedWhite is a refreshingly original album where it counts and it never gets under your skin the way Tyler's albums can.

This is a piece of work that raises the bar for all his contemporaries, and I would not be surprised to see this album at the top of many Best of 2011 lists.

All in all, it's the sound of a bunch of musicians from the top of the game performing at the top of their game. Ruthlessly tight, deeply soulful with tunes to keep you riveted to your stereo until deep into the night.

Once again, he masterfully conveys his understanding of the free jazz form, and yet never duplicates his father in the least. In fact, Spirit Fiction may just be his most forward-thinking album thus far.

Make no mistake about it, most of the instrumentation on the album is just Toro y Moi. More so ‘Moi’.

The sheer ferocity of Monch's rhyming is more than enough to bridge any gaps and plow through any detours.

If I were asked to document the unrest within Detroit, The Left's Gas Mask would be the backdrop. Journalist 103 and Apollo Brown have created a beautifully ugly masterpiece that seethes with urgency and raises the bar considerably for their peers at home and beyond.

With this release, Statik Selektah continues to prove that he one of hip hop's finest beatsmiths. Meanwhile, Action Bronson shows that he will continue to be a force to be reckoned with.

Even though there were a few points at which this album dragged for me, (see back to back six-minute songs), there is no doubt that this is not only a strong debut for Saigon, but a strong album that indicates he'll be a force in hip-hop for years to come.

A celebration of quality rap music, past, present, and future.

Mike and El-P may not have made a lot of sense on paper, but it's clear they have great chemistry and they have pushed each other to make some of the year's best music.

With Cancer4Cure I was gratified on the first spin, but I'm sure it will take many more listens to fully understand El-P's brilliance on both the mic and the boards.

Lushlife's Plateau Vision is arguably the best rap record since My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy.

For listeners ready to let go of expectations and embark on a musical ride, the journey will be well worth it.

His inexhaustible penmanship coaxes listeners to further sink their ears to the album's abyss, a pull that's hard to defy.

Freed from production duties, she pours herself into her voice and her lyrics, giving a vocal performance that drips feeling and firmly establishes her as a singer to be reckoned with.

Solidarity is a straight up funky, raucous, dancefloor-troubling, riot-provoking monster of an album.

There's not a slacker in the bunch on 21, which is hard enough for many an artist to pull off at 31 – or even 51 – much less at an age when they're still too young to rent a car on their own

All three parties are at the top of their game – Russell is in complete control of her formidable voice, Quantic is in the most verdant part of his career, and the Combo Barbaro? Well, they've been dope for years. The result is a triumph.

The fiery spirit of Africa For Africa certainly carries echos of the immortal Fela, and Femi seems quite comfortable carrying on his father's legacy. But, with another powerful addition to an already stellar catalogue, the son is not so quietly building a legacy all his own.

If A Dream Deferred isn't the best produced album this year, it's gotta be in the top three.

This is the sound of a musician at the top of his game marking his entry into the big time.

He proves every time he's on stage and across this wonderful LP...he's got it.