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.

The music is powerful, but the moods and mental space Channel Orange occupies are often macabre.

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

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.

This is sophisticated music for the adult soul.

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.

House of Balloons is a surprisingly strong and confident debut for a new artist.

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.

While it might sound more suitable for spins on a clunky, stereophonic hi-fi, this stone soul picnic is a breath of fresh air in the here and now amidst the throng of techno R&B androids scaling the charts.

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

El Rego is solid gold all the way through.

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.

It's a challenging, complex and sometimes brilliant album from an extremely talented artist who doesn't place limits on himself, though at times you may wish he had thrown a few small ones in there.

While the material on Second Chance is quite straight forward and not very new, the album works, because it's a comfortable move forward for an artist who is trying to make up for lost time. The album is a defining second chance.

It's a testament to Ghostface's MC bonafides and sheer force of personality that, while easily his weakest solo outing, Apollo Kids is far from a bad album. It just doesn't quite feel like a Ghostface Killah album.

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.

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

While this album definitely has its FFWD moments, the Beasties' lighthearted approach still manages to hand the smack down to crab rappers and school the bratty new kids on the block in one fell swoop.

At it's best, Reloaded rocks like Evidence liberated from the jungle of Premo beats and given enough space to go believably gangster.

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.

If you're willing to open your ears up, you'll be entertained by a high quality MC having a blast on record.

Nine Types of Light is a damn good place for those of us as yet unfamiliar with TV on the Radio to start investigating one of the most adventurous bands around today. And I can guarantee that if you start here, you won't stop.

Weather is a beautiful album and the most intimate project we've heard from Ndegeocello in the last few years.

On Back to Love, Hamilton splits the difference and delivers a carefully calculated amalgam of soulful rawness, after hours sophistication and pop sheen that feels far more organic than it has any right to.

Every utterance on the album is packed full of meaning. Listeners will surely be left gleaning new insights from this collection after every rotation.

It had that intangible love and passion behind it that so, so many albums these days are essentially lacking. The tone will brighten your day, while the passion will inspire you.

It is readily apparent on Love Me Back that Ms. Sullivan is making a huge push at greater mainstream success.

Though the album hits all the right notes, the muted horns, understated strings and whispery vocalist with major funk potential leaves you nostalgic for something more.