The Roots aren't just cashing in from their newfound Jimmy Fallon fame, they're doing what they do best that nobody else in or outside the Illadeph-side can do.

This will hold a bizarre position in his catalogue--Recovery is not his best, nor his worst, but either people will listen incessantly or barely at all. There is no middle ground.

This is not a bad album – on the contrary, I like it. Drake is a clever guy, sure – but he will look back on this with disappointment at the imbalance of it, the intermittent connection, the lack of boldness.

There's no mistaking or denying what you get on this CD--the same thing you got each time out before.

There is very little that doesn't work, with both Marley (obviously) and Nas (surprisingly) meshing flawlessly into practically everything.

There's something magical about pairing Talib with Hi-Tek on production that transcends his already almost unlimited lyrical potential and creates an extraordinary experience.

The reason ArchAndroid is so good is because, from minute one, it is so apparent that its author loves music. And for those of us that love music, that's a real treat.

Most of his fans will chose to follow, while first time listeners may find it hard to relate. I promise you there's no bitter aftertaste if you give it a chance - in the end you may find it surprisingly sweet.

There are many quirks with this album, but realise that it doesn't feel like a debut from a fully-formed artist, rather someone that intermittently flickers with potential and then dials it down to play it safe for the radio.

Weed rap is fine, but if Hill is looking to subvert the dominant paradigm, they should probably find a harder drug.

In 2010 he sounds derivative, uninspired, and starving for a paycheck.

Unfortunately the haste to produce and release the album shows when listening; the thing is clearly rushed and even feels a tad opportunistic after the surprise critical resurgence of the Wu after the Raekwon-directed "Only Built 4 Cuban Linx II."

On the whole the batting average is much higher than even the best MLB players when it comes to hits on "Day Shift" so E-40 supporters should be kicking themselves if they didn't pick this up.

The material found on "Manifesto" is, for the most part, superb, with only a handful of tracks that fail to live up to the quality found on the rest of the album.

The Exxecution is twelve songs of slamming, grimey, take-no-prisoners NY hip hop. Ruste Juxx and Marco Polo show lames how it's done, and leave a trail of dead in their wake.

Songs like "Glitter Freeze" push that envelope to its furthest extent, where Albarn's sound becomes a plastic trance dance more at home with pulsing dancefloor strobe lights than a booming club with a DJ spinning the hottest rap hits. That may be a step too far for some. Tracks like "White Flag" and "Cloud of Unknowing" walk the line between those extremes.

The beats are solid enough, if not as universally banging as circa Luda '01. The album flows well, has some replay value and tries a few little tricks here and there.

The strength of "A Sufi and a Killer," though, is the remarkable consistency with which this eclectic and experimental record holds itself together. This is an album in which beats and rhymes truly serve as the yin to each other's yang.

It's an excellent original product from young inspired artists. If you are looking for underground musicians who are about to explode, look no further than these two.

Alias's production merely compounds the record's dense and oppressive aesthetic. The tracks tend to bleed into each other musically, one grainy backing indistinguishable from the next.

Jake knows Freeway's strengths and plays to them with so much grace it's almost unfair to rappers who've got to piece records together with a hodgepodge of producers who craft their tracks with no one in particular in mind.

There's nothing wrong with the 15 songs chosen for this per se, especially given that to some degree the material chosen is from more obscure Wu releases or remixes that haven't gotten wide exposure. That said a dedicated hardcore Wu fan could easily compile 90% of this album out of their own collection.

I'm New Here is an album that is best appreciated as a whole, under optimum conditions, when you can really absorb what he is saying. It's worth your time and your money, and stands proudly among the better works in Gil Scott-Heron's large and impressive discography.

Rebirth" has moments of genius, and those moments almost always coincide with coupling fiery emotion with punk's propulsive rhythm.

It doesn't sound like much upon first listen. But after a few spins "In Search of Stoney Jackson" becomes a charming little record that has quite a lot to offer despite its fragmented, uncoordinated appearance.

The Music Scene is a good album, but one that is hard to get excited about.

Hurricane Chris built on the strengths of "51/50 Ratchet" and did not repeat his previous mistakes, thus improving musically and lyrically as an artist.

For the most part the charisma of Lil Wayne and Drake carries We Are Young Money even when the actual content does not.