As tracks like the apt Andre Harris produced finale “Wings” show, EarthGang can fly on their own without any comparisons. They are as much R&B as hip-hop and for them it’s an ideal match.

Easily one of the best records released in 2019, superlatives only go so far. ... “May the Lord Watch” only solidifies Little Brother’s place in the pantheon of great rap duos.

Even his non-album singles are bangers, which is what makes it more insulting that we had to wait all these years for them to be compiled together into one “package” for our perusal. Better late than never though.

Rapsody succeeds in crafting a love-letter to the oft-overlooked, oft-denigrated minority that is the Black female.

Durk is more than just authentic though, he’s creative and compelling. He elevates drill from a regional art into a crossover territory that may earn him more haters but will definitely gain him more fans.

There’s a clarity in thought behind his bars that makes him stand out. He’s not content to drink cough syrup, AutoTune his vocals, and make up a bunch of nonsense that makes no damn sense but sounds catchy as hell. In fact if I was actually to pinpoint a shortcoming about Kream it would be that he makes “songs” instead of “singles” and that makes it hard for someone with a solid reputation from mixtapes to break out mainstream.

While there are a few tracks that take left turns, most of the album follows a similar template and sound palette, which leads to a sense of sameness for such a short album. Malibu Ken is an Aesop Rock joint, which means it is worth listening to you until you decipher every pun and metaphor. If it feels less weighty and consequential compared to his solo albums, maybe that is point.

Overall Bandana is certainly a solid album. It was one of 2019’s most anticipated releases and, while it’s not as good as “Pinata”, it’s still a worthy inclusion in any hip-hop fan’s collection.

Even though I said Curry raps more than his peers, I didn’t say he NEVER sings. He flips back and forth between both on tracks like the Rugah Rajh produced “Speedboat,” but the nice thing is that he’s not so heavily medicated and AutoTuned that you can’t follow along with his delivery.

It’s another solid album from an artist who like his late friend can crossover into a lot of areas (and arenas) given the chance.

His artistic ambition still lags behind profit objective and pursuit of happiness, but he also manages to be the kind of wordsmith that doesn’t have to spell everything out for you. But when he does, he gives a fairly balanced overview of the subject, see his thoughts on taxes in “Sam”. There’s still a cunning street edge to Chainz twelve years after “Supply & Demand”.

Lizzo is kinky and playful too, but the most sexy thing of all is her unlimited confidence in herself. She thinks big, dreams big, and achieves it all on this album.

Juice wants to get in touch with his feelings but then drowns them in a gallon of syrup.

This is a worthy addition to the Czarface catalogue that will find frequent rotation in your car stereo, boombox or headphones for the rest of 2019 AND beyond.

He can croon and autotune his way through some songs that are easy to ride to while faking it though--he ATL Jacob laced “Rocket Ship,” the Jacob and Jambo co-produced “Stick to the Models,” and the mellow radio friendly “Tricks On Me” from Nineteen85. Future has plenty of swagger and personality, knows all the right producers to take his style and make it sparkle, and has little problem serving his fan base exactly what they want.

The album is fun for that amount of time but doesn’t chart a new course for women in rap or rappers as a whole. Not every album needs to or should. “Fever” is our Trina for 2019. She won’t change the world but she will get you to talk about sex, baby.

This is not an album that thumps, drips, bangs, or whips. This is a young man with a lot of heavy thoughts on his mind, and to his good fortune he happens to be able to express them through rap over beats that sustain his flow. It may not be "boom it in your Jeep" music but that doesn't make it bad--just different. Earl Sweatshirt is different, and in a day where all rappers sound like the same AutoTuned singer, we need more different raps to appreciate.

The production on Dummy Boy is amazing. Tay Keith, Scott Storch, Murda Beatz and Ronny J among others lace 6 with some beats that match his "wavy" sound and style perfectly. The tracks are heavy on the bottom and have lots of room for 6 to flex his sing-song melodic flow.

This is the sort of 'really good album' that can precede an all-time classic breakthrough album.

By providing a cinematic narrative throughout, Royce proves that he is more than a one-trick-pony witty lyricist. He's introspective and not afraid of laying down confessional lyrics.

There's nothing to really get mad at, but there's not much to get excited about either. Scott is just "aight."

Yes true believers these villains are definitely up to no good, but they're just the anti-heroes you've been looking for. With beats and rhymes more punishing than Frank Castle, Czarface Meets Metal Face is the hip-hop for everyone who's had it up to here with mumble mouthed singing emcees.

It's not his greatest work but it's easily one of his most ambitious, which still makes it an album worth celebrating and listening to, though perhaps in smaller doses than an hour and a half at a time.

The music alone would be enjoyable, the words read on a page with no music would still be profound, but it is in their combination that The Last Poets still continue to create magic into their 70's and beyond. Maybe a little of that magic can rub off and help some melanin-deprived people "Understand What Black Is" but if not at least it's still a pleasure to listen to.

It is a meticulously crafted album that goes down smooth and leaves you with something to think about.

After two studio albums and a handful of mixtapes she's reached a level of confidence where she can do a track like "Self Interview" and answer all the questions anybody would want to ask, all while humorously noting that "most people already skipped this song/cause it ain't about sex and killing".

There's too much material here to sit and listen to straight through in one sitting. Give it time though and Culture II will grow on you.

At its best--on "We Could Be Free"--"The Autobiography" adds to this reputation. At its worst, the album still sounds very good; aside from a pair of tracks that evince a teenaged boy's understanding of love, sex, and women (both of which--"Homewrecker" and "Gorgeous" -- are musically pleasant enough), there are just two more that rubbed me the wrong way. And that's mostly because they have a sound that is currently on-trend, which me feel old and out-of-touch.