Overall, “Voir Dire” isn’t bad. But to speak the truth, in the spirit of the album, both men have had more superior output. Plus, The Alchemist’s beats are usually better suited for rappers with gangsta motifs, because it sounds more like shared vision then.

Live Love A$AP is compelling but wildly uneven in execution.

It is, really and truly, an experience.

Extended Play has the comfortable feel of a mid-to-late 1990's DJ Premier P-P-P-Premier mixtape though so I'm not mad at it--I just want Statik to knock his next one out of the stratosphere.

There are those who employ cheat codes just for the hell of it. Lyrically and musically, Black Thought and Danger Mouse used theirs here to get one up on their peers in their respective mediums.

Shabazz Palaces created an album that is deep, dense, cryptic, hypnotic, and beautiful in its own freaky way.

XXX is another excellent release from the man who is one of the best rappers out there, proving that you can be lyrical and street at the same time, and that hip-hop doesn't have to be one dimensional.

With Chill, dummy, P.O.S. manages a difficult balancing act between alternative music and hip-hop, the personal and the political, and being impassioned without being self-righteous. It's a strong album that is a welcome return from the Minnesota rapper.

He's versatile enough in writing ability to cover any topic from somber to silly, he's clever enough to make what he has to say worth rewinding to catch, and he's not that bad behind the boards as a producer either

It's the depth of lyricism that continues to impress, months after release.

There is a fair amount of glitchy electronica, but there are also more straightforward loops. They compliment Open Mike's melodic delivery and the wistful yet angry mood of the album. Sammus and Has-lo also offer verses.

On paper it sounds all over the place, but it somehow works. There is method to this madness and Gang Signs & Prayer owes much to how serious Stormzy considers the album format in 2017. Grime LPs are few and far between.

By Janelle Monae's lofty standards, this is still very good, but not quite as great as her previous offering.

While “Everybody Can’t Go” is mostly good, Benny will need to push some boundaries if he’s ever going to top his classic albums.

It's [the] beats by Danger Mouse that make "Demon Days" a winner, even when the Gorillaz concept threatens to overwhelm itself with pretentious twaddle.

Once you listen, you'll never be able to look at rap's landscape the same way again.

Whilst not quite a true Renaissance for hip hop, it certainly is a rebirth for Q-Tip--and fans of A Tribe Called Quest will dine out on this album for the next nine years too.

Lyrically, Jay-Z still has his gift for wordplay and flow. For what he does not display in terms of technical emceeing ability on this album, he makes up for it by dropping clever gems filled with knowledge.

Doris may not get the party started, but it's still an inspiring album.

At times the production teeters back and forth between cohesive and monotonous, but after repeated listens, the tracks stand out apart from each other more as you unravel the heavily layered production.

Madlib produced albums tend to only get better with age, and I don't expect Pinata to be an exception.

Despite the album having a few filler tracks, Machine may just end up with the crown on the album cover if he continues the route he’s currently on.

Royce Da 5'9" is a well rounded beast throughout; and it's similar to the Bad Meets Evil EP in tone, but more expansive in ambition.

After three decades in the music business, it's inspiring to see him deliver an excellent album: overseeing it, driving his guests/writers/producers onto greater things and delivering it in an interesting way is no mean feat. His voice has matured.

With II Trill Bun B's ensured the legacy of U.G.K. will exist for decades to come, but more importantly he's created the album that every hip-hop head from North to South with have rattling out of their trunk all summer long.

7 Days is certainly the record to go for if you want that core Krept & Konan experience, and with strong showings from the three big names in UK rap (Stormzy, J Hus and Skepta)--it's definitely worth checking out.

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”.

I’m confident is his best work since his return in 2017. ... Roc Marciano isn’t likely to win over those who aren’t into this style of hip hop, but it certainly feels more accessible than the DJ Muggs record “KAOS” or even the “Rosebudd’s Revenge” albums.