Woptober includes a few snags in the form of pedestrian offerings such as “Wop,” the repetitive “Right on Time” and the underwhelming Young Dolph collaboration, “Bling Blaww Burr,” but the album finishes strong with the revealing closeout cut, “Addiction.”

Though it runs a little long, Cats & Dogs is a banging, consistent platter that ought to satisfy backpackers and hard-rocks alike.

Banks & Steelz constantly shift shapes and sounds on Anything But Words, but the experimentation doesn’t always work. However, the album never bores even in its uneven tracks.

Like Soul Food, Age Against The Machine tries to succeed in being different and innovative. At times, the results are disastrous, but the album always remains interesting.

While the tides of hip-hop may be in flux, and the release might not break any new ground, the collaborative LP is a genuine and welcomed addition to the modern hip-hop landscape.

More than it's lack of rap, Pink Friday: Roman Reloaded suffers most from not fully being any one thing, as it's unable to balance multiple approaches into one package.

At times, he comes across as brilliantly unorthodox with flows, genre-crossing beats and meticulously honest lyrics but those unfamiliar with his outré style may be pushed even further away from the album’s peculiarity.

What works for Wiz is crafting similar songs to perfect the Taylor Gang aesthetic.

Lil B die-hards may accuse I'm Gay of pandering to hip-hop purists; in reality, though, the project's production is high quality and inventive.

Overall, Slime Season 3 stacks up well against Thug’s colorful catalog and is undoubtedly the most listenable mixtape in the series thus far.

Staying in the conversation by releasing a steady stream of new material can be good, but it works best when there’s more cohesion and less filler.

What you'll find in Power & Passion isn't anything outside of his unorthodox style and New York bubble. Rather, it's a fine appetizer before he gears up for an album debut.

SremmLife 2 is by no means a sophomore slump but just doesn’t quite fill the same space as the first installment did last year.

ColleGrove isn’t necessarily a letdown but doesn’t exactly exceed expectations. There are some moments of brilliance from both sides but overall, a collaboration of this magnitude should have stronger replay value across more songs.

Stay Dangerous doesn't quite feel like the grand statement of Still Brazy or My Krazy Life. It's a slight step back from a rapper who is capable of much greater. While the brief glimpses of his personal life aren't quite enough to elevate the project, it's worthwhile to hear him breezing over Mustard beats once again.

If you’re willing adjust to a less joyful Guwop, there are actually some great things happening on Trap House III.

It is simply an album that lacks a clear perspective on the many heavy topics it tackles. A first time listener may walk away feeling very familiar with Freddie Gibbs’ sound, but still unsure of who exactly he is.

Excuse My French is a good album, possibly the best one the Coke Boy could make.

In order to show growth, and furthermore her push for long lasting notoriety, Lil Loaf seems to serve up a different persona on each song. But whether it’s addressing the haters or luring her love in for the kill, the young upstart makes sure to maintain her cool in any and every situation.

With so many personalities vying for attention, the artists struggle to display their own individuality, instead constantly relishing in their new spoils.

While HSC2 is a solid and enjoyable album, we hope that our favorite scientists will tinker with a slightly different, more exciting formula moving forward.

We get a strong dose of the old school Snoop we love and know while getting a little taste of the more distinguished Doggfather who we hope will eventually provide tracks filled with more wisdom and less weed. Don’t count on the latter though.

Tyga has served up a solid effort with The Gold Album: 18th Dynasty, exploring new territory and pushing himself in a different direction than he’d gone during his ratchet past work. It’s just not necessarily a better one.

The problem with Ferg’s swag raps, though, is that like any party (or after-party) that goes on for too long, it ends up just feeling overwrought and repetitive.

For the majority of the 20 tracks, each has a different producer and no two songs sound alike. This both helps and hinders the listening experience. On one hand, the scattered sounds align perfectly with the overarching idea of wildly varying teenage emotions, but on the other, it’s hard to attentively listen to all the way through--especially with a whopping 21 songs.

Finding the balance between sex, love, and ratchet, Testimony is truly a testament to a new era in R&B that shifts safe lyrics to smooth street tales.

There isn’t enough here to make Makonnen’s name start buzzing like it used to. The jury is still out on whether or not he will fade into the one-hit wonder category but one thing is for sure, the EP hinders more than it helps.

He simply doesn’t provide enough flash to continue his meteoric ascent toward becoming an independently viable brand.