It’s not always focused, and it’s not always perfect, but that’s what real freedom feels like.

He treats this debut album like a retail mixtape, and the result is a project that picks off from where The Luca Brasi Story left off. Unfortunately, these high points aren’t enough for him here to progress further.

The album never reaches jaw-dropping levels because the envelope’s never pushed, but that’s not the point. Albert Einstein is about two artists doing what they do best, and for one of them, it’s a return to form.

Whether Tech wants the bigger fame or not is unclear, but it’s safe to say the growth he displays here is one step nearer. He’s strange, he’s provocative, but the lesser shock value on this album marks it as his true debut to a larger audience.

Fraud’s production matches his laconic delivery in a way that other producers’ work just hasn’t. This makes Saaab Stories a much more cohesive mixtape than it would have been otherwise.

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

Ace is still aiming for the club on certain tracks. His enthusiasm and rapid-fire flow sound at home over the menacing summer jam “Bugatti” with the warbling hook of Future or on the triumphant “We Outchea”. But on other tracks, like the flimsy Chris Brown-assisted “Rider,” he comes off clumsy and out of place.

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.

Summer Knights is for the hip-hip heads and less for the kids that are Joey’s usual teenaged fanbase.

He may be coming to grips with the fact that there are limits to what you can do at the top, as his clash with Billboard regarding his Samsung deal showed, but that doesn’t stop him--lyrically, promotionally, or otherwise--from trying to push the boundaries out a little further.

Matching his lyrical abilities with polished production and radio-ready hooks, The Gifted sees Wale inching towards hip-hop’s upper echelon, while still exhibiting the hunger of a young MC on the rise.

With Yeezus clocking in at a short 40 minutes, Kanye achieves his goal of creating a stripped-down, minimalist project; there’s nothing extra or out of place here. More importantly, Kanye makes it abundantly clear that he’s still got a lot to say, and a lot of new ways to say it.

While BS may not exhibit the growth sonically or conceptually that fans may have anticipated after hearing Cole’s early work, he remains too gifted lyrically, too keen of a storyteller, and too emotionally open for his sophomore LP to be anything less than impressive, but not overly so.

Mac Miller’s sophomore effort is a surprising and focused album from an artist fed up with his public perception. He does enough here to prove his point.

Ultimately, Acid Rap’s biggest victory is living up to it’s own hype and Chance’s careful packaging of his artistry.

ll in all, the project is a welcome addition to the D-Block rapper’s catalogue, though it’s narrow vision holds the album back from reaching any great heights.

With the exception of a few fillers, Legends Never Die is a truly compelling entry in the two-decade discography of R.A. the Rugged Man.

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

Despite using a familiar formula, Havoc’s beats never sound too dated here; new techniques in his repertoire, such as using more melodic synths and complicated drum arrangements, keep things sounding fresh. Unfortunately, the same can’t be said for his lyrics.

It truly sounds like a vintage New York hip-hop album, and it’ll appeal to those still looking for that. On the flip side, the production is so outdated you can’t help but think that these songs have literally just been sitting around this whole time.

Indicud is an at-times very good album, but it’s certainly no 2001. This isn’t because of a lack of ingenuity or creativity on Cudi’s part, but rather because the decision to act as the project’s sole producer didn’t do him any favors.

Ultimately, 12 Reasons to Die is a pitch-perfect pairing of Adrian Younge’s soulful production and Ghostface’s invigorated rhymes.

It takes fewer risks than Careless World and as a result there are less payoffs.

Throughout, 7L can only be described as a “Rock Beast,” as he brings a consistency and ferociousness to the Czarface sound that comes off best in the track of the same name.

The album probably has more features than any other Budden project, but it’s not overbearing. Also, Joe does not move away aimlessly from what he is good at and what he enjoys.

Long.Live.A$AP has its moments as a cohesive album with top producers (Hit-Boy, Danger Mouse, Noah "40" Shebib) and frequent collaborators (Clams Casino) that offer choice beats.

Pac Div was hoping to achieve a harder sound with GMB, and when it comes to the tongue-in-cheek "Bank," "Sneakerboxes," which features Chip Gnarly & Big Silk, and "Debo," they certainly get there. But it is when they take a more casual approach to their sound, as on "Slow," which sounds like a club anthem lost at a children's party, or the aimlessly catchy "Can't Help It," that they reach heights only attained by Superman.

The project is one of his best thus far by virtue of him composing an album in which listeners can empathize with how he views religion ("Hallelujah"), the club ("Ball"), women ("Guns and Roses," "Can You Learn," and "Crusin'") and so forth.