XXL's Scores

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For 380 reviews, this publication has graded:
  • 68% higher than the average critic
  • 6% same as the average critic
  • 26% lower than the average critic
On average, this publication grades 0.8 points higher than other critics. (0-100 point scale)
Average Music review score: 74
Highest review score: 100 Life is Good
Lowest review score: 40 Hotel California
Score distribution:
  1. Positive: 260 out of 380
  2. Mixed: 120 out of 380
  3. Negative: 0 out of 380
380 music reviews
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    • 78 Metascore
    • 80 Critic Score
    HNDRXX
    HNDRXX is a reminder that no matter how hard he tries to shun his reputation as a hitmaker, Future remains one of the most reliable acts in mainstream music, his reluctance aside.
    • 78 Metascore
    • 80 Critic Score
    4eva N A Day
    The multi-talented artist has indeed gotten better, steadily working towards perfecting his crafts.
    • 69 Metascore
    • 80 Critic Score
    Cherry Bomb
    Cherry Bomb is his greatest achievement thus far, solidifying his place in the game, with or without the conspicuously absent Odd Future crew.
    • 76 Metascore
    • 80 Critic Score
    Effected
    Effected confirms that Cozz has more in him than just straight bars. He continues to tell his own story but through new flows, different hooks and an advanced way of making rap songs.
    • 80 Metascore
    • 80 Critic Score
    DS2
    A coherent, consistent album--both thematically and sonically--that captures where hip-hop’s resident astronaut is residing these days.
    • 88 Metascore
    • 80 Critic Score
    You're Dead!
    The genius of Flying Lotus, which has been invariably present throughout his preceding releases, but most especially on You’re Dead!, is that he has an incredible ability to both illustrate and extract exceptional amounts of emotion, without saying much at all.
    • 77 Metascore
    • 80 Critic Score
    Layers
    Six albums deep on the solo tip, Royce’s introspective side clearly shines through on Layers.
    • 73 Metascore
    • 80 Critic Score
    Gravitas
    He may still be too lyrical for some, but for many his Gravitas will be a welcome change from hip-hop’s current norm.
    • 86 Metascore
    • 80 Critic Score
    untitled unmastered.
    Seeking peace of mind and understanding while speaking to the human condition, Kendrick drops poignant gems on the idiosyncrasies of life, as well as his own, over the rich production provided by his trusty platoon of boardsmen on untitled unmastered.
    • 77 Metascore
    • 80 Critic Score
    Beach House III
    Beach House 3 truly is Ty Dolla $ign’s best work to date. He manages to please with his collaborative hits and hooks all while maintaining artistic integrity with his more introspective tracks.
    • 68 Metascore
    • 80 Critic Score
    EVOL
    EVOL is only the latest building block on one of the most impressive runs from any rapper we’ve seen, and Future shows no signs of slowing down for anything.
    • 73 Metascore
    • 80 Critic Score
    The Family Sign
    The album still possesses enough of the classic Slug and Ant material that the underground has come to love that it will prove a welcome addition to their catalog.
    • 82 Metascore
    • 80 Critic Score
    4:44
    While this project falls short of his more seminal offerings, 4:44 is among JAY-Z’s more meaningful bodies of work to date and showcases another dimension of the greatest rapper alive.
    • 70 Metascore
    • 80 Critic Score
    Food & Liquor, Vol. 2: the Great American Rap Album, Pt. 1
    He's not always as nuanced as he's shown the ability to be, and can indeed come off preachy, so those with already established ideologies may find aspects of this album off-putting.
    • 65 Metascore
    • 80 Critic Score
    Diamond in the Ruff
    It's packed with the right ingredients for yet another solid appraisal from both fans and critics.
    • 70 Metascore
    • 80 Critic Score
    BOOMIVERSE
    On past projects he has been comfortable sticking to a script he’s outlined for himself but here, he operates without rules. He isn’t bound by tempo, theme, style or even genre for that matter. All that appears to matter to Big Boi on Boomiverse is making good music that players can still bump in their Cadillacs.
    • 55 Metascore
    • 80 Critic Score
    Full Speed
    Overall, Full Speed is probably Kid Ink’s best project to date. He sounds focused and he executes by pleasing his core fans with quality radio and club-friendly music.
    • 95 Metascore
    • 80 Critic Score
    DAMN.
    DAMN. may be Kendrick’s most commercially viable body of work to date and contains a number of breezy tunes that should keep him on the Billboard charts for the foreseeable future, but is at its best when the rapper delves inward.
    • 85 Metascore
    • 80 Critic Score
    Something Else
    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.
    • 84 Metascore
    • 80 Critic Score
    What Goes Around
    What makes this album so great is Statik’s ability to coagulate the old with the new.
    • 67 Metascore
    • 80 Critic Score
    G I R L
    G I R L not only represents a proper representation of his creativity, but, with high-profile guest spots (Timberlake, Cyrus, Daft Punk) and a number of radio-ready singles, it should also be a success on the charts and further his reputation as a pop icon.
    • 71 Metascore
    • 80 Critic Score
    YSIV
    YSIV succeeds when it forgoes pretentious views on what hip-hop should be and instead focuses on what makes the self-proclaimed Young Sinatra unique. The trio of “Everybody Dies,” “The Return,” and “The Glorious Five” feature the Everybody MC at his most fluid and nimble.
    • 69 Metascore
    • 80 Critic Score
    Bush
    Overall, Bush is a fun and enjoyable listen from start to finish with the album’s retro imagery brought to life by Snoop Dogg and his slick persona.
    • 88 Metascore
    • 80 Critic Score
    Run the Jewels 3
    In the grand scheme of rap music, Killer Mike and El-P get more and more niche with each project they release together and this new album is no different. If this dynamic duo can keep their rebellious spirit alive without beating it to death, they’ll continue to thrive.
    • 71 Metascore
    • 80 Critic Score
    Neva Left
    Shunning party-hearty staples for the mainstream and taking it back to the concrete, Snoop Dogg turns back the hands of time on Neva Left, delivering an album that is a testament to his unprecedented staying power.
    • 81 Metascore
    • 80 Critic Score
    Don't Smoke Rock
    Don’t Smoke Rock is another great entry into Smoke DZA’s ever-expansive discography.
    • 74 Metascore
    • 80 Critic Score
    7 Days of Funk
    7 Days of Funk is a fun and refreshing experience--one of Snoop’s most enjoyable projects since Tha Blue Carpet Treatment. George Clinton would be proud of this fresh take on funk music.
    • 67 Metascore
    • 80 Critic Score
    I Decided.
    Big Sean rises to the occasion on I Decided., arguably the best album of his career, and one that secures his spot as one of the top five artists in hip-hop today.
    • 60 Metascore
    • 80 Critic Score
    Magna Carta Holy Grail
    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.
    • 77 Metascore
    • 80 Critic Score
    Championships
    [An] urgent, wise and poignant fourth LP.
    • 68 Metascore
    • 80 Critic Score
    Battle Of The Sexes
    Luda may not have evened the playing field, but he certainly created an excellent musical forum for the sexes to air out their differences.
    • 71 Metascore
    • 80 Critic Score
    Murder for Hire II [Mixtape]
    MFH2 highlights everything we have come to love about Gates and more. Even though he wavers with some vocal performance on a few tracks, he still manages to put together a solid free sample project that should tide us over until his sophomore offering drops next year.
    • 60 Metascore
    • 80 Critic Score
    Tha Carter IV
    Even with some lack of vulnerability and risk, Tha Carter IV displays the nonsensical approach that fans have grown to love. Future and previous aside, Weezy's present is bright.
    • 78 Metascore
    • 80 Critic Score
    Habits & Contradictions
    Ultimately, lyrical dexterity and a versatile delivery prove to be ScHoolboy's biggest assets.
    • 62 Metascore
    • 80 Critic Score
    Quality Street Music
    By using his seasoned ear and stuffed phonebook, Dram has fed his base with what is indeed Quality Street Music.
    • 84 Metascore
    • 80 Critic Score
    Legends Never Die
    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.
    • 74 Metascore
    • 80 Critic Score
    10 Summers
    Featuring Rick Ross, Wiz Khalifa, and TeeFlii caps off an impressive debut album for a producer who plans to be around for a while.
    • 85 Metascore
    • 80 Critic Score
    R.A.P. Music
    The compilation is short--12 tracks--but if fans are looking for relentless lyrics in their R.A.P. Music, this ATL MC remains a Killer on the mic.
    • 69 Metascore
    • 80 Critic Score
    Dreams and Nightmares
    Dreams and Nightmares doesn't break new grounds in hip-hop, however it does serve as a respectable release from the rapper who's on the verge of universal acceptance-a road similarly traveled by his cohorts Rick Ross and Wale.
    • 81 Metascore
    • 80 Critic Score
    All 6's and 7's
    The album is the first test of Tech's ability to balance his new industry connections with the distinct style that his Technicians have become accustomed to over the years. Luckily, he reaches that marker without any real stumbles along the way.
    • 82 Metascore
    • 80 Critic Score
    The Last Rocket
    With all of its paper-and skirt-chasing, The Last Rocket may not be a giant leap for mankind but it’s more than a small step for establishing Takeoff as something other than the Migo left off of “Bad and Boujee.”
    • 79 Metascore
    • 80 Critic Score
    Well-Done
    Once they digest this one, fans will be eager for seconds.
    • 80 Metascore
    • 80 Critic Score
    Yes Lawd!
    Yes Lawd! is one of the more satisfying efforts of the year thus far.
    • 73 Metascore
    • 80 Critic Score
    Watching Movies with the Sound Off
    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.
    • 73 Metascore
    • 80 Critic Score
    Follow Me Home
    Reflecting the Top Dawg Ent. rapper's lyrics and tone, the album is unapologetic and rugged, but sounds anything but rough.
    • 75 Metascore
    • 80 Critic Score
    4 Your Eyez Only
    4 Your Eyez Only is a solid, short listen that relies on J. Cole’s strength and comfort zone, perhaps a little too much at times, but the underlying concepts continue to add a layer of depth to his artistry.
    • 72 Metascore
    • 80 Critic Score
    Everybody Looking
    Gucci sounds more comfortable, confident and icier than ever before.
    • 73 Metascore
    • 80 Critic Score
    This Generation
    The two feed off each other well, resulting in good music with a message, more often than not.
    • 67 Metascore
    • 80 Critic Score
    Starboy
    The Weeknd is a self-described pop star, and proves his worth on Starboy, an album with plenty to love.
    • 74 Metascore
    • 80 Critic Score
    The Dreamer/The Believer
    The Dreamer/The Believer may be Com's most digestible LP to date.
    • 71 Metascore
    • 80 Critic Score
    Rather You Than Me
    Nine albums removed from anonymity, Rather You Than Me secures Rick Ross’ slot within the list Top 5 of rap soloists to emerge from the South over the last 20 years, and is among his more cohesive bodies of work to date.
    • 72 Metascore
    • 80 Critic Score
    DropTopWop [Mixtape]
    Gucci Mane’s latest may be business as usual, but Drop Top Wop gives the customer exactly what they’re looking for, which is a tried-and-true art within itself, making it another quality offering in the Atlanta legend’s extensive catalog.
    • 84 Metascore
    • 80 Critic Score
    Kids See Ghosts
    He and Cudi pull equal weight on Kids See Ghosts, but the album’s brightest points--the beautiful madness they seek--come from the moments when Kanye plays the background and Cudi seizes the forefront. It’s a testament to their chemistry and quite the turn from 2008.
    • 63 Metascore
    • 80 Critic Score
    Dream.Zone.Achieve
    He could have benefited from having the album broken up into seven-track EPs and released over the course of two-three months, but we’re forced to aimlessly sift our own way through D.Z.A. Lucky for us, there’s enough gold in there to go around.
    • 86 Metascore
    • 80 Critic Score
    Some Rap Songs
    Some Rap Songs packs a lot in 25 minutes, making for an unsettling listen that is also one of the most personal, gripping rap records of the year.
    • 73 Metascore
    • 80 Critic Score
    The Solution
    The Solution finds Buckshot doing a better job than in his past two at-bats to keep up with the super producer, and he does so by using his relaxed spitting as an anchor.
    • 72 Metascore
    • 80 Critic Score
    Dark Sky Paradise
    “One Man” in particular, which deals with the loss of his grandmother and his acceptance of her passing, really underlines what the entire work is about: dealing with the ups and downs in life and figuring out the best way to accept them and move forward. With Dark Sky Paradise, Big Sean has finally found that balan
    • 79 Metascore
    • 80 Critic Score
    More Life [Mixtape]
    While fans and critics argue over whether or not he’s one of the greatest MCs of his generation, let alone among the greatest of all-time, Drake continues to prove his worth as an elite talent with More Life, another blockbuster from rap’s golden child with the midas touch.
    • 65 Metascore
    • 80 Critic Score
    Everybody
    Complete with unbridled lyricism, top-notch production and conceptual brilliance to tie it all together, Everybody is a hallmark release that further solidifies Logic solid standing in hip-hop.
    • 72 Metascore
    • 80 Critic Score
    Tha Carter V
    If anything lets Tha Carter V down, it’s the track sequencing and transitions, which can start to make the project feel like it’s dragging about halfway through. However, that should hardly dissuade Wayne’s most diehard fans, as even in its slowest moments, the album never loses its heady sense of rapture. ... The album is indeed memorable, as much for the journey that led to its release as the previously unseen layers that Weezy reveals.
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