In an era where artists hype up projects that turn out to be nothing but half-baked playlists, 6LACK’s thoughtful embrace of the album format is refreshing. East Atlanta Love Letter is a moody masterpiece that may very well take the artist’s career to new heights.

Fans clamoring for the old Marshall Mathers should stream the old album or hell, rent it from the library or something. After being faced with nothing to prove as the highest-selling rapper of all-time, Eminem’s found another challenge in perfecting the new style he’s put on display.

At the end of the day, Slime Language suffers from being predictable, which is the last thing you’d ever want or expect from a Young Thug-affiliated project. The lesser-known artists don’t make much of a mark, the more notorious features are the clear highlights, and the project, as a whole, offers nothing to compete with the highs of Beautiful Thugger Girls--let alone the hallucinatory string of releases from 2015.

There are no deep layers to be uncovered on Queen. No methodical analysis responding to her critics for her reliance on sexual ploys. Nary a mention of any mental anguish the grave allegations her brother faces.

Where his debut was concerned with building on his formative years, this incubated follow-up hatches a newly minted worldview from the embattled singer.

A conscionable affair from start to finish, it’s a reminder of Future’s effortless ability to release solid tracks within his wheelhouse.

Stay Dangerous could have benefitted greatly with more personal touches as opposed to the conventional gangsterisms that bulk up the album.

Travis manages to create a substantial body of work that begs to be served as a whole, rather than just bite-sized pieces.

One of the best R&B/soul albums of 2018.

It may take more than one sitting to get through it, but anyone who dives in as fan will discover there are plenty of contact highs to be had.

Buddy’s self-acceptance ensures his future in Hip Hop is bright and shines through on Harlan & Alonda. The pursuit of his goals has finally paid off with this grand debut.

With Jp3, Junglepussy has successfully pushed her artistry forward without sacrificing the personality that established her as a dynamic force. Although her crass content isn’t meant for everyone and she has yet to have a proper crossover moment, the sophistication of this project demonstrates her underrated status is just moments from being erased.

Scorpion solidifies his universal relatability while yet again supplying fans with an overload of tracks to willingly keep or ditch.

Gangsta Gibbs has enough fire here to remind fans that he’s able to compete in an era that has continuously boats of some insane releases.

Redemption shines brightest when the music itself matches Rock’s dynamic performance and infuses enough energy for him to seize the moment.

When you factor in all its dexterity, randomness and overall generality, it’s hard to truly believe NASIR was the album he had been cerebrally building these past six years. No, this isn’t “grown man Hip Hop” to bring balance back to whatever the younger generation of mainstream rappers are doing at the moment; nor will it ever reside in the upper echelon of the living legend’s catalog. It is, however, imperfect fine art.

Sonically speaking, EVERYTHING IS LOVE benefits from the sophisticated palates of two superstars and integrates reggae, soul, R&B and boom bap throughout but in a way that’s entirely seamless. Trustworthy studio gurus including Pharrell, Vinylz, !llmind and Mike Dean all pitch in for instrumentals that are both opulent and demure in their presentation.

Black Thought is rightfully held as a model for what Hip Hop fans could (and should) expect from MCs demanding to be held in high regard. The project’s only fault is its length prevents the five nearly flawless records truly getting off the ground.

It’s a well-calculated offering from a living legend whose abilities are still very much intact.

With Cudi playing the role once occupied by his own ego, Kanye’s music sounds freer than ever before. Together, these two studio wzrds have managed to produce something that is equal parts raw, honest, touching, spooky and ethereal. We’re going to need more than seven tracks next time.

Book Of Ryan continues a four-year, six-album streak of top-tier lyricism, with noted personal and artistic growth in the process. His 2018 output will not only earn him noted respect as one of the best lyricists of the year but in rap as a whole.

Sure the heavenly feel of “No Mistakes” harkens back to his gospel soul days, 070 Shake’s passionate cameo on “Ghost Town” unveils a star-in-the-making and honest thoughts about raising North and Chicago on the serene album anchor “Violent Crimes” make for a alluring sonic experience. But ye merely excels in surface-scratching instead of the transcendent territories that spawned the Kanye everyone loved. Sometimes less does not equate to more.

The seven-track album goes the distance to add further refinement and distillation to the steely, luxurious drug raps that earned him rap relevance. ... The album is only seven songs and 21 minutes long, but Kanye covers a lot of ground sonically without getting scatterbrained.

Instead of creating a new wave, A$AP Rocky has drowned himself in his own ambitions and lost his identity along the way.

Through a more respectable body of work--is unlikely to win over any naysayers.

Dirty Computer falters along the way with a few weak hooks and some questionable lyrics but at least she was able to wipe out the old Monáe and reboot who she’s truly meant to be--both artistically and personally.

Although Everything’s Fine is well-crafted from front to back, there are a few hiccups.

Vacation in Hell is a worthy effort that showcases the individual strengths of each Zombie member, from Arc Elliott’s compelling concoctions to Meechy’s raspy, full-throated raps and Zombie Juice’s sing-songy hooks and spiritual-political leanings.