The 17 tracks that precede Oldie are a hodgepodge of styles and line-ups; they're random in an ineffective way, with crew members seemingly shoe-horned together and the songs rolled out with little thought as to how the mixtape-slash-album plays as a whole.

It's not an understatement to call Carnivale Electricos one of the most fun, vibrant, and culturally-diverse albums in recent years.

WZRD's strengths are rooted in Kid Cudi's vocal tone, one that is gripping and melodic despite his quite limited singing ability.

In addition to her general growth as an artist, All of Me mainly works due to Estelle having the confidence to let it work instead of over-thinking it.

It's serious when necessary, occasionally triumphant, and impressive enough that you have to consider him a force to be reckoned with.

More Beautiful Than Silence, is one of the year's most authentic rap collections.

Black Cocaine is still raw in the right ways.

Underground Hip Hop in the right and literal sense of the term, Vodka & Ayahuasca is an uncompromising listen that dwells in the underbelly of an increasingly saccharine rap scene.

With pitfalls and all, Wiley is still going strong as artists come and go.

The rhymes and the beats are correct on every song on The Earn, and whenever he speaks against something, he offers an alternative.

Habits & Contradictions may be no follow-up to fellow Kendrick Lamar's Section .80, but ScHoolboy Q definitively shines through as a formidable rapper with immense future potential.

Live From The Kitchen is just about the most predictable rap album you could ever listen to.

He gives a worthy addition to the series and continues his reign as one of rap's best.

Lioness: Hidden Treasures preserves the gift of a true diamond in the rough.

Every song on The Dreamer/The Believer succeeds off the strength of Common and No I.D.'s seasoned chemistry.

Aside from its two missteps, Snoop and Wiz's Mac + Devin Go To High School is a surprisingly enjoyable listen.

No, his music isn't appropriate for every situation, but when T-Pain is what you're in the mood for, there's still no better T-Pain than T-Pain.

L&R's shots of riskiness and emphasis on contextual relevance propel this project past it's humdrum offerings like "International" and "West Side Love," keeping replay value intact.

This is a work to prove that they could do it, and they've done it tenfold.

My Life II… The Journey Continues (Part 1) is one of Mary's most memorable albums.

While the album doesn't necessarily reinvent the wheel, those with mainstream sensibilities that like metaphor-heavy rhymes with a strong dose of social commentary will be pleasantly surprised.

It's another solid collection, complete with radio hits, club bangers, and introspective ballads on her favorite subjects: love and sex.

The self-proclaimed "White trash heartthrob" kicks off his show with a display of lyricism and content that aligns very closely with Yelawolf has always been about - sincerity, family, community and of course Chevrolet Caprice Classics.

With a tight-knit collection of features and palpable confidence exuded in his lyrics, Ambition is Wale's most cohesive and likewise enthralling project thus far in his brisk career.

Blue Slide Park doesn't do anything to damage Mac's current status in the game, but it also doesn't do much to raise it.

Violence Begets Violence may not draw too many new fans in, but it will serve to satisfy longtime supporters.

While Take Care could be much better in some theoretical ways, it isn't bad in any objective way either.

It's isn't exactly a new album or even an entirely new mixtape, but taken at face value, Fear of God II is a solid collection of tracks.