This is the sound of a musician at the top of his game marking his entry into the big time.

This album is a violent frenzy maxed out to the “nth” power, so it may not be for everyone; however, most who embrace hardcore hip-hop will undoubtedly love this album.

As an album, there is nothing Aaron Neville is offering in these remakes that would make anyone want to listen to his versions instead of the originals. Therefore the album falls flat, and comes across as a well executed, but arbitrary project, from a legend.

Vicious Lies and Dangerous Rumors has a much more electronic feel to it, with a plethora of synthesizers. The brassy street thump of past Big Boi releases is still present, it's just more centralized.

GMB is Pac Div's best and most consistent work to date.

It's an indulgent side project and the monotony of the production is enough that the 'McKayla is Not Impressed' face may be unavoidable.

It's good time music written to the sound of heartbreak and everyday affairs, which makes it even more relatable, accessible even.

Perhaps it's best enjoyed as an album of two halves--with funk on the A side, and a more introspective flipside. Either way, Sinkane's trip to the Red Planet is more than worth signing up for.

9th Wonder and Buckshot have delivered a plate of comfort food that fans will enjoy, if not necessarily savor.

At it's best, Reloaded rocks like Evidence liberated from the jungle of Premo beats and given enough space to go believably gangster.

It's functional, escapist, I-hate-my-job-and-live-for-my-weekends, music.

Overall, in fact, it might feel like a little too much of The Weeknd all at once. But then again the music is so good it might just be what the doctor ordered.

It's got guest collabs that make sense without being overbearing, a few genre defying styles that go from almost dancey to instrospection and back but it never loses track.

This is a very solid debut release and well worth the wait.

If A Dream Deferred isn't the best produced album this year, it's gotta be in the top three.

Surely there's despair and persistent uncertainty, but there's an unspoken beauty to the struggle.

All in all, it's the sound of a bunch of musicians from the top of the game performing at the top of their game. Ruthlessly tight, deeply soulful with tunes to keep you riveted to your stereo until deep into the night.

You won't find much in the way of a message on Mic Tyson (closest thing might be on the driving "Pyrex": "wake up, all that crack and the street talk/is made up like Jack & The Beanstalk"), but you will find a raw rap sound seldom heard in these calloused days

The Man with the Iron Fists soundtrack is certainly an adequate companion piece to the film, and will likely earn a spot in the collection of most Wu diehards. Still, it feels like a missed opportunity for a grand musical statement to further bolster the Wu-Tang legacy as it makes its transition to the silver screen.

It's a pleasure to listen to, and perhaps its sheer existence (thanks in part to crowdsourcing on Kickstarter) is a fact to be celebrated in itself

As the album unfolds you're drawn inexorably into a world of high quality music that deserves to be savoured, devoured, replayed and pored over, and above all, enjoyed.

There is an earnestness to Blak & Blu, even in its bumpier moments, that holds your attention, even if it's the testosterone fueled bombast that initially grabs it by the throat.

Not only does the duo own the niche that they have established on their EPs, they also break new ground, infusing other elements and genres within the album. Overall, a great listen.

Murs and Fashawn have done what few collaborative albums do: create a complete and cohesive album, that actually lives up to lofty expectations.

Once again, he masterfully conveys his understanding of the free jazz form, and yet never duplicates his father in the least. In fact, Spirit Fiction may just be his most forward-thinking album thus far.

Solidarity is a straight up funky, raucous, dancefloor-troubling, riot-provoking monster of an album.

They swing like only the second line can. All in all, it's a cause for celebration (and fifty more years of Preservation Hall).

His inexhaustible penmanship coaxes listeners to further sink their ears to the album's abyss, a pull that's hard to defy.

It's not a bad album, it's actually pretty good. Just not their best.

Fly Lo manages to create an unusually sophiticated and well-produced album with mostly a laptop.

Ali touches on every heavy topic under the sun but it's the more personal anecdotes, like flying home from Europe to attend his Dad's funeral or coming off tour to find his son neglected and injured that hit hardest and make Mourning in America worth copping.

GZA for his part conveys overarching ideas of war with self, the world at large, and pushing oneself artistically to the limit as a coping mechanism--expressing a coherent worldview through top flight craftsmanship.

Enjoyment of Give Me My Flowers While I Can Still Smell Them will probably be directly correlated to the listener's ability to separate it from Below the Heavens. That in itself is a testament to the talent of the two artists involved, who have more than any flowers that come their way.

Like her fellow countrywomen, Is Your Love Big Enough? has a core of strong songwriting that helps La Havas elbow her way into a field packed with talented women drawing from the deep well of American soul.

Simply put, tMTMTMK is what music sounds like when it works.

It's a solid DOOM album to add to the catalog of previous releases.

Cope makes up for his mediocre (to some) but unique voice with strong, thoughtful songwriting.

Stereotype succeeds in melding styles seamlessly, and delivering enough synergy to help each one of the acts involved broaden its audience.

Kiwanuka crafts an opus so insular that it feels like a one-on-one conversation between he and you.

Rugby Thompson is by far the most cohesive piece of work Smoke DZA has put out and it's clear he has developed in to a serious player in the independent hip-hop scene.

Perhaps his greatest achievement here lies in the construction, an LP that balances the rappers with the beats into a seamless record.

The album is certainly worth a spin for any music enthusiast who wants to further expand their already-eclectic listening tastes.

He's found ways to make complexity entertaining and to harness pain in the names of maturity and laughter.

The music is powerful, but the moods and mental space Channel Orange occupies are often macabre.

All three parties are at the top of their game – Russell is in complete control of her formidable voice, Quantic is in the most verdant part of his career, and the Combo Barbaro? Well, they've been dope for years. The result is a triumph.

This time however they gave us a good album, something pleasant, different and raw to vibe on. Definitely give this a spin.

Ultimately, the collection plays like exactly what it is: a fun side project that re-affirms the core values of vintage hip-hop at a time when the genre too often seems to value everything but vintage fun.

While the project may not rack up repeat spins for most listeners, the sheer boldness will certainly hold attention whenever it does land in the deck.

The band is tight, the tunes are fine, and Ebo himself is on good form. But in general it simply lacks the power of his earlier material.

Love & Danger fits the mold per Keith's willingness to unleash a tweaked stream-of-consciousness upon his listeners, but his flow isn't nearly as succinct as on records past.

All things considered, Young Krizzle delivers.

Oh No is certainly a capable lyricist but the tracks on Ohnomite tend to work best when he lets his guest artist take the foreground.

With Cancer4Cure I was gratified on the first spin, but I'm sure it will take many more listens to fully understand El-P's brilliance on both the mic and the boards.

Mike and El-P may not have made a lot of sense on paper, but it's clear they have great chemistry and they have pushed each other to make some of the year's best music.

Here the stylistic plurality advances beyond likable ADHD-antics to the point where it no longer leaves the listening value unscathed.

Every utterance on the album is packed full of meaning. Listeners will surely be left gleaning new insights from this collection after every rotation.

It's a project more likely to fit comfortably into what will likely grow into a large and varied discography than deliver instant lightning in a bottle.

Ultimately, Folila fits right into that legacy, while managing to expand it just a little further.

Between the obvious hits and the Halcion fuzz however lays an interesting sound.

This album doesn't suck... it's just boring.

Lushlife's Plateau Vision is arguably the best rap record since My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy.

NLP is yet another crowning achievement in his long career.

He proves every time he's on stage and across this wonderful LP...he's got it.

The whole of First Serve is greater than the sum of its parts, and the album's crisp pace, infectious energy and playful humor make it an easy listen and a simple pleasure

Freed from production duties, she pours herself into her voice and her lyrics, giving a vocal performance that drips feeling and firmly establishes her as a singer to be reckoned with.

A celebration of quality rap music, past, present, and future.

Overall Breakfast effectively blends alternative and hip-hop elements into an eclectic montage of fresh lyricism and bursting musical backdrops.

At just 11 tracks, this record flexes serious range, but what's even more impressive is that it rarely sounds overextended.

Homeboy Sandman's latest offering is worth a purchase. The style he provides through-out the 6 tracks on Subject: Matter shows off his intelligence–something a lot of Hip-Hop is missing these days. His story-telling abilities and vivid imagery go hand-in-hand on every track.

Beaus$Eros seems to re-hash the sonic aesthetic of Busdriver's earlier releases, but this time with less impressive beats, weak vocals, and little to no live instrumentation.

This album may not appeal to some (especially those heads looking strictly for lyricism and weighty content). However, fans of both grime and dubstep will undoubtedly enjoy this offering, and most notably: Wiley's evolution.

Glasper managed to create a beautiful album from start to finish that will easily be added into conversations with greats like John Coltrane's Blue Train.

For listeners ready to let go of expectations and embark on a musical ride, the journey will be well worth it.

Monkeytown is a must for fans of techno, electro, and/or pop.

Weather is a beautiful album and the most intimate project we've heard from Ndegeocello in the last few years.

Overall, this is a pretty interesting effort that is very genre-bending in its approach.

If one devotes their time to the music, they'll come away experiencing one of the best Hip-Hop albums released in the last few years.

While this EP is a rather nice progression for Dear, and truly shows the diversity of his music, it also will give listeners something to wait for when his project comes out.

Vodka & Ayahuasca is a salute to no-bullshit hip-hop done right.

The LP's best moments are when Pusha digs deeper.

El Rego is solid gold all the way through.

On Back to Love, Hamilton splits the difference and delivers a carefully calculated amalgam of soulful rawness, after hours sophistication and pop sheen that feels far more organic than it has any right to.

Camp is powered by the same blend of quirk, wit and vulnerability that drives Glover's comedic endeavors.

If you're willing to open your ears up, you'll be entertained by a high quality MC having a blast on record.

With this release, Statik Selektah continues to prove that he one of hip hop's finest beatsmiths. Meanwhile, Action Bronson shows that he will continue to be a force to be reckoned with.

This is perhaps the most danceable "smart" record ever. Or, maybe this is the smartest dance record ever…? ...Whatever it is, it works... beautifully.

Overall, Occasion boasts a myriad of sounds and heads may gravitate more toward certain lanes than others but, with nary a weak track, Kidz In The Hall keep it game tight and deliver a dope-ass record.

It's all about the beats here. And they don't disappoint, nor do they let up, for the duration of the album.

It's a challenging, complex and sometimes brilliant album from an extremely talented artist who doesn't place limits on himself, though at times you may wish he had thrown a few small ones in there.

You gave it a listen, and it sounded like a good time. But deep down you know you didn't actually have one.

Feist manages to deliver an understated, yet powerful resolution that ultimately defines Metals not so much as a break up album or a make up album, but as a journey to acceptance.

It does feel like the melding Icebird does of electronic elements with blues, soul, and rock is a progressive move.

This is sophisticated music for the adult soul.

Flaunting a smattering of psych rock, glints of fuzz funk, analog tape hiss, and virtually no FFWD moments in sight, it's hard to not warm up to this record.

There is no visible rust on Game Tested, Streets Approved, Rob's first album in six years.

Though it may not be the knock out aural masterpiece one would expect from the likes of a Flying Lotus production, The Golden Age of Apocalypse excels by harnessing the spirits of Pastorious, Sun-Ra, and other left-of-center demigods, dazzling us with FlyLo and Bruner's unique brand of collaborative eccentric genius.

The album certainly works as ambient background noise, but it completely falls apart under close scrutiny.

So Ritual Union may not be a perfect album, but it is charming, intriguing and rewarding enough to ensure that you'll overlook any flaws and keep coming back to give it another spin. And that's something very special indeed.