While “Everybody Can’t Go” is mostly good, Benny will need to push some boundaries if he’s ever going to top his classic albums.

I can say I recommend the entire thing as high quality.

“Magic 3” continues to strengthen the argument for Nas as the GOAT and his legions of fans who appreciate his output in 2023 will clearly agree with this take.

Of the nineteen tracks on offer here, there are just too many skippables for a Busta Rhymes album. It may not be a proper Busta album, and it may be Busta’s way of sharing the flame, rather than passing the torch (as he so eloquently describes it), but in the context of Busta’s catalog, and the rest of 2023’s hip-hop releases, it frequently disappoints.

She can often sound like the guest rapper on her own songs, which is why she doesn’t really need the collaborations that some emcees rely upon. But there’s no denying the clear star power on display throughout “Scarlet”, an album that is her most direct, and shows that a pissed-off rapper that has something to get off of their chest, often results in their best work.

“Solid Gold” is Aesop at his most complex, but then tones it down on “Vititus”, a dedication to his late grandmother. With “Black Snow” closing out the album, it ends with “ITS is not a cult” to coincide with the concept.

In nearly every way, it is downright unremarkable. The Toronto superstar has once again delivered a tiresome and inflated LP composed of 23 tracks, the bulk of which are only successful thanks to the guest features that aid them.

Overall, “Voir Dire” isn’t bad. But to speak the truth, in the spirit of the album, both men have had more superior output. Plus, The Alchemist’s beats are usually better suited for rappers with gangsta motifs, because it sounds more like shared vision then.

Sure, there are a few things that could be improved (that golden scrotum line for one – not even Roc Marciano could pull that one off), but I can’t imagine many Nas fans are upset with more of the same, when both Nas and Hit-Boy are on such a hot streak.

Nevertheless, while it’s difficult to get past the wording of Travis Scott’s “Astroworld” follow up, the instrumental completeness and overall energy is difficult to forget.

The focus of Quavo’s “Rocket Power” is on him — as it should be.

I found “To What End” is an album that grows on the listener. It does have a few tracks that sound like they could have been from older albums and the shorter track lengths I can’t ignore, but there are great tracks here to appease any self-respecting hip-hop fan seeking something more genuine and soulful in their 2023 playlists.

It hurts me to say different choices in terms of the production would have made it more accessible, because I respect his intent to be inaccessible here. If I have to sum it up and put a bow on it, I think “UGLY” is an album that will probably be appreciated more 25 years from now than it is today.

His album is incredibly well polished, but the gleam of his ice is an illusion, as these diamonds are nothing more than cubic zirconias.

I can listen to “Mansion Musik” for 76 minutes and it’s fine as background music, but if I start paying attention to tracks like “WITCHCRAFT” the bars are so relentlessly negative it accidentally becomes a turnoff.

Much like the Starbucks menu name she goes by, Ice Spice has a product that’s easily digestible, but ultimately throwaway.

There’s so much that could be done with a Northern UK emcee to celebrate a part of England that has numerous industrial cities with interesting stories, but Aitch’s message doesn’t register as well as it should thanks to production akin to a box-ticking exercise.

The only potential pitfall is that the tableau that is a Curren$y record leans too much towards self-care and opulence like some showy Instagram account. ... While “Covert Coup” was more varied musically, the familiarity of the arrangements and orchestration on “Continuance” ensure a certain timelessness.

Nas sounds like he’s regained his confidence as the king once more. He sounds like the king. He’s in that “Ether” mindset once more – not necessarily as vicious, but simply sounding like he’s willing to name names and it feels like he’s genuinely having fun with his writing.

Well it’s a better Drake album than “Honestly, Nevermind” so that’s a plus. It’s not a better 21 album than “I Am > I Was” or “Issa” though so that’s a minus. If you split the difference you wind up with an average album. There are a few joints I’d care to play more than once.

Sampa the Great may be defined by where she hails from, but she also defines herself by making heartfelt songs with a universal appeal. Although this new album is my first chance to listen to her, I somehow feel like I’ve been listening to her my whole life.

The chemistry is undeniable and “The Elephant Man’s Bones” is the culmination of this partnership. This is an album that gets better with each listen and yet, despite capturing everything great about previous Roc Marciano albums, sounds remarkably fresh and current.

“2000” is very much worth celebrating. Much of the production is handled by Statik Selektah, now a veteran with a strong reputation who regularly works with Joey and it’s his sample-flipping in particular that makes this album stand out.

Individual songs can be seductive but his singing can lull you into a peaceful state over such a long stretch. Yeah it’s not much of a complaint at all is it? Don’t buy this album if you don’t want to chill out too much.

The “Eminem sound” the first “Curtain Call” could accurately collate and celebrate (given 100% of it was produced by either Dre or Em) has been pushed aside in favor of party trick flows and quick-win hooks from guests. It still seems to be a successful approach, but it’s not as satisfying to revisit.

This two-hour epic may not be his best work, but it’s his most Game album yet.

There are those who employ cheat codes just for the hell of it. Lyrically and musically, Black Thought and Danger Mouse used theirs here to get one up on their peers in their respective mediums.

“Sound Ancestors” is a good listen, but if you’re expecting the manic gangster energy of Gibbs or the loquacious lyricism of Dumile, then this isn’t the Madlib project for you. ... I’d definitely call it a Madlib album, but I still don’t know if I’d call it a Four Tet one.

As much poetry as rap, as much philosophy as sci-fi odyssey, “Bobby Digital and the Pit of Snakes” is not for the first time but the LONG time RZA listener.

Jack Harlow’s attempts at grandiose appeal ultimately fall short on “Come Home The Kids Miss You”. The young rapper fails to inspire or interest and his attempts at grand standing charm are without merit.

Drake breaks no new ground here, and retreads the same tales of love and regret so many times that the songs bleed together. If you just want background music for making love, this is your album. If you want to have your imagination captured by fantastic tales or be taken on an emotional roller coaster, don’t bother. There are no highs or lows here. We’re on medium the whole time.

On “It’s Almost Dry”, Pusha T proves that while he is fixated on selling drugs (almost to an obsessive extent), he is also a truly creative and, yes, original artist.

You know what you’re getting with Benny the Butcher, which is reliability, authenticity, and tough beats, but it rarely surprises, inspires, or leaves a lasting impression.

Through over 70 minutes of Lamar’s latest, every facet of life for the young Compton rapper is held up to the light. Love, pain, hope, despair, triumph, defeat, it’s all there. ... He’s a rapper who understands rapping is more than just a good beat, a good punchline, or a good vocal tone. He’s blessed to have all of that but he takes the platform he got from it and makes art that will last a lifetime.

“Twelve Carat Toothache” doesn’t reveal a new facet of Austin Post, it just shines an even brighter light on the jewels that he drops.

Even when you don’t understand his choices, you can’t argue with them, because you know they are coming from a place of thoughtful artistic creativity.

The hard truth is that “Dope Don’t Sell Itself” takes a tumble down into the same hole of forgettable 2 Chainz albums that has become home to the likes of “Trapavelli Tre’”, “Pretty Girls Like Trap Music”, “Collegrove” and the like. 2 Chainz seems burnt out.

For the most part, the sound palette on “God Don’t Make Mistakes” is painted as dark and grimy which suits Conway’s visceral crime details. Though he isn’t from New York City, he’s got the grit to match it. Many of the tracks show off his penchant for detailed street life depictions with polysyllabic rhymes delivered in a veteran’s flow.

It’s remarkable how these beats all have their own feel yet still work as a cohesive whole. The well-worn joke in hip-hop circles that Nas picks bad beats is effectively wiped. Nas is, in his own words, reincarnated, but with an additional self-awareness that is more grounded than his last few performances. There’s no cryptocurrency chatter or verses shoehorned into trap instrumentals. There are no skips, this is simply good ol’ Nas distilled.

There are few better ways to ride through the current Omicron surge than spinning “Garbology” and joining Aesop and Blockhead as they excavate garbage for gold.

Sullivan herself is certainly an artist that doesn’t follow the rules, which is why it’s mildly disappointing to hear her sound like Post Malone or Juice WRLD on tracks. For a woman with as much power and agency as she clearly has, she let too much of this release be shaped by what other people sound like in terms of the production of her vocals and her instrumentals.

Hommy albums get better with repeated listens and he’s an artist that suits the album format. The antithesis of a regular coke rap rapper, his music carries a richer quality than Griselda regulars. Whether you can truly appreciate his craft depends on your patience and willingness to hear something a little different.

Overall, aside from some promising lines and one, maybe two standout tracks, “Richer Than I Ever Been” is an album that predictably falls short. It simply features too many weak beats backing up bars that often do more to bore than they do to convey a sense of skill or originality.

Those who grew up with a diversified rap album portfolio bridging different territories may find “Half God” cool, while those who are Cali native and not Cali transplants like Navy Blue may vehemently reject it as "that New York shit."

“Call Me If You Get Lost” is undoubtedly a strong showing by Tyler, The Creator, to say the very least. Despite this album’s fantastic structuring and delivery, however, something that is always to be expected with this artist is that what he creates next will undoubtedly be even better.

BBNG have been doing this since 2010 and over a decade+ they’ve gotten really good at what they do.

She’s not mired in self-pity, but she is also not blindly overconfident and thoughtless. This combination of bravado and humility makes “Sometimes I Might Be Introvert” such a fantastic album. It shows an artists who is not afraid to grow, take chances, and let it all out there. All of that make it one of the better albums I’ve heard this year.

It’s beige, hollow music and that’s what ultimately frustrates your dedicated rap listener because it doesn’t make sense why it’s so damn popular. When you throw the poor writing on top of this, and some real hit-and-miss production into the mix, “Certified Lover Boy” may well be Drake’s worst album.

I admire how empowered and unencumbered Ray BLK is, taking her time to release this album the way she wanted, choosing her own lane and not being forced to speed up or slow down for anybody else. I think you’ll enjoy it too.

Lil Nas X set out to make a crossover pop album with “MONTERO” and succeeded.

In the end though it’s all just a little too polished, like a hip hop manicure after a rap spa day, one that leaves everything radiant and glossy but says nothing about what’s underneath.

Aside from these few niggles, this is easily Nas’ best record since 2012’s “Life is Good” and let’s be honest, a pleasant surprise.

It’s too slick and polished for a posthumous album.

The good news is that he’s very easy to pay attention to. It’s hard to miss a word that he says. Either because of the incredibly short length, or his great attention to detail, or the Kenny Beats production (or all of the above) “Vince Staples” is a must listen. He was wiser than his years at 22, now he’s wiser than his peers too.

The cons of “The Inspired Soundtrack” is that some tracks, much like movie scenes, could’ve simply been left on the cutting room floor since they don’t belong. However, their inclusion highlights the more quality songs on the album, the ones that coincide with the movie’s themes, ones which still are fought against in the present day.

There’s a very real, dare I say relatable feel to Cole’s music that “The Off Season” continues to highlight. Unfortunately, it’s a few songs short of being a great album as Cole experiments with some different styles of production that aren’t always successful. Cole’s nearly-man mentality produces a nearly-great album.

Though Swizz did vary the sound of the production, the album’s overall sound could’ve benefitted from a P.K. or Dame Grease beat. “Exodus” isn’t DMX’s worst album, but for a comeback album, a now-posthumous one at that, it should’ve been better.

The album’s sole difference from its predecessor is the length. It’s not lyrically mind-blowing, but its hip-hop for fans in the know and those tired of the vapid mainstream.

Ultimately the album gets away with overly familiar breaks thanks to the superb level of stars. ... It’s not his best compilation, it’s not his worst, but it’s another one.

The raps are solid and the production under Fraud is not polished, but more refined this time around. All in all, “The Plugs I Met 2” is another feather in Benny’s cap.

He’s successfully bridged the gap from local to international with this album and when everyone can go on tour again I think he’ll have a ready made audience well outside of the United Kingdom.

It is claustrophobic, depressing, but also beautiful in its own sad way. While the circumstances that led to “Fall to Pieces” are terrible, the album is incredible.

“E3 AF” certainly has its moments. The filthy Grime collaborations are brilliant and overshadow everything else, for better and worse.

It feels like the audio version of Madonna releasing a coffee table art book of her sexual exploits, and I’m not in any way judging you if you get off on that, but it’s just not my thing.

At only 26 minutes “Fuck the World” is (more than) a little on the short side, but it’s still long enough to make a powerful impact with a croon as opposed to a boom from the cannon. The only other complaint I could issue is that at times Brent Faiyaz is self-indulgent to the point of straight up misogynistic attitude lyrically.

“Limbo” shows that if he takes his time and works with the right people, the results can be drastically improved. The hidden talent Amine had is hidden no more, and I’m happy to say I won’t be nearly so reluctant to listen to his NEXT album.

“E.L.E. 2” may be bloated and overloaded with A-list star features, but it works. Somehow managing to cater toward two generations of listener; you could have this playing on a CD in your car for weeks, skipping some tracks and then discovering new favourites down the line; yet there’s enough excellent individual moments here to populate a digital playlist too.

Songs like “Wishing Well” carry on the things that made him popular — a catchy melody and hook, AutoTuned lyrics, tales of depression and drug use. All of Juice WRLD’s trademarks can be found here.

Occasionally it leaves you underwhelmed and yearning for more, but that still counts as a positive, because so many other rappers wind up doing more and leaving you wanting a whole lot less.

He’s a fine producer, a middling singer, and a very forgettable lyricist. The album’s title banks on his name being the sole draw, but if it has been titled “Featuring Kanye West, Quavo, Kid Cudi, Young Thug, Big Sean and Future” it would be a whole lot more accurate.

Despite the album having a few filler tracks, Machine may just end up with the crown on the album cover if he continues the route he’s currently on.

The 44 minutes of this album could exist without Mr. Freeman, but they couldn’t exist without Metro Boomin. ... [21 Savage's] a solid RAPPER through and through and in an era of singers I’m always going to appreciate that, but if I said I could ignore the banality of “Savage Mode II” lyrically I’d be lying.

Gibbs and Alc show no signs of allowing the credits to roll.

The biggest missed opportunity lies in Nas’ inability to reach beyond the ambitious presentation found in everything surrounding the lyrics. He’s entertaining in spurts, but much like his “godly” contemporary Jay-Z, one has to wonder if what he says ever really matters on “King’s Disease” any more.

Though “Blame It On Baby” is fairly short at only 33 and a half minutes, the bop of songs like the Nils & Wheezy produced “Talk About It” and the title track from DJ Kid and friends prove you can hit skip and land on something good anywhere.

Positives of “The Goat” — it’s 47 minutes long, it’s slickly produced, and even when Polo’s voice is Tuned up it’s not to cover up him being mumble mouthed or syrup addled. Negatives — well there aren’t too many.

Putting the lyrics aside for the moment I’m willing to say there’s something here. The production goes from spartan and airy to distorted and noisy in a way that makes it feel like industrial trap rap, and his accent plays with your expectations of what the flow should be like. ... Ultimately I must still give a “meh” to the overall presentation, because like many of his U.S. counterparts, Yung Lean’s music relies more on style than substance.

It manages to sound both isolating and uplifting at the same time, and really shows an artist who is honing their loneliness and boredom into creativity. It has helped me get through these long and strange months, and I highly recommend it.

Relentlessly preachy music can be just as obnoxious as the relentlessly vapid, but even pop music can offer more substance than this. If this album was a soda, it would be light and bubbly, yet its sugar free nature would make you crave a Mexican soda in a glass bottle instead.

“Lil Boat 3” finds Yachty syncopating and stretching beyond his naturally baritone voice. He sounds more self-aware than ever, channeling his beloved infectious energy as the main driver for the album, rather than his erratic lyrical ability.

Because of the themes it addresses, “RTJ4” is indeed a hip-hop album chaotically reflective of the modern times and much needed for the same reason.

It’s a complete package (pun intended). I’ll take the Jay-Z style “Song Cry” feel of “When to Say When” as an album song any day. The MexikoDro and Shebib “From Florida With Love” is the example of why I can handle Drake being Tuned up more than most of his contemporaries. He uses it without abusing it to ridiculous absurdity.

Mozzy’s greatest strength as a writer is clear intimacy. Every time he spits a verse, I feel like he’s talking to me one-on-one with a cigar in hand and his posse surrounding him. There’s wisdom attached to his words because he’s been through it all. ... Mozzy still carries demons, but there are indeed shimmers of happiness percolating throughout some of these passages.

It is the right combination of introspective and funky. It makes these long, endless days and weeks much more manageable. If you need something both banging and relaxing, Shabazz Palaces got you covered.

Rather than trying to please the club, the ladies, the hardcore 30+ crowd, the younger fans, and everyone in between, Jadakiss has released a cohesive, satisfying album that is easily one of his best efforts. More of this, please.

If you absolutely can not stand rappers who should be called singers then you need to take a hard pass on Vert, but if you occasionally (or more often than that) enjoy the crooning, Vert is at least someone who can put it together in a way that is surprisingly decent and occasionally quite good.

“Unlocked” is a blast. It is a highly-enjoyable snapshot of an otherworldly dimension traversed by the superbly-skilled rapper Denzel Curry and the fantastic Kenny Beats. This EP delivers loads of strong bars and beats alike and is most definitely worth the listen.

Throughout “Chixtape 5” though I keep finding songs that pay tribute to hits by other people, and in each case Tory Lanez is not the rapper on the track. ... He’s just straight up crooning. He almost raps on “If You Gotta” featuring Fabolous but can’t resist the urge to sing. Unfortunately this leads F-A-B to imitate him instead of vice versa. The album’s slicker than the tile floors behind the counter at Wendy’s though.

While handling all of the production himself is a valiant effort, it’s evident that Royce had a wobbly experience with it in that it isn’t fully consistent. Even so, “The Allegory” is another solid effort from the Detroit rhyme sayer.

As for meaningful depth to his bars, humorous “press rewind” punchlines or emotionally resonant stories, I regretfully must honestly say he didn’t grab me in any of these categories. As a lyricist he was “just there” — not terrible, not brilliant, just okay. Does he show future potential on “Meet the Woo Vol. 2“? Yes. Absolutely.

Both the length and the effort he put into it justify why it took over three years for it to come out and all the bases are covered here. ... It’s hard to find anything to complain about.

He clearly cares about his output, but “Music To Be Murdered By” is, unfortunately, another mixed bag of tricks, propped up by lyrical acrobatics and underwhelming production.

Wayne, much like in his mixtape days, is finally having fun again. And when he does that, the results are captivating.

I’m confident is his best work since his return in 2017. ... Roc Marciano isn’t likely to win over those who aren’t into this style of hip hop, but it certainly feels more accessible than the DJ Muggs record “KAOS” or even the “Rosebudd’s Revenge” albums.

Mac’s sixth studio album is a surreal experience that’s filled with opaque contemplation and tragic connotations. ... Loneliness may be our greatest fear other than death. Mac was able to explicitly re-establish this idea through reflective songwriting and gentle crooning. His genius and thoughtfulness will always be remembered. “Circles” is a stark reminder of that.

Very little is going on lyrically above but Smoke’s energy is priceless. That same energy is only marginally filtered through these swift-moving tracks. The entire album is more of an elongated intro to the Cactus Jack brand.

There’s a timeless quality to the way Keith Elam and Christopher Martin brought out the best in each other, and even posthumously on “One of the Best Yet” you can still hear that love of making hip-hop in every track.

It’s a good album. ... Emo rappers often tend to release short albums with even shorter tracks, and this one is suspiciously long and incredibly overloaded with talent.