The sound's still high quality on "Shock Value II," it's just not 100% his own any more - maybe 50%, maybe 75%, all depending on what the co-credits really mean.

Instead of acknowledging that they perhaps have something unique to offer and trying to put their own twist on rap, the Keys attempt to strip down their sound to fit within hip-hop genre norms--the result being the taming of many gifted rappers whose time would have been otherwise better spent.

Dr. No's Ethiopium combines two of the best things on Earth: Egyptian jazz and hip hop. This is a fantastic album, and one that improves upon "Dr. No's Oxperiment."

It is very dense and maybe needed more melodies to help digest it all. Adding to that, the production at times lets her down, ranging from excellent to average, with a couple of songs that could well have worked better as skits.

He's still solid with the flow and constructs rhymes that are both interesting and intense, making The Seventh Seal a worthy purchase and return for a man who was in the beginning, is now and ever shall be, God without end--Rakim. Amen

Felt 3 is a work of art that unlike so many sequels in life exceeds what the originals had to offer, and indeed offers something everyone can appreciate.

On the lyrical side of things, 50 seems to have his edge back. Whether he's orchestrating a robbery or bucking (pun intended) shots at his foes, it seems apparent that the criticisms got to him. For the hard core fans, the softer songs are skippable, but I can't hold that against him too much.

The biggest problem with Wale's debut LP is that sure, the music is good, some of the concepts are interesting...But it is all very middle of the road, and Wale himself is an MC desperately in need of charisma.

Eleven tracks featuring Gift of Gab's superb rhyme writing, breath control and musical flow just don't seem like enough, but the amount of content he packs into that small space creates an energy density comparable to NOX, fueling this rocketship all the way to Mars and beyond to distant stars.

The members were certainly armed, and they seem to hit more than they miss.

It's not a new sound, and, at points, the tracks feel monotonous as they bleed into each other. Still, there are certainly standouts.

Tame and Del are like-minded rappers who have been heading in the same direction for years musically without having crossed paths. Now that they've finally linked their styles together in tandem, it's a blessing to all of their old fans and soon to be new ones.

Us is uplifting, thought-provoking, funny, heartbreaking, and bootyshaking.

All in all, Dizzee hasn't gone all out to make an artistic masterpiece, but it doesn't make the slightest bit of difference.

If you want to know further why this album is a classic you'll have to check it out yourself, but know for a fact it's well worth your fifteen dollars.

Welcome to a new classic.

The songs that were already previously available on "So Far Gone" are a winner and the new songs don't bring Drake down off the high cloud he's already on.

Jay-Z is trying to come across as brand new, but he only succeeds in looking like an old brand in need of a revamp.

One can't fairly make the claim that "Pt. II" picks up right where the original left off, but this is the best Raekwon we've heard lyrically and musically in a long time, and barring a late entry this should be the best Wu-Tang related album of 2009.

Rebelution will leave you shaken, but not stirred.

Her debut is musically brilliant--if a bit samey.

Every single cliche held dear with the English language appears to have been right-click-Synonymed here.

Whether you want to doubt it or not, there's just too much right about the self-titled Slaughterhouse for this album to be wrong.

Fabolous is borderline to being cornball with his jokes, but he's got the one hundred to pull it off when you add all the elements together. Add in the fact he pulls some of the hottest guest stars in hip-hop for albums like Loso's Way and you've got it made.

It's an emotional and creative masterpiece in the genre of hip hop.

The lion's share of Cage's fans will see this newly found exposure as Chris Palko taking steps towards getting his story out to a wider audience with this personal and quite exceptional release.

It may be that the only constant on Chemical Warfare IS Alchemist's beats, but that's enough to make it work--and like the futuristic battle it implies the album is filled with hits you'll never see coming.

Fish Outta Water is a bright, colorful album that does an excellent job of incorporating different styles into a cohesive whole.

In fact whether or not you consider this an actual Wu-Tang Clan album there's not much to hate about "Chamber Music" other than the fact it's a small dose of the dopeness instead of the full out Wu-Tang hit that fans undoubtedly wanted.

On the whole it works more often than not though, as Morello and Riley have a genuine and unforced chemistry.

It is just so much plain fun to bump loud, sing-a-long to and back it up on various people. Wicked.

This feels indulgent without MD being committed to any of his whims, and that exposes Mos Def as an artist that no longer seems to know what he wants to do.

Whatever made this a substantive and interesting group a decade ago has been completely lost in the process, but if all you care about is dancing and partying then take their word for it.

Neither artist disappoints on the LP and Quik continues to progress and go beyond the boundaries of traditional west coast hip-hop. Although I'm not sure if fans will ride down Crenshaw bumping a few of the songs on the album, I salute Quik and Kurupt for trying something new.

Years of being disregarded, underrated and criticized may have hurt Dilla's feelings but those who would regret that will feel no shame now knowing every barb thrown his way only made Dilla that much doper as a producer--to the point his posthumous albums are now better than what most living cats make today.

His original army of fans, however, will surely enjoy most of the elements of Relapse and it certainly sets up the sequel nicely--though it might be wise to include a few more crossover hits on the second installment, you know, for everyone else.

Whilst this album is by no means a classic, and musically the latter parts perhaps not faring as well with repeat listens, it is lifted up by superb lyrics and effortless charisma from the rappers.

Busta Rhymes has finally made an album that works from beginning to end--it is just a shame that the lack of crossover hit singles will doubtless leave BOMBS a slightly unappreciated gem.

It is an extremely well produced album with good emceeing. It is a unique experience as it should be.

Crime Pays is Cam'ron's triumphant return to form....You also have an overabundance of skits on the album that generally are just there and not entertaining.

Even though The Voice starts off a little slow with 'Swagger Right' and 'Houston Oilers,' once the album hits a groove it keeps it all the way through to the Mike Dean produced 'Grandma II' finale.

Themselves do have a niche. They are not for rap purists; they are not for hip-hop newcomers. But they are for faithful listeners, sick of what they've been hearing, but not ready to give up entirely.

With beats provided largely by newcomer Oren Yoel that are more hit than miss, Asleep in the Bread Aisle is that new kind of 2009 hip-hop you either have to learn to live with or jump off the bandwagon altogether.

I Heard it Today makes me a less reluctant Lif fan since I've come to terms with his vocal style, but I still yearn for the collaborative efforts of Perceptionist days gone by which had incredible rhymes and incredible beats all at the same time.

He certainly gets outshined by the original score--but that only serves to make a much better album than many anticipated from the Boss himself.

Enough things are right that you can't go wrong with The Last Kiss, but the key is that the album makes you want Jadakiss to stay in the game instead of hanging up his sneakers and walking off the court.

Despite having all of the right elements, this album seems far more forgettable than the aforementioned "The Last Kiss."

As fun as R.O.O.T.S. may be for a short while, artistically, this album is almost without merit, with pointless lyrics and over-sampling.

From the 'Intro' to the 'Outro' there's very little to not like about UGK 4 Life other than the fact it can never be done again, and any music videos released off this album won't feature Pimp doin' his thang.

Long-time MF Doom fans and relative newcomers to his innovative beats and flows will both be satisfied by this release.

So there you have it, a finely produced, polished, and performed album from one of the game's most hated emcees.

The EP serves its purpose quite well as it gives fans just enough to keep you craving a Brother Ali full length, but holds back enough so they will appreciate the full length once it arrives.

Despite it's unevenness, Ridin High is a nice portfolio from an up-and-coming duo.

Flash and his collaborators provide good beats and rhymes so if this is what a "studio album" is for Flash in 2009 let's just hope there are plenty more on the way.

Musically, it has only a few elements, but are arranged well, a simplicity the lesser often veer into undeveloped blandness.

Therefore, whoever had the final say-so on the beat selection is the main culprit for the failings on the album - if it was Joe Budden himself, then more shame him, because he also turns in a superb lyrical performance that rap fans will appreciate as one of the most interesting efforts in recent hip hop history.

A third of the songs are about hooking up with ladies, a third are heartfelt ballads to lovers, and a third are break-up songs. It's the lifecycle of a relationship, over and over. I'm not convinced by it, but it's working for him.

So Far Gone is unquestionably one of the most cohesive, atmospheric hip hop records in recent memory--which is almost the antithesis of what one expects from a mixtape.

P.O.S. has created something that sounds vibrant and alive, and stretches the narrow limits of the genre.

Zion I--on four songs, at least--maintain their sterling reputation as one of the most underrated acts around.

The irony of the Notorious soundtrack is that it may actually be a better "Greatest Hits" album than his actual "Greatest Hits" album, even though it's not presented as such.

Despite the prolific amount of material having the possibility of thinning out the quality of his beats and rhymes, Plies just keeps getting better with every CD.

Your best bet is to find a website you can listen to snippets of this album on and if one or two tracks strike your fancy, buy those. A whole album of SB's idiotic raps is still too much for one man or woman to take no matter how much better the beats are.

[comon] managed to record a whole ten scenes, I mean tracks, over the course of the year, and at least three of them are listenable.

At times their shared mic duties on this CD seem very forced, but the beats and guests smooth out those rough edges and help you to overlook the fact this unit isn't what it used to be.

Freedom will be a disappointment, and a predictable one at that.

No one will forget after Emeritus, an album that proves Scarface deserves accolades and titles just as much as we deserve for him not to retire.

Simply in musical and vocal terms, it feels too limited, mainly due to him over-thinking things.

While Ludacris may be professing loudly to do it for hip-hop on his latest album, it's refreshing to know he can do it for hip-hop and still do it for the mainstream who may not realize just how artful he really is.

In the City offers good production, excellent melodies, and - of course - the same song, idea(s), and kinds of guest appearances many times over.

The third album from T-Pain, Thr33 Ringz, finds him once again attempting to master the triple threats--rapping, singing and producing. That it turns out to be incredibly formulaic and slavishly apes his sophomore effort ("Epiphany") proves only to be a minor deterrent, since almost everything here is upscaled.

Whilst not quite a true Renaissance for hip hop, it certainly is a rebirth for Q-Tip--and fans of A Tribe Called Quest will dine out on this album for the next nine years too.

The music is kept grounded throughout by the guitar work and some exceptional sung hooks, but the MCs' ability to craft and deliver backpacker quality lyricism is what holds the whole thing together.

Tronic shows marked improvement in Black Milk as the total package; he doesn't excel by sacrificing his rhymes for the sake of the music, or vice versa.

This is a fun, modern rap album with strong roots in '90s creativity and '80s innocence that has the potential to reach longtime fans as well as recruit new followers.

Like the core message of Everything Is Borrowed, this album will, unfortunately, come and go soon enough, little trace left behind.

It's fair to say that if there's one criticism of Devin that can truly stick it's that he takes the "Dude" aspect of his personality very seriously, and in few songs will you see him regard women as more than just objects of his sexual conquest. Nonetheless songs like 'Me, You' show he can still charm a girl or two.

Producers have historically had a difficult time with albums, but Jake One shakes that trend and comes through with a hot album.

Lyrically, Sway is on fire (take that as read for the whole album) and his tongue-twisting raps will dazzle any unfamiliar ears.

With very little filler and a strong selection of songs from start to finish, the hype that this is potentially "album of the year" according to Atlantic Records may ACTUALLY be true.

Mr. Dibbs and Oh No might have been preferable to will.i.am and Nottz, even though the beats here are decent enough. It's cool to see Murs get the money he deserves for his project and even to hear him team up with luminaries like Snoop, and it's head and shoulders above the other garbage the major labels are circulating these days.

While the tracks never reach and identity outside their own samples Greg does breath fresh new life into them and make things you've probably heard a thousand times, exciting again.

It's counter-productive to analyze Keith's verses too carefully, because at some point they're just well constructed and well delivered jabberwocky.

Put a little pop in your life and what you'll discover is that underneath the materialistic veneer Nelly's got a good delivery, sharp lyrics and impeccable breath control, which would make him #1 no matter WHERE he was from.

This results in a lot of victories but not a whole lot of personality, and the closest we get to seeing Khaled's soul is the fact he tends to favor putting the Southeast's finest from Pitbull to Rick Ross on his tracks.

Not all of the songs are in easy to digest radio play lengths either, as 'Live Forever (Fly With Me)' proves they aren't afraid to do a song that's over seven minutes long. The more that GHC take chances on this album, the more they succeed.

Even if this isn't a Grammy-winning album, it is actually better than most of the bullshit Def Jam has released this year, and if LL Cool J had a point to prove on Exit 13, he has made it in acerbic style.

Jeezy manages to keep a strong unified album together without ever getting monotonous or tired.

The album is an excellent listen from start to finish, and a generally successful snapshot of London in 2008.

He has definitely still come back with an admirable album - I'm just not sure that it is as MEMORABLE as it could have been.

Pro Tools could be called a return to form, but since GZA never lost the form in the first place, it would be more apt to say that he's kept the peak form he already had and just honed his lyrical tongue to an even sharper and more polished edge.

This is Cube's strongest performance musically and lyrically in many many years, so he's not only forgiven for using such an absurd word, he's actually given me hope that it might eventually show up in the hip-hop dictionary.

The problem here is that the near single-mindedness of his subject matter on Look What You Made Me shows EXACTLY what he's been made by one too many music videos with jiggling booty and coochie--a nymphomaniac.

The music is solid rather than stunning, but that allows the MC's to shine – and make no mistake, this is a real MC's album.

This EP cannot be recommended for who I consider our core group of readers unless you are familiar with his previous material and know you enjoy it, but the level of talent is undeniable.

Even if the music isn't extraordinary, Nas himself is legendary on "Untitled" - and as long as racism is relevant, so is this album.

Rather than staying true to political and social roots that got him signed in the first place, David Banner has chosen to mimic what's popular.

Unfortunately the drama turns out to be more interesting than the album itself, with Yayo offering little lyrically, Banks seemingly phoning in his performances, and 50 trying to hold the whole thing together on the strength of his star power alone