Knock Madness is indeed a stepping stone album, one that can only produce even better music in the future.

While the project has a few speed bumps, particularly the tracks with sung hooks that don’t seem to mesh much with the tense, dynamic raps Freeway delivers, Free Will is another solid entry into the consistent catalog of one of Philadelphia’s finest.

The fact that Freddie Gibbs created You Only Live 2wice as a concise, to-the-point body of work without fillers and ultimately for a greater purpose than just simply rapping makes it one of, if not the, strongest installment in his catalog thus far.

Simply put, this is a step forward for the Rhymesayers veteran.

Overall, Slime Season 3 stacks up well against Thug’s colorful catalog and is undoubtedly the most listenable mixtape in the series thus far.

The majority of the raps are unfortunately provided by ALC and Dr. No: two artists more known for getting busy behind the boards than on the mic.

. On At.Long.Last.A$AP., he takes a creative risk and lets the fans reap the rewards.

With plenty of slick metaphors, complex wordplay and hard-hitting rhymes, Sigel comes out on top This Time.

Staying in the conversation by releasing a steady stream of new material can be good, but it works best when there’s more cohesion and less filler.

Cellar Door comes off as a bit of an endurance test as result. That’s a knock against it, but a small [one] for what’s a brisk and enjoyable listen.

Collectively, the project is incredibly ambitious, yet dexterous; West and his band of producers skillfully lay down a musical foundation that makes it easy to dance to and not be worn down by the, at times, didactic messages.

On songs like “Kyrie” and “Gmail,” he briefly lives up to that raucous potential. Unfortunately, the missteps--the thin singing voice used on “WESPN” and awkward yogurt references of “Danimals”—hamper much of the promise.

Effected confirms that Cozz has more in him than just straight bars. He continues to tell his own story but through new flows, different hooks and an advanced way of making rap songs.

He treats this debut album like a retail mixtape, and the result is a project that picks off from where The Luca Brasi Story left off. Unfortunately, these high points aren’t enough for him here to progress further.

Without a doubt, 2 Chainz has the formula to make great music--but now we just need a little more substance, and we’re not talking about freebase cocaine.

On Thank Me Later, he explores what it's like to have done that-to have become successful. Turns out, it's not exactly what he thought it would be. But it still sounds pretty damn remarkable.

T.L.O.P. does the perfect job of showcasing what makes Kanye brilliant--excellent production mixed with creative samples and his Quincy Jones-esque ability to get the best work out of some of music’s most talented artists. ’Ye’s rapping is good, filled with creative and honest lyrics, funny barbs, outright disses, his occasional take on pop culture and politics and the traditional Kanye bragging plus a few unnecessary lines that can make some listeners wonder he would even say them. But that’s ’Ye.

This is him at his creative peak. Bloated though it may be, these discs are The Game that was promised by a desperate industry in 2005.

Despite the long-winded nature of the album, Uzi definitely got it right with Luv Is Rage 2. The songs are catchy, the beats are hot and Uzi gives a vocal performance that redefines the term rap rock star.

SremmLife 2 is by no means a sophomore slump but just doesn’t quite fill the same space as the first installment did last year.

Long.Live.A$AP has its moments as a cohesive album with top producers (Hit-Boy, Danger Mouse, Noah "40" Shebib) and frequent collaborators (Clams Casino) that offer choice beats.

4 Your Eyez Only is a solid, short listen that relies on J. Cole’s strength and comfort zone, perhaps a little too much at times, but the underlying concepts continue to add a layer of depth to his artistry.

He puts out so much that there's no filter, and even bright flashes are clouded by curious moments.

It's an LP that accurately reflects 8 Ball's place as one of the finest elder statesmen of southern rap.

Diehard fans of Joey Bada$$’ older, more minimalist will applaud the latter half of the album. Whereas the top half dozen songs flex Joey’s evolved songwriting and beat selection, the bottom has Statik Selektah handling a few more beats and thus opening up Joey’s perfect in-pocket rhyming.

When Fish Ride Bicycles is an energetic and fun summer album with lots of warm-weather references and car talk.

The 12-song album is impressive, boasting a litany of melodic street anthems and how-to pointers for the underdogs of the world.

B4.Da.$$ should be seen as a huge step forward and a platform for Joey to progress even further.