The end result is a body of work that pushes hip-hop in a bold new direction and puts Mr,. West back at the forefront of the culture once again.

Every record is both complexly arranged and sonically fitting, foregrounding Kendrick's vivid lyricism and amazing control of cadence. There's not a single loophole.

If their first album acted as the duo’s thesis statement, the two MCs laying out the blueprint to what they wanted to accomplish, then this second is a laser-focused execution of that idea, of never letting up and never sugar-coating their sound to fit into any particular lane. There won’t be another album that comes out this year that sounds anything like this one.

Coloring Book, replete with a spiritual aura and talk with the man above, is a heavy contender for the best project released this year because it goes against the grain while still building upon hip-hop’s foundation.

Undeniably, Charity Starts At Home reminds why the rapper has been a darling of the underground for years.

In the grand scheme of rap music, Killer Mike and El-P get more and more niche with each project they release together and this new album is no different. If this dynamic duo can keep their rebellious spirit alive without beating it to death, they’ll continue to thrive.

At the end of the day, Common creates a great album with such a pertinent and topical purpose. If nothing else, it’s a strong snapshot of the happenings in America right now and the promise of what the country could become.

A concept album with an equally heavy focus on musicianship and rhymes, undun fantastically transports into the tragic narrative.

Even without much mainstream appeal, K.R.I.T.’S relatability keeps it accessible, and ultimately, Cadillactica proves to be something the game barely knew it needed. Consider the gauntlet thrown.

The genius of Flying Lotus, which has been invariably present throughout his preceding releases, but most especially on You’re Dead!, is that he has an incredible ability to both illustrate and extract exceptional amounts of emotion, without saying much at all.

The Wonder Years will be remembered with great fondness.

While it's hard to pinpoint a track on Laila's Wisdom that is anthemic enough to be a dominant single, the project is a smooth, cohesive and powerfully insightful effort, which represents Rapsody's steadfast commitment to her craft.

It is, simply, one of the best rap debuts of the year.

Imperius Rex is a worthy entry into the Sean Price canon, and proof that his voice will still live on in hip-hop well after his untimely passing.

Some Rap Songs packs a lot in 25 minutes, making for an unsettling listen that is also one of the most personal, gripping rap records of the year.

Ultimately, Acid Rap’s biggest victory is living up to it’s own hype and Chance’s careful packaging of his artistry.

For all its dabbling in the black arts, Surf does have a few missteps, but they are ephemeral at best.

Seeking peace of mind and understanding while speaking to the human condition, Kendrick drops poignant gems on the idiosyncrasies of life, as well as his own, over the rich production provided by his trusty platoon of boardsmen on untitled unmastered.

Skyzoo got himself a winner with this album.

While the self-assured MC is certainly gifted on the microphone, his boasts get a boost from the beatsmith’s production on songs like “Nobody,” as he guns for rap’s No. 1 spot. Likewise, Juxx’s spirited effort on the uplifting “You Can’t Stop Me” complements Polo’s uptempo production perfectly. It’s that balance that ultimately helps The eXXecution go off without a hitch.

At times, he comes across as brilliantly unorthodox with flows, genre-crossing beats and meticulously honest lyrics but those unfamiliar with his outré style may be pushed even further away from the album’s peculiarity.

Whether Tech wants the bigger fame or not is unclear, but it’s safe to say the growth he displays here is one step nearer. He’s strange, he’s provocative, but the lesser shock value on this album marks it as his true debut to a larger audience.

While Astroworld has some slight flaws, the project is Travis' best, most-progressive and most-well-rounded album to date.

The compilation is short--12 tracks--but if fans are looking for relentless lyrics in their R.A.P. Music, this ATL MC remains a Killer on the mic.

Thug sounds the best he’s ever sounded, despite some of the songs begin fairly far removed from his proverbial comfort zone.

These days, there aren’t many rap albums that can service as a deeply digested work of art as well as music for easy listening, yet Tyler, The Creator fills both lanes well. He manages to find the happy medium on Flower Boy and translates it to his best album yet.

PRhyme is the perfect alternative for listeners who are tired of juvenile lyriscim, mud sippers and unintelligible hooks.

The album does start to feel the weight of having 21 tracks at times, but little overstays its welcome. Even 20 years into his career, Royce maintains his reputation as one of hip-hop's premier rappers by releasing his most affecting work yet.

He and Cudi pull equal weight on Kids See Ghosts, but the album’s brightest points--the beautiful madness they seek--come from the moments when Kanye plays the background and Cudi seizes the forefront. It’s a testament to their chemistry and quite the turn from 2008.

With Yeezus clocking in at a short 40 minutes, Kanye achieves his goal of creating a stripped-down, minimalist project; there’s nothing extra or out of place here. More importantly, Kanye makes it abundantly clear that he’s still got a lot to say, and a lot of new ways to say it.

Despite occasional bouts of underwhelming songwriting, Ephorize is a standout showcase of emphatic cuts laid over a wide variety of sound beds, perfect for pervs and prudes alike to bang.

Invasion Of Privacy sounds incredibly well thought-out. The beats were strategically chosen, the lyrics and hooks carefully constructed. Invasion Of Privacy was not slapped together, yet punches anyone in the face for doubting Cardi B. The odds were stacked against her, and she won.

With the exception of a few fillers, Legends Never Die is a truly compelling entry in the two-decade discography of R.A. the Rugged Man.

What makes this album so great is Statik’s ability to coagulate the old with the new.

Fashawn’s lyrical assaults are just as potent as his moving commentary and his core fans would like to hear more.

Prima Donna doesn’t have one single track that carries the project and this is obviously done on purpose. It’s an effort better experienced as a whole rather than its parts.

Brown displays real bravery in his willingness to merge the sacred with the profane, the independent with the arena-ready, the old with the new.

In his most recent solo endeavor, Control System, Soul craftily proves that he is indeed a potent weapon on a team full of heavy artillery.

While HSC2 is a solid and enjoyable album, we hope that our favorite scientists will tinker with a slightly different, more exciting formula moving forward.

Truly, a thrilling upgrade of signature East Coast delivery in the new age and one of the best albums of the year to date.

Although the music is undeniably the most exciting part of the tape, A$AP does little to get in the way, oftentimes, enhancing the beats with his Bone Thugs-N-Harmony inspired flows.

Despite a few redundant tracks and a lack of cohesion, Honkey Kong paints a good picture of the impressive output Apathy is capable of in 2011.

Pretty Girls Like Trap Music is an explosive collection of songs that showcases the colorful rhyme animal at the top of his game.

Bravely, Boogie has given us something true, something we can feel. Even if it hurts.

Of course, he isn’t breaking totally new ground but still manages to make Captain California one of his best projects to date. At no point on this 45-minute rap fest does Murs ever come across as unsure, unauthentic or unaware of who is he is as a rapper or man.

While this project falls short of his more seminal offerings, 4:44 is among JAY-Z’s more meaningful bodies of work to date and showcases another dimension of the greatest rapper alive.

It’s not always focused, and it’s not always perfect, but that’s what real freedom feels like.

No song strays too far from the narrative or the occupied soundspace, and with each passing breath, Isaiah Rashad becomes a viable threat to leave an indelible mark similar to the one’s left by the southern rap Gods he follows so devoutly.

Madlib and Freddie Gibbs are both total pros who knew exactly what they wanted out of Piñata, went out, and did it.

Maybe influenced by Marshall himself, Royce has learned to channel his loquacious voracity into a controlled rage, and the end result is perhaps his most complete body of work.

Regardless of whether or not the album will spawn a generation of imitators like his previous releases, Compton is a proper capstone to Dre’s legendary career.

With honesty, fiery cadence and a flow more commonly heard on a shock jock or rock star, Haze holds nothing back. Free from features, the listener can fully follow along with Haze’s journey uninterrupted.

With all of its paper-and skirt-chasing, The Last Rocket may not be a giant leap for mankind but it’s more than a small step for establishing Takeoff as something other than the Migo left off of “Bad and Boujee.”

Blank Face LP isn’t Schoolboy Q’s first great album, but it’s the first one where he lives up to his utmost potential.

Overall, Music For My Friends is another solid offering from Skyzoo that hip-hop purists will appreciate.

Don’t Smoke Rock is another great entry into Smoke DZA’s ever-expansive discography.

This might is his best effort after a string of uneven post-Paper Trail albums. It's probably not as much of an evolution of T.I.'s style as he claims, but it's a more-than-worthy addition to the rapper's canon.

Life Is Good is arguably Nas's best album since Stillmatic.

Redemption might be Jay Rock's most consistent yet. At 44 minutes, the album breezes by without many frills. Rock raps, makes his point, and gets out quickly after, allowing the TDE vet to chalk up his biggest win yet.

The album is the first test of Tech's ability to balance his new industry connections with the distinct style that his Technicians have become accustomed to over the years. Luckily, he reaches that marker without any real stumbles along the way.

Nothing is forced in his rhymes; his lyricism is so dense and acrobatic that his freestyle vibe is all the more impressive.

FM! is definitely more centrally focused than either of those EPs [2014's Hell Can Wait and 2016's Prima Donna]. And even if this is just an off-hand project Vince recorded quickly, it's a hell of a one-off album that's full of charm and lyrical depth paired with fantastic production. Tune in.

Like a fine wine and all that jazz, they have grown into a formidable group, and MHz Legacy proves that.

The industry veterans offer a release that's thoughtful and well-crafted.

Pusha T accomplishes a lot here, crafting a record that is big in concept but is still rooted in the longstanding hip-hop tradition that lyricism is king.

Section.80 proves is that its author's brain is neither lost nor useless, as he weaves together carefully constructed thoughts before spewing raps on each of the project's 16 tracks, ensuring nothing is disposable or without purpose.

The project feels unified, and the three artists mesh well with one another throughout.

These verses could've fit on any of his past records or mixtapes. But the production on Mic Tyson ties them together nicely.

Jake One helms all 14 tracks, and the Seattle native's distinguished soul production provides the necessary thump throughout, proving that one-producer-one-MC formula works superbly for this juncture.

The growth is unmistakable, with each song and new project, fans see his raw talent getting more finely tuned and concentrated. Hell Can Wait is the next step in the maturation process of Staples as a MC.

4eva Is a Mighty Long Time is arguably his most cohesive studio album to date. While mainstream superstardom may allude Big K.R.I.T., his legacy as one of the most lauded southern poets of his generation is very much alive and continues to grow with 4eva Is a Mighty Long Time, an admirable effort from one of rap's most resilient MCs.

Cilvia Demo was a taste of who he is, and now this album paints a complete picture of himself and where he is in his life right now. He lets his rhymes and observations do the talking, and the end result is one of the most refreshing rap records of the year.

There’s no desire to transcend West Coast inner-city values, and YG does traverse the hyphy and nighttime sounds with aplomb. But the thrills do have a comedown at some point. For the album as a whole, it’s the potentially ephemeral replay value because of its on-the-nose focus on 20-somethings mayhem.

3001: A Laced Odyssey is a perfect first step in a career that is still blooming.

Sonically separated by the four different seasons, Lupe has arguably released his most thematically layered and engaging album to date.

A coherent, consistent album--both thematically and sonically--that captures where hip-hop’s resident astronaut is residing these days.

There is no denying how pleasantly digestible Victory Lap, despite the minor idleness. The beats bump, the flows follow suit and the messages of humbly hustling are crystal clear.

The times when it succeeds are when Tinashe doesn’t overdo things.

Yes Lawd! is one of the more satisfying efforts of the year thus far.

Seven of the ten tracks are under 3 minutes long, leaving the listener wanting more. It's as if you've just begun to take off with the jets, but the pilot is forced to make a premature landing. Even so, CC delivers, it's quality outshining its quantity.

Big Baby D.R.A.M. does have moments where tracks like “Sweet VA Breeze” and “WiFi” easily blend into each other, sounding a bit too similar. But those middling songs don’t really hinder the overall replay value of the album.

Once they digest this one, fans will be eager for seconds.

While fans and critics argue over whether or not he’s one of the greatest MCs of his generation, let alone among the greatest of all-time, Drake continues to prove his worth as an elite talent with More Life, another blockbuster from rap’s golden child with the midas touch.

Finding the balance between sex, love, and ratchet, Testimony is truly a testament to a new era in R&B that shifts safe lyrics to smooth street tales.

Overall, Stalley’s debut album is highly entertaining with a sound that is very refreshing in today’s rap scene.

With the themes, moods and issues displayed here, Drizzy has shared another moment of his life, and now the only thing left to prove is if his crossover powers can last him a decade from now.

While his rock-solid catalog should vanquish any doubt, the Bawse looks to cement his musical gangsta on his fourth Def Jam album.

Culture is a tour de force of all that makes Migos great while showcasing all of the group’s strengths--the gift for catchy hooks and melodies, unique flows, incredible group chemistry and phenomenal one-liners.

His voice is a powerful weapon, and he still has some ideas worth mining, but he’d be better served under the direction of a producer who could focus his sound, kill a couple bad hooks and weed out the filler. We’re not expecting Dr. Dre or Bomb Squad-level results anymore, but some outside guidance could help.

Lord Steppington has it’s fair share of bright moments and even stronger swaths of production.

Though it runs a little long, Cats & Dogs is a banging, consistent platter that ought to satisfy backpackers and hard-rocks alike.

Rugby Thompson, an album that not only strips him of an unfair "weed rapper" label, but is also probably the best rap album to come out of New York this year.

Overall, Take Care's sum is greater than its parts.

Without Warning is more than a Halloween novelty. Offset and 21 Savage turn their differences in delivery into an undeniable chemistry, while Metro Boomin's production gives the project a proper Halloween-inspired sound so their comparisons to classic villains like Freddy Krueger and Jason Voorhees aren't in vain.

ScHoolboy’s presence on Oxymoron is poised and confident.

Ultimately, 12 Reasons to Die is a pitch-perfect pairing of Adrian Younge’s soulful production and Ghostface’s invigorated rhymes.

Swimming merges enlightening, candid rhymes over funky beats, providing a transparent look at how Mac Miller hit a personal rock bottom and his vigorous climb to save himself.

With Live from the Underground, through deeply authentic takes on his own life and surroundings, the 2011 XXL Freshman has found a way to create some of the most resonating, least selfish rap music around.