As the third installment of Spitta’s aircraft-themed series, Pilot Talk 3 finds the NOLA sky captain delivering a familiar set of luxury rap fairytales upon which he’s built a quietly impressive career.

When the lyrics don’t sound old, they come across as eternally gross.... A lot of lyrics are just corny.

The second half of The Album About Nothing is a bit more hit-and-miss than the opening seven tracks.

Self-produced almost entirely under the moniker RandomBlackDude, I Don’t Go Outside is a minefield of gloomy thumpers. Nothing stands out to the point of distinction sonically, but that might be the point.

Mr. Wonderful is a solid offering from a guy who consistently puts out quality music.

With all its superfly flourish and talk of Willie Lynch, Butterfly is heady and ambitious, if not unprecedented as subject matter.

The rap songs are dated and goofy as hell, but occasionally they're catchy enough. Luckily, Empire keeps a few true R&B greats on call for the love of musicality.

The end result is a love letter to the world of feels, and a great escape for heads looking to let their freak flag fly.

A relatively conservative follow-up to a debut album that, three years ago, had many fans and critics re-imagining pop music as inexhaustibly brave and new.

Occasionally clumsy but wonderfully plainspoken, and impassioned when he wants to be, Sean has advanced (if not graduated) from the tepid mythmaking of Hall of Fame. Here he’s dynamic, and a pretty good rapper.

You won’t be listening to this one all the way through, but that’s perfectly fine. The release is more than capable of holding up his legacy until Views From the 6 arrives later this year.

For the most part, Kid Ink is a C-average rapper scoring unexpected B-pluses over A-grade beats from DJ Mustard, Stargate, and Metro Boomin.

Non-Fiction is a fire sale of songs no one else bought, over beats no other singer could’ve wanted. The beat selection is whiplash, from pop to R&B to retro trance vibes that never settle into a sure, comfortable pattern.

This record is beautifully crafted, with robust lyrics over expertly crafted beats. You will not find any throwaway tracks on here.

[Joey Bada$$'s] potential is only half realized on B4.DA.$$, which speaks to his lack of adjustment in transitioning into a full-fledged artist who truly represents something other than ’90s nostalgia rap. Still, B4.DA.$$ is a commendable performance from an MC who has every opportunity to capitalize on his next project with some more seasoning, experience, and focus.

Reality Show is neck-in-neck [with Love Me Back] in terms of quality, but Sullivan’s latest feels a lot more current—which should make it easier for the public to relate to.

Lennox lost his father to brain cancer in 2002 and the experience has floated through his music ever since, but never has his songwriting been so tragically pointed. There's no ambiguity here, only the gaping emptiness that the absence of a parent leaves behind.