Nothing on par with the classics but he has plenty of moments where his strengths are showcased.

Meek understands his audience, they expect a monumental introduction, summer ready hits, sincerity and more hits. He does this all, with a bit of style and an abundance of swagger.

Vince sounds more alive on this album, that coldhearted monotone has found a bit of hope.

It may have been a little long for my liking, but that's a small price to pay for listening to something this remarkably unique.

The rapping isn’t the problem, it’s his singing and eccentric sounds that leaves me with Van Gogh thoughts.

A listen will be worth your time.

Not only does it reinforce that Earl is a capable lyricist, but that he’s growing his legs as a producer. It’s also an album where you can tell the artist found his voice, finally overcoming the pressures of expectation.

Ultimately, only time will tell if Dark Sky Paradise becomes the first Big Sean album that I like more than his mixtapes, but this one probably has the best chance yet.

The "album" feels like a bunch of random songs, some quality songs mind you, but still just a bunch of songs that don't add up to anything larger.

This is a good album by all accounts, but it's just not enough to free Joey from rap purgatory.

Kat Dahlia's My Garden is good music. Period.

The music on Black Messiah is quietly powerful, which is the most powerful form of power.

There's frankly very little chance I'd ever listen to this album again if I wasn't obligated to revisit it in a month via "1 Listen" rules, but Nicki's got her own lane and it's not a lane I'm going to roadblock.

Forest Hills Drive has enough twists and turns to inspire an almost schizophrenic stream of reactions.

There is very little to write home about here, and for the most part it feels very hastily made.

This isn't a great rap album, it's just a great album. Period.

This has the feel of a full, complete body of work, one embedded with nuances, themes and a larger, interwoven framework that nobody could digest in one listen.

From "Jeopardy" on, Run the Jewels 2 is uppercut after uppercut.

Paperwork is at its most compelling when it feels like he’s being the most autobiographical.

Absolutely none of the album is bad, but it's enough like Drake to make me feel like I might as well be listening to Drake, enough like The Weeknd to make me feel like I might as well be listening to Weeknd, etc. etc. etc.

There aren't many singers who have both the vocal ability and range of delivery to traverse a musical landscape that vast, but Brown does it all while impressively managing to maintain a real cohesion throughout X.

On the whole though, while it might not be a classic, Seen It All will go down in hip-hop history as yet another dope album from an artist who's had an enormous (although under-rated) impact on rap.

It feels like Wiz is mostly coasting through this album, giving his already loyal fans exactly what they'd expect from him and not much else.

These days, Soul’s money tree has blossomed and with it, expectations have grown and relationships and trust are harder to come by. But for now at least, Soul is in control.

For the most part, Common's been an almost staggeringly consistent presence in music for years, and then fittingly, his new album Nobody's Smiling, is as good as anything he's done.

It's an odd, disjointed album that, despite scattered high points, leaves one wondering what Thicke was thinking when he put it together. Paula Patton deserves better, and so do listeners.

The animal spin on Get Rich or Die Tryin’. 50 Cent attacks with that mindset on his 5th album, and it’s a solid entry in a very up and down career (in music at least).

The album is fun, enjoyable, and well-done.