2011
Yelawolf - 'Radioactive' (Shady/Interscope)
Yelawolf goes from the backwoods of Alabama to rap stardom.
Talib Kweli - 'Gutter Rainbows' (Blacksmith Music)
Talib Kweli serves up a new dose of conscious rap on Gutter Rainbows.
Saigon - 'The Greatest Story Never Told' (Suburban Noize)
Just Blaze and Saigon make the perfect pair on Greatest Story Never Told.
Lupe Fiasco - 'Lasers'
Review of Lupe Fiasco's Lasers.
Wiz Khalifa - Rolling Papers (Atlantic/Warner)
Wiz Khalifa smokes heroic amounts of marijuana on Rolling Papers.
Kyle Rapps - Re-Edutainment
Kyle Rapps pays tribute to boom bap on Re-Edutainment.
Pharoahe Monch - 'W.A.R. (We Are Renegades)' (Duck Down)
Pharoahe Monch continues his brilliant solo run with W.A.R. (We Are Renegades).
Tyler, The Creator - 'Goblin' (XL)
A review of Tyler the Creator's Goblin.
Lil B - 'I'm Gay (I'm Happy)'
Lil B The Based God defies expectations on 'I'm Gay (I'm Happy).
Shabazz Palaces - 'Black Up' (Sub Pop)
Shabazz Palaces' Black Up is a wildly rewarding experiment in surrealism.
Maybach Music - 'Self-Made Vol. 1' (MMG/Def Jam)
Rick Ross presents the most exquisite showcase hip-hop has witnessed in years.
Jay-Z & Kanye West - 'Watch the Throne' (Def Jam)
Jay-Z and Kanye West Watch the Throne review.
Evidence - 'Cats & Dogs' (Rhymesayers)
It's raining stark reality on Evidence's second go-round, Cats & Dogs.
J. Cole - 'Cole World: The Sideline Story' (Roc Nation)
J. Cole defies expectations on Cole World: The Sideline Story.
Phonte - 'Charity Starts at Home'
Phonte muses comically about the plight of Generation X on his first solo LP, Charity Starts at Home.
Freddie Gibbs - 'Cold Day in Hell'
Freddie Gibbs vaults darkly above the pillars of the streets on Cold Day in Hell.
Wale - 'Ambition' (Maybach Music Group / Warner Bros.)
Ambition is the stuff of twinkle tones and cozy hooks.
Drake - 'Take Care'
A 50-word review of Drake's Take Care.
Childish Gambino - 'Camp' (Glassnote)
Childish Gambino's 'Camp' tackles cultural alienation with a killer combination of whip-smart wit and stark honesty.
The Roots - 'undun' (Def Jam)
Undun. Reviewed. Backwards. Or something.
Jay-Z/Kanye West - "H.A.M."
Jay-Z and Kanye West Go H.A.M. over operatic singing and 808s.
Lupe Fiasco - "Words I Never Said" (feat. Skylar Grey)
Lupe connects with Skylar Grey on "Words I Never Said," taken from his album Lasers.
Eminem, Slaughterhouse, Yelawolf - "2.0 Boys"
Eminem, Slaughterhouse, and Yelawolf team up on "2.0 Boys"
Nas - "Nasty"
"Nasty" Nas is back.
Jay-Z / Kanye West - "Otis" (Island Def Jam)
Jay-Z and Kanye West's "Otis" samples the famous soul singer it's named after.
Drake - "Headlines"
Drake headlines his own act on new Take Care single.