When Enter the Wu-Tang Clan (36 Chambers) dropped, all of New York paid attention, then all of the hip-hop community, then the world. This record is one of those rare times that in hindsight we were mostly correct. Looking back, the only obvious failure was not deeming it an instant classic.

Anthem of the Peaceful Army is a welcomed pedal-to-metal adrenaline-generating slice of the classic rock’n’roll pie. Anthem of the Peaceful Army is a steadily cool step in the right direction.

All said and done, Mirror Master does possess enough clout to keep fans interested and in tune. This is a deeply analytical and introspective album. Sometimes we don’t like what we find. Other times, we run with it and make lemonade out of lemons.

Mr. Sanchez and the gang have set forth a respectably solid array of prog-metal bangers in a quintessential comic book manner. Welcome back, Amory Wars. Welcome home, Coheed and Cambria.

YSIV brims of fantastic flows and rap jabs that place Logic on the righteous path to rap-game royalty.

Overall, Kamikaze is a decent album bordering on good. One thing is certain, Eminem has not lost a step on flow or punch. His rhymes are ridiculous and otherworldly, while his demeanor screams of confidence. Kamikaze is not Eminem’s best album, but it is step up from the 3 Rs (Relapse, Recovery, and Revival) and that’s a huge win for fans and rap alike.

Hip-Hop has seen many pioneers over the years: wordsmiths like Tupac and Nas, innovators like Kany West, smooth operators like Snoop Dogg, behind-the-scenes wizards like Dre and Puff, rapid-fire maestros like Busta Rhymes, and game-changers like Eminem, Biggie Smalls or Kendrick Lamar. Nonetheless, there’s always space for exciting new talent, and as of right now, we’re placing a big bet on Denzel Curry. He is to-the-core impressive on TA13OO.