Donda was the most I've enjoyed a Kanye album since Graduation but this isn't as enjoyable. The opener 'True Love' is good. 'Too Easy' bangs with its melody and 'City of Gods' feels the most like a proper good song with Alicia killing the hook and Kanye rapping well unlike a number of these songs. It sounds more like some of the better moments from Donda - He raps in a very similar way. Those aside though, it's grown on me and I can listen to this without skipping songs, but little stands out. He continues to work with some wack artists too that was one of the negatives of Donda. Best Tracks: True Love, Too Easy, City of Gods

Another dope underheard west coast release and another reason why the west coast is the best coast. Listening to this you'd think it was from the mid '90s with its iconic g-funk sound. Best Tracks: Lyrical Son of a 'G', This Is How We Kick It, Seo-loc Has Ta' Clown, It'z On, Far Easte I.E., We Gettin' At Cha' (Remix)

Unpopular opinion of the day incoming. My predicted rating for this release is very high, but I guess that doesn't take in my feelings toward Jay-Z. He has of course created some good stuff over his long career in the industry but I've never loved his style/voice and I generally prefer him more so as a featuring artist than over a whole album. He doesn't seem to switch it up like many of the best and isn't as lyrical interesting either. Also, overall his beat selection on albums are rarely to my liking, and these tracks add to those thoughts. Every time I try to get into this album the beats are a let down. A lot of it feels like pop rap, some of the hooks are absolute rubbish ('Izzo'/'Jigga That Nigga'/'Hola' Hovito'), overall the beats are too soft and I'm just really not a big fan of them. The soulful tracks in the final third of the album really help the album be anything of note at all, along with Em's Renegade of course. One of those hip hop 'classics' I'd label as being very overrated. Best Tracks: Heart of the City, Never Change, Renegade

I know some people hate the term, and I rarely subscribe to it, but if this isn't overproduced then nothing is. It's a shame.

Heralded in underground circles as a hidden gem, this is better than a lot of mainstream music, however, there are also many better albums most people haven't heard. The rappers aren't overly distinctive, hooks aren't extremely contagious, the topics aren't anything new, and it does sound like so much other g-funk. It's a nice soulful/funky listen that makes so much hip hop from the '90s great though. It's well worth a listen but it didn't quite live up the hype for me. Best Tracks: Hustler, No One's Gonna Play You