Not everything is great on Kelly's second album, and I think it starts off a little slowly, but it is up there for the R. Kelly album that features the largest number of classics. 'I Can't Sleep Baby' (you've gotta wait for the build-up), and 'Down Low, in particular, are R. Kelly at his ballad best with many tracks not being far behind. Best Tracks: You Remind Me of Something, 'Baby, Baby, Baby, Baby, Baby...', Down Low (Nobody Has to Know), I Can't Sleep Baby (If I), Religious Love, Thank God It's Friday, Trade in My Life

Some of these tracks are some of the best and original hip hop mashup tunes you are going to hear. Eminem's raps are not hampered over these anime/Japanese influenced beats, and are even sometimes improved over the originals. The first 20 songs are definitely stronger than the second 20, party due to containing more well-known songs. Some may hate this, but I think unlike many remixes it does actually offer a different listening experience to the originals, and a good half of these are worth playing more than once. Best Tracks: Disc 1: Business, Mockingbird, Jimmy Crack Corn, Encore, Till I Collapse, Drama Setter, Like Toy Soldiers Disc 2: Cleanin' Out My Closet, Lose Yourself, The Way I Am, Sing For the Moment

This definitely ain't brilliant and I think you would have to have a very vast taste in music to love all of what's on offer here, but there is still some fun to be had as it offers a mix of genres and artists that you rarely see. Since Windows XP days and hearing 'Like Humans Do' I've liked David Byrne's voice so I like the first two tracks, which features some of my favourite rappers, particularly Chuck D. Moving from there 'N.A.S.A. Music' and 'Hip Hop' add to the best tracks from the album list. After that, the hip hop theme that began the album begins to expand a touch and nothing really grabs me again until 'Samba Soul' featuring the great Homosapien, Del tha Funkee. Overall it starts off well, but then this ambitious project begins to fail. I'm still giving it a 2.5 / 5 cause the tracks I like I quite enjoy even if I wouldn't play over half of this again. Best Tracks: Money, N.A.S.A. Music, Hip Hop, Samba Soul, N.A.S.A. Anthem.

Beanie is a passionate, strong rapper and he shows it in everything he does. A lot of the beats here though are standard average early '00s beats. The first half a dozen songs are incredibly generic and you wouldn't think that this was from one of the biggest labels. If you like what Jay had on some of his later Volume albums you may get more out of them. While not incredibly original, the best moments come in the improving second half of the album from songs like 'What Your Life Like' where Beanie talks on more sentimental topics like the terrors of being locked up and 'Die' where he spits about the temptations and ways one's life can be cut short. As much as I love Scarface, that collaboration is disappointing as the beat isn't great. Attached to the end of this is also Jay-Z's solo song 'Anything', which Jay expected to do good things, but almost flat out copying the format of an earlier hit in 'Hard Knock Life' normally doesn't work with the public. I don't like 'Hard Knock Life' and this has an even worse chorus taken from 'I'll Do Anything'. Best Tracks: The Truth, Remember Them Days, What Your Life Like, Ride 4 My, Die.

Good quality uncommercial hip hop and at the moment my rap pick of '09. It reminds me a bit of Prolyphic & Reanimator's 'The Ugly Truth' and something else that I can't recall at the moment. Apart from the odd so-so track, it's one of those beginning to end albums and hasn't been out of my playlist since I got it. A high 4/5. Best Tracks: Stutter Step, Take Me Higher, Speed Demon, Losing You, Deal With It, Hold On, Leader vs. Followers