If Scarface isn't in your top 5 he has got to be in your top 10. He possesses one of the best solo discographies in hip hop and not only that, but he has made some dope stuff in the longstanding group the Geto Boys. Not many outstanding solo artists in hip hop can say that. On Emeritus, it has plenty of 'good' tracks, but not as many 'great' tracks as you are used to a Scarface album having. Some of the production reminds me a lot of his previous album 'Made' also. Not the greatest way to supposedly go out of the game but still a solid album. Best Tracks: High Powered, Still Here, Soldier Story, Unexpected, Emeritus.

Despite Scarface spouting as such during the album's promotional tour, this doesn't touch his best work. The first 5 to 6 songs are very good. I waver on 'Steer'. At times I think "wow" other times I've hit skip. It is also production that we haven't heard Scarface over before and don't on any other songs from the album. The slow spitting and slow singing hook on 'Anything' is the first real slow moment-A bit too slow for my liking. 'God' is a better tune but falls into a similar problem, as does 'Voices' and some of the bonus tracks. A really solid album from one of the best to record a hip hop album but there are just a few too many slow moments, non-brilliant beats and lack of jaw-dropping verses that Face used to have to rate it any higher. Best Tracks: Rooted, Dope Man Pushin', All Bad, F**k You Too

I only listened to this because I was looking at some samples and I realised that 'Friends' was sampled by Nas on 'If I Ruled the World (Imagine That)' among a plethora of other artists since 1984. I am usually not a massive fan of '80s hip hop production, but the beats on this are fresh. The opener 'Five Minutes of Funk' is a strong cut, 'Freaks Come Out at Night' is enjoyable as well, but it probably goes 30 seconds too long. The DJ cut/instrumental 'Featuring Grandmaster Dee' on the other hand goes way too long and doesn't maintain my interest. It's a strong beat, but it needs a bit more variety to be an effective six-minute track. 'Big Mouth' features the '80s minimalist production that I referred to earlier. It gets boring. The next two songs return to some electro-funk and are the best songs on the album. The penultimate 'Out of Control' has some vocals, but it's pretty much another DJ Cut. The album closer 'We Are Whodini' then reminds me somewhat of Newcleus, who were also doing some nice electro hip hop beats in 1984. Overall, Jalil Hutchins was a good rapper, and I like the beats more than I normally would on an early/mid-1980s rap album. Some good stuff. Best Tracks: Five Minutes of Funk, Escape (I Need a Break), Friends

A decent funky west coast hip hop album. It never reaches any extraordinary heights but the best are bouncy tunes. Beats: ★★★☆ Rapping/Bars: ★★★☆ Hooks: ★★★☆ Best Tracks: Ghetto Star, Addicted to Crime, Money, Houses and Cars

I stayed away from this because of the lukewarm reputation it has but I like a lot of it. It does have unique touches but it isn't as rock-influenced as a number of listeners make it seem with a number of songs still maintaining the foundations of hip hop. It starts off slow. I don't like anything much until track 4, but from there it gets on a roll. 'Grown Man Business' is dope with the 'The Cecil Holmes Soulful Sounds' 'I'm Gonna Love You Just a Little More Baby' sample (he basically just raps over the start of the song) that has been used on a number of tracks including Nas' 'No Idea's Original', but why do the vocals sound like he recorded it on a phone? Another strong song is 'Modern Marvel', but I wish it was broken up into three tracks as it takes 3 minutes to take off, the next 3 minutes are nice, but the best portion is the final 3 minutes. Elsewhere, Kanye, back when he was an amazing producer, on the boards and Mos on the mic, kill 'Sunshine'. I think that's the best song here. 'The Rape Over', removed from pressings and not found on streaming platforms today, is a short, but hard critique of the rap industry. 'The Takeover' beat fits perfectly for this. Again though, the 'vocals' are low quality. It switches up with 'Blue Black Jack' with a near bluesy instrumental and the next song 'Bedstuy Parade & Funeral March' follows those musical themes. 'Sex Love and Money' and 'Close Edge', that fans of the Chappelle Show will recall, take it back to rawer beats with Mos rapping with vigor. Along with 'Freaky Black Greetings', 'The Easy Spell' is one of the most rock-influenced. I don't love the hook here that repeats throughout the verse too. Along with the second half of 'War', it's my least favourite song. Mos follows that with something completely different; a heartfelt soul song, where he sounds like Bob Marley at times. Most albums either start or end with the strongest tracks, but here, the middle is the best portion. There are lots of musical themes here, which probably explains the average reputation it has as someone loving everything on offer is unlikely. Well worth checking out for something a little different. Best Tracks: Zimzallabim, Sunshine, Close Edge, Grown Man Business, Modern Marvel (from the 3min mark)