The album starts strong, hitting its high points early on, but from there it drifts into a stretch of pleasant yet unremarkable R&B. Tim & Bob—true legends—deliver two of the standout tracks, before Jon B takes over production duties for much of the latter half. I haven’t listened to 'Helpless Romantic' yet, but based on the other albums I’ve heard, this one doesn’t quite measure up. Best Tracks: Bad Girl, Don't Say, They Don't Know

The High & Mighty was a duo made up of Mr Eon, the rapper, and he producer, DJ Mighty Mi. This had been on my listen to list for a while after hearing 'B-Boy Document '99' on a video game. There is nostalgia involved, but I think that is the standout. The content isn't much different most of the time, but there is a certain freshness to the style. The features like Eminem, Mos Def and Mad Skillz stand out though compared to what Mr Eon brings. Then there is also Kool Keith and Jean Grae (FKA What? What?) on the pro-masturbatory 'Hands on Experience Pt. II' who knock their verse out of the park. Beats: ★★★ Rapping/Bars: ★★★☆ Hooks: ★★★ Best Tracks: B-Boy Document '99, The Last Hit, The Meaning, The Half, Hands on Experience Pt. II, Mind Soul and Body

I like this more than 'Darkness & Other Colors', Chino's other posthumous album. There is some more variety here. Chino is himself, with lots of energy and battle bars that take shots at everyone. His performance is the strength, as is always the case with his projects. The instrumentation leaves me wanting more though. Beats: ★★☆ Rapping/Bars: ★★★★ Hooks: ★★☆ Best Tracks: Hard to Kill, Monster, Keep Diggin', Still Sailing

There’s definitely some funny material here, and the artist deserves credit for injecting humour into their music in a way that feels energetic and offbeat. That said, like a lot of comedic music, the replay value is limited—once the joke lands, it doesn’t always invite repeated listens. Not every track hits the mark, and some ideas feel a bit stretched or fall flat. However, one thing that really stands out is the variety. Each song feels distinct from the last, both in terms of production and delivery. It’s clear that a lot of thought went into avoiding repetition and keeping things fresh, which adds to the overall experience, even if not every experiment is successful. Best Tracks: Bang Bang, Rollerskaite Date, You Would Give Me Kiss If I Were on Soccer Team, Down't Touch That (I Demand)

The first track is fun with probably the most likeable instrumentation (thanks to the boom bap influence) but too much of this is preachy and Will trying to be motivational. His underrated and last album in '05, 'Lost and Found', has a better balance of conscious rap with party rap. His yelling of "you looking for me" on the second track sounds awkward. Too many of the beats reek of generic trap Beats: ★★☆ Rapping/Bars: ★★★ Hooks: ★★☆ Best Tracks: Int. Barbershop - Day, You Can Make It, Work of Art