Drake
Nothing Was the Same
Rap/Hip-Hop

Frequent, vulgar injections of drugs, bling, brash bravado and sexual prowess make Drake sound so much like so many others …

Katy Perry
“Dark Horse”
EDM/Electronica/Techno, Pop, Rap/Hip-Hop

Is Katy calling for commitment, or is she just casting creepy demands on love? That’s all we wanted to know …

Eminem
“Berzerk”
Rap/Hip-Hop, Rock

New ESPN Saturday Night Football golden boy Eminem goes “Berzerk” in an old-school rap-rock tune that would have benefited from …

Jason Derulo
“Talk Dirty”
Pop, R&B, Rap/Hip-Hop, Reggae

R&B singer Jason Derulo says he speaks the language of love. But he forgot how to translate the word lust.

Jay Z
Magna Carta Holy Grail
Rap/Hip-Hop

Jay Z’s Magna Carta Holy Grail is his first album since the birth of his daughter, Blue Ivy. Has the …

Kanye West
Yeezus
EDM/Electronica/Techno, Rap/Hip-Hop

Kanye West is once again earning rave critical reviews for its game-changing sounds. What hasn’t changed is his penchant for …

Andy Mineo
Heroes for Sale
Christian/Gospel, Rap/Hip-Hop

Utterly unabashed Christian rapper Andy Mineo’s official debut (after years of growing underground success) finds him fearlessly testifying to God’s …

Beyoncé
“Bow Down/I Been On”
Pop, Rap/Hip-Hop

Why is Queen Bey sounding so angry and insecure, living as she does on the top of the world? Why …

Pitbull
“Feel This Moment”
EDM/Electronica/Techno, Pop, Rap/Hip-Hop

Savor the moment. Stop and smell the flowers. It’s great advice. But what happens when such sentiments slide off the …

Lil Wayne
“Love Me”
Rap/Hip-Hop

Flanked by rappers Drake and Future, Lil Wayne cuts loose with another shame-free, drug-fueled (and popular) celebration of … female …

Justin Timberlake
“Suit & Tie”
Pop, Rap/Hip-Hop

Justin Timberlake walks the musical runway again for the first time since 2006. Are his new lyrical outfits natty … …

Twenty One Pilots
Vessel
Alternative, EDM/Electronica/Techno, Pop, Rap/Hip-Hop, Reggae, Rock

If you’re wondering why on earth we’re reviewing an album that came out four years ago, read on.

Rihanna
Unapologetic
EDM/Electronica/Techno, Pop, R&B, Rap/Hip-Hop, Reggae

Rihanna doesn’t show any signs of submitting to anyone else’s idea of who she should be—or who she should be …

Christina Aguilera
Lotus
EDM/Electronica/Techno, Pop, R&B, Rap/Hip-Hop

Lotus is supposed to be about fresh “new beginnings.” But there’s quite a lot of “nasty endings” here too.

Macklemore & Ryan Lewis
The Heist
Rap/Hip-Hop

Seattle rapper Macklemore, along with producer Ryan Lewis, take the typical rap template and turn it upside down. (Sometimes twice.)