I need my R&B to evolve—building up and shifting as the song progresses. Too many tracks just stay in one place. It's pleasing background music. Best Songs: I Gotta Be, Ready & Willing

At just 22 minutes, you'd hope this would be a breezy, engaging listen—and while it’s not a slog, it’s hardly memorable either. By now, hip-hop should have evolved beyond looping a short soul sample for minutes on end, yet that’s exactly what you get here. Fredro has a likeable voice for a rapper, but at times, he comes off as preachy or more profound than he actually is. Case in point: he closes the opener with, “There’s one thing for certain in life. Everyone dies.” Oh, really? I might be being a bit harsh with my rating—it’s an easy listen—but there’s nothing here that truly stands out. A little more creativity in production and song structure could have gone a long way. Beats: ★★☆ Rapping/Bars: ★★★ Hooks: ★★ Best Tracks: Hood Jealousy, Chillin', Grandma House

Mad Flava only has this one album under their belt, and with its pure boom bap sound, you'd probably assume they're an east coast group. However, they're actually from the south. While solid, it's tough to recommend this one given the sheer volume of incredible similar music from the '90s. Many of the tracks sound too similar, and the album starts to drag as a result, especially in the second half where the weaker moments stand out. The rappers flow is fine, but they aren't saying anything interesting either. Beats: ★★★☆ Rapping/Bars: ★★★ Hooks: ★★★ Best Tracks: From Tha Ground Unda, To Tha Break, Bump Ya Head, Fools

This doesn't live up to the solid reputation it has for me. If I didn't know what year it was released, I would've thought it was an '80s album. It sounds dated to me and there was so much better hip hop being created in this peak era. Beats: ★★☆ Rapping/Bars: ★★☆ Hooks: ★★☆ Best Tracks: Don't Give Me No Bammer, G's by the 1,2,3's, Remind Me

There are a number of good songs here, but as a whole project, too much sounds the same and it's a few songs longer than it needs to be. Best Tracks: Just Might Get It, She Said What She Said, Get in Character, Racing to Her