For years, Hip Hop fans have maintained a cautious admiration for Fabolous. He has proven himself time and time again as a more than competent mixtape maestro and a reliable “featured” artist. However, much like fellow mixtape heroes Cassidy, Joe Budden and Canibus, Fab has never quite been able to answer the age old question: “Who is this guy as an artist?” Well, ladies and gentleman, after 5 full length albums, Loso’s Way finally delivers the answer..for better AND for worse.

The album really hits its stride when Fabolous is throwing out cleaver punchlines and playing up the lavish pretty thug lifestyle made famous by artists like Fab himself and Mase in the late 90’s.  His flow on “Fabolous Life,” “My Time” and “Throw It In The Bag” are top notch. The bar is raised even higher when he takes on real subjects and manages to maintain his clever wit. This is exemplified on the album’s stand out tracks “Stay” and the friend-turned-enemy opus “Pachanga,” where he delivers: “When you lose a friend, it’s hard to handle the loss… End up watching friends like Joey, Chandler and Ross.”

Unfortunately, this genuine sense of reality is shattered when Fab’s street dreams get too ambitious. Aspirations of finally taking his place among NY giants Jay-Z, Biggie and Nas lead to some embarrassingly awful moments (like the track “I Miss My Love”). “…Love” attempts to have the suspenseful storytelling of Biggie’s “Somebody Gotta Die,” but instead sounds forced, phony and even a bit corny.

It should be noted that Loso’s Way is overall a nice listen. Once it’s gimmicky intro ends and we look past the (very) loose “Carlito’s Way” concept that birthed the album, we are treated to a diverse and well rounded body of work. Despite some major misses, the album recovers nicely and does it’s job of solidifying that Fabolous is a true talent.

Tracks to check for: “Pachanga,” “My Time,” & “Stay” 

Nas’  9th album has been shrouded in controversy from day one. The album’s controversial title and lyrics started causing problems almost a year before a single copy hit stores. Everyone from Rev. Jesse Jackson to LA Reid to Bill O’Reilly to Newsweek Magazine and even members of the US Congress made their opinions (for better or worse) known. Now, with the actual album completed (minus its original title), the finished product deserves just as much praise as it has controversy.

Untitled is loosely a concept album. It has a very cohesive and organized feel that few modern Hip Hop albums embrace. The album’s lyrics read like an expose’ on the oppression of modern American blacks (complete with an entire song devoted to the practices of Fox News and references to Noble Dru Ali and Ivan Van Sertima). Over some of the slickest production of his career, Nas seamlessly meanders between the pretty thug swagger that made him famous and the revolutionary political leanings that made him an icon.

In many ways, Untitled has done what few Nas albums have been able to do: be strong in both content and quality.  It is one of the few rap albums in recent years that appeases the appetites of Hip Hop connoisseurs while still being accessible to those curious, out of the loop listeners who just want to know what all the fuss is about.

Tracks to check for: “Fried Chicken,” “Ya’ll My Niggas,” & “Black President”

Pharrell Williams, Chad Hugo and Shay Haley first joined forces for one of the most impressive alternative albums of 2001, the uber-inventive In Search Of... Since then, the trio has come full circle. After 2004’s more traditional Fly Or Die proved to be little more than solid (both critically and commercially), the band is now back to breaking down musical barriers with their most satisfying album to date.

Seeing Sounds starts off in traditional Neptunian fashion with “Time For Some Action,” a fast-paced, heavily hip hop track that sounds almost identical to their work on Busta Rhymes’ “Light Your Ass On Fire.” From there, the album chugs along with good, but ultimately forgettable tunes like “Windows.” But then, midway through the album, something happens. Starting around track 6,you feel the Virginia trio really hitting their stride. This second wind is accented by the Grammy-worthy “Sooner or Later,” which is as stunning as it is catchy.

Seeing Sounds may not have the impact of In Search Of… or the heavyweight cameos that sprinkled Fly or Die, but it is certainly their most complete, definitive and mature work to date. It is, in many ways, the album that N.E.R.D. fans have been waiting for.

Tracks to check out: “Sooner or Later,” “Happy” & “Spaz’”

As the “pop” world reaches out its arms to Cee Lo Green and Danger Mouse, they instinctively pull back. If St. Elsewhere was their Frankenstein’s monster, then The Odd Couple is it’s terrifying killing spree.

St. Elsewhere was an album of twisted paranoia and doom disguised in the Trojan horse of an experimental party album. The Odd Couple, on the other hand, is dark, gloomy and intentionally against the grain. Green sums it up best when he professes “It’s probably plain to see/ I got a whole lot of pain in me” on the the somber closing track “A Little Better.”

As always, Danger’s production is layered, dense, outside the box and downright brilliant. Meanwhile, Green’s infectious falsetto is stellar (and just a little bit scary). “Would Be Killer” and “Neighbors” are perfect examples of the eerie soundscapes that have made these guys the most talked about genre busters since Run DMC.

Unfortunately, Gnarls Barkley’s greatest attribute is also their biggest detriment. That anti-pop, this-ain’t-for-everyone, free flying style is a double edged sword. Sometimes triumphant and sometimes confusing, The Odd Couple will likely go down in history as a classic for die hard fans and as a memorable experiment to everyone else.

Ray J, Ray J, Ray J… By all logic, there is no reasonable explanation for why this guy has been able to stay relevant for the better part of 11 years. He is far from a great singer, a D list actor (his last major film was the Shaq star vehicle Steel) and he has only had one album reach the top 10, ever. Yet, every couple of years we find ourselves talking about this guy. Maybe he knows something that we don’t.

After the infamous Kim Kardashian sex tape, Brandy’s brother managed to raise his stock even higher this year with the certified banger “Sexy Can I.” The track is the shining jewel of his new disc of predictably mediocre material. The rest of the album is mostly pseudo-gangsta fronting (”Real Nigga,” “Where You At?”) and raunchy sex talk (”Boyfriend”) over run-of-the-mill beats. There are definitely some high points like the strip club anthem “Gift” and the album’s title track, “All I Need.” But, these bright spots are scarce.

Apparently Ray also figured out how to use T-Pain’s auto pitch module. Unfortunately, he is not able to copy it as well as Lil Wayne. This is most obvious on the catchy, but painfully misguided “It’s Up To You;” it actually sounds like Ray J is singing badly on purpose. What’s most unfortunate about this song (and the album as a whole) is that if Ray J would just stop reaching so hard for the credibility that he will never have, he could probably put out some tolerable music.

In case you have been living under a rock for the last 2 years, Day26 is the latest product of Sean “Diddy” Comb’s reality TV phenom, Making The Band. They are an R&B quintet made up of Michael “Big Mike” McCluney, Robert “Bitchassness” Curry, William “Shirtless Willie” Taylor, Qwanell “Dawn’s Boyfriend” Mosley and Brian “The Guy with the Cornrows” Andrews. They are kind of a big deal.

Day26’s debut is the kind of soulful, cool, swagger-filled R&B group effort that hasn’t been successfully pulled off in years (sorry Pretty Ricky). The album manages to be smooth without being too sensitive, sexual without being overly raunchy and high energy without getting too “pop.” The end result is one of the most enjoyable R&B albums of the year. Think Dru Hill, 112, Blackstreet or Next singing on tracks from Danja and Bryan-Micheal Cox. It’s a good look. The real standout tracks are the gospel-tinged “If It Wasn’t For You,” the soulful “Since You’ve Been Gone” and the ultrasexy closing track “Don’t Fight The Feeling.” The latter of which is a mid 90’s style panty dropper that is bound to pop up on more than a few “Love Making Mix” CDRs.

But, all is not well in the world of Day26… The 5 lead singer format is a nice idea (in theory), but it becomes highly obnoxious on more than one occasion. The group needs direction. Bitchassness Robert would be the most logical choice; he has the strongest, most unique voice and manages to steal the show on almost every track. Also, what happened to the days when producers just produced without talking shit all over the ballads? The number of producer voice overs from Diddy, The Runners and (most awkwardly) Bryan-Michael Cox is absurd.

Traditionally, reality TV-produced “artists” bring absolutely nothing to the table. Day26 is a welcomed, and surprising, exception. Believe it or not, their album is actually good, it’s damn good.

GRADE: A

Lets be honest, to the casual listener, “Neo-Soul” artists like Cody ChesneTT, Van Hunt, Raphael Saadiq and Raheem DeVaughn all sound pretty much the same. They release similar sounding albums and tend to get similar responses from fans. With Love Behind the Melody, Raheem DeVaughn strives to elevate his sound without leaving his fans behind. Thankfully, he succeeds.

Much of the production on Love Behind the Melody is stellar. Music giants like Bryan-Michael Cox, Scott Storch and Chucky Thompson lend their talents to an album that manages to improve upon the template of DeVaughn’s impressive debut, The Love Experience. This more streamlined and mainstream quality works (even in spite of itself). On “Customer,” we look past the song’s eerie resemblance to J. Holiday’s monster hit “Bed,” and just trust that great minds must think alike. Besides, Love Behind the Melody is the kind of album that lives in its own vibe. The smooth and sexy mood that emits from the speakers makes it easy to forgive any of the album’s shortcomings.

Love Behind the Melody may not prove to be Raheem DeVaughn’s break into mainstream consciousness, but it will definitely expand his fan base. Raheem DeVaughn is more talented than the bulk of R&B singers out there, it’s only a matter of time before the world knows it.

GRADE: A–

The phrase “concept album” has always left an uneasy feeling in the stomachs of Hip Hoppers. Since the late 80’s, rappers have tried (and almost always failed) to create truly interesting albums that follow closely on one theme. Then, in late 2007, Lupe Fiasco’s mentor Jay-Z did the unthinkable. Jigga released one of his best albums ever, the concept project “American Gangster.”

The comparison between Lupe Fiasco’s The Cool and Jay-Z’s Gangster is not as much of a stretch as it may seem. Sonically, both albums find a similar place in your eardrums. The grand orchestration, heavy use of pianos and dense drums that stir up feelings of a lost era in east coast hip hop are equally present in both. As well are the intricate rhyme patterns and complex verbiage that the two emcees have become known for. With so much in common, it’s ironic that Lupe’s concept is almost an exact opposition to Jay-Z’s.

There is nothing Gangster about The Cool. If anything, the album’s confusing and almost nonsensical concept was developed to persuade listeners away from the trappings of the “trap house.” The concept itself has something to do with the character Lupe developed in his debut album on the song titled “The Cool.” Then there is also something about a rotting hand and Alexander the Great and some other stuff that will probably never make sense to anyone but Lupe Fiasco. That being said, Lupe is an exceptionally clever artist. On “Gotta Eat” he manages to develop a thought provoking metaphor from a cheeseburger and somehow not sound totally ridiculous.

The concept for this album may be all over the place, but unlike many albums of this nature, his execution is flawless. The album will not resonate with all listeners, but it doesn’t need to. It doesn’t strive to fit in or appeal to the masses. Lupe Fiasco’s The Cool is art in it’s purest form… and isn’t that what music needs right now?

GRADE: B+

Ghostface Killah resurfaces in familiar form with The Big Doe Rehab. The album finds the Wu-Tang Clan’s golden child back in his comfort zone.

Be warned, if you were never a Ghostface Killah fan, The Big Doe Rehab will not change your mind. Ghost is a creature of habit and every track on this album would fit comfortably on any of his previous 6 efforts. Predictable collaborations with Wu members (Method Man and Raekwon) are solid as always, as are his off-the-wall and borderline abstract lyrics. But sometimes, when something is not broke, its best to leave it alone.

The album opens with a Latin flavored skit, in the style of an old Scarface outtake, which does its job of setting the stage for a violent, chaotic and tumultuous ride. From there, we are thrown directly into the belly of the beast with the exceptional “Toney Sigel” feat Beanie Sigel. From there, its back to the classic Ghostface tracks that we have grown to love. Explicit storytelling laced with obscure and downright odd metaphors (”shots blow through your meatloaf and lace ya back, turn you over like a pancake and take your gat”) dominate the album. He closes with one of his strongest closing tracks yet, the foreboding yet mildly comical “Slow Down.”

Ghost’s style, which was truly developed on Ironman and Built Only For Cuban Linx, finally saw itself perfected on his 2006 masterpiece, Fishscale. Now, armed with a winning formula, he is able to give his fans exactly what they want and expect: absurd, witty and almost deranged lyrics over 70’s samples that only Ghostface Killah can deliver.

GRADE: A–

The Queen of Hip Hop Soul is top form. In a time where new, generic, cookie cutter R&B artists are appearing (then quickly disappearing) every other week, it’s refreshing to see urban music’s favorite underdog finally getting the pop props she deserves.

Both vocally and lyrically, Mary J. impresses on Growing Pains. Though not quite as dynamic as 2005’s The Breakthrough, it is equally as genuine and enjoyable. “Hurt Again” and “Fade Away” are stand outs that may cause few involuntary taps of the replay button. While “Grown Woman” and “Till The Morning” will remind you that she still has the swagger that made you fall in love with her in the 90’s. The album ends in grand style with the impressive and appropriate closing track “Come to Me (Peace).”

Since 1999’s Mary, Mary J. Blige has progressively moved closer and closer to the world of pop. Growing Pains is her biggest step yet. Fortunately, it works. She is right at home in her long overdue fame and she maintains enough credibility and style to satisfy even her most hardcore What’s The 411? fanatics. Not much more can be said about the new and improved Mary, other than, its’ a good look.