Rakim

Thee Sinseers and Kareen Lomax arrive Friday without a major label behind either record, AZ Chike makes his Warner introduction, Chaka goes big, and three veterans put the Dogg Pound and Wu-Tang on one title. Plus the two releases landing on a different day.

Rakim changed where a rhyme could sit. Nas turned the verse into reportage. Kendrick made the album an argument. Five artists have a legitimate claim to what comes next, and HitsCulture argues each case, counterargument included.