Canal Street Confidential (Deluxe)

The preternaturally relaxed rapper’s fifth studio album might be his strongest since 2011’s Weekend at Burnie’s—a feat considering he’s one of the most quietly consistent MCs of his era. Produced mostly by Purps—of the bruising Atlanta production team 808 Mafia—Canal Street Confidential balances Curren$y’s meditative flow with some relatively sinister beats, all flecked with the late-night atmosphere of classic soul. Opening with the Future-assisted trap of “Drive By,” the album features a few high-profile guests, including Wiz Khalifa (“Winning”) and Ty Dolla $ign (“Superstar”)—still leaving room for the solo workouts that made Curren$y’s mixtapes so great to begin with (“Boulders”).