Top 5 Dead or Alive

With his fourth solo album, Jadakiss adapts to hip-hop’s constant evolution while proving that old-fashioned bars still matter. On “You Can See,” the Yonkers native recruits Auto-Tune savant Future for an ominous, Atlanta-inspired trap boomer, while “Kill” cranks up the energy with a horns-on-steroids Bangladesh beat and a verse from an amped-up Lil Wayne. But Jada holds fast to his roots, evoking Tunnel-era NYC swagger on the Diddy-featuring “You Don’t Eat” and trading triumphant, nostalgic bars with fellow The LOX alum Styles P on “Synergy.”