Shady XV (Compilation Album): Although “Shady XV” is merely a compilation of songs performed by the artists of Shady Records, it includes a few songs solely by Eminem. Many critics, including myself, have argued that the album is one of the worst of 2014, and (if we’re going to throw it into this category) Eminem’s worst of all time. Personally, as an avid fan of the old Marshall Mathers, I was hoping for a bit of a rebound after Eminem’s past few albums. As one critic said, “For those searching for that nostalgic surge of adrenaline-inducing passion and innovative content reminiscent of the Shady reign,” head straight back to the classics of the early 2000s like The Marshall Mathers LP, The Eminem Show, etc.

My rate: 3/10

A Better Tomorrow (Wu-Tang Clan): As Method Man proclaims in the hook of “Ruckus in B Minor,” Wu-Tang is still number one. Sure, many of the “rap” songs we hear today are catchy, but none can truly compete with the lyricism shown by Wu-Tang Clan in every single one of their songs. There are certainly a few songs on “A Better Tomorrow” which I am not a fan of, but a few others are reminiscent of the old-school rap style of the 90s which has ultimately disappeared in the past 10+ years. For the most part, unfortunately, the beats produced for “A Better Tomorrow” are not nearly as hot as old RZA beats, as other Wu-Tang fans might notice.

My rate: 7/10

2014 Forest Hills Drive (J. Cole): “2014 Forest Hills Drive” is the upcoming third album by North Carolina’s J. Cole. It is scheduled to be released on December 9th of this year, and the only reason I included this album with the other two (which have already been released) is that J. Cole is easily one of the top five rappers in the game right now. Having impressed me early on with his two mixtapes, “The Warm Up” and “Friday Night Lights,” J. Cole is expected to blow everyone away with this upcoming album. He announced on Twitter that there will be no singles released from “2014 Forest Hills Drive,” which gives fans another reason to look forward to it. The album’s name refers to the address of the rapper’s childhood home, which will hopefully provide a personal story within some of the songs as well.

My rate: Not released