Off the back of Tha Carter II and follow up mixtape The Dedication, Lil Wayne released a string of hit projects from ’06 to ’08 that certified him as the best rapper alive at that time. Picking his best release during that period is tough, being a toss-up between The Dedication 2 and Da Drought 3, with the latter, double disk effort just coming out in front. Across 29 tracks ,Wayne’s ferocious flows and pun-filled rhymes decimate well-known tracks from Gnarls Barkley, Jay Z, Big Pun, and Cam’ron, with his remix of DJ Khaled’s ‘We Takin’ Over’ a clear highlight.

So Far Gone introduced the world to Aubrey ‘Drake’ Graham, the former Degrassi: The Next Generation star who went on to become one of music’s biggest names. Back in 2009 he was still a struggling artist with a couple of tapes behind him, but that all changed with So Far Gone. Combining introspective lyrics with Drake’s penchant for singing and rapping, the tape featured mentor Lil Wayne, spawned hits ‘Successful’ and ‘Best I Ever Had’, and announced Drake as a bonafide rap star.

A relative unknown before its release, Nostalgia, Ultra turned sometime Odd Future member Frank Ocean into the next big thing. Critically acclaimed and landing on many Best of the Year lists, the mixtape is a deeply personal collection of songs from the New Orleans native. Singles ‘Novacane’ and ‘Swim Good’ showcased Ocean’s strong songwriting skills and gorgeous vocals over R&B infused production, but it’s the track ‘American Wedding’ that hits home. The seven-minute reworking of The Eagles classic, ‘Hotel California,’ is a modern day love song about marriage and divorce that’s almost better than the original.

In a year when Kanye West (Yeezus), Drake (Nothing Was The Same), and A$AP Rocky (Long.Live.A$AP) dominated the charts, Chance The Rapper’s Acid Rap still managed to be one of 2013’s best efforts. Not only did Chance’s second release offer a more upbeat showing of Chicago rap, but also proved young artists could become successful without the backing of a major label. Still unsigned and readying the release of his third independent project today, Chance is the poster boy for why free music should be considered for the Grammys.

Harlem’s A$AP Rocky’s debut mixtape, Live.Long.A$AP, is arguably his best release to date. Incorporating Southern rap sounds and hazy, mid-tempo beats coupled with Rocky’s stylish flow, Live.Long.A$AP helped redefine New York hip-hop for the 21^st century. With the majority of production provided by Clams Casino and guest verses from SchoolBoy Q and members of the A$AP Mob, Live.Long.A$AP not only heralded Rocky’s arrival as one of rap’s new stars but helped put New York back on the map.

It’s still baffling Rick Ross’s Rich Forever never had a commercial release. The mixtape, a prelude to his disappointing fifth album, God Forgives, I Don’t, has everything you want to hear on a Ross album. There’s hit singles like ‘Holy Ghost’, ‘Triple Beam Dreams’, and ‘Stay Scheming’, big name guest including Drake, Nas, 2 Chainz and French Montana, and the obligatory John Legend collaboration, ‘Rich Forever’. It’s a well-balanced rap album playing to Ross’s strengths and still the best thing he’s put out in almost five years.

It’s hard to choose between Action Bronson’s Blue Chips mixtape series. While the second instalment builds on Bam Bam’s culinary references and pop culture filled lyrics, he didn’t put a foot wrong with the original. Produced by good friend and regular collaborator Party Supplies, Blue Chips is Bronson at his visceral best, bringing to life wild tales of home town New York, setting the scene with ‘Pouches Of Tuna’, one of the best openings to a mixtape ever.

A hardened battle rapper from Philadelphia, Meek Mill’s Dreamchaser series became the bridge between Meek’s street raps and the crossover success he’d long been craving. His debut release on Rick Ross’s Maybach Music Group, Meek’s first edition of the Dreamchaser series combined Meek’s hard hitting raps with trap heavy beats and features from Ross, Yo Gotti, Beanie Sigel, and more. While his career might be in free-fall after his disastrous attempt at taking down Drake, Dreamchasers still remains a classic mixtape.