Bootlegs & B-Sides (Priority, 1994) by Ice Cube

This is a mediocre compilation (which explains why they're bootlegs and b-sides).  However, there are some highlights.  The blend of "Check Yo Self" for the remix over Grandmaster Flash and The Furious Five's "The Message" is and "D'Voidofpopniggafiedmegamix" is a cool mix of Ice Cube records from his first few albums and a clever ways to give props to P-Funk.

My Love: Essential Collection (Columbia, 2008) by Celine Dion

My Love is a great compilation album that does a wonderful job of spanning Celine's career.  Between the Titanic soundtrack and the R. Kelly album, I've got a few of the Celine tracks that I like.  Fortunately, this collection grabs a few others.  "Beauty and the Beast" and "Because You Loved Me" are classics that I'm now proud to have purchased and keep in my iTunes library.

The Re-Up (Shady, 2006) by various

If I'm not mistaken, this album was originally intended to be a mixtape.  I think it should have stayed that way.  I say that not because the music is bad, but because it lacks the cohesion of an album.  Eminem does a good job of introducing new Shady artists on the intro, but after that all that tracks seem to have been just thrown together with minimal consideration for sequencing.  Obie's "Pistol Pistol (Remix)" was solid as well as "You Don't Know" which help introduce Cashis to the mainstream.  However, other than Eminem's "No Apologies," there aren't really many standout songs here.  But the fact that Eminem drew the album cover makes up for a bit of it.

Street Fighter Soundtrack (Universal, 1994) by various

"In the Rotten Apple, take a bite taste the worm/Embrace the world of reality we're faced to learn/Coke connection drug bust, graveyards where thugs rest/I keep my mug blessed, the evil is illegal substance sold/Roll mob deep, guns in the black Jeep/Mac-11's and legends, cracks in the streets/Patroller, gold money-folder, gun happy soldiers/Never sober takin over, my blood is colder/Niggaz respect violence so I become it/I'm from it, I even done it blunted so run it"

-Nas, "One on One"

Dr. Dre Presents The Aftermath (Aftermath, 1996) by Dr. Dre

Dr. Dre's first release on Aftermath, a compilation, wasn't a commercial blockbuster like his contributions to Death Row's catalogue.  However, his sound certainly did evolve.  The g-funk element that made Dre one of the best producers ever is absent here, but his knack for R&B production is apparent.  The best R&B track on the album, "Choices," samples the popular Issac Hayes' tune "The Look of Love" and again the use of it does not fail.  There is some hip hop on here.  Dre's contribution "Been There, Done That" deliberately separates himself from gangsta rap.  It's decent, but it's no "Let Me Ride."  And "East Coast/West Coast Killas" was a good show of unity at a time when hip hop was very divided.

Curtain Call: The Hits (Aftermath, 2005) by Eminem

Three of the four new tracks here are nothing spectacular at all.  "When I'm Gone" plays like an inferior sequel to "Mockingbird."  "Shake That", even with strong contributions from Nate Dogg, comes off as too silly and playful.  And "Fack" is just weird.  The one highlight of new material is the previously unreleased live version of "Stan" that Eminem performed with Elton John at The Grammys in 2001.  It was a legendary performance, moment in Eminem's career and event in hip hop history.  I'm glad it was finally released on record.  The only thing a recorded version of the performance doesn't capture is Mr. Mathers throwing his middle fingers in the air at the end.

Legacy: The Greatest Hits Collection (Universal, 2001) by Boyz II Men

Boyz II Men is my favorite boy band and this is a greatest hits collection that collected all the hits.  For as successful and talented as the group was in their prime, finding enough cuts to fill an album is not the problem.  Therefore, the only thing that could fault the album is its track sequencing. It's almost perfect.  The only change I would make, and this is just my opinion, is that its opening cut, "Motown Philly", is a little upbeat for the ballads that they were most known for. And for that reason, I would've put it a little later in the CD.  Because their first two mega-blockbuster albums came out before and right as I was being introduced to popular music, I never owned the original LPs.  However, because of the group's tremendous success, I was still very aware of their music.  Therefore, this album not only finished the group's contract with Universal, but also put all the hits from one of the most popular groups of the 90s in one place for me to enjoy.

8 Mile Soundtrack (Shady, 2002) by various

"Lose Yourself" is a history-making song and one of the most popular records of its time.  The title track is actually one of my favorite Eminem songs and I think 50's "Places to Go" should have been his introductory single instead of "Wanksta".  The other song that I go back to a lot on this album is Gang Starr's "Battle".  A movie about hip-hop in the mid-90s without a DJ Premier beat is blasphemous.  Not surprisingly, the music supervision for this film for material that was actually made in the mid-90s is superb.  And truth be told, as a whole, the soundtrack to 8 Mile can't touch More Music from 8 Mile.  However, 8 Mile and its soundtrack helped establish Eminem as a hip-hop icon at the height of his popularity and continued to showcase his untouchable rap skills as well as his ability to find and develop new talent (50 Cent, Obie Trice).

Greatest Hits (Amaru, 1998) by 2Pac

Greatest hits albums are usually terrible.  Not that the actual music is bad, but it is just a collection of hits with a few rush-recorded tracks by an artist to fulfill a contractual obligation.  Therefore, there is very little incentive to purchase them if you are already a fan of the artist.  However, in this case, there is an exception.  2Pac was a prolific writer and recorder.  There are four unreleased tracks here (as well as the original version of "California Love").  And some of the unreleased tracks are the best ones on this 2-CD set ("Unconditional Love" and "Changes").  The sequencing of the compilation is also done well and the album provides a well-rounded glimpse into the mind of one of the most amazing artists that hip-hop will ever see.  {Writer's note: Because of a family emergency, I was unable to post for multiple days and so I am posting multiple times now to make up for it.  I apologize for any confusion and/or inconvenience.}

Chef Aid: The South Park Album (Columbia, 1998) by various

Rick Rubin is my favorite producer of all-time and this compilation is a testament to his range of talent.  Elton John.  Primus.  Ozzy Osbourne and 'Ol Dirty Bastard.  Ike Turner and Rick James.  And that's just a few of the many names and collaborations.  Isaac Hayes, as Chef, is obviously outstanding hosting Chef Aid like a live concert.  And because of this, the album is able to maintain cohesion from beginning to end.  In the fall of 2006, Scratch Magazine [R.I.P.] wrote, "When Rick Rubin dies (like Kenny) this album could easily be his eulogy."  Ditto.