A lot of people know about the popular party singles or radio hits of rappers these days, but never care to look up their lesser-known songs. In terms of recording full albums it’s been a quiet couple of months for some big name artists, but they’ve released their own little projects while touring. Some of the artists listed are ones you know quite well, and others are names that aren’t as current in today’s scene but are untouchable in the genre. Here’s a list of the under-the-radar mixtapes you might have missed from artists you love.

1. J. Cole’s “Revenge of the Dreamers” (Jan. 28th):

After dropping “Born Sinner” in June of 2013, J. Cole has taken Dreamville on the road and toured the studio album. Although he hasn’t dropped any new radio singles, he did release his own little project back in January titled, “Revenge of the Dreamers.” He released the mixtape on his birthday with some of his friends and fellow Dreamville rappers Bas, Omen, K-Quick and Treasure Davis. It has 11 tracks on it and is clearly a project that he did for himself and not a studio quota. Cole has also recently released a new track titled, “Be Free” that hits on the recent shooting of Missouri teen Mike Brown.

2. XV’s “March Madness Vol. 4” (April 7th):

If you don’t know who XV is already, you should put him on your radar immediately. The rapper from Wichita, Kansas has released multiple EP’s and mixtapes, and a studio album in 2006. While fans wait for his long awaited “The Kid with the Green Backpack” album, they were graced last spring with a series of mixtapes centered around March Madness basketball. This final installment only has four tracks, as implied, but be sure to check out the whole series.

3. Mac Miller’s “Faces” (May 11th):

Mac had been hinting at this project for a while, and it finally came on Mother’s Day. With appearances by Schoolboy Q, Earl Sweatshirt, Rick Ross and others, the mixtape is definitely something he put a lot of time into. With 24 tracks, it’s no short listen but it is definitely an impressive compilation and an even better story. It’s full of all-new beats and rhymes, and is a massive improvement from his last studio album, “Watching Movies With the Sound Off.”

4. RZA’s “Only One Place to Get It” (May 14th):

If you don’t know who is RZA is, then you probably don’t know a lot about the Wu-Tang Clan, but that is where he has made his name and is an icon of rap. The EP, in collaboration with Dr. Pepper, is a 4-track project that is the first in a series to come out with RZA producing and featuring four up and coming artists. Rockie Fresh, Tinashe, Robert DeLong and RAC are the artists who lend a hand on this EP.

5. Wiz Khalifa’s “28 Grams” (May 25th):

Most Taylor Gang fans have known that Wiz has been working on his album, “Blacc Hollywood,” but not many people anticipated this project. Consisting of 28 tracks, it’s definitely a long listen but it’s full of the classic Wiz bangers and has appearances by Juicy J, Pimp C, Ty Dolla $ign, Curren$y and a whole lot more.

6. B.o.B.’s “No Genre 2” (July 9th):

B.o.B has been known to experiment with a lot of different sounds and styles, and this second part to his “No Genre” mixtape proves just that as he attempts to defy being labeled any one thing. He’s also been known to have memorable choruses and collaborations, and this mixtape definitely follows suit. With 14 tracks ranging from revived old songs, to traditional rap bangers, and slower melodic beats, B.o.B definitely delivers in terms of not being tied down. Take a look and see if it compares to what you’re used to.

7. Busta Rhyme’s “Catastrophic 2” (August 7th):

As a lot of changes have been occurring in Busta’s The Conglomerate, he hasn’t had much time to create new beats. He has, however, still had time to remix some well-known hits with the remaining members of The Conglomerate, and continues to prove why his lyricism is so impressive. Remixing tracks such as “Loyal,” “Fight Night,” “We Dem Boyz,” and “Cut Her Off,” they were able to get features from Raekwon, Juicy J, French Montana and more. The mixtape is a good preview of what’s to come from the group, despite it being mostly remixes and not original products.