2018 was one of the most prominent years in music for hip-hop. New artists emerged with new sounds and ambition, veteran rappers produced some of their best work yet, and the creativity was out of this world. Rap, being the most popular genre in the world, came out of its shell yet again. It gave the fans a year they’ll never forget. Here at PerSources, we take a step out of the sports field and rank the top-10 rap albums of 2018.
#10. Tha Carter V – Lil Wayne
This album is one of the more soulful and anticipated albums of the year. Coming from someone who deemed himself the great rapper alive, everyone hoped for Lil Wayne to live up to the hype. This album did just that. Issues with his personal health and issues with his label delayed this album, but it was worth the wait. Among the album’s highlights came “Don’t Cry” featuring the late XXX Tentacion. Although seeming like just a “cash grab,” this song provides us with a painful flurry of sad emotion.
Another highlight was “Mona Lisa” featuring the great Kendrick Lamar. In this compelling pure rap song, the two rappers tell a story about a woman who cheats on her boyfriend with a man who suddenly catches her eye. Both Wayne and Kendrick balance each other out with very powerful rapping and verses that make this song stand out. Before this song came what I think was the best song on the album.
“Dark Side of the Moon” featuring Nicki Minaj was a soulful song, in which, both Lil Wayne and Nicki Minaj showed off their killer vocals. This pop song infused in this rap album made this album even more enjoyable. Lil Wayne showed up and out in this song which captivated hearts. Shifting from pop, Lil Wayne posted a fantastic R&B song in “What About Me”.
This song seems to be one of many expressing his experience with love. Lil Wayne, with the help of Sossaman, gives us a timeless piece of a man heartbroken over a lover and their happiness. This album was very long, but the instrumentals on “Dope New Gospel,” Sampha’s vocals on “Let it All Work Out,” and all the previously mentioned tracks are what makes Wayne as introspective as ever.
Best Songs:
- Dark Side of the
Moon - What About Me
- Mona Lisa
- Let it All Work Out
- Dope New Gospel
- Famous
#9. I Am > I Was – 21 Savage
If there’s a “most improved rapper of 2018” award to give out, 21 Savage more than deserves the hardware. Instead of sticking to his normal trap flow, he finds that time to incorporate some R&B elements into this album as well. Both styles of rap fuse to create one great body of work.
In terms of the actual songs and the features, the album starts off with an absolute BANGER with “a lot” featuring J. Cole. This song had strong verses throughout by 21 Savage of course, but what dropped people’s jaws was the fiery feature by J.Cole. Cole, throughout his high-speed verse, gives shoutouts to 6ix9ine, 76ers PG Markelle Fultz, Mavericks PG Dennis Smith Jr, and 21 Savage himself. With one of the best features of the year, J. Cole gives this album a banger to set it off.
Another notable song on this album was “all my friends” featuring Post Malone. 21 Savage works a soft and moody melody just until Post Malone gives an emphatic and powerful hook as only he can do. Other songs that caught my eye specifically where “ball w/o you,” “gun smoke,” and “out for the night.” All of them show 21 Savage at his best.
Overall, this album includes an incredibly improved 21 Savage and star features. He may have been bashed years ago because of his sound,
Best Songs:
- a lot
- all my friends
- ball w/o you
- gun smoke
- out for the night
#8. Invasion of Privacy – Cardi B
I, personally, was one of the many people who thought Cardi B was a one-hit wonder after her smash hit “Bodak Yellow.” This album killed that narrative. After previously releasing some mixtapes, this served as one of the best debut albums of 2018. Cardi B’s album was unexpectedly personal and revealing. It also showed that Cardi B doesn’t
This album seems to display the two parts of Cardi B’s life. Some songs such as “Money Bag” and “
From those songs, she reflects on her time as a dancer who rose from the ashes to become a successful rapper. She shifts from songs about being a dancer to rather melodic and emotional songs. These songs include “Be Careful,” “Ring,” and “Thru Your Phone.” This album had its fair share of success as well. “I Like It,” with the help of J Balvin and Bad Bunny, became a global super hit. Capping off how great this album was the last song on the entire piece, “I Do.”
Cardi B is as soulful as ever in the album-ending song which fully shows her skill. With SZA featured on the track, Cardi B had to put her A-game on this album. Overall, there are a multitude of reasons why this album was among not only the best rap albums but all albums in general. If this album wasn’t already an indication, Cardi B is here to stay.
Best Songs:
- Best Life
- I Do
- Be Careful
- Ring
- Thru Your Phone
- Bartier Cardi
#7. Championships – Meek Mill
After going through hell and back with legal troubles and being in prison, “Championships” serves as both redemption and a comeback album for Meek. If there’s anything to know about him, it’s how good he is at storytelling. Every album of his highlights multiple struggles in his life and this album is no different.
Rather than shouting (which isn’t bad, but is what we are used to), he gives insight on his experiences. He gives fans and artists alike introspection into his story of personal growth through his troubles with the law. In terms of the songs, Meek kicks of the album with “Intro” which was over a beautiful sample of Phil Collins’ “In the Air Tonight.” Star-studded is an understatement when discussing the features of this album.
Cardi B features on “On Me” which was, in my opinion, her best verse of the year. Just after that, we see Jay-Z and Rick Ross featuring on “What’s Free.” Jay-Z absolutely stole the show. He reminds the audience why he’s one of the richest rappers in the game. He doesn’t feature on this song for the money but to remind us all who he is. The most notable feature came from Drake in “Going Bad.” Two grown men suppressing their beef and reconciling for what was an unprecedented moment in hip-hop. Ella
Flaws on this album included unnecessary features by 21 Savage, Future, Roddy Rich, Young Thug, Kodak Black, and Melii. Overall, this album was one that saw a man taking responsibility for his choices and reaching the “championship” stage in his life. This album is firmly in
Best Songs:
- 24/7
- On Me
- Going Bad
- Wit the Shits
- Cold Hearted II
#6. NOT ALL HEROES WEAR CAPES – Metro Boomin
This star-studded rap album solidified Metro Boomin as one of the top producers in the game in convincing fashion. The highlights of this album come through all the artists featured on it. Metro Boomin, through his production, brings out the best of all these featured artists. This bringing out of rappers’ greatness begins with 21 Savage. On this album, he’s featured on three tracks.
The creativity that came with “Don’t Come Out The House” carries it to be one of the best songs on the album. It includes a whisper-type flow from 21 Savage for most of it. Next came “10 Freaky Girls” which more than shows the greatness of Metro Boomin.
In an 80’s R&B type of beat, Metro Boomin enlists 21 Savage once again. 21 creates a funny yet fiery verse when rapping about a man he ran into after previously robbing him. 21 Savage is just one of the many amazing pieces that crafted this album. Metro Boomin also enlisted his soft side of producing as well.
On “Only You” featuring WizKid, Offset, and J Balvin, Metro Boomin brings out a reggae Afrocentric beat. This beat combines beautifully with the verse of Offset who rebounds quite well off WizKid and J Balvin throughout the song. Another song that displayed this is “Borrowed Love” featuring Swae Lee and WizKid. In another display of the afrobeat culture, WizKid makes his presence known yet again, while the always calming and elegant vocals of Swae Lee adds onto it.
In addition to all of this, comes Travis Scott who, once again, made his presence known in 2018. Even though he released ASTROWORLD, he comes back stronger than ever on five tracks. Overall on this album, there’s not an entirely bad song. The production of Metro had much do to with this, and it paid off mightily. He handpicked the right artists for each beat which makes this album some of his best work yet. The absence of Future was personally a bummer for me, but that’s just me nitpicking. Great work by Metro Boomin.
Best Songs:
- Borrowed Love
- Don’t Come Out The House
- Overdue
- Lesbian
#5. Drip Harder – Lil Baby & Gunna
This is a rather surprising album on this list for most. Lil Baby and Gunna absolutely delivered. I personally don’t remember a time in which two of the best new artists linked up for a project this good. Coming from the shadows of a duo such as Young Thug and Future, these two have stepped out into their own light with one of the best albums of the year. This was a really good album with a bunch of really good songs. The influx of this duo with the addition of a guitar makes this album an instant classic.
Among the most notable songs, “I Am” is one that stands out mightily. Lil Baby showed to be at his elite climax in this song. He generically rapped about his priceless clothing and his grind to the top. However, listening to the lyrics and Lil Baby’s flow shows more than ever that Lil Baby is on his rise to the top.
“Close Friends” also proved to be another song which made this album as special as any this year. This song (soloed by Lil Baby) showed his vulnerability more than anything. Rapping about his troubles, difficulties, and the complexities of love, Lil Baby shows how love greatly affects him. Any rapper showing vulnerability shows and creates great music which pays dividends in this song.
Lastly, out of the all the great songs this album comes “Business Is Business.” This songs is a weird combination of both country music and trap music which works out just right. Over the guitar, Gunna starts off the song with a slick and smooth verse at a rather swift pace. This verse perfectly transitions into Lil Baby’s verse who delivers straight fire on the mic, on which, he seems like he’s not even putting in effort. This song can easily be called a “country classic” but regardless of what genre you put it in, it was a fun and pacey song which greatly displayed both of their skills.
Overall, this album was one of the best of the year. If it proved anything, it showed that two of the best young rappers in the game have finally arrived.
Best Songs:
- Close Friends
- Drip Too Hard
- I Am
- Never Recover
- Business Is Business
#4. Kids See Ghosts – Kanye West & Kid Cudi
“Kids See Ghosts” is an album that most fans may not see the greatness in. In a Kanye produced album, Kanye West and Kid Cudi bring out the best in each other. Both artists in this masterful production embrace and absorb the events that have gone on in their lives up to this point. Furthermore, in this album, they both go together quite well. The respective artistry of each artist
Psychedelic sounds make for a therapeutic album. The moral of this album calls to defeat all the personal demons that one may experience. Songs such as “Reborn” are examples of this. What many fans (and myself) took out of it is the fact that the song calls for refreshing your mind. It calls for having a sense of hope within yourself no matter what you’re going through. Each song seems to have a message attached to it.
Continuing on, “Fire” is seen as a song asking for forgiveness for one’s mistakes.
Lastly, came “Cudi Montage” (based off a Kurt Cobain sample). This conclusion to the album also serves as a conclusion to one’s pain. The whole album is a tribute to hard times in the last decade for both artists. This album needed time to grow on listeners. Overall, it’s a very solid album which deserves all the praise it receives.
Best Songs:
- Kids See Ghosts
- Reborn
- Feel The Love
- Fire
#3. K.O.D – J Cole
“K.O.D” is an album from one of hip-hop’s most prolific and biggest figures. J. Cole produced one of if not THE album of the year across all genres. This album was made to address one of the biggest problems – drug use. Over 25 million people in America suffer from drug use, and this album wasn’t only for the fans, but a message to them.
This album had the very rare precedent of having every song on it be as good as the last. Each song displayed a gut-wrenching and powerful message that most fans might not realize at first. “Kevin’s Heart” spoke to one’s insecurity. “Brackets” serves as a rat race that we all decide to feed into in life. “Once An Addict” can be visualized as Cole’s mother’s struggles with drinking.
All these messages come full circle with “FRIENDS,” as it revolves around a possible treatment plan for various drug problems. “KOD” or “Kids on Drugs” or “King Overdosed” or “Kill Our Demons” or whatever you want to call it, conveys a powerful and meaningful message. This album will always be remembered simply because J. Cole delivers yet again on every single track. However, what will make this album even more memorable a decade from now, is how J. Cole puts everyone through 12 tracks of issues, solutions, and storytelling. The message of “mediate, don’t self medicate” is one that puts this album among the best of the year.
Best Songs:
- Every. Single. One.
#2. ASTROWORLD – Travis Scott
As one of the best albums of 2018, “ASTROWORLD” most definitely delivered. This album is filled with emotion, sudden beat switches, and killer beats which makes the album that much more enjoyable. “STARGAZING” sets the precedent for the beat switches. “SICKO MODE” then takes the idea and runs with it. The Drake featured song provides us with arguably his best feature of the year.
The whole album tells a story about Travis Scott leading up to its release. Spooky sounding production is sure to leave you shaking in your seat after almost every song. However, on the albums’ best songs such as “STOP TRYING TO BE GOD,” “WAKE UP,” and “SKELETONS,” Scott takes a rather soft and fluent-filled approach in his story-telling. This makes the album even better. Flaws of the album can include the unnecessary adding of “BUTTERFLY EFFECT” for better album numbers and an embarrassing Nav feature.
Nevertheless, this album is everything it was expected to be and more. Features from James Blake, Drake, Frank Ocean, Kevin Parker, and The Weeknd all play a part in what makes this album special. This wild trip to the amusement park of “ASTROWORLD” is one that can’t be missed.
Best Songs :
- WAKE UP
- SICKO MODE
- STOP TRYING TO BE GOD
- CAROUSEL
#1. Care For Me – Saba
This is an album, in which, you must completely disregard numbers. Saba absolutely delivers on what was one of the BEST albums of 2018. He turned his grief, his pain, his sadness into fantastic music. To put into context the inspiration for this album, Saba’s cousin was stabbed to death after an altercation on a train in Chicago. The loss of that family member drew Saba to rap about his cousin through some of the album.
He expresses himself as alone and describes the trauma he goes through losing someone that was very close to him. The music in this album served, in my eyes, as a way for Saba to grasp his depression. This album had the best storytelling of any in 2018. He dug deep into his feelings and found the perfect words in each track to describe his tough times. No songs need to be highlighted on this album, as every song is an ongoing story.
Saba, through all 10 tracks and 41 minutes of this album, attempts to accept the decisions made by God in his personal world. The relationship with his now deceased cousin, Walter Long Jr, has Saba absolutely lost. In what I see as one of the best albums of the year, has a man trying to find himself once again.
Best Songs:
- Every. Single. One.
2018. Perhaps the best year for rap fans everywhere? This year proved to be one of the best yet, and that came without a definitive album from established artists such as Kendrick Lamar. As far as I’m concerned, rap can only go up from here. Whether it’s joint albums, movie soundtracks, or none of the above, us as fans, are all going to be here for the ride.