Best Music of 2018
Now that we’ve had a good laugh, it’s time to get into what had us zoning out to our happy place like Miles Morales when “Sunflower” comes on.
Albums
Album/Rank:
#20- Kamikaze by Eminem
Standout Track:
”The Ringer”
Why Though:
So one of my favourite rappers dropped an album out of nowhere after teasing that he might be on the soundtrack for Venom. Much like my experience with Venom, I can recognize the flaws, of which there are many, but I can’t help but enjoy it anyway. It’s angry Eminem, which I think is always in the listener’s best interest. While the replay value isn’t the best for all songs, there are some shining moments to remind everyone Marshall CAN SPIT and do it over a beat #NoAcapellaFreestyles.
Album/Rank:
#19- Dirty Computer by Janelle Monáe
Standout Track:
”Screwed” by Zoe Kravïtz
Why Though:
You can’t deny that Ms Monáe has a lane that’s all her own. If you’re down to get trippy with her it can be quite the experience. I also appreciated that Janelle was spitting bars on some of the songs. Finding a fresh way to provide us another look into her crazy world.
Album/Rank:
#18- Astroworld by Travis $cott
Standout Track:
”Carousel” (ft. Frank Ocean)
Why Though:
I know everyone likes “Sicko Mode” the best, but that song messed around and gave me Drake on the wrong beat. And, there are a couple to choose from! Regardless, Frank Ocean is great on the hook and I like the beat better on “Carousel.” This album is layered and well put together but I find myself losing enthusiasm as we near the end of it. Still a solid track!
Album/Rank:
#17- Not All Heroes Wear Capes by Metro Boomin
Standout Track:
”Overdue” (ft. Travis $cott & 21 Savage)
Why Though:
Sue me, this year I realized I’m an all out Metro Boomin fan. The samples he used at the beginning of some of these songs were great and the overall beats are what I’m here for. The artists rapping over the beats don’t have to do much really. The surprising thing about this album is how many times artists I don’t much care for turned out great performances.
Album/Rank:
#16- DiCaprio 2 by J.I.D
Standout Track:
”Off da Zoinkys”
Why Though:
J.I.D. is like if Kendrick Lamar was from the south. That must explain why J.Cole scooped him up. With so many new rappers getting more and more melodic… to the point of me not even really understanding where Hip Hop ends and this new Trap R&B begins, it’s nice to hear someone actually spit bars! Oh and DJ Drama has drops all over this album like it’s a Gangsta Grillz mixtape? I’m all for it!
Album/Rank:
#15- Book of Ryan by Royce Da 5’9
Standout Track:
”Cocaine”
Why Though:
Speaking of people who can spit, it’s Royce with his second album of the year! I’ll be honest, I’m not really into the beat selection, but I can’t help but come back to this album to marvel at how each lyric comes together! Royce is great at finding flows that I want to copy!
Album/Rank:
#14- Everything is Love by The Carters (Beyoncé & JAY-Z)
Standout Track:
”Friends”
Why Though:
Not only did this album give us a great visual, it had a deeper dive into JAY-Z vs. Kanye West. Yeah, yeah, that’s nice Hov and B worked things out and everything is love… but what about The Throne??? There are some great musical moments on this album, despite what the youngsters say, but the way that the Carters blacked out on “Friends” was something special!
Album/Rank:
#13- No Shame by Lily Allen
Standout Track:
”Trigger Bang” (ft. Giggs)
Why Though:
Ever since I heard the demo version of “Smile” by Lily Allen, I was on board. I can’t help it. When things perfectly align for Lily, like they do on this album, I can’t help but enjoy her vocals and beat selection. They come together to form something greater than the sum of its parts!
Album/Rank:
#12- FM! by Vince Staples
Standout Track:
”Feels Like Summer” (ft. Ty Dolla $ign)
Why Though:
Well, he finally did it! I’ve been trying to truly embrace a Vince Staples project for quite some time, and with this breezy project that is stitched together with radio interstitials from some DJs I grew up on, Vincent FINALLY did it!
Album/Rank:
#11- KIDS SEE GHOSTS By Kids See Ghosts
Standout Track:
”4th Dimension” (Ft. Louis Prima)
Why Though:
For a KiD CuDi fan like myself, it was nice to see him get a win with this album. Of the “Kanye West roll out” this summer, Kids See Ghosts felt like the most organic. The mercifully short album doesn’t have time to get boring or overwrought which is truly a strength. however, with the Mos Def song still getting a skip from me, I can’t rank this album higher. With this short tracklist, the album should have been flawless.
Album/Rank:
#10- Room 25 by Noname
Standout Track:
”Ace” (ft. Smino & Saba)
Why Though:
It may seem weird that I like Noname so much and feel like she’s getting close to that top 10 female MC list. Her beat selection is close enough to other artists’ that I don’t like, and yet here she is, dropping albums that consistently make this list. Her flow is crazy. She has this highwire act of a cadence where you can’t believe it’s all on beat with how much she’s trying to get done. You’re definitely not going to listen to Noname to get amped up, but she is definitely an MC that you have to respect the artistry of.
Album/Rank:
#9- Dime Trap by T.I.
Standout Track:
”Jefe” (ft. Meek Mill)
Why Though:
Looks like T.I.’s 6th best album is the 9th best album of the year. This album has Dave Chappelle narrating and T.I. rapping over beats that sound more like the music I like from T.I. even if DJ Toomp wasn’t part of it. Here’s to hoping Toomp makes it onto the next album.
Album/Rank:
#8- Poison by Swizz Beatz
Standout Track:
”Cold Blooded” (ft. Pusha T)
Why Though:
In a baffling decision, Swizz chose [most likely couldn’t use] the track he teased with JAY-Z, Nas, DMX, and Jadakiss. Guess what though, the album still has great moments throughout. I still would have kept the song everyone was looking forward to hearing on this already great album, but it was nice to listen to this and almost forget what could have been. Especially with the great Pusha T! Swizz reminded everyone why he’s still a force to be reckoned with when it comes to hip hop production!
Album/Rank:
#7- Championships by Meek Mill
Standout Track:
”What’s Free” (ft. Rick Ross & JAY-Z)
Why Though:
Another first timer on this list, it’s Meek Mill. I was hearing that the jail time had really helped sort Meek out but this album really is proof. The subject matter, from what I can tell as a casual fan, has gotten deeper which actually gave me cause to lean into the lyrics and get some insight into what makes Meek tick. Like how he felt when the black judge tried to keep him in prison or when the black cops arrested him.
Album/Rank:
#6- Tha Carter V by Lil Wayne
Standout Track:
”Uproar” (ft. Swizz Beatz)
Why Though:
This was definitely the year of MCs reminding people they can still MC in this climate of not really MCing. One such MC was Lil Wayne! Some track even had him rapping better than I’ve heard him rap in the past. If you want a deeper dive into this album, check out what I had to say about it during my Top 3 Songs from each… post.
Album/Rank:
#5- Scorpion by Drake
Standout Track:
”Nice for What”
Why Though:
There is a lot to love on this album. I’ve heard tell that people didn’t like that there were so many options. I can see how a double disk may not be the popular choice in a world where people are putting out 7 song albums, but the 6 God served up something great with Scorpion. Which is interesting since the first half of the album seems to be a response to the good people of G.O.O.D. music. Meaning he probably scrapped or re-worked a bunch of stuff from when it was all good just a week ago.
Album/Rank:
#4- Ella Mai by Ella Mai
Standout Track:
”Sauce”
Why Though:
I don’t know why, but I will gladly vibe to Ella Mai singing about how she wants to cheat on her significant other that she’s too good for but still sticks around with for hours on end. No really, I have an hours long commute most days and Ella Mai gets played for most of that time. Her cadence is so interesting to me in addition to her beat selection and voice!
Album/Rank:
#3- The Kids Are Alright by Chloe x Halle
Standout Track:
”The Kids Are Alright”
Why Though:
Yeah that’s right the sisters who made the theme song to Grown-ish and one of the songs from Wrinkle in Time still had a whole gang of hits on their album. Again, this isn’t a short album, but it’s got staying power! I’m pretty sure they’re signed to Beyoncé, who I’m starting to think I may be an actual fan of, and I can hear a bit of her influence in them but since there are two of them, it makes for some very unique musical moments.
Album/Rank:
#2- Daytona by Pusha T
Standout Track:
”The Games We Play”
Why Though:
The first of the Kanye roll out and the best, to be sure. To be fair, I’m in the bag for all things Pusha T. He’d really have to try hard for me not to like something he puts out, but I think this is the closest this Kanye experiment got to having a perfect album. I understand he had a different album created, word to “Drug Dealers Annonymous” but he got some great Kanye chops out of the situation and we got a great album!
Album/Rank:
#1- Black Panther: The Album by Kendrick Lamar & TDE
Standout Track:
”Big Shot” (ft. Travis $cott)
Why Though:
All you had to know was that Kendrick was doing a soundtrack for Black Panther… BRUH… I told you Kendrick was the hip hop T’Challa. Seems like TDE is paying attention to TDF. Plus, talk about great execution! This could have easily been a weak compilation, but even if Kendrick isn’t listed on the track, you better believe he’s on it, and he’s referencing elements from the movie! I love when that happens! Even the artists I’d never heard of before brought the pain! Truly a great experience that I still re-visit.
Singles
Song/Rank:
#10- “Bickenhead” by Cardi B
Why Though:
Last year, Cardi was in the same spot with no real album in sight, and now here we are. Sorry, the album didn't work for me as a whole, but that doesn’t mean it wasn’t with out its charms and great songs! This year a lot of artists remade or sampled songs from my childhood, and for the most part I loved it! This is definitely example of that trend working.
Song/Rank:
#9- “Close” by Rae Sremmurd (ft. Travis $cott)
Why Though:
I really wish that the 3rd Rae Sremmurd album ended before they split off into their solo discs. Not because of the length, because I truly believe their strength comes from what they both bring to the table. Anyway this song and video is amazing to me. Seriously, Travis was everywhere this year…
Song/Rank:
#8- “The Light” by Jeremih & Ty Dolla $ign
Why Though:
Two guys that I appreciate as Hook crooners individually have come together to make an album that I liked but didn’t love. However, we all got this take on yet another song from my childhood by them which is great!
Song/Rank:
#7- “Flirt” by PRhyme (ft. 2 Chainz)
Why Though:
I think got lost when PRhyme switched out Adrian Young from the mix. However, there are till bright moments to be had on the album. For instance, we all got a great 2 Chainz feature and dope concept out of this song. Still looking forward to the next project.
Song/Rank:
#6- “Watch” by Travis $cott (ft. Lil Uzi Vert & Kanye West)
Why Though:
No idea why this song wasn’t on the album proper, but it gives me another opportunity to salute Travis, so that’s all good with me. I heard that people didn’t like the Kanye verse on this song but I contend that it’s the best verse he did this year. Maybe because I liked how self aware it was.
Song/Rank:
#5- “Icon (Reggaeton Remix)” by Jaden Smith (ft. Nicky Jam & Will Smith)
Why Though:
There’s a moment in Creed II where Adonis comes out to the O.G. version of this song and in that moment I was vindicated. I know it’s supposed to represent Adonis at his most prideful and decadent, but it’s truly a dope intro to a song. Add to that my non-ironic enjoyment of Will Smith rapping, and you’ve got yourself a hit!
Song/Rank:
#4- “I Might Need Security” by Chance the Rapper
Why Though:
Chancellor could have put out a whole album in this 7= a full album climate, but nah he stuck with 4 loosies and it was great. This one is just my favourite of the four.
Song/Rank:
#2- “Ghost Town” by Kanye West (ft. PARTYNEXTDOOR/KiD CuDi/070 Shake)
Why Though:
As you can tell, even though Kanye has left me befuddled, I can’t shake his music. I think Ghost Town is one of greatest pieces of music this year (obviously) but also the last couple of years. Realistically, this has more to do with the peopel featuring, but I do think Kanye made the beat as well so good on him.
Song/Rank:
#1- “This is America” by Childish Gambino
Why Though:
I don’t get the criticism of this amazing song and video… he’s not a genius… no one ever calls Beyoncé a genius so no one is allowed to call Childish Gambino a genius. This is a true piece of art that invites you to take away what you will while also having a fairly strong point of view. So rarely does something that sounds this great and look this great get to have this much substance. Let’s all just enjoy it or ignore it… but there’s no need to die on the “he’s not a genius hill.” You’re only hurting yourself.
-YG