The 10 best hip-hop releases of 2018

In 2017, Cardi B was slowly but surely making waves in the hip-hop industry. She released her two singles “Bodak Yellow” and Bartier Cardi” while also landing collaborations with artists such as G-Eazy, Migos and Ozuna. However, Cardi made quite the splash when she released her debut album, “Invasion of Privacy,” in April 2018, and she hasn’t slowed down since. 

With features from Chance the Rapper, Bad Bunny, J Balvin, Kehlani and more, the debut album broke a number of records and rose to the No. 1 spot on the Billboard Hot 100. Her hit songs landed her performances at Coachella and on NBC’s "Saturday Night Live," as well as wins at the MTV Video Music Awards and the American Music Awards. With Grammy nominations soon to be announced, it’s safe to say the self-proclaimed Trap Selena is coming for what’s rightfully hers.

Drake, "Scorpion"

It’s hard to believe Drake first came on the music scene nearly 10 years ago. With three mixtapes and five studio albums to his name, Drake is a master when it comes music distribution. His latest album, “Scorpion,” is the epitome of his marketing sense. In January, he released the album’s first single, “God’s Plan,” followed by the second single, “Nice for What,” in April. 

Fans were aware a new project was brewing; however Drake didn’t announce an official release date until June. Before the album was released, Drake found himself in a hip-hop beef with fellow rapper Pusha T. After a couple of diss tracks exchanged between the two rappers, with Pusha alleging that Drake fathered a secret child, Drake confirmed the rumor on “Scorpion.” Although the world found out about Drake’s fatherhood on Pusha’s terms, the beef between the rappers made hip-hop heads want to listen to “Scorpion” even more.

The double album showed Drake’s R&B roots on one side and his hip-hop side on the other. With minimal features including Jay Z, Ty Dolla Sign and the late Michael Jackson, the album has 25 tracks and each song landed on the Billboard Hot 100. The unexpected single “In My Feelings” was made popular due to social media star Shiggy creating the #InMyFeelingsChallenge. Celebrities including Odell Beckham Jr., Ciara and Will Smith participated in the challenge, and once it broke the internet, Drake knew it would have to be his next single. “Scorpion” broke single-day streaming records across Spotify and Apple Music, making it one of the most anticipated albums of the year.

Travis Scott, "Astroworld"

Just two years after releasing his second album, “Birds in the Trap Sing McKnight,” followed by a joint album with Migos member Quavo, Travis Scott was ready to circle back into his solo efforts. His third album, “Astroworld,” is a 17-track project featuring the singles “Butterfly Effect” and “Sicko Mode.” The album’s title was an ode to a defunct theme park from Scott’s hometown in Houston, Texas. Scott recruited artists like Drake, Kid Cudi, Frank Ocean and James Black to be featured and worked with producers like Hit-Boy, Tame Impala and WondaGurl. "Astroworld" was one of the most discussed albums across social media and became a platinum-selling smash nearly a month after its release.

Mac Miller, "Swimming"

Mac Miller was close to a promising 2018 with his fifth studio album, “Swimming.” After releasing its first single, “Small Worlds,” in May, Mac announced his album over the summer and released another single "Self Care." He mentioned in some of the interviews that he collaborated with many artists, including Snoop Dogg, J. Cole, John Mayer and Thundercat. For listeners who were familiar with Mac’s work, “Swimming” was a continuation of his previous album, “The Divine Feminine,” as the project uses soul and funk with themes of healing and self-love. “Swimming” landed at No. 3 on the Billboard 200 and slipped on the charts a few weeks later. Unfortunately, Mac lost his life to a drug overdose a month after the album was released and just weeks before he was set to headline a tour alongside Thundercat and J.I.D. Naturally, after his passing, “Swimming” cruised back into the top 10 on the Billboard charts. Although the industry lost one of its brightest young stars, fans can look back on this album and the rest of his discography to appreciate his growth and storytelling.  

Pusha T, "DAYTONA"

Three years after releasing his sophomore solo album, “King Push – Darkest Before Dawn: The Prelude,” Pusha T relied on his right-hand man, Kanye West, to produce his third project, “DAYTONA.” The album was part of West’s mission for his GOOD Music imprint to rule the summer with hip-hop releases. The album sparked the singles “If You Know You Know” and “What Would Meek Do?” However, the album became a big topic over the summer due to his song “Infrared” that accused rapper Drake of using ghostwriters. Due to Kanye’s vision, DAYTONA was a seven-song album that showcased how much of an impact quality can have over quantity.  

J. Cole, "KOD"

Leave it to J. Cole to be a rapper who can release an album every few years and still make a gold or platinum-selling project without featuring other artists. He speculated that new music was approaching once he cleared his entire Instagram page and then took to Twitter to announce a surprise event that ended up being a free listening session to his new album “KOD," which was released a few days later. The album title holds three different meanings: Kids On Drugs, King Overdosed and Kill Our Demons. The title coincides with the album’s themes of drug addiction, depression, greed and clout culture among new rappers. The 12-track project features singles such as “ATM” and “Kevin’s Heart.” At this point in Cole’s career, he’s a veteran who wants to help the younger rappers coming from his crown.

Bas, "Milky Way"

Queens rapper Bas has quietly been making a name for himself since signing to J. Cole’s label, Dreamville. His third album, “Milky Way,” was released in late August with singles such as the ASAP Ferg-assisted track “Boca Raton” and “Tribe” alongside Cole. With production from Cole, Sango, Childish Major and many others, “Milky Way” debuted as a top-40 smash on the Billboard 200 chart. For the faithful Bas listeners, “Milky Way” was different from his last two albums, as he carefully curated on self-love and self-care themes. He talks about finding steady ground, strengthening one’s spirits and the need to constantly elevate in this crazy thing called life. With the album so carefully crafted, this may be Bas’ magnum opus.

Jay Rock, "Redemption"

With artists such as Kendrick Lamar, SZA and Schoolboy Q making a name for themselves, Top Dawg Entertainment is proving how an independent record label can bring out some of the brightest stars. One of the most dominant members of the TDE roster is rapper Jay Rock. After releasing his hit single “King’s Dead” as part of the “Black Panther” soundtrack, he released his third album, “Redemption,” in the early summer. He collaborated with his label mates Kendrick and SZA, along with features from J. Cole, Jeremih, and Future. The album’s second single, “Win,” helped it land in the top 20 on the Billboard 200. On “Redemption,” Jay Rock was able to successfully storytell about his upbringing and recovering from a near-fatal crash. The album can easily bring the nightclub bangers but also can give listeners a chance to reflect on life.

The Carters, "Everything is Love"

After giving fans hit songs such as “Crazy In Love” and “Bonnie and Clyde 03,” listeners speculated that sooner or later Beyoncé and Jay-Z would drop a joint album. Once Beyoncé dropped “Lemonade” as an open book to her relationship struggles and Jay counteracting on “4:44,” it was only right for the finale to be their collaborative album, “Everything is Love.” While the album gives R&B melodies with Beyoncé’s vocals, the album at its core is hip-hop as it showcases her rap cadences alongside Jay’s verses — not to mention the insane production from the likes of Pharrell Williams, Cool & Dre, and Boi-1da. The Carters are known for creating their own narrative, being calculated in their approach and producing outstanding visuals. All of which were showcased on their video for "APES**T," in which the couple rented out the Louvre and gave an art lesson in song and dance. Beyoncé and Jay finally gave fans what they've been asking for all along. 

Lil Wayne, "Tha Carter V"

Lil Wayne first came on the scene back in the '90s as a member of the rap group Hot Boyz. Over the course of his solo career, his albums that are part of his "Tha Carter" series have made it to many hip-hop album lists. However, over the past few years, fans wondered when Wayne would release his next album in the series. The new music took longer than expected since the rapper was being held hostage creatively due to issues with his record label. 

In June 2018, Lil Wayne was finally released from the label and “Tha Carter V” came out in September, an album that had an original release date of 2014. “Tha Carter V” featured collaborations with Kendrick Lamar, Nicki Minaj, Snoop Dogg, Ashanti, Travis Scott and Wayne’s daughter, Reginae Carter. The album reached No. 1 on the Billboard 200 with one of the standout singles being the Swizz Beatz-assisted "Uproar." Although the album was four years overdue, it proved that no matter how long Wayne is on hiatus, he could always come back and drop a fresh project to much anticipation.