10. CITY GIRLS — “GIRL CODE”
As 2018 was the year of women rappers we saw so many drop more than before and get more exposure. Nicki and Cardi dropped, so did Rapsody on a compilation album. Meg Thee Stallion, Kash Doll, and many more had releases this year as well. However the pairing that has taken the game by storm are the city girls. Their album “Girl Code” is very gritty which I love. It was the sound of the album that made me like it. Of course their content is very explicit and what a lot of women listeners would love and that wasn’t what attracted me to it but there was something about it. It reminded me of when I used to listen to Gucci in high-school, it was very rough and not perfect and that made it perfect in itself. Their rap style is very unique to other women rappers but they still know how to captivate and make a hit as well.
9. COZZ — “EFFECTED”
I never did a review about this album cause it came out way before I started doing articles. However I did not forget it. On first listen I was hooked to the west coast vibe that it gives. It’s as if it’s Kendrick’s evil twin who really did the things Kendrick rapped about made an album. That isn’t to say he’s not his own person. It just means that his album reminded me of GKMC while listening. Being a part of J. Cole’s Dreamville shows Cozz is on the right track.
8. Prhyme — “PRHYME 2”/ ROYCE DA 5'9" — “BOOK OF RYAN”
I’m kind of cheating here with this one. However if you know me you know that Royce to me is one of the top 3 best rappers out right now. Both of these bodies of work prove that. He kills all the beats on a DJ Premiere produced album. But, he is also able to be introspective and make an album that details his story like never before. Royce has been consistent for years and only elevates himself with these two projects.
7. REASON — “THERE YOU HAVE IT”
As a new member of T.D.E., pressure would be inevitable while being in a group of such talented people. I was pleasantly surprised from this album never hearing from this artist prior to the album. It was very in-depth, detailed, and gave us a picture of who he is and where he came from. It was a perfect cold-open for a fairly new artist.
https://medium.com/@KingAlers/the-real-reason-tde-is-winning-f7469e9187a2
6. PUSHA T — “DAYTONA”
If anyone had a crazy year it’s Pusha T. From dealing with Kanye’s constant rants, beefing with Drake, to getting things thrown at him on stage Pusha was resilient. He kept grinding and moving and produced one of the best Hip-Hop albums with a great producer. Although a lot of the other Good Music projects fell short of great Pusha’s did not and it stood out amongst the rest.
5. YG — “STAY DANGEROUS”
Since his debut album “My Krazy Life” in 2014 YG has been one of the more consistent West Coast artists since then. He has been on features on countless albums, and has put out 2 more projects including this one. The project is heavy on the bass and YG is one of the realer rappers in the industry. It’s a breath of fresh air to know that a rapper isn’t lying to you.
4. KEVIN GATES — “LUCA BRASI 3”
A rapper that I will always rush to listen to his music, Kevin Gates has done it again. Coming from years of turmoil he spews all of that on the third installment of the “Luca Brasi” series and gives the people what they love about Kevin Gates music. He’s very unique and not afraid to try different things as well as he sings on this project and plays with melodies. He’s also becoming a role model for other new up and coming southern rappers which fits him as a leader amongst people.
Don’t forget to check out Sway’s interview with Kevin Gates on youtube as well.
3. BENNY — “TANA TALK 3”
My last article of 2018, Tana Talk 3 was one of the better albums that I heard this year. In a year where it seemed like every huge name dropped in 2018 we forget that so many have yet to drop. This was the last major effort by Griselda records to get their stars to drop records in the year. This was their year especially Benny who doesn’t have the noticeable voice Westside Gunn has. He also does not have the wound that Conway has so he had to make a little more of an effort to be known and he did.
2. JOELL ORTIZ — “MONA LISA”
With probably my favorite album cover this year. Joell Ortiz comes in with my 2nd favorite rap album of the year. The native New York rapper who has been fairly quiet since his last release came out with arguably his best project. It’s a testament to all the Slaughterhouse members creating their best albums later in their career. Although they are no longer a group they are used to this as they were solo acts prior to joining. Joell shows he can stand on his own and work with another producer like Royce and Premiere. Apollo Brown captures his sound properly compared to beats he used previously as a Slaughterhouse member. It was a pleasant surprise and I look forward to see his next venture hopefully with Apollo again for part 2.
- MEEK MILL — “CHAMPIONSHIPS”
What can I say about Meek that i haven’t said in my article? Well it’s the longest one i’ve done so far so not much. Meek has had a hell of a year from being home from prison, to fighting for prison reform and putting out an album, he killed his 2018. The Philly rapper proved to everyone that he’s nothing to joke about as many memes have been made of him. This album was highly anticipated and delivered. Not only was the album amazing but it had possibly the best verse of 2018 on one of his songs. Meek is changing and evolving and it’s great to see the person he's becoming. It’s gonna be dope to see his next move hopefully the next time we hear from him it’s on a MMG album.
HONARABLE MENTIONS
- NIPSEY HUSSLE — “VICTORY LAP”
- 9TH WONDER — “JAMLA IS THE SQUAD II”
- J.I.D. — “DICAPRIO 2”
- TORY LANEZ -”MEMORIES DON’T DIE”
- TRAVIS $COTT — “ASTROWORLD”
- YELLA BEEZY — “AIN’T NO GOING BACK”
- JAY ROCK — “REDEMPTION”
- LIL WAYNE — “THE CARTER V”
- MONEYBAGG YO — “RESET”
- NBA YOUNGBOY — “UNTIL DEATH CALL MY NAME”
