{"id":1501516,"date":"2018-12-18T06:00:00","date_gmt":"2018-12-18T03:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/?p=1501516"},"modified":"2018-12-18T06:00:00","modified_gmt":"2018-12-18T03:00:00","slug":"the-best-rap-albums-of-2018","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/?p=1501516","title":{"rendered":"The Best Rap Albums of 2018"},"content":{"rendered":"
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Lists & Guides<\/span><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

The Best Rap Albums of 2018<\/h1>\n
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Including records by Meek Mill, Bbymutha, Jay Rock, and more<\/div>\n
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By <\/span>Pitchfork<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/div>\n

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Meek Mill photo by Zachary Mazur\/FilmMagic, Bbymutha photo by Cinthia C Torres, Lil Baby photo by Prince Williams\/Wireimage, MIKE photo by Chandler Kennedy, J.I.D photo by Steven Ferdman\/Getty Images, Jay Rock photo by Johnny Nunez\/WireImage, Leikeli47 photo by Nikko La Mere, Mick Jenkins photo by Matt Lief Anderson, Jean Grae photo by JP Yim\/Getty Images for Lady Parts Justice, Saba photo by Matt Lief Anderson<\/span><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/figure>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/header>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n
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In the race for our collective musical attention, rap is currently enjoying a victory lap. And with this dominance comes abundance or, more precisely, overabundance. There are so many different artists and so much music to choose from that the catchalls \u201chip-hop\u201d and \u201crap\u201d strain to contain all of the genre’s permutations. We have surveyed this sprawling landscape for the most innovative, meaningful, and singular rap releases of 2018.<\/p>\n

The following alphabetically arranged list of albums includes rap releases found on Pitchfork\u2019s main year-end list as well as 20 additional albums that did not make that list but are just as worthwhile.<\/p>\n

Listen to selections from this list on our Spotify playlist and Apple Music playlist.<\/p>\n

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\"Album<\/span><\/div>\n
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Backwoodz Studioz<\/p>\n

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Armand Hammer: Paraffin<\/em><\/h2>\n

As Armand Hammer, Elucid and billy woods have strung together a series of densely packed rap opuses weighing the perils of black existence under late capitalism and American racism. Don\u2019t mistake them for self-serious pedagogues, though. They\u2019re charmers and they don\u2019t talk at<\/em> you, they talk around<\/em> you, leaving you to soak up game for yourself. Paraffin<\/em> is by far their most penetrating work yet, not only boasting a strengthened connection between its two MCs but also an even more permissive ideological framework, one untethered to too-simple binaries. The writing can be cryptic but it\u2019s never incomprehensible; it\u2019s undiluted to make sure you\u2019re paying attention. \u2013Sheldon Pearce<\/p>\n

Listen:<\/strong> Armand Hammer, \u201cEcomog\u201d<\/p>\n

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\"Bbymutha<\/span><\/div>\n
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self-released<\/p>\n

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Bbymutha: Muthaz Day 3<\/em><\/h2>\n

On \u201cR.I.P,\u201d the centerpiece of Bbymutha\u2019s Muthaz Day 3<\/em>, she offers up a seesawing, succinct four-bar chorus: \u201cFuck that nigga\/Take his bread\/Fuck his homies\/Leave him dead.\u201d It could double as the running theme of the Chattanooga rapper\u2019s 2018, with three mixtapes and slew of one-offs on which she regularly laid waste to bozos in her woozy, magnetic drawl. Here, she flips Britney Spears\u2019 \u201cToxic\u201d into a twinkling, barbed diss against toxic men; calls out industry vultures for taking advantage of upstart artists on \u201cD.I.Y\u201d; and still makes time to turn up and talk her shit with the irrepressibly delightful \u201cSailor Goon.\u201d MD3<\/em> finds her sharpening her many talents down to a fine point, crafting an eerie, distinctly Bbymutha-flavored world. \u2013Eric Torres<\/p>\n

Listen:<\/strong> Bbymutha, \u201cD.I.Y\u201d<\/p>\n

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\"Griselda\"<\/span><\/div>\n
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Griselda<\/p>\n

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Benny the Butcher: Tana Talk 3<\/em><\/h2>\n

Benny the Butcher\u2019s Tana Talk 3<\/em> is a throwback to an era when street rap wasn\u2019t defined by melodic Youngboy Never Broke Again ballads, but by gritty bars from rappers like Mobb Deep. A member of Buffalo, New York\u2019s Griselda Records crew, Benny doesn\u2019t have the lively personality of his counterparts Westside Gunn and Conway the Machine, but he compensates for it with confidence\u2014even if it means comparing himself to a post-Reasonable Doubt<\/em> JAY-Z on \u201c’97 Hov.\u201d Producers Daringer and the Alchemist supply chilling instrumentals for Benny to let loose with his prideful bars, as he honors tradition without sounding stale. \u2013Alphonse Pierre<\/p>\n

Listen:<\/strong> Benny the Butcher, \u201c’97 Hov\u201d<\/p>\n

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\"Cardi<\/span><\/div>\n
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Atlantic<\/p>\n

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Cardi B: Invasion of Privacy<\/em><\/h2>\n

After breaking out last year with \u201cBodak Yellow,\u201d Cardi B had a lot to live up to. But with her debut album,\u00a0Invasion of Privacy<\/em>, she didn\u2019t just meet expectations: She soared over them. The project cements her evolution from self-described \u201cstripper hoe\u201d to bonafide rap star, without losing any of the infectious personality that made\u00a0her a cultural beacon in the first place.<\/p>\n

The full complexity of her Cardi-ness is on display here. She teams up with fellow boss-bitch SZA on \u201cI Do,\u201d where she deploys brash one-liners about not needing a man for anything. She\u2019s just as charismatic while flashing her vulnerable side on \u201cBe Careful,\u201d when she warns a cheating partner that he\u2019s on his last strike, and spills out words of gratitude on the wholesome \u201cBest Life\u201d with Chance the Rapper. That sense of range also transfers to her exploration of genre, as she expertly flips between boogaloo-inspired Latin trap, Southern hip-hop twerk anthems, tender R&B jams, and neck-snapping freestyles. It\u2019s not so much a question\u00a0anymore\u00a0whether you like Cardi or not: it\u2019s which Cardi you like most. \u2013Michelle Kim<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

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Listen:<\/strong> Cardi B, \u201cBe Careful\u201d<\/p>\n

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\"New<\/span><\/div>\n
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New Deal Collectives<\/p>\n

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Chris Crack: Just Gimme a Minute<\/em><\/h2>\n

Chicago\u2019s Chris Crack is a rapping whirlwind. Swept up in his stream-of-consciousness rhymes are pimp credo, shameless humor, real-life epiphanies, and forlorn confessions. He\u2019s like a stand-up comedian whose hilarity is grounded by an undertone of melancholy. Just Gimme a Minute<\/em>, the\u00a0fifth of six projects he has dropped in 2018, features 21 songs\u201420 of which hover around the one minute mark. Crack delivers potency via this brevity, spitting his non-sequiturs with a flow that is unmistakably from his city\u2019s West Side and giving us a peek into a mind where song titles like \u201cDon\u2019t Subtweet Your Friends\u201d and \u201cTurning Down Pussy Builds Character\u201d make perfect sense. \u2013Timmhotep Aku<\/p>\n

Listen:<\/strong> Chris Crack, \u201cLil Mama, Baby Mama, Sugar Mama\u201d<\/p>\n

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CupcakKe: Ephorize<\/em><\/h2>\n

As CupcakKe, Chicago rapper Elizabeth Eden Harris alchemizes high raunch and vigorous navel-gazing. On her third album,\u00a0Ephorize<\/em>, her prickles have sharpened and her introspection has gotten more vivid: It\u2019s like watching a flowering cactus grow tall and bloom. Her songwriting is also at its most generous, attending to her own insecurities on \u201cSelf Interview\u201d and giving a messy group-hug to queerdom on \u201cCrayons.\u201d<\/p>\n

But it\u2019s not all wholesome, thank God: There is\u00a0sex aplenty on\u00a0Ephorize<\/em>, and CupcakKe has not receded from her role as a character annihilator. She relishes in piercing hypocrisies, often to establish her standards. At her most low-voiced and vulnerable on \u201cTotal,\u201d CupcakKe starts examining mediocre relationships via their opportunity cost. \u201cPost Pic\u201d praises the timesaving joys of a sexting-only arrangement, with fun, gear-shifting swerves. The album\u2019s\u00a0standout, the magnificent \u201cDuck Duck Goose,\u201d is a playground of sloppy, bodily thrills.\u00a0Ephorize<\/em>\u00a0is busy and porny, but the deep current of the album asks us to be good to one another. We have time to treat each other well,\u00a0Ephorize<\/em>\u00a0tells us, and still make it to all our dick appointments. \u2013Maggie Lange<\/p>\n

Listen:<\/strong>\u00a0CupcakKe, \u201cDuck Duck Goose\u201d<\/p>\n

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\"Earl<\/span><\/div>\n
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Columbia \/ Tan Cressida<\/p>\n

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Earl Sweatshirt: Some Rap Songs<\/em><\/h2>\n

Earl Sweatshirt has a lot weighing on his mind, and\u00a0Some Rap Songs<\/em>\u00a0finds him wading through his thoughts.\u00a0In this self-exploration, the 24-year-old hip-hop veteran created the most\u00a0introspective record of his career to date, surveying the widening chasm between his spitfire youth and the family legacy he aspires to honor. This is roots music that repurposes sounds of the past (dusty vintage rap, African jazz, black American soul) in compact loops, influenced by a community of musicians that includes\u00a0MIKE\u00a0and\u00a0Standing on the Corner, and inspired by his parents\u2014especially his late father, the celebrated poet and political activist\u00a0Keorapetse Kgositsile.<\/p>\n

Though primarily written and recorded before\u00a0his father\u2019s death in January,\u00a0Some Rap Songs<\/em>\u00a0is a profound and often pointed rumination on connection, and in turn a searing personal statement. Few rappers possess Earl\u2019s natural lyrical acumen, but even fewer possess the penetrating, perceptive gaze he has developed over time. Most rare are those who would use such insightfulness to work through their own issues. On \u201cPeanut\u201d\u2014half eulogy, half psyche autopsy\u2014he unscrambles the complex emotional brew that comes with mourning a distant parent\u00a0whom you barely knew. On \u201cNowhere2Go,\u201d he\u00a0burrows through depression and seeks fulfillment. As Earl considers his poetic birthright amid a tangled personal history, things start to come into focus, and he begins a healing process. \u2013Sheldon Pearce<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

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Listen:<\/strong> Earl Sweatshirt, \u201cAzucar\u201d<\/p>\n

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ESGN \/ Jet Life \/ ALC \/ Empire<\/p>\n

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Freddie Gibbs \/ Curren$y \/ The Alchemist: Fetti<\/em><\/h2>\n

The Alchemist-produced Fetti<\/em>\u00a0is the album underground indie rap fans have been waiting for since 2011, when Freddie Gibbs made a high-octane guest appearance on Curren$y and ALC\u2019s collaborative album Covert Coup<\/em>. On Fetti<\/em>, Curren$y\u2019s slow-and-stoned New Orleans flow is once again juxtaposed with Gibb’s gangster-isms and intensity, while ALC sets the mood with beats that could score a Cocaine Cowboys<\/em> Netflix series. Gibbs and Curren$y, now veterans of the game, exhibit a level of effortless cool that only comes from having been around the block. Gibbs, once the self-serious Vice Lord from Gary, Indiana, is now playful enough to croon out of tune on \u201cNow & Later Gators,\u201d and Spitta is as cozy as ever in his muscle cars and marijuana bag on \u201cNo Window Tints.\u201d Good things definitely come to those who wait. \u2013Timmhotep Aku<\/p>\n

Listen:<\/strong> Curren$y \/ Freddie Gibbs \/ The Alchemist, \u201cSaturday Night Special\u201d<\/p>\n

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Machine Entertainment \/ Epic<\/p>\n

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G Herbo \/ Southside: Swervo<\/em><\/h2>\n

Since spearheading an entire generation of Chicago hip-hop with \u201cKill Shit\u201d six years ago, G Herbo has always had the respect of his city. But on Swervo<\/em>, he steps out of his comfort zone of hard-hitting street stories, opting for a flashier style more easily paired with the accessible ATL sound of 808 Mafia producer Southside. Herbo\u2019s energy on the album is frenetic; he always sounds like he’s in a rush\u2014even if the beat can\u2019t keep up with him. Through it all, G Herbo never abandons the puns and hater-dismantling bars that have helped him become one of the Windy City\u2019s very best. \u2013Alphonse Pierre<\/p>\n

Listen:<\/strong> G Herbo \/ Southside, \u201cSwervo\u201d<\/p>\n

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Obol for Charon<\/p>\n

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Hermit and the Recluse: Orpheus vs. the Sirens<\/em><\/h2>\n

There are myriad depictions of street life in hip-hop, but few as honest and artful as those that come from Ka, the rapping half of the duo Hermit and the Recluse. On Orpheus vs. the Sirens<\/em>, Ka uses Greek mythology to reimagine the stories of himself and his past associates as archetypal tales. Where his crime-rhyme counterparts exaggerate their statuses, Ka downplays his own. He\u2019s never claimed to be the untouchable, flamboyant boss we hear about so often in rap fantasies. Instead, Ka\u2019s war stories come from the perspective of the wise, grizzled vet who sees the past through the lens of survivor\u2019s remorse. Producer Animoss provides equally dramatic musical accompaniment for Ka\u2019s dense verses: cinematic loops replete with plaintive strings, enveloping basslines, and wailing guitars. It\u2019s altogether epic in the most literal sense. \u2013Timmhotep Aku<\/p>\n

Listen:<\/strong> Hermit and the Recluse, \u201cGolden Fleece\u201d<\/p>\n

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Top Dawg \/ Interscope<\/p>\n

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Jay Rock: Redemption<\/em><\/h2>\n

Jay Rock knows his paradoxical place on the TDE roster as both cornerstone and overlooked star. After a near-death experience, he was granted new perspective, which illuminated every moment of his journey from gangbanger to harbinger of an indie superpower. Redemption<\/em>, his poignant and introspective third album, is a story of absolution and fulfillment, ruminating on his struggles and how they paved the way for his successes, and the successes of those around him. He is a formidable rapper with acute vision, someone with a rare self-awareness who\u2019s leveraging that understanding of self into razor-sharp personal critiques and perceptive looks into the world nearby. After some personal struggles and career setbacks, Jay Rock gets to reassess his value. \u2013Sheldon Pearce<\/p>\n

Listen:<\/strong> Jay Rock, \u201cWow Freestyle\u201d [ft. Kendrick Lamar]<\/p>\n

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Jean Grae \/ Quelle Chris: Everything\u2019s Fine<\/em><\/h2>\n

The most impressive thing about Everything\u2019s Fine<\/em> is its understanding that grief can mean processing many things at once, and sometimes that requires having a laugh. Jean Grae and Quelle Chris couldn\u2019t be more different as rappers and producers, but they know how they fit together, and they are incisive writers with complementary skill sets. They show off their range and wit working through a messy world. \u201cFine\u201d is a default emotion, one we invoke to avoid talking about how we really feel. The album unpacks the nuances of \u201cfine\u201d amid our current political hellscape, finding some comfort in being able to still feel anything at all. Everything isn\u2019t fine, but that doesn\u2019t mean some things aren\u2019t still fun. \u2013Sheldon Pearce<\/p>\n

Listen:<\/strong> Jean Grae \/ Quelle Chris, \u201cMy Contribution to This Scam\u201d<\/p>\n

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Dreamville \/ Interscope<\/p>\n

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J.I.D: DiCaprio 2<\/em><\/h2>\n

With a bunch of raw talent and a hell of a lot of Kendrick comparisons, J.I.D has been releasing music for years in pursuit of a big break. The Atlanta rapper has named his last two projects after his personal idol, Leonardo DiCaprio, because his own steady grind reminds him of the actor\u2019s pre-Oscar ascent to fame. But on his DiCaprio 2<\/em> mixtape, J.I.D finally establishes a solid artist identity and makes a definitive step into the limelight. He flexes his dexterity when he locks into a rapid, jittery flow on the J. Cole-featuring trap slapper \u201cOff Deez.\u201d But he\u2019s just as great when he\u2019s low-key, strolling over jazz- and soul-sampling beats like on his ode to the women in his life, \u201cSkrawberries\u201d (co-produced by Mac Miller). J.I.D is pushing himself to his extremes: His delivery has never been so tight and precise, his lyrics never so open and vulnerable. The result is a scene stealing performance from an up-and-comer who\u2019s finally ready to collect his trophies. \u2013Michelle Kim<\/p>\n

Listen:<\/strong> J.I.D, \u201cOff Da Zoinkys\u201d<\/p>\n

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\"Jpegmafia<\/span><\/div>\n
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Deathbomb Arc<\/p>\n

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JPEGMAFIA: Veteran<\/em><\/h2>\n

First, you notice the beats. JPEGMAFIA\u2014raised\u00a0in Brooklyn and across the South but established as an artist in Baltimore\u2014is a preternaturally gifted producer, the textures of his beats all jagged and interlocking just so. It\u2019s ordered anarchy, informed by noise music and screeching dial-up modems; on\u00a0Veteran<\/em>\u2019s \u201cReal Nega,\u201d he uses a vocal gag from the late Ol\u2019 Dirty Bastard as\u00a0sonic scaffolding. But what makes \u201cPeggy\u201d\u2014as his cultish and rapidly expanding fanbase refers to him\u2014such a magnetic artist is his ability to gobble up all the broken syntaxes, unhinged YouTube comments, and Senatorial screeds that define this era and regurgitate them back in a focused burst. He has that unique ability as a writer to make verses that are dripping in irony seem, in aggregate, to convey a sincere and unmistakable message.\u00a0Veteran<\/em>\u00a0is the sort of album that will spawn hundreds, if not thousands, of imitators in basements and bedrooms across the country\u2014and not a single one will replicate it. \u2013Paul A. Thompson<\/p>\n

Listen:<\/strong> JPEGMAFIA, \u201cI Cannot Fucking Wait Til Morrissey Dies\u201d<\/p>\n

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Hello! \/ D.O.T.S.<\/p>\n

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Key! \/ Kenny Beats: 777<\/em><\/h2>\n

777<\/em> is the most ridiculously fun rap project of the year, a sleeper record from an underground Atlanta rap vet and an electronic music DJ turned rising rap beatmaker. The unlikely duo turn out to be a perfect match, pushing each other to do weird and wonderful things. Versatility is a hallmark of 777<\/em>: The production strobes in the distance or crams right into your ear holes or summons infernal samples from the abyss, all while Key! uncorks absurdist punchlines and ad-libs (\u201cHey, big head!\u201d), fiddles with just how loose his flows can get, and tests the limits of Auto-Tune\u2019s processing power. This is a smorgasbord of slaps with no regard for calorie intake. \u2013Sheldon Pearce<\/p>\n

Listen:<\/strong> Key! \/ Kenny Beats, \u201cKelly Price Freestyle\u201d<\/p>\n

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Leikeli47: Acrylic<\/em><\/h2>\n

A whirl of bright-eyed romance, vamping self-confidence, and unbridled pride in black communities, Leikeli47\u2019s Acrylic<\/em> is a sequel and companion to last year\u2019s Wash & Set<\/em>. Drawing on the nail salon as a safe haven, the New York artist dials in to a shapeshifting sound that defies easy categorization, wherein gooey R&B songs and wisecracking, jazz-inflected interludes sidle up next to vivid street tales and four-on-the-floor bangers. With her characteristic breakneck flow and masterful pen, Leikeli47 brought us all into her world with an album tailor-made for anyone looking for the comforts offered by coming together as a community. \u2013Eric Torres<\/p>\n

Listen:<\/strong> Leikeli47, \u201cGirl Blunt\u201d<\/p>\n

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Quality Control \/ UMG<\/p>\n

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Lil Baby \/ Gunna: Drip Harder<\/em><\/h2>\n

Drip Harder<\/em> is the moment when Lil Baby and Gunna officially graduated from being Young Thug\u2019s most popular offspring to becoming stars in their own right. Prior to Drip Harder<\/em>, each rapper had his own successful mixtape run, with Baby\u2019s Hard<\/em> series and Gunna\u2019s Drip Season<\/em> series, and their early collaboration, \u201cSold Out Dates,\u201d became one of the most imitated tracks of 2018 (see: \u201cYosemite\u201d and \u201cTIC TOC\u201d). This mostly Turbo-produced album sees the duo exploring their chemistry, as their sharp melodies, MCM backpack full of flows, and knack for finding new ways to flex their drip shines throughout. \u2013Alphonse Pierre<\/p>\n

Listen:<\/strong> Lil Baby \/ Gunna, \u201cDrip Too Hard\u201d<\/p>\n

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Maybach Music Group \/ Atlantic<\/p>\n

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Meek Mill: Championships<\/em><\/h2>\n

Since his pre-Maybach Music Group days of fuzzy braids and scene-stealing freestyles on hip-hop DVDs, Meek Mill has been perfecting his impassioned Philly-bred flow, and \u201cmotivational speaker of the streets\u201d persona. Championships<\/em> is peak Meek\u2014his powers greater than they\u2019ve ever been, his perception at its clearest. The Meek Mill of this album has emerged from the fires of adversity a wiser man and a more mature artist. Where he used to talk tough and brag about status symbols, he now chooses to inspire and inform. Meek, with the help of an all-star cast of collaborators including JAY-Z, Cardi B, and Rick Ross, has moved beyond \u201cshit is rough in the hood\u201d cliches to delve deeper into the machinations at work that make his incarceration-related woes so common\u2014and his success story so rare. \u2013Timmhotep Aku<\/p>\n

Listen:<\/strong> Meek Mill, \u201cChampionships\u201d<\/p>\n

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1501 Certified Ent.<\/p>\n

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Megan Thee Stallion: Tina Snow<\/em><\/h2>\n

This year saw the proliferation of sex-positive women rappers, with break out moments for City Girls, Rico Nasty, and CupcakKe, just to name a few. But slightly more under-the-radar was Houston\u2019s Megan Thee Stallion, whose rowdy Tina Snow<\/em> project proved that she could roll with the raunchiest rappers out today. Over trunk-rattling trap beats, Megan wields her cocky Southern energy and acts as the spiritual guide for the modern woman looking to close the orgasm gap. She\u2019s got the rap chops to back up her confidence, too. Each verse on Tina Snow<\/em> displays Megan\u2019s bulletproof delivery, as she switches up her flows, slips in clever wordplay, and rapidly deploys disses about your side chick\u2019s unimpressive abilities. She might be part of a larger, exciting movement in rap, but Megan Thee Stallion deserves to be recognized as her own singular force. \u2013Michelle Kim<\/p>\n

Listen:<\/strong> Megan Thee Stallion, \u201cBig Ole Freak\u201d<\/p>\n

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Free Nation \/ Cinematic<\/p>\n

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Mick Jenkins: Pieces of a Man<\/em><\/h2>\n

Across Pieces of a Man<\/em>, Mick Jenkins tries to parse who exactly he is by walking through a hall of mirrors. Loosely based on Gil Scott-Heron\u2019s 1971 album of the same name, there are songs about his faith, outgrowing old friends, valuing privacy, and allusions to the work of Heron and poet Gwendolyn Brooks, putting his contemporary spin on timeless ideas. These are snapshots from inside a life, from a man confident enough in himself to know that he\u2019s still figuring out who he is, and willing to share that learning process. The Chicago artist is one of the most accomplished technicians in a city that has produced many such rappers in recent years, and he does his fair share of minding the Ps & Qs, but these raps are subtler in their acuity and clearer in their intent: in search of becoming a more complete man, and finding true peace of mind. \u2013Sheldon Pearce<\/p>\n

Listen:<\/strong> Mick Jenkins, \u201cGwendolynn\u2019s Apprehension\u201d<\/p>\n

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Lex<\/p>\n

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MIKE: Renaissance Man<\/em><\/h2>\n

The overarching theme of MIKE\u2019s Renaissance Man<\/em> is love, whether it\u2019s for his friends and family, or for the world\u2019s black diaspora. On the scatter-brained project, the Bronx rapper is often conflicted by his own musings, toggling between whimsical hopefulness and something darker. His delivery can be intoxicatingly slow. His vocals are monotone and muffled, complementing the jazzy production provided by Daryl Johnson. Not a second of the album\u2019s 33 minutes feels wasted, and that\u2019s thanks to MIKE\u2019s ability to pack in all of his constantly evolving thoughts. \u2013Alphonse Pierre<\/p>\n

Listen:<\/strong> MIKE, \u201cResistant Man\u201d [ft. Ad\u00e9 Hakim]<\/p>\n

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Noname: Room 25<\/em><\/h2>\n

Room 25<\/em>\u00a0is the soundtrack to Fatimah Warner coming into her own\u2014not just as an artist, but as an adult and self-actualized black woman. Within the 35 minutes of her second record as Noname, she gives us the full range of who she has become: a confident rapper, a passionate lover, a survivor of heartbreak, and a reluctant public figure.\u00a0On \u201cBlaxploitation,\u201d she expresses a consciousness of her blackness and its meaning in the world without veering into performative wokeness; her personhood isn\u2019t couched in bravado as much as\u00a0it is steeped in self-awareness. On \u201cDon\u2019t Forget About Me,\u201d she exposes her own hurt and insecurity while finding strength in vulnerability.<\/p>\n

The evolution of Noname\u2019s skills matches the evolution of her music itself. Words tumble, somersault, and stick landings in a style that owes its swagger to rap and its cadence to spoken-word poetry. The production straddles genre lines as well, with producer and multi-instrumentalist Phoelix providing sonic backdrops replete with live instrumentation that are part jazz, part neo-soul, and all grounded in hip-hop. If her 2016 mixtape\u00a0Telefone<\/em>\u00a0was the introduction to Noname\u2019s talent,\u00a0Room 25<\/em>\u00a0is the proof that she\u2019s arrived. \u2013Timmhotep Aku<\/p>\n

Listen:<\/strong>\u00a0Noname, \u201cBlaxploitation\u201d<\/p>\n

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Pink Siifu: ensley<\/em><\/h2>\n

A smile can be revolutionary; an embrace can provide a moment of much-needed warmth in a cold world. These are the concepts that underpin rapper and producer Pink Siifu\u2019s ensley<\/em>, his collection of musings on black life, love, and liberation. Each track on the album is a hazy vignette that shows Siifu is keenly aware of all the ills that threaten black being, but he is not defeated by them. Instead of raging against the machine, or giving in to self-destructive impulses, he explores the idea of human connection as sustenance and prayer as an expression of love. Defiance never sounded so sweet. \u2013Timmhotep Aku<\/p>\n

Listen:<\/strong> Pink Siifu, \u201cpray everyday\u201d [ft. Ahwlee & liv.e]<\/p>\n

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AWGE \/ Interscope<\/p>\n

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Playboi Carti: Die Lit<\/em><\/h2>\n

Playboi Carti\u2019s debut studio album is a little darker and much stranger than the Atlanta rapper\u2019s previous work. Instead of the jovial trap of his 2017 debut mixtape, the mosh pit invades\u00a0Die Lit<\/em>\u2019s personal space. Producer Pi\u2019erre Bourne brings a more luxurious version of the manic energy that he bottled on last year\u2019s \u201cMagnolia,\u201d with features from Nicki Minaj, Travis Scott, and Young Thug, who all dig deep into their pools of personality for more exaggerated takes on their signature sounds. The result makes for a\u00a0take on rap that\u2019s more rambunctious than lyrical\u2014and all the stronger for it. On\u00a0Die Lit<\/em>, Carti sounds more alive than ever before. \u2013Trey Alston<\/p>\n

Listen:<\/strong> Playboi Carti, \u201cShoota\u201d [ft. Lil Uzi Vert]<\/p>\n

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Pusha-T: Daytona<\/em><\/h2>\n

Pusha-T\u2019s long-awaited third solo album also happens to be the most accomplished release of Kanye West\u2019s high-concept 2018 albums series produced in Jackson Hole, Wyoming. Across\u00a0Daytona<\/em>\u2019s lean 21 minutes, Pusha\u2019s elocution-deliberate, quasi-malevolent midtempo flow jumps out of the speakers, offering up snarling lyrics about street life and clapbacks to Lil Wayne, Birdman, Harvey Weinstein, Donald Trump, and his nemesis, Drake. As producer, West serves up a seven-track array of finely diced \u2019n\u2019 sliced, gritty soul samples, showcasing head-bopping, hooky production on opener \u201cIf You Know You Know\u201d and chilling forlornness on \u201cSanteria,\u201d a track about Pusha\u2019s murdered road manager. Confident and flexing,\u00a0Daytona<\/em>\u00a0is Pusha-T\u2019s most compelling solo album; who says hip-hop MCs can\u2019t do their best work after age 40? \u2013Jason King<\/p>\n

Listen:<\/strong> Pusha-T, \u201cInfrared\u201d<\/p>\n

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Rico Nasty: Nasty<\/em><\/h2>\n

Nasty<\/em>\u00a0marks the capstone in a breakout year for DMV upstart Rico Nasty. The album blends her sugar-rush raps with a mosher\u2019s fury for maximum thrash, all while she perfectly balances the aesthetics of her awesomely named alter-egos (primarily Tacobella and Trap Lavigne). It can be dizzying to keep pace with her many styles throughout the record, from sing-song teases to punchy romps with blistering flows. Soundtracked in large part by one of the year\u2019s most impactful producers, Kenny Beats, doing some of his most dynamic work,\u00a0Nasty<\/em>\u00a0pushes Rico to the front of a class of rap shapeshifters. And in running the full gamut of her talents, she reveals more of herself than ever before. \u2013Sheldon Pearce<\/p>\n

Listen:<\/strong> Rico Nasty, \u201cTrust Issues\u201d<\/p>\n

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Roc Marciano: Behold a Dark Horse<\/em><\/h2>\n

In his intricate rhymes, Roc Marciano is as flamboyant and opulent as the cherry red Bentley he considers purchasing, yet cavalier and disrespectful enough to dine and dash at P.F Chang\u2019s without a second thought. Behold a Dark Horse<\/em> is cinematic\u2014part Blaxploitation flick and part Bond movie\u2014with Marciano coming off like a method actor who forgot to stop playing his role. And although Roc\u2019s flows are more rooted in Rakim\u2019s style than Young Thug\u2019s, his persona fits snugly into a 2018 scene that embraces larger-than-life characters. \u2013Alphonse Pierre<\/p>\n

Listen:<\/strong> Roc Marciano, \u201cConsigliere\u201d<\/p>\n

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Saba: CARE FOR ME<\/em><\/h2>\n

Saba\u2019s CARE FOR ME<\/em> is transporting. It goes back in time, out of body, across perspectives. Within its songs, a talented young rapper finds new power in mourning, becoming a force in the meantime. Tragedy can have a profound impact on the artistic process, on heightening one\u2019s perspective and honing their voice, and few have been more transformed by its pangs than Saba. After losing his cousin, Walter, a founding member of his rap crew and watchful figure in his young adult life, he reevaluates Walter\u2019s place in his memories and considers loneliness amid the connectivity of the social media age. He wonders aloud why being more connected to the world than ever still feels so solitary, all while weighing Walter\u2019s absence from it. Self-produced with multi-instrumentalists Daoud and daedaePIVOT, CARE FOR ME<\/em> is a trenchant work of intimate storytelling, layered with gorgeous soundscapes. As Saba cycles through the stages of grief, he realizes his cousin will always be watching over him. \u2013Sheldon Pearce<\/p>\n

Listen:<\/strong> Saba, \u201cPROM \/ KING\u201d<\/p>\n

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Sheck Wes: MUDBOY<\/em><\/h2>\n

When some people hear the words \u201cNew York\u201d and \u201crap\u201d in the same sentence, the first things that come to mind are \u201clyrical\u201d and \u201cboom bap\u201d: terms that speak to both revered and reviled styles of rap, with roots in the late-\u201980s to mid-\u201990s Golden Age of Hip-Hop. But the sound of New York rap\u00a0in 2018 isn\u2019t monolithic, nor is it trapped in a time capsule. Sheck Wes, the\u00a0son of Senegalese immigrants and a Harlemite, is an example of this diversity. His debut,\u00a0MUDBOY<\/em>, contradicts any notion of what New York is\u00a0supposed<\/em>\u00a0to sound like. Propelled by \u201cMo Bamba,\u201d Wes\u2019 smash with the producers\u00a016yrold\u00a0and Take\u00a0a Daytrip, the sound of\u00a0MUDBOY<\/em>\u00a0is a melting pot of the 20-year-old Wes\u2019 influences.\u00a0Largely produced by homegrown teen beat-makers\u00a0Lunchbox\u00a0and Redda,\u00a0the record features robotic post-EDM synthesized highs (\u201cGmail\u201d) and thunderous low ends (\u201cLive Sheck Wes,\u201d \u201cWanted\u201d) in the vein of the 808 sound that old-school New York producers introduced and Southern producers perfected. As for Wes the rapper, his nasal baritone is used to great effect to exclaim \u201cBitch!\u201d and tell stories of mobbin\u2019 through the city,\u00a0causing mayhem\u00a0and being banished to Senegal (\u201cJiggy on the Shits\u201d). Looking for New York rap? This is what it sounds like. \u2013Timmhotep Aku<\/p>\n

Listen:<\/strong> Sheck Wes, \u201cGmail\u201d<\/p>\n

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SOB X RBE: Gangin<\/em><\/h2>\n

The quiet miracle of friendship is that it is almost always accidental. Adjacent seats, matching hats, shared cul-de-sacs\u2014any random moment of connection can be the beginning of a lifelong bond. SOB X RBE formed in Vallejo, California, around shared commitments to\u00a0Call of Duty<\/em>, basketball, and rap\u2014and on their debut album,\u00a0Gangin<\/em>, you can feel both the looseness of those links and their intensity. Lul G, Yhung T.O., DaBoii, and Slimmy B make ruffian rap that bruises and bounces in equal measure; their record is a marvel of perpetual motion and brotherhood.<\/p>\n

Gangin<\/em>\u00a0plays like a\u00a0cartoon fight cloud\u00a0set to music: At any given moment, you can snap your fingers or a neck. The record often feels limitless and unbound; the members appear on songs in unpredictable order, sometimes alone, other times as a trio or duo. In lieu of ad-libs or layered vocals, there\u2019s constant fluidity. Flows are passed along and riffed. Verses are packed toe-to-toe, the ideas firing too quickly to pause. The beats are smooth but fleet, complementing and contrasting the group’s harried delivery. Now the future of the group is\u00a0uncertain, but perhaps that, too, is par for the course. Entropy is enabling until it isn\u2019t. \u2013Stephen Kearse<\/p>\n

Listen:<\/strong> SOB X RBE, \u201cOnce Upon a Time\u201d<\/p>\n

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Tierra Whack: Whack World<\/em><\/h2>\n

Fifteen\u00a0songs, 15 minutes: Tierra Whack did that.\u00a0Whack World<\/em>\u00a0is a surreal audio-visual album that reveals the vivid imagination of the Philadelphia-raised artist, jumping from ideas with the snap of a finger. In her debut record\u2019s short runtime, Whack explores the power of less as more, using every chance to land a new style, flow, or sound. She taps into her moody, sing-rap side on songs like \u201cFlea Market,\u201d then she gets on her Philly street-tale spitter tip\u00a0with \u201c4 Wings,\u201d then widens her sound entirely, floating\u00a0into the realm of current pop-rap radio stars on \u201cFruit Salad.\u201d The 15 minutes thing isn\u2019t a gimmick; it\u2019s Tierra cutting all the fat, getting straight to the point, and giving everyone the rare album that demands instant replay. \u2013Alphonse Pierre<\/p>\n

Listen:<\/strong> Tierra Whack, \u201cHungry Hippo\u201d<\/p>\n

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Travis Scott: Astroworld<\/em><\/h2>\n

Young rap fans and radio programmers have loved Travis Scott for awhile, but\u00a0Astroworld<\/em>\u00a0propelled awareness of his sound-design flair to a new level. Critics had previously tended to view Scott as a skillful convenor of other talents, rather than a talent in his own right. While that networking and curatorial skill was still evident on\u00a0Astroworld<\/em>\u2014which recruits everyone from Stevie Wonder to the ghost of the Notorious B.I.G.\u2014what\u2019s striking about the album is how it all sounds like Travis Scott. The host rarely gets overshadowed by the guests; the broth is never spoiled by the ridiculous number of cooks.<\/p>\n

\u201cSicko Mode\u201d splits its song publishing between 30 names and involves five producers, yet still triumphs as the album\u2019s banger. \u201c5% Tint\u201d is another killer, with its stereo-panning growls and vocals like anesthetic gas seeping under the door in a \u201960s spy movie. Doubts persist about Scott ever becoming the Kanye-level major artist he aspires to be;\u00a0his lyrics, rarely memorable, mostly traffic in hollow hedonism. But you don\u2019t turn to Scott for insights into our contemporary decadence, you come for the exquisitely intricate ear candy: queasy stereo-sculpted effects, dilated smears of texture, startling vocal treatments. More about mood than meaning, Scott\u2019s music is a glistening vapor that fills headphones and car interiors with cocooning unreality. File under \u201cambient.\u201d \u2013Simon Reynolds<\/p>\n

Listen:<\/strong> Travis Scott, \u201cR.I.P. SCREW\u201d<\/p>\n

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Vince Staples: FM!<\/em><\/h2>\n

Dropped in angst-ridden, pre-midterms early November, Vince Staples\u2019\u00a0FM!<\/em>\u00a0is the exact length of a television sitcom\u201422 minutes\u2014and as snappily edited as one. \u201cWe gon\u2019 party til the sun or the guns come out,\u201d Staples sings on the opener, \u201cFeels Like Summer,\u201d tire-slashing the idyllic illusion of California, his home. Throughout\u00a0FM!<\/em>, he applies that sardonic, pitch-perfect wit to a wild, compressed experiment of twitchy songs made with California collaborators Ty Dolla $ign, Earl Sweatshirt, Kamaiyah, and more, in a format that mimics the iconic rap radio show \u201cBig Boy\u2019s Neighborhood.\u201d<\/p>\n

With the album\u2019s cover art, Staples deliberately borrows the gleeful, cartoonish vibe of Green Day\u2019s\u00a0Dookie<\/em>,\u00a0playing up the contrast between those anthems of teenage angst and his own. He may sing \u201cWe just wanna have fun,\u201d but references to \u201cdead homies\u201d resurface in song after song; what purports to be party jams become hymns to the fallen. Reality inevitably intrudes: \u201cMy black is beautiful, but I\u2019ll still shoot at you,\u201d he says, unflinching. Experimental and abrupt, the album ends all too soon, yet it feels convincing and complete, and Staples\u2019 sobering revelations linger. \u2013Rebecca Bengal<\/p>\n

Listen:<\/strong> Vince Staples, \u201cFUN!\u201d<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/article>\n

Source URL: https:\/\/pitchfork.com\/features\/lists-and-guides\/the-best-rap-albums-of-2018\/<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Lists & Guides The Best Rap Albums of 2018 Including records by Meek Mill, Bbymutha, Jay Rock, and more By Pitchfork December 18, 2018 Meek Mill photo by Zachary Mazur\/FilmMagic, Bbymutha photo by Cinthia C Torres, Lil Baby photo by Prince Williams\/Wireimage, MIKE photo by Chandler Kennedy, J.I.D photo by Steven Ferdman\/Getty Images, Jay Rock […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[2],"tags":[54],"class_list":["post-1501516","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-politics","tag-pitchfork-com"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1501516","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=1501516"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1501516\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=1501516"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=1501516"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=1501516"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}