THE TOP 10 ALBUMS OF 2018

In terms of quality, volume and sheer diversity, 2018 was maybe the best year for hip hop music in over a decade. Below is a list of my favorite albums from a year in which there were many great ones to choose from.

Enjoy.

10. Drake – Scorpion (June 29th) – Bloated, excessive and self-indulgent. These are words that can rightfully be used to describe Scorpion, weighing in at an arrogantly unedited 25 tracks/93 minutes. In every way possible, Scorpion is the opposite of ambitious - thoroughly lacking in both sonic exploration and subject matter expansion, while holding steadfast to the zeitgeist. But hey, let’s not hold any of that against Drake. As perhaps the most cocksure songwriter on the planet, he covers all bases and can never be accused of not giving the people what they want.

The best thing to do is to mix and match your own version of the album. Strip away the duds and you’re still left with 10-12 perfectly agreeable tracks that make for a nice little playlist. For my money, I’d start with the murky “Mob Ties”, and the bouncy “That’s How You Feel” before sliding into the DJ Premier-produced “Sandra’s Rose” and/or the Future-assisted “Blue Tint”. And you can tell me all you want that you weren’t at least tempted (during a moment of weakness) back in July to join in on the “In My Feelings challenge"…I will never believe you.

9. Royce Da 5’9” – Book of Ryan (May 4th) – On Book of Ryan, Royce Da 5’9” switches from beast to autobiographical mode. In seeking to answer a pensive question that comes early on from his son: “Who Are You?”, he throttles down his intricate rhyme schemes in order to patiently tell the story of his hard knock life and times coming of age in Detroit, MI. Good thing for us, he does not gloss over the low points and rough edges in recounting tales of intergenerational substance abuse (“Cocaine”), an abusive father (“Power”), and suicidal thoughts (“Strong Friend”). 

Delivered over reliably thumping beats, Book of Ryan proves to be an engrossing piece of work overall, even if a tad long at 21 tracks. Long-heralded as an exceptional lyrical talent, it’s refreshing to hear Royce move beyond his breathtaking wordplay in order to provide us with an uplifting, album-long narrative about life as a beautiful struggle.

8. Kids See Ghosts – Kids See Ghosts (June 8^th) – Kids See Ghosts, landing just one week after Kanye West’s messy, unfinished and largely panned Ye, manages to come off as a coherent effort, with 7 grandiose tracks that hang together with surprising efficacy. No less ambitious, but far more successful, Ghosts corrals West’s often aimless ideas and harnesses his “dragon energy” into a cohesive set piece, aided in no small part by the influence of his one-time nemesis Kid Cudi.

If you listen closely, there’s a wobbly thesis here about depression, mental illness, rebirth and ultimately freedom. “Keep moving forward” Cudi croons on my favorite song, “Reborn” before Kanye drops a verse about being “off the meds, off the chain and called insane”. I guess it’s somewhat admirable how these two troubled men managed to turn mental illness into a tool for great art. But it requires a suspension of disbelief that’s admittedly hard to conjure up.  More than anything, Ghosts works so well because the production is sublime, with Cudi’s brooding melodies adding badly needed emotional depth to Kanye’s soaring arrangements and dreamy soundscapes.

7. Black Milk – Fever (February 23^rd) – Playing the role of adroit bandleader, Slum Village alumni and super-producer Black Milk orchestrates the hell out of 12 sumptuous tracks on Fever, all characterized by live instrumentation, tight drums, airy guitars and atmospheric keys. The vibe is lovely - mellow, warm and inviting, without ever slipping into complacency. Surrounded by all of this lush production, it’s easy to forget that Milk is also a capable MC, one who clearly has a lot to say about the current state of our cultural affairs. On standout tracks such as “True Lies”, “Laugh Now, Cry Later” and “Drown” he muses thoughtfully on subjects ranging from our troubled education system, to racism, to police brutality. Admirably carrying the torch for the late, great J Dilla, Black Milk has been making dope music while flying under the radar for several years now. Fever, his best work to date, may just be his star turn.

6. Phonte – No News Is Good News (March 2^nd) – If you’re looking for another example of how to elegantly approach middle-age in hip hop, look no further than Phonte. No News Is Good News finds the Little Brother frontman in a philosophical mood, rapping about grown-folks issues such as fatherhood, marriage and mortality. On “Expensive Genes” Phonte warns African American men about the dangers of sleep apnea and diabetes, health issues that can accompany our poor diets. Later, on “Cry No More”, he offers a cleared-eyed assessment of the untimely death of his father at 54 years old, while reflecting upon the formidable challenge of raising his own kids. “Put my pops in the ground, then hit the repass and ate the same shit that killed him”, he laments as part of a particularly memorable verse.

There’s no need to be daunted however, as a skillful platter of true-school hip hop laced with infectious R&B, No News is far breezier than those topics might suggest. “So Help Me God” showcases Phonte’s ferocious battle rap skills. “Pastor Tigallo” pulsates with soulful energy and clever couplets. And “Find That Love Again” is a jazzy ode to discovering and holding on to one’s joy in a bleak world. Dive into No News Is Good News, there’s much to love here. But fair warning, if you’re not careful, you might be forced to think a little.

5. Various Artists – Black Panther: The Album (February 9^th) – If you’re Ryan Coogler and you’re sitting on a Disney-backed superhero movie that is as important to African Americans as any film in history, who do you call to quarterback the soundtrack? Kendrick Lamar of course, the only artist whose epicurean talent and afrocentric mentality could possibly live up to the moment. Hyped for the challenged, K-Dot quickly gets down to business and across 14 diverse, daring and far-flung tracks, he truly brings the heat.

Sometimes rhyming, often playfully chiming in, and always challenging, he coaxes inspired performances out of a myriad of top-notch collaborators. ScHoolboy Q, 2 Chains and Saudi trade crisp bars on the fiery “X”. Rapid-fire lyrics from Vince Staples are somehow overshadowed by South African newcomer, Yergen Blakrok on “Opps”. Jay-Rock, Future and (wait, is that James Blake?) join Kendrick on the pulsating “King’s Dead”. Then, for a change of pace, Jorja Smith electrifies on the simmering “I Am”.  And those may not even be the best tracks. Not since “Purple Rain” have I heard a soundtrack this enjoyable. All I can say is…I can’t wait for the sequel.

4. Travis Scott – Astroworld (August 3^rd) – On Astroworld, Travis Scott emerges as the undisputed leader of the new school... the tastemaker, forward-thinker and all-around style curator of his generation. With an eclectic VIP guest list that includes The Weekend, John Mayer, Stevie Wonder, Juice World and Frank Ocean, among others, Travis assembles an expansive array of murky, sonically varied and gorgeously produced tracks with effortless fluidity.

The mood is dark, hazy and trippy in the best way. If Astroworld is a theme park adventure, then it’s indeed a loopy one, featuring laser lights, psychedelic 3D and likely a Xanny or 2. Rich textures, ingenious samples, beautiful instrumentation and premium effects abound. Trapped and screwed, with a bit of EDM and indie rock stylings thrown in for good measure, Astroworld displays the full scope of Travis Scott’s ambitions. All in all, it’s a hell of a ride.

3. Nipsey Hussle – Victory Lap (February 16^th) – On Victory Lap, Nipsey Hussle delivers a bullet-proof collection of expertly crafted, slow-burning street anthems. His tales of the come-up may be one-note but they are triumphant and endlessly entertaining. Taken as a whole, they represent a kind of blueprint for any hungry young hustla who possesses a Diddy-like vision of future success that stretches well beyond the rap game.

Across one excellent track after another, Nipsey’s flow is immaculate – liquid, articulate and filled with uncommonly astute insights. Standouts include “Grinding All My Life” a scorcher that makes you want to wake up an hour or 2 earlier every morning to get a jump start on your plans for world domination, and “Status Symbol 3” with a sticky hook that compels you to blast it at full-volume and sing along. Then there’s “Hussle and Motivate”, which flips Jay-Z’s “Hard Knock Life” into a melodic showstopper, as magnetic as any single heard all year. This is So-Cal music to ride out to, optimized for car stereos, head nodding and warm nights on Slauson Avenue. Go ahead and spike the football Nipsey, your victory lap is well-earned.

2. J-Cole – KOD (April 20^th) – Call him corny, pretentious and preachy all you want, but if we’re handing out rapper of the year awards for 2018, then nobody is touching Jermaine Cole. The one-time North Carolina upstart has aged gracefully; embracing adulthood, flexing his creative chops and fearlessly forging his own path. Self-produced, featureless and delivered with boundless confidence, KOD finds Cole gamely taking on Soundcloud rap flows and trap beats while more than holding his own.

“1985”, a blistering takedown of young and dumb mumble-rappers, is the obvious place to start. But over topics as far ranging as drug addiction (“Friends”), greed (“ATM”), infidelity (“Kevin’s Heart”), and even taxation (“Brackets”), Cole  offers up hard-won wisdom while never letting you forget about his lyrical dexterity, keen ear for beats and ability to write/sing soulfully hypnotic hooks. Among J Cole’s growing catalog of uniformly excellent albums, KOD might forever standout as the one that was most timely, prescient and utterly necessary.

1. Pusha T – Daytona (May 25^th) – Daytona, the first of Kanye West’s so-called “Wyoming Sessions” (where he released a series of super-short, high-profile albums over several weeks), was undoubtedly his best. If you miss the old Kanye, this is the record for you. The production here is vintage Ye, luxurious, multi-layered, razor sharp and right in the pocket.

But "make no mistake", the man in charge on Daytona is the ridiculously captivating MC known as Pusha T. Whoa can this guy rap. Exquisite coke bars are spit with steely, dead-eyed precision, with each punch line landing like a Tyson bolo. “Brick layers in ball shorts, coaching from the side of the ball courts” King Push raps on “If You Know You Know” and the crack addled summer of ’88 flashes before our eyes. Elsewhere, on “The Games We Play” he offers “If you ain’t energized like the bunny for drug money or been paralyzed by the sight of a drug mummy…this ain’t really for ‘ya” and the description is so vivid it seems like we're right there in the woods with him, trying to match his dispassionate calm while nervously helping to dispose of a body. On Daytona, Pusha T sounds like a virtuoso at the height of his powers. Legacy in tact, he seems fully at ease with his place in the world, now rapping for the fun of it, for the pleasure of song craft and the simple joy of a well-played turn of phrase. It’s good to be the king.

Rounding Out The Top 25

11. The Carters - Everything Is Love
12. Kooley High - Never Come Down
13. Skyzoo - In Celebration Of Us
14. Jericho Jackson - Khrysis & Elzhi Are Jericho Jackson
15. Evidence - Weather Or Not
16. Black Thought - Streams Of Thought Vol. 2
17. Nav - Reckless
18. Saba - Care For Me
19. Jay Rock - Redemption
20. Juice World - Goodbye and Good Riddance
21. Noname - Room 25
22. Buddy - Harlan & Alondra
23. Meek Mill - Championships
24. XXXTentatation - ?
25. Mac Miller - Swimming