Albums of 2018
2018 was a phenomenal year for music and music culture, and I’m quite confident in saying that 2018 for music was what 1996 was for video games; a landmark year. Before I get started, I think it’s fitting to list all the things that happened that weren’t albums but moments of the year.
Moments of 2018
- Pusha T vs Drake.
- The Story of Adidon.
- Kanye.
- Black Panther & Spider-verse rode alongside hip-hop.
- Childish Gambino’s “This is America” music video.
- Mac Miller passed away.
- XXXTentacion passed away.
- Lil Xan passed away.
- Kendrick Lamar becomes a Pulitzer award winner.
- Eminem attacks everyone in rap on the ringer.
- Beychella.
- Cardbi B’s heel vs Nicki Minaj.
- Birdman and Lil Wayne squashed their $51 million beef and Tha Carter V. was allowed to be released.
- Meek Mill left prison and made amends with Drake.
- 6ix9ine’s ongoing legal battle.
10. Kanye West — Ye
2018 will be known as the 5 Kanye albums year. Filled with controversy and incredible production, “Ye” sounds vulnerable and surprisingly human. Kanye raps over his signature styled production referencing the turmoil he has been going through from his mental breakdown to his wife Kim being held hostage in Paris. “Ye” feels like a psychiatrist appointment where Kanye is yelling at the psychiatrist while you’re in the corner watching the one-sided argument ensue.
The key word is human as Kanye hasn’t sounded this vulnerable since his album 808’s and heartbreak, the record Kanye made following the death of his mother. “Ye” is 7 songs long which is the running theme with every Kanye produced album in 2018, which most would consider a fault of the records but actually ends up making every song count.
What sticks out to me with this album is just how laser-focused Kanye sounds on both the lyrical and production fronts. Kanye brings back a lot of the sample based production I’m a big fan of and has lots of fun and creative moments scattered throughout the album. Overall it’s been such a long time since I’ve heard Kanye and 2018 felt very much like a year to remember in his career with “Ye” being amongst some of the best music Kanye has made in a minute.
Best Song: Yikes
Best Line:
Oh, don’t bring that up, that’s gon’ get me sentimental
You know I’m sensitive, I got a gentle mental
Every time somethin’ happen they want me sent to mental- Kanye West — No Mistakes
9. Denzel Curry — TABOO | TA13OO
Denzel Curry has been on the come up for a while ever since his hit single Ultimate blasted into bottle flip meme stardom. “TA13OO” is split into 3 sections “light | grey | dark” each section stands apart from the others in tone and provides a gradient of sounds that are bound to please everybody. Denzel truly shines on the darker side of the album though and rides chaotic flows with the skill of a legend. Denzel blows off like a bomb and rides each chaotic synth drop effortlessly. Denzel covers a range of topics from the new wave of rappers to his own darkest moments of childhood. “TA13OO” indeed is an album for fans like myself of dark, chaotic rap.
Best song: VENGEANCE l VENGEANCE (feat. JPEGMAFIA & ZillaKami)
Best Line:
Weak shit, peep shit, stay dark, soul tinted
F#%k around and get your door dented, new flows invented
Shoot shit, Cole Bennett, rap game, don’t get it
With these dumbass n@$$as, and they don’t say shit
Sound like “Durr, durr, durr,” you like, “Oh, that’s lit”
With yo’ boof ass hits, “I’ma f%@k yo’ bitch
I just popped two Xans,” N@$$a, f%$k that shit!-Denzel Curry — PERCS|PERCZ
8. Jean Grae & Quelle Chris — Everything’s Fine
I had no idea who Jean Grae or Quelle Chris were in 2018, but after listening to “Everything’s Fine” I do now. “Everything’s Fine” is a very, VERY relatable album for me because of how sarcastic it’s a depiction of the world is, something I’m very guilty of, it’s hard to take the world or anything anyone says these days seriously.
Production and lyrics are topnotch, Jean and Quelle are palatable partners both on and off the mic after I learned they’re in a relationship. Jean’s aggressive and passionate vocals are sharp and vicious in comparison to Quelles smooth, jazzy shit talking vocals, each of them provides an essential element to each track Jean bringing the fire, Quelle bringing the ice. Surprisingly what “Everything’s Fine” revels in actually lends itself to a much more deeper narrative then I anticipated. I won’t say much, but this album has layers to its storytelling and charm that had me coming back multiple times for relistens.
Best Song: River
Best Line:
Sometimes we come out these cocoons as coons, not butterflies
That’s cut and dry
The under-eyes got bags with tags from all the travel
We maintain, with no regrets, to proudly claim
The lost, the found amongst these mental planes
Everything’s okay — or so they say
Everything’s okay, and so they say
And so they say- Quelle Chris — River
7. Car Seat Headrest — Twin Fantasy
Car Seat Headrest is probably one of the biggest names in indie rock. In 2018 they decided to remake and re-release his first album “Twin Fantasy”. The original album was one of the first big Bandcamp releases and is notorious in the indie rock community as being a legendary album. I never had a good reason to listen to it in 2018 until a recommendation came my way for this remake.
There is so much to like here, from the albums honest lyricism to its larger than life production. I really enjoyed listening to this on countless train rides and became a favourite of mine.
Best Song: Famous Prophets (Stars)
Best Line:
So descend into cliché
If the music has forsaken you
Roll the stone over the grave
I never liked that one anyways
Or stare into the face
Of whatever it is that’s facing you
And if the levee breaks
You’ll find out what it is that’s replacing you- Car Seat Headrest — False Prophets (Stars)
6. Lil Wayne — Tha Carter V
If it weren’t for Lil Wayne, Kendrick Lamar wouldn’t be rapping today. It is an understatement to say Lil Wayne is a great rapper; the man is a certified GOAT.
“Tha Carter V” indeed is a classic album that feels like it was made throughout 6 years where you can hear the sounds from certain years of rap. For example, Wayne and Kendrick share an incredible track called “mona lisa” which is an incredible story structured song and the way Kendrick is rapping sounds like it’s straight from 2014.
What honestly surprises me about “Tha Carter V” beside it just being out is all the revelations Wayne shares on his life and legacy on this album. “Tha Carter V” is merely an extra lap for Wayne who has already won his race in the rap game years ago.
Best Song: Mona Lisa feat. Kendrick Lamar
Best Line:
I found my momma’s pistol where she always hide it
I cry, put it to my head and thought about it
Nobody was home to stop me, so I called my auntie
Hung up, then put the gun up to my heart and pondered
Too much was on my conscience to be smart about it
Too torn apart about it, I aim where my heart was pounding
I shot it, and I woke up with blood all around me
It’s mine, I didn’t die, but as I was dying
God came to my side and we talked about it
He sold me another life and he made a prophet- Lil Wayne — Let It All Work Out
5. Mac Miller — Swimming
When Mac Miller died I was in tears, he was one of my favourite artists, and it was such a sombre feeling knowing he left us with his best album. “Swimming” is an incredibly emotional and human album, the album came directly after he had parted ways with his partner and is about Mac learning to be happy with himself.
To enter the ocean that is your life you need to learn how to swim and this album is all about that.
Best Song: 2009
Best Line:
Have a ball with a dribble and bounce
’Cause the party ain’t over ’til they’re kickin’ me out, yeah
Isn’t it funny? We can make a lot of money
Buy a lot of things just to feel a lot of ugly
I was yea high and muddy
Lookin’ for what was lookin’ for me- Mac Miller — 2009
4. Death Grips — Year of the Snitch
“Year of the Snitch” is the most significant departure from the rap genre that the band has ever embarked on. “Year of the snitch” is more in line with a cinematic rock opera album than a rap album and is just insanely bonkers sonically. Each song in “Year of the Snitch” flows into the next song, and it gives the album this very cohesive experience. MC Rides vocals are still as chaotic as ever with him referencing his battle with fan expectations and suicide throughout the record.
The album has this constant theme of falling and spinning the bottle with “her” (the devil). It seems like this time around Ride has come to terms that no matter what if he kills himself or continues making music everyone will always be “Disappointed” (the last song on the album). I feel like Death Grips manage to impress me everytime they make an album with just bizarre concepts they touch on. “Year of the Snitch” is just another album that they continue to push the envelope, it has gotten to the point where I can no longer anticipate what I will get with whatever they make next.
Best Song: Hahaha
Best Line:
Butterfly ballistic, seax survival
Butcher kukri to trench homicidal
Can’t say I buy them, just show up lately
Lately seem to stalk me like I’m yeti
Like scream of a haunted jetty
Let me be a haunted jetty
Cross I cry banshee like manic falcon
Shrill like losing time on Shasta Mountain- Death Grips — Dilemna
3. JPEGMAFIA — Veteran
I love this album so much, it was my first interaction with the artist known as JPEGMAFIA, and I’ve been a fan ever since. “Veteran” much like “Everything’s Fine” is a very sarcastic album. JPEGMAFIA has a very in your face personality who raps about internet culture and goes out of his way to insult every group you can think of.
Besides the personality, the production on this album is glitchy, spacy and beyond insane. JPEGMAFIA employs a lot of strange sampling techniques where he’ll bang a desk or click a pen, and he’ll make the most out of these by just stretching and contorting them all over the album.
Overall “Veteran” was an excellent surprise for me, and I can’t wait to hear what he brings in the coming years.
Best Song: Baby I’m Bleeding
Best Line:
I’m rolling
F%$k that n@$$a, I’m Rollins
3rd Reich n@GGa I’m Stalin
Curb stomp all my opponents
Aw baby I’m violent
Kush loud but the gun silent
F%$k rap n@$$a I’m firing
You alt right pussies keep crying
Why? Did I tell you- JPEGMAFIA — Curb Stomp
2. Kids See Ghosts — Kids See Ghosts
I knew as soon as I heard this album it would be one of my favourites of the year. “Kids See Ghosts” is a collaboration between Kanye West and Kid Cudi, two longtime collaborators who decided to create a joint album about their mental health.
Cudi and Kanye’s thoughts, experiences and turmoil with their mental health come through clearly and so emotionally on this album. The standout song for me is Reborn which features Kid Cudi’s most beautiful singing to date.
I don’t know what to say besides anyone who has experienced mental health issues can relate to this album brilliantly and if you haven’t listened to it go out and give it a listen. Like really I think this album is one of Kanye and Cudi’s best albums to date and quite possibly a perfect album in my eyes.
Alas, it isn’t number 1…
Best Song: Reborn
Best Line:
I had my issues, ain’t that much I could do
Peace is somethin’ that starts with me (with me)
At times, wonder my purpose
Easy then to feel worthless
But, peace is somethin’ that starts with me (with me, with me)
Had so much on my mind, I didn’t know where to go
I’ve come a long way from them hauntin’ me
Had me feelin’ oh so low
Ain’t no stoppin’ you, no way
Oh, things ain’t like before
Ain’t no stoppin’ you, no way
No stress yes, I’m so blessed and-- Kid Cudi — Reborn
1. Earl Sweatshirt — Some Rap Songs
As soon as I heard the “imprecise words” sample I knew this would be something special.
Earl Sweatshirt has been regarded by many to be the most talented up and coming rapper of the last few years, including a co-sign from Kendrick Lamar.
Earl however, has had a pretty soul crushing year with the death of his father and uncle including the cancellation of several shows due to declining mental health. Bundled with the fact that we haven’t heard from Earl in over 3 years a lot of questions were hanging in the air with Earl and whether or not he was okay. Suddenly Earl announced his album “Some Rap Songs” and released it near the end of the year. It shook me to my core and I knew it was the album of the year as soon as I finished listening to it.
There is some sick-comedy and meaning to the name “Some Rap Songs”. Earl has chased the idea of minimalism from the very beginning of his career, and the themes of depressions sort of play into the naming of this album. To be so disconnected from your life to have your comeback album just be called “Some Rap Songs” sort of shows where Earls’ head is at the moment.
“It’s been made evident to me that I’ve become kind of obsessed with simplifying shit, which sometimes can lead to oversimplification. People take a lot of liberties, I feel like. Incomplete shit is really stressful to me, and the concept of unsimplified fractions is really stressful to me.
So, with things like the album title, how I structure shit, and even how I write, it was really just like, What is this? The album title was kind of a response to that question.”
Earls has never sounded as sharp as he’s sounded now. This album feels like an enormous growth spurt between his last two albums, Earl feels as if he’s aged up by two decades of skill. So many of the songs are brief and to the point. Each song is like a dreamy deep dive into Earls psyche and emotions where we follow Earl on his journey through depression and anxiety.
The production is everything I love about good sample rap. You can hear the MF Doom resemblance in this album, but it stands apart from that sound as it’s own style and fits with what Earl is aiming to do.
The album also feels like an actual spiral through depression as we hear Earl blend and drown within these instrumentals. The album ends with a light at the end of the tunnel moment with Riot!
“Some Rap Songs” is just a perfect album to me it symbolises so much of what Earl has been experiencing, and all I can say is that I hope he comes out of this tunnel happier.
Best Song: December 24
Best Line:
How you want them ribs smoked, family? Uh
Ten toes, know you on your shit already
Big stone, granite and your fist balled
Standin’ on the strip
Don’t panic when the pig come
Scramble, get the big tall fetti, and then get home
Tally up — tally up the wins though- Earl Sweatshirt — December 24
Thank you for reading this far ahead, a lot of the albums in this list have a special place in my heart, especially the top ones I’ve mentioned. I hope my recommendations urge you to give them a listen and appreciate them.
Thank you ba bye.
