Hiram:

Since Travis Scott announced the title of his third album, Astroworld, fans bombarded social media with “DROP ASTROWORLD” comments everywhere. So much hype was built up around this album, it would have been a travesty if the album didn’t deliver. Thankfully, Travis’ ability to be an artist pulled through for him.

That line perfectly sums up what Travis is: the man with a vision. Astroworld is a great album, and Travis absolutely dominated the year, being solidified as one of the biggest artists in the genre. Travis even managed to have one of the craziest tours of the year, selling out arenas with a stage setup that included a roller coaster. It’s hard to say any other artist had a better 2018 than him.

Few people could have predicted that 21 Savage would’ve been as consistent in the light as he is currently. Fresh off the release of  his newest album, 21 dives deeper into his music, surpassing any glass ceiling listeners may have developed for him. He continues to prove, not only why he deserves to be in this game, but why he means something to it.

I’m sure you can’t be too surprised by this pick. XXXTentacion is probably one of the most polarizing figures in recent hip-hop. It would be an understatement to say that X left a mark on hip-hop from the short time that he was here delivering music in hip-hop. He has definitely received his own page, if not pages, in this genre.

The year 2018 was a great year in the sense of how many times an artist could come and sweep the game, and Travis Scott was definitely one of those artists to display this. There is no doubt that Travis’ imprint is all over the second half of the year—Astroworld was played everywhere since its release.

Before you say anything, think about this for one second. No matter how much he annoyed you, no matter how much you hated him…he was right. Tekashi said in an interview that nobody imagined he would last that long or get that big, and the truth is when you are talking about the hottest rappers this year, it was very difficult to turn away from 6ix9ine. Regardless of his situation, you can’t deny that he outlasted your expectations, especially in sales.

In the story of Cardi B, she’s broken passed her shell and advanced forward passed critics and those who might oppose her. Similair to Tekashi, regardless of how people have felt, she has proven that it doesn’t matter—she’s going to succeed at any cost

The newest TDE singer, Reason, made his premiere on the Black Panther soundtrack, appearing alongside Sjava and Mozzy on “Seasons.” Reason was a lyrical beast, proving to also be an excellent storyteller on the track. A few months later, his debut album titled There You Have It released. A gritty street album that shows the life of the Del Amo/Carson, California rapper. The album could go head-to-head with many top tier artists out right now, and Reason is definitely one to watch as he continues through his career as a top lyricist.

The DMV has been producing a lot of great artists lately from YBN Cordae, JPEGMAFIA, and IDK, however, one of the most standout artists has to be Rico Nasty. She’s one of the most interesting artists out whose diversity is one of the most exciting things about her. She can make the most hyped tracks ever, then turn around and make a hypnotic, slower auto-tuned jam. Her 2018 album, Nasty, is an excellent showmanship of an artist who’s going to be huge. The excellent production and her uniqueness is enough to make her shine amongst everyone else out right now.

J.I.D’s initial come up came last year with his project titled The Never Story. However, J.I.D hit the level-up button and made the world understand he’s a threat in the rap game with the release of his new album, DiCaprio 2, which showed his artistic strides. J.I.D can rap his ass off, then turn around and kill a melody. Never has anyone given J. Cole a run for his money like J.I.D has, as he practically washes anyone he’s on a track with. It’s safe to say that J.I.D has ascended into a top ten rapper, and with whatever he has coming next, he will probably skyrocket to top five—maybe even snatching the crown (if you don’t believe he has already).

Jay Rock has been around for a while, as he was one of the first TDE artists, predating Kendrick Lamar. Yet, Jay Rock always ended up with the shorter end of the stick with his previous projects, Follow Me Home and 90059, which didn’t receive much attention. However, Jay Rock managed to do a 180 this year with his new album that is properly titled Redemption. He went from an underdog to a household name with singles in the forms of “King’s Dead” and “WIN.” Jay Rock never gave up, and after some trial and error, he is on top with a good album and a future looking bright.

It seemed like everyone loved to box Denzel Curry as this underrated rapper. After dropping one of the best albums of 2018, I think it’s hard to call Curry underrated anymore. TA13OO is an artistic stride of excellence that labels Denzel, as not just an amazing rapper, but as an amazing artist. I think Curry isn’t getting the mainstream success he deserves…There’s no denying that he’s the king of the underground with no one coming close to his uniqueness. If anyone has doubts about Denzel Curry, they’re more than likely eating there words as he easily had the greatest growth of anyone else this year.

Hiram:

Honorable mentions: Meek Mill – Championship, J.I.D – DiCaprio 2, Anderson .Paak – Oxnard, Various Artists – Black Panther (soundtrack), Kids See Ghosts – Kids See Ghosts, The Carters – Everything Is Love, Lil Wayne – Tha Carter V, Noname – Room 25, and Travis Scott – Astroworld

With being one of the last releases of the year, 21 Savage manages to steal a fifth place spot as one of the best hip-hop albums of the year. The album, i am > i was, is 21 Savage’s best solo project to date; not even a single dud. Every song has an underlining tone of quality, as 21 raps about various subjects. While there are the standard gangsta raps 21 is known for, we see another side of the artist with songs about relationships and a track that is an ode to his mother. Every feature delivers on the project, and 21 puts together some interesting combinations that work successfully. Overall, 21 Savage might have one of the best straight trap albums ever made, and definitely one of the best projects of 2018.

Denzel Curry’s TA13OO has one of the greatest musical ideas ever attempted. The album is broken up into three parts: a light section, a grey section, and a dark section. The album flows so well and has some of the highest replay value imaginable. Some of the best albums feel like movies, and TA13OO is the feature film of the year. Curry touches on so many subjects, which a lot aren’t discussed in hip-hop or others often poorly discuss in hip-hop. Even with the heavy subject matter, Curry still managed to rap his ass off, as well as deliver some of the most hype shit ever. Denzel Curry should be in your top favorite artists, as TA13OO is above an album—it’s an experience.

Swimming is one of Mac’s best bodies of work. The album shows a man struggling with his shortcomings, yet still tries to overcome the darkness. The album has such a gorgeous, but somber overtone; it’s almost surreal at times. The album is much like fine wine, it’s better with each listen. The luscious production might overshadow some of Mac’s lyrics, however, when you listen and see the pain in his words, you gain a new appreciation for him. Mac Miller had one of the best albums of 2018 before he passed, which is a mature piece of art that really paints vivid pictures.

Making an album that sounds like a radio broadcast is such a great idea, and who better to pursue that idea than one of the best artists in hip-hop, Vince Staples. FM! is a short project without any room for filler. It emulates a broadcast of Big Boy’s Neighborhood, a staple to Los Angeles hip-hop culture, as the album reflects on the LA gang culture. The production sounds like a new West Coast mix with a modern trap sound, along with some g-funk and Bay Area hyphy sounds. Vince plays around with his cadence, making for interesting music. Also the radio feel plays so well with snippets of new music from Tyga and Earl Sweatshirt, an advertisement to win Kehlani tickets, and a radio game—all making it feel authentic. There’s not a single bad track on FM!, and as a matter of fact, there’s not a single song that’s not at least good, if not great. Vince proves he is a masterful artist once again.

Twenty-one minutes was all Pusha T needed to have the rap album of the year. Daytona is seven tracks of excellence. Pusha raps with such clarity and courage where every line he says matters and has an impact. The production is on another level with the beats being sample-based trap bangers.

Pusha and Kanye is a dream team of perfection on Daytona, as they both seem to bring the best out of each other. Pusha managed to be first to drop out of the five Kanye albums expected, and it set the bar so high that nobody could compete with—not his label mates or anyone else in the industry. There’s not much else to say other than the album is just 21 minutes of perfection, and every aspect of it is just amazing.

Honorable Mentions: Kanye West & Lil Pump – “I Love It,” ” The Carters – “Apeshit,” Jay Rock featuring Kendrick Lamar, Future, & James Blake – “King’s Dead,” Meek Mill –  “Oodles O’ Noodles Babies,” Gucci Mane featuring Bruno Mars & Kodak Black – “Wake Up in the Sky,” and Denzel Curry – “PERCS | PERCZ”

Cardi B came through with one of the most fun singles of the year with “I Like It.” She manages to push Latin trap to a new level, bringing both Bad Bunny and J Balvin to an American audience. All in all, Cardi made a banger and one of the best songs of the year.

A teaser for Astroworld, the track ended up not making the album—what a shame. The track has a bouncy Pi’erre Bourne beat with some of the best vocal effects ever heard on a song. Lil Uzi and Travis both flex so great together, and Kanye comes in with some good quotables, even mentioning his opioid addiction. Overall, “Watch” was one of the best songs from this era of Travis Scott.

The G.O.O.D Music signee, Valee, came through with one of the catchiest singles of the year. The track “Womp Womp,” with the help of Jeremih, is one of the best songs of the year, and potentially the best club song that needed more shine in 2018. The production is bouncy as hell and is the epitome of fun—there isn’t any reason you should deprive yourself of this single.

Tyler, The Creator dropped a lot of loose tracks this year, but none were quite as ferocious as “Okra.” The banger has some of the hardest 808s, alongside a crow and catchy hook tied together with sinister strings. Tyler also proves to those that might have forgot that he can rap his ass off. “Okra” is a song you want to play at maximum volume and go crazy with.

Anderson .Paak is best known as a soulful singer, however, he played a chameleon and murdered the best single of the year with “Bubblin.” The song has luxurious horns and strings with Anderson showing us he can rap better than 80% of the game. The song is full of memorable lyrics, and there’s even a remix with Busta Ryhmes. It’s unfortunate “Bubblin” didn’t make Oxnard, but the single holds its ground by itself as the best song to come out of 2018.