The Best Hip Hop Music of 2018
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Looking for the best hip hop music of 2018? Look no further! This blog has everything you need, from the latest news to the hottest tracks.
Best Hip Hop Albums of 2018
It was a tough year for hip hop, with the deaths of two of the genre’s most iconic figures, XXXTentacion and Mac Miller. Nevertheless, the music lived on, with a number of great albums being released in 2018. Here are the 10 best hip hop albums of the year.
J. Cole – KOD
KOD is the fifth studio album by American rapper J. Cole. It was released on April 20, 2018, through Dreamville Records and Interscope Records. The album features guest appearances from Young Thug, kiLL edward, and Kendrick Lamar. The album’s artwork was designed by Cole’s younger cousin, Moses Aschampsinkou.
KOD debuted at number one on the US Billboard 200, earning 364,000 album-equivalent units in its first week (of which 109,000 were pure album sales). It is Cole’s fifth US number-one album. The album received generally positive reviews from critics who praised its production and themes.
Kendrick Lamar – DAMN.
Kendrick Lamar’s DAMN. was one of the best hip hop albums of 2018. It features a guest appearance from Rihanna on the track “Loyalty”, and production from Mike Will Made-It, Sounwave, DJ Dahi, Zacari, and The Alchemist.
Travis Scott – ASTROWORLD
ASTROWORLD is the third studio album by American rapper Travis Scott. It was released on August 3, 2018, by Cactus Jack Records, Epic Records and Grand Hustle Records. The album follows a two-year musical hiatus for Scott, who left his previous label Epic Records in late 2016 after the release of his second studio album, Birds in the Trap Sing McKnight (2016). In November 2017, Scott signed a record deal with Cactus Jack Records and Epic Records, worth a reported $8 million.
Following its announcement a few days prior to its release date, ASTROWORLD received generally positive reviews from music critics. The majority of praise was directed towards its production and Scott’s performance, while some criticism was aimed at the album’s length and features. Commercially, the album debuted atop the US Billboard 200 with 537,000 album-equivalent units earned in its first week. This made it Scott’s second US number-one album and marked the largest week for an R&B/hip hop album in over two years. Elsewhere, it also topped various international charts including Australia, Canada and Scotland. ASTROWORLD was supported by three singles: “Watch”, “Sicko Mode” and “Yosemite”.
Best Hip Hop Songs of 2018
Hip hop music has been on the rise in recent years, and 2018 was no different. From the surprise release of Kendrick Lamar’s “DAMN.” to J. Cole’s “KOD” album, there was no shortage of great hip hop music in 2018. In this article, we’ll countdown the best hip hop songs of the year.
“SICKO MODE” – Travis Scott
“SICKO MODE” is a song by American rapper Travis Scott. It was released on August 3, 2018, as the third single from his third studio album, Astroworld. The song features guest vocals from Canadian rapper Drake. The song became Scott’s first number one on the US Billboard Hot 100 chart, and Drake’s sixth. “SICKO MODE” is included in many year-end lists of the best songs of 2018.
“All the Stars” – Kendrick Lamar
All the Stars is a song by American rapper Kendrick Lamar and singer SZA. It was released on January 4, 2018, as the lead single from the soundtrack album for the film Black Panther (2018). All the Stars peaked at number seven on the US Billboard Hot 100.
“Nonstop” – Drake
“Nonstop” is a song recorded by Canadian rapper Drake. It was released on April 19, 2018, as the lead single from his fifth studio album, Scorpion (2018). The song was written by Aubrey Graham, Quavious Keyate Marshall, Ronald LaTour, Noel Cadastre, Matthew Samuels and Yuri Jones, with production handled by Tay Keith, Boi-1da and Cubeatz. “Nonstop” prominently features a sample of “Closer to God” by English rock band New Order. The song accumulated over 37 million streams in its first week of release in the United States.
In Canada, “Nonstop” debuted at number 46 on the Canadian Hot 100 and peaked at number 12. The song also debuted at number 95 on the US Billboard Hot 100 and reached number four. Internationally, it peaked within the top 10 of several major markets, including Australia, Belgium (Flanders), Denmark and New Zealand. The song received a double platinum certification from the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) for accumulating over two million units in the country.
