Top Hip Hop and Rap Music of 2018

Here are the top hip hop and rap songs of 2018 so far. This year has seen a lot of great music from some of the biggest names in the genre.

Cardi B

Cardi B is an American hip hop recording artist. She first attracted attention for discussing her career as a stripper on social media. In late 2016, she released her debut single “Bodak Yellow”, which peaked at number one on the US Billboard Hot 100 chart, making her the second female rapper to top the chart with a solo single after Lauryn Hill in 1998.

Childish Gambino

Childish Gambino, also known as Donald Glover, is an actor, singer, rapper, and writer. He first gained recognition for his role on the NBC comedy series Community. In 2016, he released his album “Awaken, My Love!” which debuted at number five on the Billboard 200 chart. In 2018, he released two singles, “This Is America” and “Summertime Magic”. “This Is America” reached number one on the Billboard Hot 100 chart, making Childish Gambino the first hip hop artist to achieve this feat with a song that was not commercially released as a single.

Drake

On October 24, 2018, Drake released his fifth studio album Scorpion. The double album achieved record-breaking streaming numbers, becoming the first album to be streamed over one billion times in its first week of release. The album’s lead single, “Nonstop”, peaked at number two on the US Billboard Hot 100 and broke the record for most Spotify streams in a single day by a single artist.

Kendrick Lamar

Kendrick Lamar is an American rapper, songwriter, and record producer who started his career as a teenager. He has released four studio albums, each of which has topped the US Billboard 200 chart. His most recent album, DAMN., was released in April 2017 and won a Pulitzer Prize for music.

J. Cole

J. Cole is an American hip hop artist who released his debut album in 2011. He is considered one of the most successful rappers of all time, with multiple Grammy Awards and Platinum-selling albums. His fourth album, 4 Your Eyez Only, was released in 2016 and was nominated for four Grammy Awards. Cole is also a talented producer, and he has worked with a variety of other artists including Kendrick Lamar, Justin Timberlake, and Missy Elliott.

Migos

Migos is an American hip hop trio from Lawrenceville, Georgia, founded in 2008. The trio is composed of three rappers known by their stage names Takeoff, Quavo and Offset. They are managed by Coach K, the founder of Quality Control Music, an Atlanta-based record label.

Migos released their commercial debut single “Versace” in 2013, taken from their mixtape Y.R.N. (Young Rich Niggas). They went on to release several more singles including “Fight Night” (2014), “Look at My Dab” (2015), and their second album Culture (2017). Migos have also featured on several hip hop and pop songs including Lil Uzi Vert’s “Bad and Boujee”, which peaked at number one on the US Billboard Hot 100 chart in January 2017. Their fourth album Culture II was released in January 2018 and debuted atop the Billboard 200 chart.

Travis Scott

If you’re looking for a hip-hop artist who had a breakout year in 2018, Travis Scott is definitely at the top of the list. The Houston native released his third studio album, “Astroworld,” in August 2018, and it quickly shot to the top of the charts, debuting at #1 on the Billboard 200. The album was well-received by critics and fans alike, and its success helped make Travis Scott one of the biggest names in hip-hop.

Big Sean

One of the most popular hip hop and rap artists of 2018, Big Sean has released a number of hits this year. His track “Bounce Back” was a huge hit, reaching number 6 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart. Other popular tracks include “Moves”, “Jump Out the Window”, and “I Don’t Fuck with You”.

Khalid

Khalid is an American singer and songwriter from El Paso, Texas. He is signed to Right Hand Music Group and RCA Records. His debut single, “Location”, was released in 2016 and peaked at number 16 on the US Billboard Hot 100 chart and was later certified quadruple platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA). His debut studio album, American Teen, was released on March 3, 2017. The album received positive reviews from critics and debuted at number four on the Billboard 200 chart in the United States. Khalid’s second studio album, Free Spirit, was released on April 5, 2019.

Lil Uzi Vert

Lil Uzi Vert is an American hip hop recording artist from Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Signed to Atlantic Records in 2016, his commercial debut single “Money Longer” peaked at number 67 on the Billboard Hot 100. In August 2017, he released his debut studio album Luv Is Rage 2, which debuted at number one on the Billboard 200. Its lead single, “XO Tour Llif3”, peaked at number seven on the Hot 100 and was certified double platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA).