Another year, another top 10 album list that I have created which embraces the likes of J. Cole, Denzel Curry, Mac Miller, Cozz and more. 2018 saw many, many, dope album releases from artists who are relevant today in the world of HipHop, to some artists who you can say made a comeback with albums they delivered this year. Creating these lists is always tough, having to pick and choose which set of sounds you loved the most. For me, I choose the albums that made me feel some type of way, albums that I regularly had in my playlist. Be warned, this top ten album list isn’t about the hype surrounding certain artists within the industry like other blogs and media outlets base their list’s off. Let’s get started.
10. TA13OO By Denzel Curry
Denzel Curry brings a lot of bangers to the table with his album TA13BOO which was highly anticipated for quite sometime. Curry took a different route with the album than what fans are mostly used to, creating the album and spacing the track within four different elements. He speaks on some deep topics within himself on tracks like “TA13OO”, “Black Balloon”, “Clout Cobain”. Curry also makes sure to bring some up tempo bangers to the table. Those songs consists of “Percz”, “Sumo”, and “Switch It Up”. I loved the vibe and production Denzel Curry created with TA13OO, therefore earning the tenth spot on the list.
9. TESTING By A$AP Rocky
At first, I didn’t know what to expect with A$AP Rocky’s third studio album TESTING, but after taking a few listens I came to realize Rocky had a gem on his hands. I feel as if he went back to a similar style that he had with his mixtapes and tracks like “Peso”. From the beginning track “A$AP Forever” with Kid Cudi to the last track “Purity” featuring Frank Ocean, Rocky delivered on each song. He spoke on how he has been living since fame struck, spoke about the government, and chose some stellar dark production that we are use to Rocky spitting over. Some of my favorites include “A$AP Forever”, “Black Tux, White Collar”, “Changes” and “Purity”. Flacko had me surprised with the album and content since I wasn’t a huge fan of his second studio album. TESTING takes the ninth spot on the list.
8. I Can’t Take Me Anywhere By Skizzy Mars & Prelow
Skizzy Mars and Prelow delivered a collaborative album that included a vibe after vibe. The whole project follows that vibe of love and drugs, in which the artists are well known for. They stick to their strengths and created I Can’t Take Me Anywhere a 9 track album which you can play straight through. At times the set of sounds will have you reminiscing about an ex, or thinking about your current partner, placing you in the environment that Skizzy and Prelow speak about within the songs. I am more than positive anybody can relate to these songs in some type of way, and I can’t complain about that. Eighth spot is given to Skizzy Mars & Prelow with I Can’t Take Me Anywhere.
7. Redemption By Jay Rock
At last, I feel Jay Rock is FINALLY getting the recognition that he deserves coming from that TDE camp. Sure it may have taken the OG a few albums to get it, but Redemption had to be the album to do that, and it did. Speaking on his near death experience, living in the parts he grew up in and battling what he has battled the artist felt redeemed and dropped an awesome album. The album had plenty of standouts like “For What It’s Worth”, “OSOM” featuring J. Cole, “Wow Freestyle” with Kendrick Lamar and the mainstream hit “King’s Dead” featuring Kendrick and Future. This album had me feeling like a winner, and had me bumping this bad boy since the day it was released. I’m guessing that is what Jay Rock was going for with Redemption, if so he succeeded and it stands firmly on seventh out of the top ten albums.
6. Effected By Cozz
The Dreamville lyricist had one of the most underrated albums of 2018 in my opinion. Cozz gave his fans the 14 track album Effected with features from J. Cole, Kendrick Lamar, Curren$y and Garren, not too many features and that is something you usually don’t see now a days. Cozz keeps that old school rap sound with the album while spitting lyrical flows over the solid old school/new school production. He didn’t convey to what the industry is headed towards right now, and that is what makes the album even more great. This album has a solid tracklist that will have you not wanting to skip a song. speaking on family, troubles with females and his life overall. Standouts include “Questions”, “Freaky 45”, “Not A Minute More” and “Zendaya”. J. Cole knew what he had in Cozz when he signed him, and the artist delivers with the album Effected which nearly cracks the top five but peaks at 6.
5. K. Roosevelt By K. Roosevelt
We begin the top five with the laid back and smooth album that is K. Roosevelt by K. Roosevelt. The singer/songwriter had himself a year, signing with Def Jam and releasing the self titled album and many visuals to go along with it. Bringing an old school 80’s vibe with the album is what I love the most, using real instruments to create this masterpiece. The album follows a same pattern, in which K. Roosevelt finds himself singing and speaking about his love interests. I really enjoy every aspect of this album, and I’ve been a fan of his since his days with HS87. It is nice to see K. Roosevelt hitting the music scene hard again and delivering them good ol’ hits. Standouts include “Adrenaline”, “Hangover”, “Feelings Don’t Change” and “Blinding My Vision”. K. Roosevelt finds itself at number 5.
4. Kids See Ghosts By Kids See Ghosts
My teenage dreams came to life this past year when Kanye West announced he and Kid Cudi would be collaborating on a joint album. That album came to be Kids See Ghosts the seven track self titled album under the duo’s stage name, Kids See Ghosts. We all know how Kanye helped Cudi gain major success back he signed the artist to his G.O.O.D Music label in which Kid Cudi released 4 successful studio albums under. Fall out’s happened between the big brother and little brother, but as siblings do, they made up the best way musical genius could, and that was creating an album while pouring their pain and success with in it. Kids See Ghosts was full with lyrics about addiction and suicidal thoughts, but yet filled with outcries of not letting those things get to them, outcries of overcoming. Standouts include “Fire”, “Reborn”, “Kids See Ghosts” and “Cudi Montage”. This album came at a time in which many HipHop heads and fans of both Ye and Cudi never thought would happen, they defied those odds and Kids See Ghosts met their own ghosts and defeated them. Kids See Ghosts lands on the fourth spot of the list.
S3. KOD By J. Cole
J. Cole did it again with his fifth studio album and third straight with no features, as he delivered the deep messaged KOD. Cole hit the masses hard with the release of KOD as he spoke on issues like drug addiction, greed, depression, anxiety, lust, topics many artists will not do now a days. Why? Simply because it may not sale as much as other content will, but that doesn’t stop J. Cole from going against the grain and dropping an amazing album filled with those topics. Standouts include “Photograph”, “Brackets”, “Friends” and “1985” in which he basically fathered Lil Pump and other artists of Pump’s caliber. Cole should have been nominated for a Grammy with this masterpiece, but once again the Dreamville head honcho is overlooked within the industry, but I made sure not to do the same as other outlets do. KOD makes the top three on my 2018 best albums list.
2. Care For Me By Saba
Care For Me was one of the most overlooked albums of 2018, as Chicago’s Saba created a masterpiece when he was feeling at some of his lowest points in life. Saba tackles and creates songs on the album based around the death of his cousin, John Walt who’s real name was Walter Long Jr. He dealt with depression, anger, sadness, after the fatal stabbing of his cousin. The artist even speaks on relationships he tried with “Broken Girls” the second track off the album, speaks on death chasing one in the third track “LIFE”. “Prom/King” may be one of the more heart felt songs as Saba speaks on his cousin Walter with some of their past, going to prom back in high school when their relationship really took off. When I listen to Care For Me I can hear the pain and emotions that the artist put within the lyrics and production, a set of songs that I don’t skip, but play through from song 1 to song 10. Standouts include each track, literally, refer back to the last sentence. If you didn’t know about the name Saba, well, you should introduce yourself to the Chicago artist and Pivot Gang leader with the album Care For Me, then head back in time and peep his older projects. Care For Me comfortably finds itself on my second best album of 2018.
1. Swimming By Mac Miller
Before the surprise passing of Mac Miller this past year, he gifted fans with his fifth studio album and last with Swimming. We all knew Mac suffered from drug addiction because of how open he was within his songs, and this album was Mac’s nod to getting sober and cleaning himself up because he simply wanted to live. Swimming was beautifully constructed in it’s two year span of creation, painting a picture of a man who was lost but was finding hope as he was drowning but now found himself swimming. The 13 track album brought that hope to life over some stellar production that at times included some jazz inspired sounds. One thing about Mac Miller and the albums he created was each had it’s own sound, neither one sounded like the other when comparing them. Swimming kept that trend alive. This was Mac’s best work to date, and had many fans and critics excited for what the artist had under his sleeve for other upcoming albums. Sadly we will never get to see what Mac Miller did have planned, but his music lives forever. Legends never die. It’s sort of like Mac knew that his life was coming to an end sooner rather than later, and gave the world Swimming, to show how much he was working on himself and was happy even through the rough patches. Swimming takes the top spot on my list of best album of 2018, R.I.P to the late but great Mac Miller, who’s voice will live forever.
Thank you for taking time out of your day to read the list. Leave your comments and thoughts if you think I should’ve included other albums. What were your top ten albums of 2018? I would like to know, so leave that comment or tweet at us at our Twitter handles @BeKnownPosts and @TianMP
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