The sound of 2018's Stay Dangerous is defined by longtime collaborator Mustard, meaning everything is in its bouncy, West Coast place, while YG busts out his rolodex to coax attention-grabbing guest turns from Quavo on the old-school "SLAY," and 2 Chainz on the star-studded single "Big Bank," along with Nicki Minaj and Big Sean. Over the past three years, YG has discovered his ideal lane and gotten down to the nitty gritty work of honing and sharpening his craft within it.
On "Cocaine," Royce painfully reflects about his father's drug addiction, while also addressing his own fears as a man on the blissful "Outside." Though Royce relishes his title of elite lyricist, on Book of Ryan, he shines brighter as an intrepid soul unafraid of embracing his muddy past. While his lyrical dexterity remains unmatched ("Godspeed") it's his unrelenting honesty that cuts the deepest throughout this 22-track endeavor. Known for his exemplary wordplay, the criminally underrated Royce Da 5'9'' crafted his most complete album with Book of Ryan in March. Walk along with us as we dish out our top 20 rap albums from an unforgettable 2018. We even watched the thrilling return of Philly's prodigal son (and Drake's former main foe) Meek Mill, who celebrated his comeback this month with his Billboard 200 chart-topper, Championships. and Tierra Whack carved new lanes for themselves with indomitable projects.Īnd though Drake and Pusha T got embroiled in a searing lyrical showdown, both separately doled out stellar albums showcasing their exemplary skills on the mic. We had luminaries such as Nas, Kanye and Nicki Minaj returning to the fold with much-anticipated releases, while emerging talents such as Saba, J.I.D. The year 2018 saw everybody, yes, everybody, fighting for a seat at the table in the rap world.