2018 Favorites in Hip-Hop and R&B
2018 was, undeniably, the year of hip-hop. Rap songs took over the top charts as artists like Drake and Travis Scott garnered millions of streams across various platforms. In the past year, hip-hop cemented itself as a staple of modern pop culture. The ubiquity of hip-hop over the course of the year thrusted African American culture and black excellence into the spotlight while giving voice to the community. Below is a list of my top hip-hop and R&B tracks from the 2018 calendar year:
Excited (Saba)
PROM / KING (Saba)
Dedicate (Lil Wayne)
CAROUSEL (Travis Scott)
HEAVEN ALL AROUND ME (Saba)
SMILE (Saba)
SICKO MODE (Travis Scott)
Nice for What (Drake)
Goodbyes (Jorja Smith)
LIFE (Saba)
The Man Who Has Everything (Chance the Rapper)
Small Worlds (Mac Miller)
BROKEN GIRLS (Saba)
Kevin’s Heart (J. Cole)
U Turn (Mick Jenkins)
Lifeboats [Freestyle] (Jorja Smith)
Understood (Mick Jenkins)
435 (Tyler, the Creator)
infinity [888] (XXXTENTACION, feat. Joey Bada$$)
SKELETONS (Travis Scott)
BUSY / SIRENS (Saba, feat. theMIND)
Workin Out (JID)
Got Friends (GoldLink, feat. Miguel)
Jet Fuel (Mac Miller)
HOUSTONFORNICATION (Travis Scott)
BRACKETS (J. Cole)
Oodles O’ Noodles Babies (Meek Mill)
Potato Salad (Tyler, the Creator and A$AP Rocky)
Bubblin (Anderson .Paak)
Gwendolynn's Apprehension (Mick Jenkins)
Blue Tint (Drake)
Championships (Meek Mill)
OKRA (Tyler, the Creator)
Lost and Found (Jorja Smith)
BUTTERFLY EFFECT (Travis Scott)
Stay Right Here (Saba, feat. Xavier Omãr and Mick Jenkins)
Sandra’s Rose (Drake)
Violent Crimes (Kanye West)
ASTROTHUNDER (Travis Scott)
Infatuation (Takeoff)
10 Freaky Girls (Metro Boomin, feat. 21 Savage)
I Am (Jorja Smith)
Skrawberries (JID, feat. BJ the Chicago Kid)
Killer (Kali Uchis)
I Might Need Security (Chance the Rapper)
February 3 (Jorja Smith)
CAN’T SAY (Travis Scott)
Litty Again [Freestyle] (Tory Lanez)
Big Shot (Kendrick Lamar and Travis Scott)
Sundress (A$AP Rocky)
SAD! (XXXTentacion)
All the Stars (Kendrick Lamar and SZA)
Going Bad (Meek Mill, feat. Drake)
Your Teeth In My Neck (Kali Uchis)
Champion (NAV, feat. Travis Scott)
the remedy for a broken heart [why am I so in love] (XXXTENTACION)
STARGAZING (Travis Scott)
Wow Freestyle (Jay Rock, feat. Kendrick Lamar)
RERUN (Quavo, feat. Travis Scott)
REEL IT IN (Aminé)
COFFEE BEAN (Travis Scott)
Tony Tone (A$AP Rocky)
Off da Zoinkys (JID)
Feel the Love (Kids See Ghosts, feat. Pusha T)
Stir Fry (Migos)
Drip Too Hard (Lil Baby and Gunna)
The Games We Play (Pusha T)
Tweakin’ (Vince Stapes)
Open it Up (Migos)
TAPE (BROCKHAMPTON)
This is America (Childish Gambino)
Overdue (Metro Boomin, feat Travis Scott)
All Mine (Kanye West)
DR. WHOEVER (Aminé)
KOD (J. Cole)
92 Explorer (Post Malone)
Tints (Anderson .Paak, feat. Kendrick Lamar)
1985 [Intro to the “Fall Off”] (J. Cole)
151 Rum (JID)
YOSEMITE (Travis Scott)
Opps (Vince Staples and Yugen Blakrok)
Be Careful (Cardi B)
TONYA (BROCKHAMPTON)
God’s Plan (Drake)
I Am the Grinch (Tyler, the Creator)
Moonlight (XXXTENTACION)
King’s Dead (Jay Rock, Kendrick Lamar, Future, and James Blake)
Dark Side of the Moon (Lil Wayne, feat. Nicki Minaj)
Summertime Magic (Childish Gambino)
All Girls Are the Same (Juice WRLD)
Sin (Young Thung, feat. Jaden Smith)
Yes Indeed (Lil Baby and Drake)
Hopeless Romantic (Wiz Khalifa feat. Swae Lee)
Mona Lisa (Lil Wayne, feat. Kendrick Lamar)
Diplomatic Immunity (Drake)
I Do (Cardi B, feat. SZA)
Reborn (KIDS SEE GHOSTS)
‘Til It’s Over (Anderson .Paak)
Leave Me Alone (Flipp Dinero)
Look Alive (BlocBoy JB feat. Drake)
Click here to listen to the entire playlist. Leave a comment below to share your favorite tracks from 2018.
