In between keeping up with all of the feuds, drama and tragedies that dogged hip-hop in 2018, there was still time to enjoy numerous top-tier records, including Cardi B's wild debut, Lil Wayne's long-awaited Tha Carter V, and Vince Staples' electrifying FM!.
Atmosphere
Mi Vida Local
On their ninth album, the Minneapolis hip-hop duo continue to reflect on middle-aged life.
Big Freedia
3rd Ward Bounce
Thrilling major-label debut EP from New Orleans' beloved ambassador of bounce.
Black Eyed Peas
Masters of the Sun, Vol. 1
Triumphant throwback to the trio's late-'90s focus on lyrical dexterity and boom-bap beats.
Black Milk
Fever
The producer/MC's first rap album since 2014 is a tense, often grim, always riveting affair.
BROCKHAMPTON
iridescence
Chart-topping fourth effort from the hip-hop crew blurs genres and sharpens their creative focus.
Cardi B
Invasion of Privacy
Impressive and entertaining debut from the Bronx rapper that balances her cartoonish boasts with unflinching vulnerability.
Czarface / MF Doom
Czarface Meets Metal Face
Fun, somewhat casual sparring match between superhero Czarface (7L & Esoteric and Inspectah Deck) and villan MF Doom.
Dabrye
Three/Three
Almost 12 years after Two/Three, Tadd Mullinix completes his hip-hop trilogy with help from a cast including Doom, Ghostface, and Georgia Anne Muldrow.
Denzel Curry
TA13OO
Infusing his rhymes with deep introspection and substance, Curry dives into darkness while maturing on album three.
Dr. Octagon
Moosebumps: An Exploration into Modern Day Horripilation
Kool Keith reunites with the Automator and DJ Q-Bert for the first true sequel to Dr. Octagon's classic 1996 debut.
Earl Sweatshirt
Some Rap Songs
The third album from this innovational rapper finds him taking risks with warped lo-fi beats and jagged, dreamlike production.
Edan / Homeboy Sandman
Humble Pi
Brief yet explosive collaboration between endlessly creative MC Homeboy Sandman and psych-rap maestro Edan.
Jean Grae / Quelle Chris
Everything's Fine
On their first collaborative full-length, newly engaged couple Jean Grae and Quelle Chris reflect on staying normal and sane in today's society.
Kanye West
Ye
The outspoken rapper's complicated eighth set orbits around mental health and a difficult period of personal struggle.
![Black Panther: The Album [Music from and Inspired By]](https://fastly-s3.allmusic.com/release/mr0004841102/front/400/C5IXhCGrtpDXqtFiEO1b2gSijaXJlYnq0St31qpAJWo=.jpg)
Kendrick Lamar
Black Panther: The Album [Music from and Inspired By]
Powered by Kendrick Lamar, the soundtrack to the culturally momentous Marvel Studios film features SZA, Future, and several South African artists.
Kid Cudi / Kids See Ghosts / Kanye West
Kids See Ghosts
This eponymous debut from Kanye West and Kid Cudi is a compact, lushly produced, and thrilling collaboration.
Lil Peep
Come Over When You're Sober, Pt. 2
Culled from previously unreleased tracks, the posthumous sequel to this emo rapper's 2017 debut has an eerie significance in the wake of his untimely death.
Lil Wayne
Tha Carter V
The long-awaited fifth and final Carter volume exhibits the rapper on an upswing.
Migos
Culture II
The sequel to the trio's 2017 triplet-trap breakthrough features an all-star guest list spanning 24 tracks.
Nipsey Hussle
Victory Lap
After years of buildup, the South Central rapper makes his major-label debut without sacrificing his trademark authenticity.
Noname
Room 25
Remarkable debut album from Chicagoan rapper/poet Noname, effortlessly blending introspection with humor over lush, jazzy arrangements.
Phonte
No News Is Good News
Second solo album from the Little Brother and Foreign Exchange veteran confronts grim realities and celebrates new love.
Pusha T
Daytona
Characteristically terse and trenchant work from the GOOD Music president, supported by grimace-inducing beats from Kanye West.
Quando Rondo
Life After Fame
Second mixtape from Georgia rapper who blew up overnight with his first release just five months earlier.
Saba
Care for Me
Second album by this Chicago rapper is an emotionally complex and painfully vulnerable reaction to the murder of a close family member.
Sami Baha
Free for All
Fascinating, innovative debut album from Turkish beatmaker Sami Baha, offering a global perspective on the trap phenomenon.
Suicideyear
Color the Weather
Ambitious full-length from Louisiana's Suicideyear, whose variation on trap is stark yet complex and emotion-rich.
Swae Lee / Rae Sremmurd / Slim Jxmmi
SR3MM
Three-part third album that presents a disc of Sremmurd tunes alongside a solo offering from both Slim Jxmmi and Swae Lee.
The Carters
Everything Is Love
Hand in hand, hip-hop's reigning couple triumph over marital strife with confidence and style.
Travis Scott
Astroworld
The Houstonian's third solo album, titled after his hometown's demolished theme park, contains some of his most vivid and vulnerable material.
Vince Staples
FM!
Brisk third LP from the Long Beach emcee that overflows with addictive beats and thrilling bars.
Young Fathers
Cocoa Sugar
The Scottish trio set out to make a "linear" third album but wound up with their least classifiable, most unique work yet.
