Everything that glitters isn’t gold and everything that goes Gold isn’t fire.
Without further adieu, ladies and ladies, here are the 2018 rap albums that created more conversations than commendations.
Kanye West – Ye
After giving Wyoming its biggest pop culture moment to date, Yeezy ultimately revealed he spent more time hyping his self-titled album than supplying heat for its tracklist.
The Diplomats – Diplomatic Ties
Fifteen years ago, Dipset was running the rap game streets with a bulletproof double album. As you can hear, time isn’t always kind to the movement.
A$AP Rocky – Testing
While many had thought he retired to become a fashion model, Lord Pretty Jodye made them question why the rumor wasn’t a reality with this tepid release.
Migos – Culture II
The superstar Atlanta trio forgot that focus is a key ingredient to making a great album.
Quavo – Quavo Huncho
The Migos superstar frontman forgot that focus is a key ingredient to making a great album.
Machine Gun Kelly – Binge
Only a first generation Stan would claim the Eminem-diss “Rap Devil” didn’t pack a punch. That said, the other eight tracks on this project never needed to exist.
Lupe Fiasco – DROGAS Wave
Overall execution was Lupe’s downfall in this ambitious yet abstract concept album.
YG – Stay Dangerous
The quest for bigger Billboard placements found Bompton’s mayor way outside his typically funky gangsta bops.
Nore – 5E
The Drink Champ coincidentally showed us why Joe Budden’s headstrong retirement is probably the best decision. Once your profession takes you out of the booth, it’s not going to be a cakewalk return.
UGS4LIFE – Fck The Lamestream
At this point in time, it’s obvious Hip Hop has altered its top sound to attract a wider audience. There’s still no excuse to release garbage like this.
NAV – Reckless
The XO crooner has plenty of strengths in the studio. Just not on his own projects.
The Most Disappointing Albums of the Year (Tie)
Nas – Nasir
After participating in Kanye’s seven-song album folly, an unfocused and bored-sounding Nas walked through the motions of giving 2018 a taste of 1994’s lyricism standards. After a six-year solo album hiatus, the true heads demand better.
Nicki Minaj – Queen
Even at 20 songs deep and over an hour long, this album’s biggest claim to fame is waging a war against Travis Scott tour merch while failing to ignite enough buzz to get the NickiHndrxx Tour off the ground.
Feel free to insert whatever ex-couple Queens jokes.
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That nas album wasn’t great, but it’s better than most of the stuff on your best of 2018 list, peace
Asap Rocky testing was definitely dope..
It really was!
Lupe did not disappoint at all. I don’t care for Nicki (maybe that’s why I’m not disappointed) but it wasn’t terrible. Nas was the most disappointing but better than a lot on this list, nobody else on this list should have had any real expectations so they can’t really disappoint. It’s cool to tear down the legends even when they still put out better music than the up and comers, that’s why this article is “most disappointing” instead of “worst albums”.
Lupes album was AOTY hands down. If you think it was disappointing you clearly didn’t give it or give it enough time to sink in. We should reward artists for making highly lyrical, complex, and conceptual albums like this. I’m a fan, but not one that loves everything Drogas Lite and Lasers were wack as hell. Drogas Wave is the second best album in Lupes catalog and #1 of the year.
only a lupe fan can like lupes music lol
You fuck with Xan and Pump huh?
I agree, Knowledge. These dudes are use to the corporate rappers and foolish antics.
I’m not a Lupe fan like that, but this is one of my favorite albums of the year for sure. First Lupe album I liked in years, don’t understand how it’s on this list. Also liked Ye and A$AP’s Testing a lot
YG hands down for me. To go from Still Brazy which was damn near a classic imo to Stay Dangerous is sad.
Drogas wave AOTY. Foh. Just look at the reader score on the review. nuff said.
I’m not down with your testing opinion!
It was great in many way like lyrics,beats,mix!!!
But every other yeah you right!
How’s the Nas album “Most Disappointing” yet still better than most of the “Best of 2018” list?
I’m not sure what you were expecting if DROGAS WAVE disappointed you. Maybe your expectations were misdirected. To me it’s definitely one of the BEST albums of 2018. User rating under the album review says it all too. Real heads recognize. Peace
Migos, Quavo and Nav are disappointing? How can they be disappointing when most people expected them all to be garbage from the jump.
testing should not be on this list…. other than that I think BINGE was the most trash out of all these. MGK had the chance to drop a project to boost his career but he released the worst album in a long time. Complete garbage.
I’d take Nasir off the list too solely for the production value alone. It was a good album.
Putting Lupe’s Drogas WAVE on the list for most disappointing, clearly you have NO RIGHT to comment on what’s hip-hop. I reward you no points… And may God have mercy on your soul. #KILLYOURSELF
Putting Lupe on this List is a joke. Putting Jay and Bey on the best of list is also a joke.
ya’ll tripping hard putting drogas on this list. it’s actually one of the best albums of 2018 but guess it’s a bit too much to grasp for a hip hop site promoting mentally challenged rappers
I couldn’t agree more with their list…However, Nas’s album was pretty damn slept-on to me. That album was damn good. But Kanye’s twist did make it go under the radar.
Nasir has three or four songs that are amazing. That’s half the album… and it flows well overall.
All the new school rappers put out disappointing albums. Kids for the most part do not know what good music is. There is no difference between the backstreet boys and today’s rapper. They’re overhyped with no talent.
Yes the Ye affiliation wasn’t smart. Nikki has never been the best. She created an only.. for a minute. I’m just happy to see more female artists. YG…. I’m still trying to figure out the meaning of the white folks money and all that.. like what?????
You’ve got to be kidding, having Lupe on this list. I’m liking this site less and less every day.