The Best Hip Hop Songs of 2018

The best verses deserve to be celebrated.

In an era where "Vibe" is judged with increasing importance, one might think that the art of penmanship would take a backseat. After all, skeptics have been declaring hip-hop dead for years now. Yet 2018 brought upon a variety of ridiculous verses, with no shortage of bars, multisyllabic rhyme schemes, flows, and cadences. In fact, I daresay that lyricism has been flourishing, keeping both the craft and Funkmaster Flex alive in equal measure.

At this point, it seems futile to worry about the state of rap; such narratives seem to have sorted themselves out organically, as artists continue to put time, love and thought into their writing. If it wasn't already evident, this year proved that "lyrical rap" was still alive and well, put forth by sources both stalwart and unexpected. Dispel your notions of "rappity rap" and "lyrical miracle" nonsense; the best verses arise from nuance, from structure, from context. Of course, one's technical prowess must be exceptional, but innate skill is but one step in the formula.

Though the selection process was difficult, the following twelve verses stand out as true marks of excellence. Behold, the best verses of 2018.

12. XXXTentacion - “Infinity (888)"

11. Pusha T - "The Games We Play"

10. Royce Da 5’9” - "Not Alike"

9. JID - "Off Da Zoinkys"

8. Don Toliver - "Can’t Say"

7. J. Cole - "My Boy"

6. Tory Lanez - “Litty Again”

5. Meechy Darko "U & I"

4. Young Thug - "Offshore"

3. Eminem - "The Ringer"

2. Jay-Z - "What’s Free"

1. J-Cole - "Boblo Boat"

Comments

Lil Wayne Wants Out Of Cash Money

If it seems like Lil Wayne 's upcoming album, Tha Carter V , has gotten caught in a holding pattern, that's because the rapper says it is. In a series of tweets , Weezy criticized Cash Money – the label that has released all of his albums and is home to the Young Money imprint he founded – likening his contract to a prison sentence. "To all my fans, I want you to know that my album won't and hasn't been released bekuz [label co-founder] Baby and Cash Money Records refuse to release it," he wrote. "This is not my fault. I am truly and deeply sorry to all my fans but most of all to myself and my family for putting us in this situation. "I want off this label and nothing to do with these people but unfortunately it ain't that easy," he continued. "I am a prisoner and so is my creativity. Again, I am truly sorry and I don't blame ya if ya fed up with waiting for me and this album. But thank you." A Cash Money representative did ...

Azealia Banks Says Rachel Dolezal Scandal Is Like a MADtv Skit

Yesterday, Rachel Dolezal appeared on the Today Show telling the nation, "I identify as Black." The former NAACP President of the Washington Chapter , has been enduring a media firestorm since the news broke that she has been falsely living her life as a Black woman. The often outspoken Azealia Banks, who isn't shy about utilizing social media to share her thoughts, hopped on her personal Twitter to reflect upon the whole Rachel Dolezal scandal. As the Harlem rapper started her dialogue, she asked, "Ok and this is it: why must one become a caricature of a black person to associate themselves with blackness/black institutions?" After letting people know she's been talking about this for years, she expressed some humor posting her thoughts on Rachel's chosen hairstyle, "LMFAO AT HER KINKY CURLY YAKI WIG THOOOOO OMGGGG." For more of Azealia's thoughts check out the slide and be sure to leave a comment with your thoughts.

U.S. Reclassifies Brittany Griner as "Wrongfully Detained" in Russia

According to ESPN, WNBA star Brittany Griner was reclassified by the U.S. as "wrongfully detained" by the Russian government, which could mean a big shift in her case and getting her back home. Griner, who plays for a Russian team during the WNBA offseason, was arrested in February at a Moscow-area airport and accused of bringing vape cartridges containing hashish oil into the country. Griner's agent, Lindsay Kagawa Colas spoke about the reclassification, stating, "Brittney has been detained for 75 days and our expectation is that the White House do whatever is necessary to bring her home." A State Department official also released a statement to ESPN, which reads, "The Department of State has determined that the Russian Federation has wrongfully detained U.S. citizen Brittney Griner. With this determination, the Special Presidential Envoy for Hostage Affairs Roger Carstens will lead the interagency team for securing Brittney Griner's release....

YEEMUZIK

Search This Blog