After creating the Top 10 Hip Hop Albums of 2018 I figured my job would not be complete unless I also showed everyone the dark side of the topic. Not every album that came out this year lived up to the stand of classic status, consensus praise, or even having the right to be called music. There are some albums that are so bad you should only listen to as a terrorist interrogation tactic. Here are the ten worst hip hop albums of 2018.
10. Playboi Carti - Die Lit
I will say this now, this album was better than I expected, but it's still pretty bad. The excuse a fan of this album will give you is "this album is meant to be fun, don't listen too much to the lyrics" and to that I say...that's exactly why it's on this list. Playboi Carti may just be the absolute worst rapper on this list, but he also has one of the best current producers on his side. Pierre put together some really good beats, there are a few that fell flat like "RIP", "Poke it Out", and "Love Hurts", but overall you can hear some real creative effort in most songs.
The worst part about this album is Carti and how little he brings to each track. He has the same rhyme scheme EVERY TRACK, he has the same punch lines EVERY TRACK, and all the tracks with features he was easily outshined. There was no "vibe" provided by Playboi Carti this entire album, if it were a beat tape by Pierre it would be good, maybe even great, but with Carti's lack of talent added this project is a waste.
Thank you Pitchfork for lying to the people by saying this was a great album. I recommend listening to this album only if there is an instrumental version.
9. Migos - Culture II
Many people will give this album a pass and say that it was underwhelming, but it's worse than that. The trio's chemistry didn't carry over from the first Culture album, and neither did the hit making magic. These are only a couple reasons the Migos have made the list this year, the ultimate reason why Migos have the 9th worse album this year is because they pretended to not know their identity. If you are a rap group that is known for your heavy trap influenced braggadocios raps you think they'd try to be the best form of that on every track...but they don't.
There's some tracks that sound so eager to chase radio play it fails to stand out. Most of the tracks sound the same, most of the lyrics are uninspired (even for their standard), and they rarely switch up the formula. Do they want the track to hit radio? Get Quavo to sing the hook. Does this song sound like the last song? Switch the order of the verses, that'll really change things up.
Well, as hard, or as little as they tried it doesn't work, and production can only do so much to save a lazy LONG album. If you like Migos, I recommend just listening to Culture I or Metro Boomin's Not all Heroes for enjoyment.
8. Quavo - Quavo Huncho
This really wasn't a good year for Migos, Takeoff's solo project wasn't that good, Offset has been all over the news trying to get Cardi B back, and this album came out. Expectations weren't really high on this album, but we were hoping to see the full range of his talents, spoiler alert, there is no range. There's a reason why Quavo does mostly hooks and really short verses on everything he's included on...that's the extent of his talents. Quavo is an artist not fit to make full albums for three simple reasons.
1) Quavo is really, really repetitive. 2) Mr. Huncho isn't a good writer (check "Big Bro" and "Bubble Gum" for examples). 3) He relies a lot on those around him. Ten of the nineteen tracks on this album have features, and they are much better than what Quavo could pull together by himself.
If you like the type of music Quavo makes I recommend listening to Migos' Culture I or 21 Savage's I am > I was album.
7. MadeinTYO - Sincerely, Tokyo
"This that mumble rap, mumble rap, yeah that don't want none of that, this that mubmle rap". You know what MadeinTYO you sure are right my dude, no one wanted this album. This album suffers from being a poor imitation of "Die Lit" and "Lil Boat". We all know that most imitations are never better than the real thing, so imagine one of the albums you imitated "poorly" being #10 on this list... The only thing saving it from being higher are the features and a few salvageable hooks here and there, dude can't rap well, but it's better than what I expected. His slower cuts are pretty tolerable when he isn't rapping about how many hoes he has or how many shoes he can buy.
Overall this album is just...lame. There's a reason he's below 100k views a video now. I'm so uninterested in MadeinTYO I really don't want to write more about him or this album.
6. Nicki Minaj - Queen
That's right, I said it, there's mumble rappers with better albums than "Insecurity: the album". This album is so poorly thought out, has nearly no identity, and is LITERALLY everywhere as far as content goes. What makes me so mad about this album is Nicki Minaj is easily the most talented artist on this list, she's also the most established. I can excuse radio friendly songs, a mixture of rap and singing, and even (the first few) shots taken at every female rapper who's name rhymes with Party P. What I cannot excuse is the "phone-it-in" sound and lack of confidence in her status in the rap game. But these issues are also a result of her status in the rap game...ironic right?
Most of the songs on this albums besides 3 or 4 seemed like they were fully constructed and Nicki was just called in to add her verses. The features on this album were pretty bad, outside of Eminem (who still wasn't needed) this album was just one lazy verse after another. As much as Barbs are going to defend Nicki Minaj til the ends of the Earth, you cannot defend that horrible last track/outro. I'll give Foxy Brown a pass since she was partially deaf for so long, but what was anyone in the studio thinking???
What really grinds my gears is there are small gimples of hope and talent with tracks like "LLC" and "Goof Form".These few solid tracks are buried underneath terrible tracks like "Sir", "Come See About Me", "Chun Swae", and "Bed". Collabs with Ariana Grande need to stop...seriously. There's no reason to continue singing on tracks with a superior vocalist who never matches the tone of your songs.
Queen is a wasted opportunity to explore new heights, to uplift, inspire, and empower other women...like a queen would. So instead we get a half-baked project, and a podcast for Nicki Minaj to blame all her failures on those around her for not immediately bowing to her accomplishments in hip hop.
If you want to check out some great female hip hop artist I recommend Rapsody's Laila's Wisdom, Noname Room 25, Princess Nokia 1992, and Tierra Whack Whack World.
5. Future & Juice WRLD - WRLD on Drugs
Talk about an album dead on arrival, this album in concept is a bad idea, let alone the actual execution. Future and Juice WRLD are total polar opposites in content. Both sung/rapped/autotuned over some pop trap beats about drugs, but as Juice WRLD speaks on the addiction in a sappy and sad manner, Future comes in with a boisterous and braggadocios view on being an addict, basically encouraging getting high, sipping lean, and spending money. Not to say that this album would have been good if it was only Juice WRLD, but at least the album would have an identity, it would have a singular purpose, and it wouldn't sound so bad. This project sounds like both artist were wanting to profit off star power, not actual talent. Hopefully no one bought this excuse for an actual album, because it sounds like a parody on SoundCloud emo rap.
If you like this type of music feel free to check out Young Thug Beautiful Thugger Girls , Gunna's Drip Harder, or Big KRIT's Trice X EP.
4. Nav - Reckless
Nav is the most uninteresting, uninspired, lazy artist of 2018. You know how some people will complain about how an artist's songs sound the same? This is a valid time to make that exact statement. Nav isn't a talented artist, he works with some great producers, but even then they can't save you from the epitome of mediocrity that is Nav. He doesn't have a good project in his discography, but this is easily one if the worst. Nav isn't only monotone, and over uses autotune, but he doesn't even do anything different. I can say that about everyone on this list, but Nav. This is an effortless beat tape with a computerized voice on top. Who is this for? Why was this made? I need answers.
If you like music with good vibes and solid slow trap production, check out Travis Scott's album Astroworld. Don't worry, you can get your fix for Nav with his guest verse on "Yosemite".
3. Lil Xan - Total Xanarchy
When I first heard this album I thought "this is going to be the worst album I hear all year"... I wasn't right, but it does let you know how terrible my listening experience was. Tracks like "Tick tock", "Diamonds", and "The Man" are laughable at best. There's also a wasted 2 Chainz verse on this album, but it sounded like a throwaway, which is the theme of this entire album...throw the whole album away. Xan has the same issue as Nav, he's not interesting, he's not inspired, and literally has nothing to say. There's nearly nothing redeemable about the production either, same generic trap production mixed in with a best from Diplo that is the most cringy thing I've heard outside of Bhad Bhabie trying to tell her come up story.
If you are a fan of Lil Xan I have nothing to recommend, as a matter of fact, you may like all the albums on this list, this may literally be your top 10. Just do us all a favor... Don't consider yourself a fan of hip hop, or real music.
2. Tekashi 6ix9ine - Dummy Boy
6ix9ine's laywer is gonna have a hard time explaining this one. Actually 6ix9ine's label is gonna have a hard time explaining this too, this album is horrible. If you want a way to waste all your time, this isn't how you want to do it. Dummy Boy is effortless, tasteless, and plain out garbage. The production is half baked, the lyrics are offensive, and the constant yelling is annoying as hell. Did I mention Kanye is on this album? Twice. Both guest verses were as trash as the rest of this mistake of an album.
Just to give you some perspective on how terrible the lyrics are... Here you go:
Tell him shut up, suck a dick
Tell him fuck him, I'm the shit
Bitch, I'm drunk recording this
I'm getting money, I'm the shit
Shout-out my Bloods, shout-out my Crips
That nigga, Ebro, he a bitch
Just another old nigga on a young nigga dick
The worst part about this album is the features don't contribute anything different...except Bobby Shmurda, not sure if it's just the excitement to hear his voice on a track, but his flow made "Stoopid" not feel like a complete waste of time. None of the songs have redeeming qualities outside of one guest verse, and that's saying something for a guy who is one of the biggest names of 2018. This album is just...stupid. This is why I don't like rappers that gain fame from memes. The ability to make a joke is more respected than the art they put out.
If you enjoy New York rap, or rappers that have stand out voices I recommended Joey Bada$$ All Amerikkkan Bada$$, DMX It's Dark and Hell is Hot, or JID DiCaprio 2.
1. Kodak Black - Heart break Kodak
Here it is... The worst album of 2018. This is the most painful listen I've had all year, it will bring you to tears with laughter, then it will throw you into a blind rage once you realize this man is making money off of this. Kodak and autotune doesn't mix...at all. It's like listening to nails on a chalkboard with a robot voice box filtering the sound. The production is just...there.
Some of the beats sound unfinished and the others aren't strong enough to drown out the whiny voice of Kodak Black. Even when he tried to make a point like in "Loyal", it completely falls apart. Also, the song "When Vultures Cry" (yeah, that's the real title) sounds like it was recorded in the back of a Ford Pinto with a walkie-talkie. He can't stay on beat, and if he does it's because the beat has so much space in it it's impossible to find an actual tempo.
To no one's surprise the content is absolutely TERRIBLE. He spends more time talking about his gold-plated guns, cars, and learn as he does the actual "heartbreak" he may cause or experience. The beats are as heartbreaking as the lyrics, which are also as heartbreaking as the time you'll never get back from listening to this trash heap called an album.
Did I mention that Heart break Kodak is seventeen tracks long??? This is the type of album you send to an ex after a breakup to make sure they never reconsider coming back. I'm sure this album is on the loud speaker and Alcatraz, because it's borderline torture. Everything about this album is pure trash, even the album cover itself. Looks like some high school senior's Adobe Photoshop project.
If you enjoy artist from Florida who talk about love and use autotune...listen to T-Pain Everything Must Go Vol. 1 & 2. Please listen to anything else if you think Kodak Black is quality music, this may be a shocker to you, but there are A LOT better rappers out here.
Honorable mentions:
1. Kanye West - ye (commercial album with the least replay value)
2. Sauce Walka - Drip God (it's just a black hipster yelling about being a fashionable thug)
3. Bhad Bhabie - 15 (might be the most profane album this year and she really needs better parents)
4. Tom MacDonald - Deaththreats (corniest album of the year)
10. Playboi Carti - Die Lit
I will say this now, this album was better than I expected, but it's still pretty bad. The excuse a fan of this album will give you is "this album is meant to be fun, don't listen too much to the lyrics" and to that I say...that's exactly why it's on this list. Playboi Carti may just be the absolute worst rapper on this list, but he also has one of the best current producers on his side. Pierre put together some really good beats, there are a few that fell flat like "RIP", "Poke it Out", and "Love Hurts", but overall you can hear some real creative effort in most songs.
The worst part about this album is Carti and how little he brings to each track. He has the same rhyme scheme EVERY TRACK, he has the same punch lines EVERY TRACK, and all the tracks with features he was easily outshined. There was no "vibe" provided by Playboi Carti this entire album, if it were a beat tape by Pierre it would be good, maybe even great, but with Carti's lack of talent added this project is a waste.
Thank you Pitchfork for lying to the people by saying this was a great album. I recommend listening to this album only if there is an instrumental version.
9. Migos - Culture II
Many people will give this album a pass and say that it was underwhelming, but it's worse than that. The trio's chemistry didn't carry over from the first Culture album, and neither did the hit making magic. These are only a couple reasons the Migos have made the list this year, the ultimate reason why Migos have the 9th worse album this year is because they pretended to not know their identity. If you are a rap group that is known for your heavy trap influenced braggadocios raps you think they'd try to be the best form of that on every track...but they don't.
There's some tracks that sound so eager to chase radio play it fails to stand out. Most of the tracks sound the same, most of the lyrics are uninspired (even for their standard), and they rarely switch up the formula. Do they want the track to hit radio? Get Quavo to sing the hook. Does this song sound like the last song? Switch the order of the verses, that'll really change things up.
Well, as hard, or as little as they tried it doesn't work, and production can only do so much to save a lazy LONG album. If you like Migos, I recommend just listening to Culture I or Metro Boomin's Not all Heroes for enjoyment.
8. Quavo - Quavo Huncho
This really wasn't a good year for Migos, Takeoff's solo project wasn't that good, Offset has been all over the news trying to get Cardi B back, and this album came out. Expectations weren't really high on this album, but we were hoping to see the full range of his talents, spoiler alert, there is no range. There's a reason why Quavo does mostly hooks and really short verses on everything he's included on...that's the extent of his talents. Quavo is an artist not fit to make full albums for three simple reasons.
1) Quavo is really, really repetitive. 2) Mr. Huncho isn't a good writer (check "Big Bro" and "Bubble Gum" for examples). 3) He relies a lot on those around him. Ten of the nineteen tracks on this album have features, and they are much better than what Quavo could pull together by himself.
If you like the type of music Quavo makes I recommend listening to Migos' Culture I or 21 Savage's I am > I was album.
7. MadeinTYO - Sincerely, Tokyo
"This that mumble rap, mumble rap, yeah that don't want none of that, this that mubmle rap". You know what MadeinTYO you sure are right my dude, no one wanted this album. This album suffers from being a poor imitation of "Die Lit" and "Lil Boat". We all know that most imitations are never better than the real thing, so imagine one of the albums you imitated "poorly" being #10 on this list... The only thing saving it from being higher are the features and a few salvageable hooks here and there, dude can't rap well, but it's better than what I expected. His slower cuts are pretty tolerable when he isn't rapping about how many hoes he has or how many shoes he can buy.
Overall this album is just...lame. There's a reason he's below 100k views a video now. I'm so uninterested in MadeinTYO I really don't want to write more about him or this album.
6. Nicki Minaj - Queen
That's right, I said it, there's mumble rappers with better albums than "Insecurity: the album". This album is so poorly thought out, has nearly no identity, and is LITERALLY everywhere as far as content goes. What makes me so mad about this album is Nicki Minaj is easily the most talented artist on this list, she's also the most established. I can excuse radio friendly songs, a mixture of rap and singing, and even (the first few) shots taken at every female rapper who's name rhymes with Party P. What I cannot excuse is the "phone-it-in" sound and lack of confidence in her status in the rap game. But these issues are also a result of her status in the rap game...ironic right?
Most of the songs on this albums besides 3 or 4 seemed like they were fully constructed and Nicki was just called in to add her verses. The features on this album were pretty bad, outside of Eminem (who still wasn't needed) this album was just one lazy verse after another. As much as Barbs are going to defend Nicki Minaj til the ends of the Earth, you cannot defend that horrible last track/outro. I'll give Foxy Brown a pass since she was partially deaf for so long, but what was anyone in the studio thinking???
What really grinds my gears is there are small gimples of hope and talent with tracks like "LLC" and "Goof Form".These few solid tracks are buried underneath terrible tracks like "Sir", "Come See About Me", "Chun Swae", and "Bed". Collabs with Ariana Grande need to stop...seriously. There's no reason to continue singing on tracks with a superior vocalist who never matches the tone of your songs.
Queen is a wasted opportunity to explore new heights, to uplift, inspire, and empower other women...like a queen would. So instead we get a half-baked project, and a podcast for Nicki Minaj to blame all her failures on those around her for not immediately bowing to her accomplishments in hip hop.
If you want to check out some great female hip hop artist I recommend Rapsody's Laila's Wisdom, Noname Room 25, Princess Nokia 1992, and Tierra Whack Whack World.
5. Future & Juice WRLD - WRLD on Drugs
Talk about an album dead on arrival, this album in concept is a bad idea, let alone the actual execution. Future and Juice WRLD are total polar opposites in content. Both sung/rapped/autotuned over some pop trap beats about drugs, but as Juice WRLD speaks on the addiction in a sappy and sad manner, Future comes in with a boisterous and braggadocios view on being an addict, basically encouraging getting high, sipping lean, and spending money. Not to say that this album would have been good if it was only Juice WRLD, but at least the album would have an identity, it would have a singular purpose, and it wouldn't sound so bad. This project sounds like both artist were wanting to profit off star power, not actual talent. Hopefully no one bought this excuse for an actual album, because it sounds like a parody on SoundCloud emo rap.
If you like this type of music feel free to check out Young Thug Beautiful Thugger Girls , Gunna's Drip Harder, or Big KRIT's Trice X EP.
4. Nav - Reckless
Nav is the most uninteresting, uninspired, lazy artist of 2018. You know how some people will complain about how an artist's songs sound the same? This is a valid time to make that exact statement. Nav isn't a talented artist, he works with some great producers, but even then they can't save you from the epitome of mediocrity that is Nav. He doesn't have a good project in his discography, but this is easily one if the worst. Nav isn't only monotone, and over uses autotune, but he doesn't even do anything different. I can say that about everyone on this list, but Nav. This is an effortless beat tape with a computerized voice on top. Who is this for? Why was this made? I need answers.
If you like music with good vibes and solid slow trap production, check out Travis Scott's album Astroworld. Don't worry, you can get your fix for Nav with his guest verse on "Yosemite".
3. Lil Xan - Total Xanarchy
When I first heard this album I thought "this is going to be the worst album I hear all year"... I wasn't right, but it does let you know how terrible my listening experience was. Tracks like "Tick tock", "Diamonds", and "The Man" are laughable at best. There's also a wasted 2 Chainz verse on this album, but it sounded like a throwaway, which is the theme of this entire album...throw the whole album away. Xan has the same issue as Nav, he's not interesting, he's not inspired, and literally has nothing to say. There's nearly nothing redeemable about the production either, same generic trap production mixed in with a best from Diplo that is the most cringy thing I've heard outside of Bhad Bhabie trying to tell her come up story.
If you are a fan of Lil Xan I have nothing to recommend, as a matter of fact, you may like all the albums on this list, this may literally be your top 10. Just do us all a favor... Don't consider yourself a fan of hip hop, or real music.
2. Tekashi 6ix9ine - Dummy Boy
6ix9ine's laywer is gonna have a hard time explaining this one. Actually 6ix9ine's label is gonna have a hard time explaining this too, this album is horrible. If you want a way to waste all your time, this isn't how you want to do it. Dummy Boy is effortless, tasteless, and plain out garbage. The production is half baked, the lyrics are offensive, and the constant yelling is annoying as hell. Did I mention Kanye is on this album? Twice. Both guest verses were as trash as the rest of this mistake of an album.
Just to give you some perspective on how terrible the lyrics are... Here you go:
Tell him shut up, suck a dick
Tell him fuck him, I'm the shit
Bitch, I'm drunk recording this
I'm getting money, I'm the shit
Shout-out my Bloods, shout-out my Crips
That nigga, Ebro, he a bitch
Just another old nigga on a young nigga dick
The worst part about this album is the features don't contribute anything different...except Bobby Shmurda, not sure if it's just the excitement to hear his voice on a track, but his flow made "Stoopid" not feel like a complete waste of time. None of the songs have redeeming qualities outside of one guest verse, and that's saying something for a guy who is one of the biggest names of 2018. This album is just...stupid. This is why I don't like rappers that gain fame from memes. The ability to make a joke is more respected than the art they put out.
If you enjoy New York rap, or rappers that have stand out voices I recommended Joey Bada$$ All Amerikkkan Bada$$, DMX It's Dark and Hell is Hot, or JID DiCaprio 2.
1. Kodak Black - Heart break Kodak
Here it is... The worst album of 2018. This is the most painful listen I've had all year, it will bring you to tears with laughter, then it will throw you into a blind rage once you realize this man is making money off of this. Kodak and autotune doesn't mix...at all. It's like listening to nails on a chalkboard with a robot voice box filtering the sound. The production is just...there.
Some of the beats sound unfinished and the others aren't strong enough to drown out the whiny voice of Kodak Black. Even when he tried to make a point like in "Loyal", it completely falls apart. Also, the song "When Vultures Cry" (yeah, that's the real title) sounds like it was recorded in the back of a Ford Pinto with a walkie-talkie. He can't stay on beat, and if he does it's because the beat has so much space in it it's impossible to find an actual tempo.
To no one's surprise the content is absolutely TERRIBLE. He spends more time talking about his gold-plated guns, cars, and learn as he does the actual "heartbreak" he may cause or experience. The beats are as heartbreaking as the lyrics, which are also as heartbreaking as the time you'll never get back from listening to this trash heap called an album.
Did I mention that Heart break Kodak is seventeen tracks long??? This is the type of album you send to an ex after a breakup to make sure they never reconsider coming back. I'm sure this album is on the loud speaker and Alcatraz, because it's borderline torture. Everything about this album is pure trash, even the album cover itself. Looks like some high school senior's Adobe Photoshop project.
If you enjoy artist from Florida who talk about love and use autotune...listen to T-Pain Everything Must Go Vol. 1 & 2. Please listen to anything else if you think Kodak Black is quality music, this may be a shocker to you, but there are A LOT better rappers out here.
Honorable mentions:
1. Kanye West - ye (commercial album with the least replay value)
2. Sauce Walka - Drip God (it's just a black hipster yelling about being a fashionable thug)
3. Bhad Bhabie - 15 (might be the most profane album this year and she really needs better parents)
4. Tom MacDonald - Deaththreats (corniest album of the year)
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