2018 has been quite a suffocating year for rap music - while nearly every major artist has delivered at least one project, the quality therein has been disappointingly sporadic. How many of these albums will be praised 20 years from now, the same way albums from ‘98 are still revered?
The violent shift from physical sales to streaming over this past decade has fostered a sort of crabs-in-a-barrel mentality within the music industry. On one hand, digital streaming platforms (DSPs) have allowed for new acts to break with increasing frequency, and with increasing autonomy, which can be considered a net positive. However, the popularization of DSPs has concurrently forced many existing acts to implement tighter album cycles in order to stay relevant. Only the most established of artists seemed to shirk the responsibility of remaining visible in the face of rampant dilution. Everyone else has been scrambling to assemble and deliver a retail mixtape, EP, single or album every quarter.
One admittedly exciting side-effect of the streaming era has been the return of the collab album. Although underground artists have always been prone to collaborative efforts, the return of this sort of creative experimentation has been a slow burn on the mainstream front. What had become a complicated venture during the heyday of music labels now seems to be more viable and, if done right, more lucrative than ever before. In some of these cases, it’s a clear cash grab. But in others, it’s genuine fan demand and natural chemistry that brings two parties together.
For all the projects that have breached our top 10, there’s an adherence to craftsmanship that has resulted in an impressive final product. Each and every one of these artists is in beautiful synchronization with their partner, and sparks of genius occasionally develop into lightning in a bottle. Unlike the increasingly bloated solo efforts we’ve been witnessing, these collabs are purposefully concise, upping their replay value while leaving us craving for more. And hey, with the way the industry moves nowadays, we might even get sequels for a handful of them by this time next year.
ICYMI, check out our Hottest Albums list here.
Editor's Note: We loved the PRHYME 2 album, however you will not find it on this list, as we are only looking at joint albums that are of the Artist x Artist variety.
10. Future & Juice WRLD - WRLD On Drugs
Juice WRLD is an embodiment of the internet age; much like Lil Uzi Vert before him, he’s an amalgamation of influences that stem from far beyond his hometown. A self-proclaimed disciple of everyone from “Ozzy Osbourne to Chief Keef”, his moody take on singsong rapping has quickly propelled him to the front of his class. Through Lil Bibby’s label - Grade A Productions - Juice WRLD got the opportunity to network at an impressive pace, and these new industry ties eventually saw him face to face with the most obvious father of his style, the Atlantan wizard, Future Hendrix. There was only so much Juice WRLD could have gleaned from his immediate associates and this fateful bond with Future will surely sustain him long beyond WRLD On Drugs, their first collaborative project. While WRLD On Drugs lacks the commercial appeal of a solo Future effort, or even Juice WRLD’s own debut album, Goodbye & Good Riddance, it is a focused effort that proves the newcomer’s versatility and tease at untapped potential.
9. NBA Youngboy & Kevin Gates - 4Respect EP
Similar to Future & Juice WRLD, this is a perfect mentor-mentee matchup. Since his breakout mixtape, NBA Youngboy has seen impressive commercial success but has only doubled down on his confessional approach to songwriting, shirking any direct attempts at crossover appeal. Although Kevin Gates represents the mainstream potential Youngboy possesses, this concise four-song EP is effective in that it brings Gates into Youngboy’s embattled headspace, forcing the older rapper to become emotionally vulnerable in a way he hasn’t since before his most recent stint in prison.
8. 03 Greedo & Nef the Pharaoh - Porter 2 Grape
After a fateful breakout year, Watts native 03 Greedo had to turn himself in for a staggering 20 year prison sentence. Porter 2 Grape EP, released just a few weeks after his magnum opus God Level, was the first official release from the rapper following his incarceration. A Bay Area-to-L.A. connection anchored by Nef the Pharaoh’s youthful exuberance, this EP is a shining example of the talent being cultivated by the current west coast renaissance. One of the most effective EPs of the year, the beats are infectious, the hooks are bright and the features help stitch Greedo and Nef’s sometimes divergent styles together. Greedo, who is at his best when riffing - off a given instrumental, his own ad-libs, or the featured artist - is able to freely emote, while the responsibility of tying songs together falls on Nef’s willing shoulders. Together, along with some choice regional features, these two prove to have unexpected chemistry that reads less like a mentor and mentee, and more like two brothers surmounting countless hurdles in order to proudly represent their communities.
Although it was a bit underrated when it first dropped, Drip Harder is actually a carefully curated album meant to showcase the versatility of two of rap’s hottest up & comers. With equal time given to both Gunna and Lil Baby, and two solo songs each dispersed throughout the tight 40 minute runtime, they delivered on their promise to showcase genuine chemistry as well as what makes each of them unique. Of course, it being so early in both of their careers, their chemistry is still developing, but songs like “Business Is Business,” as well as both the rappers’ competitive verses on the Drake-assisted closer, are a testament to how much they care about their craft.
6. Czarface and MF Doom - Czarface Meets Metal Face
Since their formation in 2013, Czarface - consisting of Wu-Tang’s Inspectah Deck and Boston-bred duo 7L & Esoteric - has been a consistent reminder that nostalgic, revivalist hip-hop can still sound fresh and urgent in the current landscape of rap. Their unflinching adherence to laser-sharp rhymes, imaginative concepts and social commentary has been increasingly effective at cutting through the repetitiveness of younger, less developed acts. They don’t always chastise the up & comers, choosing instead to provide them with a blueprint of inspired rapping. On Czarface Meets Metal Face, they tap in a dormant MF Doom as their equal - and Doom, who has seen much trauma in recent years - sounds pleased by the challenge. While certain tracks, like “Don’t Spoil It,” which features a sole verse from Deck, are brief, nostalgic tangents, most tracks go the way of “Meddle With Metal,” a simple yet menacing lyrical exercise - the kind Doom revels in. On the former track, the sleeping giant awakens and surveys the current NYC scene: “TMZ & fake beef is the new pork.”
5. Dave East & Styles P - Beloved
In his efforts to establish a mainstream career, Harlem’s Dave East has become a chameleon of sorts, creating jams with the likes of Offset or Gunna, but, at his core, East remains a proud product of his hometown. Beloved is not only a testament to Styles P’s longevity, it’s an affirming showcase of Dave East’s driving motivation - to be a meaningful and respected lyricist, a new school champion of traditionalist sensibilities. Between the juice bar and his multiple podcasts, it’s a wonder Styles P still has any time to focus on his craft. But not only did Styles come through with quality solo work this year, he also wholeheartedly embraced his role as big brother to East, allowing the younger rapper to fulfill lifelong rap dreams (such as going bar for bar with The Lox).
4. Ty Dolla $ign & Jeremih - Mih-Ty
This debut collaborative effort from singer-songwriter extraordinaires Ty Dolla $ign & Jeremih has been a long time coming. While they’ve both had their impressive moments in the mainstream, Ty and Jeremih are still some of the best kept secrets in the industry. Surprisingly, outside of the Chris Brown and Wiz Khalifa record, Mih-Ty isn’t some forced play for the charts; both veterans at this point, they utilize Hitmaka’s assured production to present the full spectrum of their sultry and unabashedly lustful brand of R&B.
3. Jay-Z & Beyonce - EVERYTHING IS LOVE
On its own, EVERYTHING IS LOVE may not be a favorite for fans of Jay-Z or Beyonce’s extensive catalogue. But in context, as the closing statement in a trilogy of emotionally vulnerable releases, it plays as a poignant meditation on love, family and legacy. 4:44, and Lemonade before it, set the stage for EVERYTHING IS LOVE in a precise manner. They introduced fans to historically guarded facets of both Jay and Bey’s personal lives and their existence felt further validated by the resolution found on this final installment.EVERYTHING IS LOVE hinges on pride; pride in their resilience, their success and their undeniable talent. Both Beyonce’s versatility, as she bars up her husband on more than one occasion, and Jay’s growth, as he continues to embrace his role as one of the most influential role models in the world, are centerstage.
2. Curren$y & Freddie Gibbs - Fetti
Through all their major label ups & downs, Curren$y & Freddie Gibbs have both maintained a fervent core through their relentless mixtapes and impressive consistency. And after years of teasing these loyal fans about a potential crossover - following collabs on Curren$y’s 2011 Alchemist-produced mixtape, Covert Coupes, and the song “Fetti” for 2015’s Grand Theft Auto V soundtrack - Fetti finally arrived this year and exceeded any and all expectations. Since Piñata, his 2014 album with Madlib, Gibbs has been rare form, sharpening his lyricism with each focused effort that followed. He brings this electric energy to Fetti, and Curren$y, the perpetually cozy wordsmith, seems reinvigorated by the opportunity to go toe-to-toe with someone in his prime. And with Alchemist behind the boards, the entire affair is imbued with a sense of mysticism that makes for countless memorable moments despite the frustratingly short runtime.
1. Kanye West & Kid Cudi - Kids See Ghosts
Kanye West used to be supernaturally good at surrounding himself with a camp that could serve as a lightning rod for his eccentricity, But recently he’s become more and more restricted by his surroundings. Currently, he seems to crave positive reassurance more than a creative challenge - he wasn’t in the right headspace to deliver a poignant Nas album, nor was he prepared to give Teyana Taylor the attention she deserved. However, with longtime confidants Pusha-T and Kid Cudi, we got completely different results. Daytona is already being heralded as a classic - Drake beef aside - and Kids See Ghosts has amassed a well-deserved cult fandom. With Cudi as his muse, Kanye was able to create something immeasurably more warm and comforting than his solo effort, Ye, something soul-cleansing on a level that his recent public antics seemed to make impossible. Here’s to hoping Chance the Rapper is able to provide the same level of inspiration for Good Ass Job.