Just in this year alone, some of the most recognizable rap and hip-hop artists presented their new albums including Kendrick Lamar, Drake, Nicki Minaj, Cardi B, Eminem, and Kanye West.

Still, that didn’t discourage us, and after a lot of hard work, which included listening to the songs and researching the reactions of the audience and the critics, we finally managed to compile our list of the best rap and hip-hop albums of 2018. So let’s take a look at it.

Black Panther: The Album

Produced and mostly written by Kendrick Lamar, Black Panther: The Album is a proof that movie soundtracks don’t have to be just a tie-in to the film but works of arts on their own. Lamar did a great job choosing his collaborators and making an enjoyable album, which would be just as popular Marvel’s blockbuster movie Black Panther wasn’t standing behind him.

Cardi B – Invasion of Privacy

After Cardi B emerged to the rap scene with her international hit single “Bodak Yellow” in 2017, her debut album Invasion of Privacy was one of the most anticipated albums in 2018. It turns out that the wait was worth it since the record received critical acclaim while topping the US Billboard 200.

Eminem – Kamikaze

After his 2017’s album Revival didn’t meet with the best reception, Eminem decided to go rogue and deliver one of the most satisfying records of this year. Kamikaze featured the 46-year-old rapper at his best, delivering heavy punch lines and disses all over the place. While the critics gave it mixed reviews, the audience loved the record and made it the bestselling rap and hip-hop album of the year.

Pusha T – Daytona

Maybe a surprising entry on the list for some, but Pusha T’s Daytona, his first studio album since 2015, is worthy of being in contention for the best album of 2018. Although the record as a whole was unfairly overshadowed by the rapper’s feud with Drake, Daytona still managed to find its way to the wider audience being appreciated for its impeccable production, crafty beats, and Pusha T’s razor-sharp lyrics.

Travis Scott – Astroworld

Despite the tough competition, Travis Scott’s third studio album Astroworld seems to be the most deserving to be at the top of our the best rap and hip-hop albums of 2018 list. It was a commercial and critical success, being described as “a futuristic record with virtually flawless production, that lingers on the mind long after the final track.” You’ll have a hard time finding one bad song on the album, which tells you everything you need to know about this brilliant release.

The post The Best Rap and Hip Hop Albums of 2018 appeared first on Hot Pop Today.

The advert consists of Kamikaze artwork on which there are written review quotes containing not-so-pleasant opinions about the album. As this Eminem’s move wasn’t cool enough, the advert also contains part of THR’s own review which called the record “…the work of an aging artist trying and failing to remain relevant …”

Also are included reviews from Noisey, who labeled Kamikaze ” …a stale misfire…,” Pitchfork who called Em’s effort “…yet another empty, intermittently tone-deaf onslaught,” and others.

After calling out Eminem’s critics, cheeky advert finishes with delivering album’s impressive numbers: “#1 in 103 countries and 434,000 equivalent album units in the US first week” and “Thanks for the support, a***holes!” message.

You can check it out below.

Respect to @Eminem and his label for running this very funny ad in @THR magazine. Is this the print equivalent of a diss track? pic.twitter.com/xPVXzWxZi5

— Matthew Belloni (@THRMattBelloni) September 20, 2018

Without any previous announcement, Eminem released his tenth studio Kamikaze on August 31, 2018. Although it received mixed reviews from the critics, the album went on to be a massive hit with the audience. It ended up topping the US Billboard 200 charts while all eleven songs entered the Billboard Hot 100. And, as Em’ told you in the advert, it conquered 102 more countries as well.

The post Eminem Mocks “Kamikaze” Critics With Cheeky Full-Page Advert appeared first on Hot Pop Today.

On one of those skits, Rosenberg can be heard saying that Eminem just can’t reply to everyone who disliked his last record, 2017’s Revival. It turns out; he can. Simply put, Kamikaze is the album with whom Em punches back.

Recent years have not been easy for Eminem. Numerous critics were coming after him, bashing his latest releases and saying that it’s his time to retire. Eminem surprisingly remained silent and took notes before finally saying everything he has to say with Kamikaze. From the title to the tracks, the whole album is about a crash course in rapping and attack on all of those who thought Eminem faded from the rap scene in the past few years.

The album opens up with “The Ringer,” in which he drops quite a few names and mocks the current state of rap including the current culture of mumble rapping and randomly throwing words that rhyme onto a beat.

On song called “Fall,” he admits last year wasn’t one of his best, while on track called “Lucky You”, which features Joyner Lucas, he admits that he was hurt with negative reactions on Revival: “I took an L when I dropped my last album/ It hurt me like hell but I’m back on these rappers.” Eminem delivered some of his best rhymes on this one, but truth be told, Joyner Lucas brought his A-game as well. On the title track “Kamikaze,” Em brought the old Slim Shady who is just having fun while displaying incredible wordplay and lyricism.

This release isn’t all about anger since Em is also true with other emotions and delivers an apology to his rap group D12 in the song “Stepping Stone.”

Don’t get us wrong. This isn’t a perfect album since there are few songs that just feel like they don’t belong here, including “Normal” and “Nice Guy.” They are not extremely bad but are not on par with the rest of the album. Also, you get the feeling that Eminem maybe tried too much to respond to all of his critics, that he got a bit lost in the process.

That being said, Kamikaze is a badly needed refreshment in today’s hip-hop, and it hints that the real Slim Shady just stood up.

Rating: ★ ★ ★★ ☆

The post Eminem – Kamikaze Review: The Real Slim Shady Just Stood Up appeared first on Hot Pop Today.

The 13-song worth effort is produced by Eminem and Dr. Dre with the likes of Ronny J, Jeremy Miller, Jahaan Sweet, Tay Keith, Tim Suby, and Fred Ball also leaving their fingerprints on the Kamikaze. It also features guest appearances by Joyner Lucas, Royce da 5’9″ and Jessie Reyez, and Justin Vernon.

The rapper himself didn’t get into the details of the album and just tweeted its cover alongside an intriguing message.

Tried not 2 overthink this 1… enjoy. #KAMIKAZE Out Now – https://t.co/ANw73KbwMt pic.twitter.com/qfQoTYBTUy

— Marshall Mathers (@Eminem) August 31, 2018

Eminem shared two songs, “Kamikaze” and “Lucky You” with Joyner Lucas, on YouTube. You can check out these songs and the entire album on Spotify below.

Kamikaze suspiciously looks like Eminem wanted to quickly make up for 2017’s Revival, which is widely considered as a weak effort. The critics were divided about the album, while the longtime fans of the 45-year-old rapper hated it.

Things might be different with Kamikaze, at least according to the first reactions. The critics are calling it his best efforts in a while and already have it as “a fitting end to rap’s underwhelming summer.” You can be a judge of that by yourself, but it looks like Shady is back.

The post Eminem Releases Surprise New Album “Kamikaze” appeared first on Hot Pop Today.

Just in this year alone, some of the most recognizable rap and hip-hop artists presented their new albums including Kendrick Lamar, Drake, Nicki Minaj, Cardi B, Eminem, and Kanye West.

Still, that didn’t discourage us, and after a lot of hard work, which included listening to the songs and researching the reactions of the audience and the critics, we finally managed to compile our list of the best rap and hip-hop albums of 2018. So let’s take a look at it.

Black Panther: The Album

Produced and mostly written by Kendrick Lamar, Black Panther: The Album is a proof that movie soundtracks don’t have to be just a tie-in to the film but works of arts on their own. Lamar did a great job choosing his collaborators and making an enjoyable album, which would be just as popular Marvel’s blockbuster movie Black Panther wasn’t standing behind him.

Cardi B – Invasion of Privacy

After Cardi B emerged to the rap scene with her international hit single “Bodak Yellow” in 2017, her debut album Invasion of Privacy was one of the most anticipated albums in 2018. It turns out that the wait was worth it since the record received critical acclaim while topping the US Billboard 200.

Eminem – Kamikaze

After his 2017’s album Revival didn’t meet with the best reception, Eminem decided to go rogue and deliver one of the most satisfying records of this year. Kamikaze featured the 46-year-old rapper at his best, delivering heavy punch lines and disses all over the place. While the critics gave it mixed reviews, the audience loved the record and made it the bestselling rap and hip-hop album of the year.

Pusha T – Daytona

Maybe a surprising entry on the list for some, but Pusha T’s Daytona, his first studio album since 2015, is worthy of being in contention for the best album of 2018. Although the record as a whole was unfairly overshadowed by the rapper’s feud with Drake, Daytona still managed to find its way to the wider audience being appreciated for its impeccable production, crafty beats, and Pusha T’s razor-sharp lyrics.

Travis Scott – Astroworld

Despite the tough competition, Travis Scott’s third studio album Astroworld seems to be the most deserving to be at the top of our the best rap and hip-hop albums of 2018 list. It was a commercial and critical success, being described as “a futuristic record with virtually flawless production, that lingers on the mind long after the final track.” You’ll have a hard time finding one bad song on the album, which tells you everything you need to know about this brilliant release.

The post The Best Rap and Hip Hop Albums of 2018 appeared first on Hot Pop Today.

The advert consists of Kamikaze artwork on which there are written review quotes containing not-so-pleasant opinions about the album. As this Eminem’s move wasn’t cool enough, the advert also contains part of THR’s own review which called the record “…the work of an aging artist trying and failing to remain relevant …”

Also are included reviews from Noisey, who labeled Kamikaze ” …a stale misfire…,” Pitchfork who called Em’s effort “…yet another empty, intermittently tone-deaf onslaught,” and others.

After calling out Eminem’s critics, cheeky advert finishes with delivering album’s impressive numbers: “#1 in 103 countries and 434,000 equivalent album units in the US first week” and “Thanks for the support, a***holes!” message.

You can check it out below.

Respect to @Eminem and his label for running this very funny ad in @THR magazine. Is this the print equivalent of a diss track? pic.twitter.com/xPVXzWxZi5

— Matthew Belloni (@THRMattBelloni) September 20, 2018

Without any previous announcement, Eminem released his tenth studio Kamikaze on August 31, 2018. Although it received mixed reviews from the critics, the album went on to be a massive hit with the audience. It ended up topping the US Billboard 200 charts while all eleven songs entered the Billboard Hot 100. And, as Em’ told you in the advert, it conquered 102 more countries as well.

The post Eminem Mocks “Kamikaze” Critics With Cheeky Full-Page Advert appeared first on Hot Pop Today.

On one of those skits, Rosenberg can be heard saying that Eminem just can’t reply to everyone who disliked his last record, 2017’s Revival. It turns out; he can. Simply put, Kamikaze is the album with whom Em punches back.

Recent years have not been easy for Eminem. Numerous critics were coming after him, bashing his latest releases and saying that it’s his time to retire. Eminem surprisingly remained silent and took notes before finally saying everything he has to say with Kamikaze. From the title to the tracks, the whole album is about a crash course in rapping and attack on all of those who thought Eminem faded from the rap scene in the past few years.

The album opens up with “The Ringer,” in which he drops quite a few names and mocks the current state of rap including the current culture of mumble rapping and randomly throwing words that rhyme onto a beat.

On song called “Fall,” he admits last year wasn’t one of his best, while on track called “Lucky You”, which features Joyner Lucas, he admits that he was hurt with negative reactions on Revival: “I took an L when I dropped my last album/ It hurt me like hell but I’m back on these rappers.” Eminem delivered some of his best rhymes on this one, but truth be told, Joyner Lucas brought his A-game as well. On the title track “Kamikaze,” Em brought the old Slim Shady who is just having fun while displaying incredible wordplay and lyricism.

This release isn’t all about anger since Em is also true with other emotions and delivers an apology to his rap group D12 in the song “Stepping Stone.”

Don’t get us wrong. This isn’t a perfect album since there are few songs that just feel like they don’t belong here, including “Normal” and “Nice Guy.” They are not extremely bad but are not on par with the rest of the album. Also, you get the feeling that Eminem maybe tried too much to respond to all of his critics, that he got a bit lost in the process.

That being said, Kamikaze is a badly needed refreshment in today’s hip-hop, and it hints that the real Slim Shady just stood up.

Rating: ★ ★ ★★ ☆

The post Eminem – Kamikaze Review: The Real Slim Shady Just Stood Up appeared first on Hot Pop Today.

The 13-song worth effort is produced by Eminem and Dr. Dre with the likes of Ronny J, Jeremy Miller, Jahaan Sweet, Tay Keith, Tim Suby, and Fred Ball also leaving their fingerprints on the Kamikaze. It also features guest appearances by Joyner Lucas, Royce da 5’9″ and Jessie Reyez, and Justin Vernon.

The rapper himself didn’t get into the details of the album and just tweeted its cover alongside an intriguing message.

Tried not 2 overthink this 1… enjoy. #KAMIKAZE Out Now – https://t.co/ANw73KbwMt pic.twitter.com/qfQoTYBTUy

— Marshall Mathers (@Eminem) August 31, 2018

Eminem shared two songs, “Kamikaze” and “Lucky You” with Joyner Lucas, on YouTube. You can check out these songs and the entire album on Spotify below.

Kamikaze suspiciously looks like Eminem wanted to quickly make up for 2017’s Revival, which is widely considered as a weak effort. The critics were divided about the album, while the longtime fans of the 45-year-old rapper hated it.

Things might be different with Kamikaze, at least according to the first reactions. The critics are calling it his best efforts in a while and already have it as “a fitting end to rap’s underwhelming summer.” You can be a judge of that by yourself, but it looks like Shady is back.

The post Eminem Releases Surprise New Album “Kamikaze” appeared first on Hot Pop Today.