Our Playlist Takes a Quick Look Back at Nashville Hip-Hop in 2018

Nashville’s hip-hop community continued its trend of releasing a wealth of great tapes, tracks, albums and EPs in 2018. Rapidly rising acts and longtime favorites alike were in on the action, and we’ve made a playlist highlighting some favorite cuts this year. Stream the tracks and find notes on 10 of them below.

Daisha McBride feat. Mike Floss, “Nothing Else”

In this year’s Best of Nashville issue, writers picked Daisha McBride as the Best Hip-Hop Newcomer, and readers crowned her Best Rapper/Hip-Hop Act. It’s not hard to see why. The Knoxville native and recent Middle Tennessee State University grad has spent several years developing a strong flow and wise-beyond-her-years rhymes. She’s also been busy building up a fan base that really started to take off when a video of her freestyling in her dorm room went viral. McBride teamed up with frequent production partner Big Bruno and Nashville rap champion Mike Floss for this track. It’s a statement of purpose from McBride, who raps: “The girl that raps / I know you heard ’bout that / Need a massage / Because I put the city on my back.” Floss is a full contributor as well, not just parachuting in for a verse or a hook — here he channels his skills into a flow with agility and game-running swagger. (You can catch them both at Exit/In on Dec. 12, alongside Derek Minor and Canon.)

Petty, “Ya Sippin’ ”

Petty has been putting in major work this year, dropping five EPs and two full-length records, counting the Christmas album he released at the end of 2017. Taken as a whole, the tracks show the rapper cataloging things he’s learned about himself, his personal relationships and his spirituality. The EP God Made This Lemonade Ya Sippin’ is one of the funkier releases, and it's a collaboration with Sofa Brown. The final cut “Ya Sippin’ ” does a pretty neat job of summing up all those observations. (By the way, Petty headlines Exit/In on Dec. 16 with Ernest K, Jamiah and Tim Gent opening.)

Tim Gent feat. Jamiah, Bammie Davis Jr. and Bryant Taylorr, “Pain Pills” 

Speaking of Tim Gent, the Clarksville-born rapper’s full-length project Life Away From Home builds on the great work he’d already done examining the challenges of balancing his obligations and creative calling, surviving the chaotic sociopolitical and economic climate of the U.S. today and more. This jazzy, piano-driven piece that closes the project reflects on the stuff that matters at the end of the day: the people you’re closest to and the strength they give you by believing in you.

Spoken Nerd, “Spaghetti”

Spoken Nerd, aka Nathan Conrad, is a big guy with a big beard whose tunes straddle hip-hop and post-grunge pop, and they tend to feature perceptive character sketches with broadly hopeful messages, often with a dose of self-effacing humor. “Spaghetti,” from his new LP I Need a Friend Like You, is a great example, and it celebrates how not having access to vast resources doesn’t mean you can’t do something meaningful for your loved ones — like make them the most incredible plate of spaghetti they’ve ever tasted. 

Gee Slab, “I.R.L.”

“I’m not a rapper / I’m a poet that needs counseling,” is a tiny but meaningful quip that slides into Gee Slab’s flow on the title track from his outstanding full-length I.R.L. There’s a strain of hip-hop that thrives on aggression, and he dips into that mode extremely well when it helps illustrate what he’s talking about. But mostly Slab’s using the form to tell important stories that help define his sense of purpose: “I’d rather die than watch my mama struggle / My daddy lazy so I had to hustle / In real life.”

Capitol Minds feat. L Roy da Boy and PM, “Fomf”

Independent Minds, the debut release from the Capitol Minds collective — Kxng Klxpsy, Virghost and Soulman Snipes — has a wide range of material, running the gamut from party anthems and sex jams to cuts about staying on your grind and being straightforward. “Fomf” is one of the latter, and it’s a showcase for Klxpsy with a stellar assist from L Roy da Boy and PM’s soulful plea on the hook: “You’re movin’ too slow / Can you please get the hell out the way?”

Reaux Marquez feat. Malcolm Voltaire, “Clarity”

Reaux Marquez has his debut album Fif set for an early 2019 release, and this collaboration with another great Nashville MC sets the bar high. There’s a rapid-fire flow that could be easy to get lost in, with lots of subtle ear candy to grab your attention. In a very smart way, the production brings the listener into the experience they’re rapping about, as you find yourself tuning out the distractions to focus on the message.

D.O.U.G.H., “No More Free Sauce”

Tired of folks copying your style and/or taking credit for what you came up with? D.O.U.G.H. is here to help you make your case. Play ’em this cut, which focuses on showing that you’re serious about what you do: “Made somethin’ out of nothin’ / Let me testify / All that internet thuggin’ / Gotta get rectified / I’d be the one fronting / If I just let you slide / Y’all really be buggin’ / I keep some pesticides.”

Kaby, “Everything”

Kaby’s forthcoming solo record Era of the Try Hard, his first since 2013’s H.E.R.E., kicks off with a bang. At the top, the MC fires off a stream-of-consciousness flow warning anyone who’s smart to stay out of his way, as an aggressive trap beat thunders by. Then the piece turns on a dime into soulful self-examination: “I’m addicted to sound waves / I just hope that sound pays,” he raps over a boom-bap beat and a warped and wistful melody.

Out Here Boys, “Foreign Fabrics”

Sofa Brown and Evan Blocker’s duo project has been adding to a series of EPs called Move or Get Moved throughout the year. The closing track from the third and most recent installment is sonically strange — there’s a kind of “Great Gig in the Sky” vocalization that pops up periodically — but it’s all in service of a message about building a legacy and leaving more than you had when you started.