My Top 10 Most Replayed Songs of 2018 (According to My iTunes)

"Because Repetition is the Father of Learning" - Lil Wayne

The Mere Exposure Effect

According to Science, the more you see or hear something, the more you like it. 

This explains a lot of things...

like why the radio plays the same 3 songs over and over again. Or why people are comfortable listening to the same songs and same handful of artists.

Don't just take my words for it, check out these memes:

 And My Favorite Meme Regarding Listening to the same song over and over...

"It Starts with One"

The point is, we all like repetition. Whether it'd be for better or worst. It gets habits ingrained and makes it so your brain never forgets.

In 2018, my brain never forgot these 10 songs. 

I either never forgot them because:

• They motivated me to keep going 
• They helped me relax to have a peace of mind
• All of the above

I realize this list is incredibly basic and not super underground (AKA artists with under 1,000 plays on youtube, spotify and other streaming services) however this is just my list so if you disagree. It's super simple to leave a comment on this website. 

Just click here for a tutorial video on it.

ANYWAY, without further ado...

Let's get to the list

Starting at #10

Drum Roll Please...

My FAVORITE drum roll gif btw...

#10. A$AP Rocky - F**K Sleep (feat. FKA Twigs) 

[TOTAL PLAYS I HAVE ON THIS SONG: 28]

Let me be the FIRST to say:

      1. You NEED sleep.

      2. Getting sleep is INTEGRAL to getting money long term.

      3. Sleep has numerous benefits.

      4. It is NO Coincidence that extremely wealthy and successful people (people wealthier than both Rocky and Twigs put together) make sleep a TOP priority in their lives.

But terrible message aside...how does it sound? Well, pretty good...

Rocky's nonchalant, matter-of-fact rapping about his rags to riches stories actually compliments the bustling, ever-changing instrumental that was provided by Finatik N Zac, A$AP Rocky, Hector Delgado & Boi-1da.

Twigs really doesn't contribute much on here, she's mostly on here to provide an outro and round out the run time of the song to 3 minutes.

However, the MUSIC VIDEO is where this song really gets interesting.

I don't know why it is, but the music video's to these songs from A$AP Rocky's "TESTING" somehow make the songs better.

I wonder if "TESTING" would've received better feedback if Rocky would've premiered the whole album with a short film like Tierra Whack's "Whack World" or Frank Ocean's "Endless".

Still the main reason I like it is: Laidback, and ironically, easy to fall asleep to.

Check it out if you like these artists: A$AP Ferg, A$AP Mob, Playboi Carti, 2 Chainz, Travis Scott

Check out the music video to "F**k Sleep" down below:

#9. SOB X RBE - Paramedic

[TOTAL PLAYS I HAVE ON THIS SONG: 29]

I'm not exactly sure why I have so many plays on this song.

It's catchy enough, but I always skip past Zacari's intro (which shouldn't be attached to this song in my opinion)

Once Zacari's sleepy, serenading intro wears off. Two of the more...how can I say this..."unmemorable" members of SOB X RBE step on to the mic, spitting god knows what as I always skip THEIR respective parts too.

I always start the song right where Kendrick says "I wish a nxgga would, I wish a bxtch would" bridge cause that's right where DABOII comes in.

When the drums on the instrumental disappear and you hear the words

"CALIFORNIA NXGGA AND I'M HEAVY IN THESE STREETS, 

IF YOU DON'T KEEP A POLE HOW YOU READY WHEN IT'S BEEF 

LIL NXGGA THINK HE CUT, YEAH, I BET THE NXGGA FREEZE

IF THAT NXGGA WANT  ME DEAD, I CAN'T LET THAT NXGGA BREATHE"

Even the squarest dudes (i.e. Me) have to feel pretty 'G' in that moment. 

This describes me, and about 90% of other hip hop listeners. God bless this genre.

Still the main reason I like it is: Daboii's infectiously confident verse and Yhung TO's melodic yet strangely inspirational part as well. Oh and the instrumental (excluding Zacari's part...can you tell I don't like his part very much at all?)


Check out the song out if you like these artists: Mozzy, Nef The Pharoah, 03 Greedo, Drakeo The Ruler, Jay Rock, YG, Nipsey Hussle

Listen to "Paramedic!" down below:

#8. Logic - Legacy

How do you want to be remembered? Just being rich?

[TOTAL PLAYS I HAVE ON THIS SONG: 30]

Sometime last year (2018), I had a discussion with a friend. We were talking about Logic and how'd he "fallen off" ever since his "Everybody" album. 

However, this was shortly before the release of Young Sinatra 4.

Even though Young Sinatra 4 is still filled with "Everybody" Logic (i.e. One Day, Ordinary Day, ICONIC) there ARE glimpses of that vintage, this-is-why-we-fell-in-love-with-Logic in the first place Logic.

And "Legacy" is one of those songs that showcase that glimpse.

Accompanied by a nice slow, pulsating guitar string driven beat provided by Naz & Sunny Norway. Logic questions the work-life balance that comes from being both a parent and a full time recording artist.

The song goes into the extreme hypothetical direction of "All work, no play" and essentially putting your "Legacy" into your art rather than your offspring.

Logic does this by illustrating how he missed his daughter's wedding but "paid for the honeymoon" amongst other examples.

He then goes into the perspective of his hypothetical wife and then his hypothetical children.

They all lambast him for choosing his career over them, and Logic basically admits throughout the song that he wants his legacy to be his kids and family. Not his musical work.

I found this song to be really heartfelt and I could tell while listening to this song that this has weighed heavy on Logic's mind for quite sometime. 

Could these thoughts have intensified since his divorce from his wife last year? Who knows.

Still the main reason I like it is: Logic's genuine rumination on what a "Legacy" really means comes across as sincere. The entire song reminds me of a quote in the bible...Matthew 16:26 and it says 

"For what will it profit a man if he gains the whole world, but loses his soul?"

But instead of a soul, it would be "his family" or "his legacy" 

Check out the song out if you like these artists: J. Cole, Joyner Lucas, Skizzy Mars, G-Eazy, Mac Miller, Hoodie Allen

Listen to "Legacy" down below:

#7. Lil Baby & Gunna - Never Recover (feat. Drake)

"You nxggas fell off and you'll NEVER RECOVER" - That part gets me so hyped 

😤

[TOTAL PLAYS I HAVE ON THIS SONG: 34]

Drake's verse on "Never Recover".

That is all.

I wonder what made the father of Adonis want to go that hard.

Is it the fact that Pusha T handed him an L that he quite literally could "Never Recover" from?

Who knows?

But what I DO know is...he snapped on this beat.

From the first second the beat kicks in and you hear "TAY KEITH F**K THESE N*GGAS UP" and then Drake hits a flow that is as silky as this durag on A$AP Ferg's Head:

Told you it was silky

After Drake's verse (which is the main reason I have so many replays on this song because I keep restarting the song to listen to Drake's verse again, so it counts as a listen to the iTunes software or algorithm or whatever it is)...

2 of the hottest rap commodities of 2018, Gunna & Lil Baby proceed to lay down their respective verses, and to put it lightly, they aren't as energetic as the world's biggest Canadian artist. 

Listening to Gunna and Lil Baby's verse after Drake's verse can be best summed up in the following gif:

In other words, a complete de-escalation, a sudden decline, a downward spiral, a negative slope to H-E double hockey stick.

If you were to turn it off as soon as Sophie Brussaux's baby father stops rapping, I wouldn't blame you.

Still the main reason I like it is: Drake's command of flow over a hard hitting beat is something to be reckoned with, especially when he's rapping in his "paranoid mafia boss" bag.

Check out the song out if you like these artists: Young Thug, Kevin Gates, 21 Savage, Hoodrich Pablo Juan, Young Nudy

Listen to "Never Recover" down below:

#6. Mac Miller - Come Back To Earth

"My regrets look just like texts I shouldn't send"

[TOTAL PLAYS I HAVE ON THIS SONG: 35]

When Mac Miller died I was playing Mafia 2 on the Playstation 3. I had just completed the story and then I checked the hip hop subreddit as the in game credits had commenced.

And there it was. Clear as day. I'll never forget the headline.

"Mac Miller Dead at 26".

I audibly gasped. The funny part was, I wasn't even a Mac fan. I liked "Faces" by him, but that was it. I just wasn't expecting it. Total left field event from my point of view.

So, like a lot of people, I decided to go through his discography, starting with his latest release.  "Swimming".

I thought the album was okay, bit of a drag at times.

To me, Mac's biggest draw is the genuineness in his voice when he delivers his lyrics.

Whatever emotions he's going through, good or bad, he makes you feel for him because he comes across as sincere, and based off everything I've researched about the man. I'd say he actually was a sincere person.

But after a particularly crummy day, "Come Back to Earth" by Mac started playing off my phone (I had put my music on shuffle and was letting it play as I was driving)

It all made sense right then and there. The melacholy, sing song  delivery, the gentle guitar strums and Mac's lyrics about "drowning" but now he's "swimming" can easily pry into the hearts of anyone going through a hard time.

Relatability at all time high on this song.

I think I kept that song on repeat the entire ride home. And that's why it's my 6th most replayed song of 2018.

Still the main reason I like it is: The way it hit my soul on my ride home after a miserable day. Seriously, play this song when you feel like a complete failure. It SHOULD help...keyword: SHOULD.

Check out the song out if you like these artists: Isaiah Rashad, J. Cole, Big K.R.I.T., Tyler, The Creator, Kid Cudi, Ab-Soul

Listen to "Come Back to Earth" down below:

(written on 01/19/19...Mac Miller's 27th Birthday...by Joseph Sanker II. HBD Mac.)

#5. Payroll Giovanni & Cardo - Plug You (feat. Cashout Calhoun & Overlord Scooch)

"Who gonna plug you like I do?"

[TOTAL PLAYS I HAVE ON THIS SONG: 45]

I was born in the west coast so I'll always have an affinity toward west coast sounding music. 

A great thing about Big Bossin' Vol. 2 by Payroll Giovanni & Cardo...(on all major streaming services now) is that it sounds like it was made for a good car ride on a sunny California day. Speakers blasting preferred but not required.

But seriously, this next gif is the STATE OF MIND I was transported to whenever the song "Plug You" came on:

It's great. A nice, Cali-as-f*ck, instrumental produced by Cardo keeps the song upbeat and fun while Payroll, Cashout Calhoun and Overlord Scooch provide raps about hustling, getting to the money and chasing the BAG.

But what really made me fall in love with the song was the hook. I have NO IDEA who sings the hook. Even after searching online, still no dice. I think I'll just @ both Cardo and Payroll on Twitter and just ask who sings the hook.

That's really it. I would always play this song during my commutes and it's PERFECT to play in the summer time when you're (preferably on a (California) highway.

Still the main reason I like it is: It's just really enjoyable to play in California, driving down a California highway, in the California sun. That's really it. Did I mention California though?

Check out the song out if you like these artists: G Perico, Mozzy, Nipsey Hussle, SOB X RBE, Dom Kennedy

Listen to "Plug You" down below:

#4. Royce Da 5'9" - Boblo Boat (feat. J. Cole)

Official single art for Royce Da 5'9"'s Boblo Boat featuring Jermaine Cole

[TOTAL PLAYS I HAVE ON THIS SONG: 73]

J. Cole was bodying feature verses all 2018.

Ever since he dropped "KOD" (which I reviewed before I took my unexpected, seemingly indefinite hiatus). He has hopped on almost every major release from hip hop artists to 6LACK to 21 Savage.

Here's a list of all of J Cole's features from 2018:

That man realized he can't just take the hermits route of dropping an album then going away. No J. Cole, you have to stay in this matrix we call the rap game, for better or worst. You're into deep (no Mekhi Phife') to turn back now, Cole.

Of all the features I've heard Cole do, "Boblo Boat" is by far my favorite of 2018. 

The way Cole comes in singing...I knew he was about to body sh*t. You can't come in doing your best motown soul impression and not absolutely go off.

I think this being Royce's song also influenced Cole as well. Don't get me wrong, Royce's verse, I think, is more impactful in the full context of "Book of Ryan" cause Royce's verse is part of a larger story.

But as far as for more casual listening (aka listening on shuffle) Cole's verse shines more. 

There's this pocket that J. Cole hits when he goes 

"This was my main concern back when concerns were lesser"

And it just goes up from there. Also the instrumental is as smooth as the world's most expensive butter.

Still the main reason I like it is: It's smooth, Royce does okay. Cole does great. Check it out. If Only for Cole's verse, which, is my favorite feature verse from him in 2018.

Check out the song out if you like these artists: Joey Bada$$, Bas, Kendrick Lamar, Mick Jenkins, Nas

Check out the music video (that J. Cole directed) down below:

And now we're in the TOP 3

*Drake on "Grammys" voice* 'Top 3, top 3, top 3'

#3. Lupe Fiasco - WAV Files

"Wade with us, Baptize and convert to the Wav(e)s with us"

[TOTAL PLAYS I HAVE ON THIS SONG: 84]

Lupe, Lupe, Lupe...

Last time I talked about Lupe I basically slammed dunked and trashed DROGAS Light.

In fact, I think it's the lowest rating I've given an album outside of a VVV (which may or may not be making a return soon)

But then Lupe came back with DROGAS WAVE. 

Although the album itself is very long and highly inaccessible to those who are new to Lupe or don't really care for Lupe. 

It IS a GOD SEND for Hardcore Lupe Stans. You know, the stans who actually went to Harvard to be a Lupe stan...

However, just because you listen to a socially conscious, cryptic, detail lyricist like Lupe. Don't take it as an excuse to be, what is called in the black community, a "head@ss"

Here is an example of using Lupe Fiasco to be a "Head@ss":

This is Scottie. Scottie is a head@ss.  Don't be like Scottie. Don't be a head@ss.

This has been a public service announcement brought to you by the good folks at Hip Hop and Other Things.

But other than that WAV Files is great. Along with the rest of DROGAS WAVE. 

I could get into a whole diatribe about what this song means and the many different meanings running through it, but that's another blog post on its own.

So I'll just leave it at this.

The instrumental provided by Lupe's long time partner-in-crime, Soundtrakk, really does sound like you are underwater in a wave, but a calm, peaceful wave. 

But instrumental aside...the HOOK is just...crack. Like life-ruining, soul crushing, mess ya life up CRACK.

Seriously though. One of my favorite things about Lupe is his ability to create a genuinely catchy hook. I notice rappers who are real lyrical tend to have trouble coming up with really good hooks. But that's not the case here as the hook here is so addictive, hypnotic in a sense like it lulls you into memorizing it. It's great.

"So I'm walking on water till my feet just like JESUS CHRISTTTT"

Still the main reason I like it is: It's a smooth song. Has multiple complex narratives flowing through it (get it, flowing?) a catchy hook, a laidback beat and simply fantastic rapping overall.

Check out the song out if you like these artists: Ab-Soul, Jay Electronica, Oddisee, Elzhi, Jay Z 

Check out the song "Wav Files" down below:

#2. Drake - Is There More?

[TOTAL PLAYS I HAVE ON THIS SONG: 135]

It's always interesting hearing Drake's more introspective thoughts. It's his bread and butter that his fans throughout the years gravitated toward him for.

Now that Drake has proven to be the most consistently hot rapper for what is a decade now...I've always wondered...where do you go when you have everything you could possibly want?

Most of us are in pursuit of something, or at the very least, have dreams of being higher status than where we currently are...

But in "Is There More", a song by the biggest rapper in the game, there seems to nothing at the top of that proverbial mountain but maintaining that peace of mind you had when you were a nobody.

When Drake goes...

Am I missin' somethin' that's more important to find?

Like healin' my soul, like family time

Is there more to life than just when I'm feelin' alive?

Is there more?

It's very poignant. The things Drake's done in his career, has, or will begin to weigh heavy on his conscious. Despite having the world listening to his every word and watching his every move. 

He questions "What else is there?" and maybe...just maybe...

There's nothing at all.

Still the main reason I like it is: It's a hypnotic beat that has Drake spitting his signature paranoid raps. And Drake is rapping rapping on here. And rapping rapping Drake is my favorite.

Check out the song out if you like these artists: Tory Lanez, Future, Big Sean, Eric Bellinger, Chris Brown 

Check out the song "Is There More" down below:

And finally...my number 1 most replayed song of the year 2018....

DRUMS PLZ....

#1. KIDS SEE GHOSTS - Cudi Montage

[TOTAL PLAYS I HAVE ON THIS SONG: 162]

The year 2018 was somewhat, emotionally intense for me. With losing my grandfather (one year ago today actually...at the time this is being written), and going to more funerals in one year than I ever have in my life...among other things like addictions, travelings and of course making sure I stay well in my studies.

Throughout it all, the entirety of 2018. I looked towards spirituality...or the metaphysical...to get me through.

When Kanye, at the very end of this song says 

Lord shine your light on me, save me, please

I felt like that was a very real plea. If only to me. 

I must have replayed the outro to this song 100's of times. My iTunes doesn't do this song justice.

When life gets stressful, for any of us, sometimes the 'religious fairytales' can get us through. It's not about being a super devout christian. It's about using your ideas to get you through pain.

And that's what Kanye and Cudi did on Kids See Ghosts.

MAGA endorsement aside, while I do think Kids See Ghosts, as a whole, is a tad overrated...I cannot deny that Kanye's verse along with Cudi's musical backing + his own verse, is the very best I think I'll ever hear from EITHER artist...for a very long time, and that's saying something.

I didn't even touch on the Chicago violence addressed in Kanye's verse but that's a discussion in and of itself. Just know, this song is good...and if you don't like it...hey...at least you knew what made me tick last year...and not give up on everything.

Sometimes you just need a lil something...from where ever it came from. And for me, it came in the form of a saving "Lord shine ya light on me save me please'.

Cause while it may not have been the most actionable statement on the song. It's the statement that most helped me relieve at least some stress that was eating away at me in 2018, and I think, that reason, more than anything else...is why I have so many plays on this song.

Still the main reason I like it is: Dope beat, dope, meaningful lyrics by both Kanye and Cudi. A fantastic outro and a great way to cap off a monumental collab album by two creative titans.

Check out the song out if you like these artists: Gorillaz, JPEGMAFIA, Brockhampton, Travis Scott, A$AP Rocky

And finally...

Check out the song "Cudi Montage" down below: