Hip-Hop and the ukulele are becoming more and more of a thing. Some of the biggest names in the genre have done a collaboration with Einer Bankz at some point in the past few years. Then there are all the lo-fi hip hop artists like Joji or Powfu — he uses the ukulele as some of his key instrumentation in his songs.
I am a huge fan of hip hop and rap. So naturally, I wanted to play some of my favorite beats on the uke. Below is a video rewind of all the big songs that came out in 2018. Of course, I had to mix it up with some of the freshest UK artists at the time too.
Please note that the tabs provided are my personal notes and are best used alongside the video for easier learning. You can find more tabs in the hip-hop ukulele tabs section of the website.
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Post Malone + Swae Lee – Sunflower
The big song from the Spider-Man soundtrack. Post Malone and Swae Lee combining is a melodic melting pot. This is a great arrangement as we are mixing it up with chords and melodies. You can grab more Post Malone tabs here.
A|--------5----5-5--------2--2--------------2-|--2---5p2--------2---------2-2-| E|--------2----2-2------5----2--------------2-|--3-------5p3----3-------5---2-| C|------2-2----2-2----2------2---4p2-----2--2-|--4------------4-4----2------2-| G|-2--4---2----2-2-----------0--------4-----0-|-----------------0-----------0-|
J. Cole – Kevin's Heart
This song opens up with a beautiful ukulele chord, the A6. You need to give it one strum and then pick out the melody with your thumb.
A|-9-9-9-9-9---------------------------0-2-2-4-2-0-----2-2-2-4-2-| E|-9---------9-9--9---9--9---12-9---2--------------2-0-1---------| C|-9------------11--11-11-----------1------------------1---------| G|-9--------------------------------2------------------1---------|
Childish Gambino – This Is America
One of the most powerful songs of the year with an equally poignant music video. Grab more Childish Gambino tabs here.
A|--5----5----------------------| E|--5--8---8--6-----------------| C|--5-------------7--5----------| G|--5------------------9--7--5--|
A$AP Rocky + Skepta – Praise The Lord
Interesting fact about this beat. Skepta sampled the main melody from an old PC game called Rome 2.
A|--6---5-6---5-6-6---5-----|-3----1-3-----------------| E|--8---6-8---6-8-8---6--6--|-4----3-4----3-3-----3----| C|-----------------------7--|-------------5-5--3--0----| G|--------------------------|--------------------------|
Unknown T – Homerton B
UK drill artist Unknown T will probably never know his songs are getting played on the uke.
A|------------5---------| E|---------------7------| C|--6-------------------| G|-----4--5-------------|
Aitch – Straight Rhymez
The Manchester rapper has gone on to make huge waves in the UK industry since he released this freestyle.
A|-----------------------5--------| E|--------------------------8--7--| C|--4-4-4------5-5-5--------------| G|--4-4-4------5-5-5--------------|
Machine Gun Kelly – Rap Devil
Was this track Machine Gun Kelly's biggest mistake in his music career? It gave him so much exposure, but he also put his head on a plate ready for Eminem.
A|---------------------------------------------| E|---------------------------------------------| C|---------------------------------------------| G|-2---4-5-7---7/9----4-5--|-2--4-5-7---5--4---|
Eminem – Killshot
Eminem absolutely ate him up. The (p) in this tab is a pull off — you need to pluck the string and then lift your fretting finger off to reveal the next note. Grab more Eminem tabs here.
A|-----5--------------5---6-5- E|-6p5---5---5----6p5---5----- C|---------7------------------ G|----------------------------
French Montana + Drake – No Stylist
I'm using a low G for this piece, however it still sounds nice with a normal G string.
A|-------------3-------|-------------4-------|---8-------10-11------------------------ E|-------1---1---1---1-|-------1---1---1---1-|-8------11----------8-8-4-8-8-4-8-8-4-6- C|---0-----0-------0---|---1-----1-------1---|---------------------------------------- G|-1---1---------------|-3---3---------------|----------------------------------------
Travis Scott – Sicko Mode
This is a fairly basic chord pattern. It's recreating the synth sound at the beginning of the song. Grab more Travis Scott tabs here.
A|-5---5-5-| E|-6-6-5---| C|-7---5---| G|---------|
Drake – In My Feelings
Kiki, do you love me? Did anyone else have that tune stuck in their heads all year?
A|-----1----1-1-1-|-3----------3----------3----------3-4-3------- E|-3-4-3----3-3-3-|---6----4-6---6----4-6---6----4-6-------6-4-6- C|-----3----3-3-3-|---------------------------------------------- G|----------------|----------------------------------------------
Khalid – Love Lies
Khalid's style and voice suits the ukulele really well. This entire arrangement is built around a D#min chord.
A|-----1----------1--------4--------1----9-8-6-8-6-------| E|---2---2------2--------2--------2----------------9-9-6-| C|-3----------1-----------------3------------------------| G|---------------------3---------------------------------|
A|---------4----4-6--------------------| E|-6-6-6-6----------6----4-6-6-6-4-2---| C|-----------------------------------3-| G|-------------------------------------|
Mac Miller – 2009
RIP Mac Miller. His albums will live long in the genre, I guarantee it. Grab more Mac Miller tabs here.
A|-4----7----9-----12----9-----|-4-4-7-7-----4--- E|-5----9----10----12----10----|-5-------5-5---2- C|-6----9----9-----13----11----|-6-------------2- G|-----------------------------|---------------2-
XXXTENTACION + Lil Peep – Falling Down
A super simple chord progression, and that makes it one of the easier songs to play on this list. RIP to both of them — it's sad how often I'm writing that on this post.
A|-3-3----3----3-3-|-0-0----0----0-0-|-0-0----0----0-0------|------------------------- E|-0-0----3----3-3-|-0-0----3----3-3-|-3-3----3----3-3----2-|-8-10-8-7--------7------- C|-0-0----0----0-0-|-0-0----0----0-0-|-4-4----4----4-4------|----------9----9---9-7-4- G|-0-0----0----0-0-|-2-2----2----2-2-|-4-4----4----4-4------|-------------------------
XXXTENTACION – SAD!
A super iconic hip hop riff of 2018. Grab more XXXTENTACION tabs here.
A|-------------------------------------------|-6-3---------------------6-5-3-------------------- E|-3-------4-3-1-1------3---1--------3---1---|-----3-1-3----3-1-3-3----------3-1-3----3-1-3-1--- C|----3---------------3---3---3----3---3---3-|------------------------------------------------3- G|-------------------------------------------|--------------------------------------------------
Tyga – Taste
Hands down one of my favourite beats of 2018. So simple but it hits so hard.
A|----------------------------------------------| E|-4-3-1------4-3-1----------1-3-1--------1-3-1-| C|-------3----------3--0-2-3--------0-2-3-------| G|----------------------------------------------|
Juice WRLD – Lucid Dreams
The song is built around Sting's "Shape Of My Heart".
A|-------------------------------------- E|-5-----5---4-----4---2-----2------2-1- C|---6-----6---6-----4---2-----2-------- G|-6---6-----6---6-----4---4------------
Lil Pump + Kanye West – I Love It
A|----------------5-3------------------| E|--------------3-----6-5-6-3----3---3-| C|-----2---------------------------5---| G|-3-2---0-0---------------------------|
YG – Big Bank
A|------------------| E|-2----------------| C|---4----1-3-1-4-1-| G|------------------|
BlocBoy JB – Look Alive
A|-------------- E|-------------- C|-4-5-2-4-2---- G|-2-2-2-2-3----
Nicki Minaj – Barbie Dreams
A|-----------------------------| E|-7--------------------7----4-| C|---8----8-6-8-6-8-6-8--------| G|-----------------------------|
Cardi B + Migos – Drip
A|-6---6-8-9----6---6-8-9--------------------------- E|---6------------6--------------------------------- C|---------------------------3---3-5-6----3---3-5-6- G|-----------------------------3------------3-------
Stefflon Don – Lil B**tch
A|-------------------------| E|-------------------------| C|-------1---------1-------| G|-3-3-3---4-3-3-3---4-3-3-|
Octavian – Party Here
A|---------6-4-1-| E|---------------| C|---0-1---------| G|-3-----1-------|
Skepta + Wizkid – Energy
A|------------|------------------------------------------------------------------ E|-4-4-4----4-|-------------2/4----9-9-7-9-7/4----9-9-7-9-7/4----4-2-4-2--------- C|-4-4-4----3-|-4-4-1-1-4-4----------------------------------------------4-1----- G|-4-4-4----4-|--------------------------------------------------------------4-1-
Chip – Darth Vader
A|-------------------------| E|---4-6---4-6---4-6---4-6-| C|-5-----5-----5-----5-----| G|-3-----5-----6-----5-----|
Slowthai – Rainbow
A|------------------------------------| E|------------------------------------| C|-3-4-1----3-4-1----3-4-1----3-4-3-4-| G|------------------------------------|
Brockhampton – San Marcos
A|-----3-------3-------3-------3---|----------------------------------------------- E|---0---0---0---0---3---3---3---3-|-1/3-3-3-3-3-1-0-3/5-------------------1------- C|-0-------2-------5-------5-------|------------------------0-2-4-2-0----4---4-2-0- G|---------------------------------|----------------------------------------------
Jorja Smith – Blue Lights
A|----------9-------------------------| E|-7-----------------2---------2------| C|-6-------------2-4-2----2----1----1-| G|-0----0-4----------4---------2------|
Russ – Flute Song
A|----------------------------------------------------| E|-4---4-5-4----------2------4---4-5-4----------------| C|---4----------3---3---4------4----------3-4-6-4-3-1-| G|----------------4-----------------------------------|
Summary
That's 30 hip hop and rap tracks to get your fingers moving on the uke, from the huge 2018 chart-toppers to some of the UK's freshest names at the time. Grab your uke, pick a favourite, and get playing.