Another year has come and gone. 2016 was 365 days worth of fun, controversy and tragedy. Music-wise, it was perhaps one of the most diverse years in recent memory as we got nostalgic with new albums from A Tribe Called Quest and De La Soul while newcomers like Lil Yachty and Lil Uzi Vert rattled our perception of what Hip Hop could be. We were gifted with plenty of club bangers and a dose of spirit-filled tunes from Kanye West, Chance The Rapper and more. It seemed there was a balance of wokeness with just enough ignant to either inspire us to make a change in the world or simply to help us escape it for a bit.
Here are the 2016 HipHopDX Year-End Awards.
Album Of The Year
Album Of The Year: Chance The Rapper – Coloring Book
It takes quite a scribe to out-church Kanye “Jesus Walks” West, but Lil Chano From 79th evoked the gospel preached on “Ultralight Beam” and reaped blessings with his improperly labeled “mixtape,” Coloring Book. It became the first album to chart on the Billboard 200 solely due to streams, paving the way for another unprecedented distinction with its Grammy Award nomination for Best Rap Album.
Check Out The Complete List Of Best Rap Albums
2016 Rap Song Of The Year
This year, HipHopDX is distinguishing between the best rap songs (a.k.a. the most lyrically and sonically potent) and the ones that had the most impact culturally. That’s why we’ve made two lists: the 50 Best Hip Hop & Rap Songs Of 2016 and the Top 50 Most Lit Songs of 2016. The goal here is not to widen the divide between purist and partier but to give excellence its due. Peep game.
2016 R&B Song of The Year: Rihanna – “Needed Me”
Rihanna created an anthem for the females with this one. The visuals say it all, as Rih embarks on a full-blown mission to kill. Don’t mess with Badgalriri.
Check Out The Best Of R&B 2016
MC Of The Year
Chance The Rapper
Critical acclaim is something Chance The Rapper has grown accustomed to over the years (see his 2013 season with his breakout project, Acid Rap, topping several year-end lists). But that was only the beginning. Then it turned out his exceptional verse on Kanye West’s “Ultralight Beam” in 2016 was really the beginning. In May, he released his Coloring Book “mixtape” to great critical acclaim and that was still only the beginning. At just 23-years-old, the Chicago icon defied the odds and championed the first streaming-only album to ever receive a Grammy nomination, going up for Best Rap Album and Best Rap Song (and Performance) for “No Problem”.
At the close of 2016, Chancelor Bennett is the one holding the golden microphone. And it still seems like it’s just the beginning for the talented young MC.
Producer of the Year
Kaytranada
Producer hype is not only in high demand these days, it’s a cultural norm. But Kaytranada ensured that he made the loudest statement with his music — and music alone, without so much as a promotional tag or by capitalizing off a very revealing interview. The greatness of his debut studio album, 99.9%, was apparent, as it blended the ripest additives of Hip Hop, R&B, electronica and funk and turned them into audio refreshments. But the Montreal producer also blessed Anderson .Paak, Chance The Rapper, Mick Jenkins and others with beats that helped them improve the quality of their projects and the world was better for it. Salute to Metro Boomin, Mike WiLL Made-It, Allen Ritter, Zaytoven and of course Kanye West, but Kaytranada got the beatmaker’s crown of 2016.
2016 Most Slept-On Rap Album Of The Year: Apathy – Handshakes With Snakes
Release Date: June 10, 2016
Label: Dirty Version Records
Highest Billboard 200 Chart Position: N/A
Production Credits: Apathy
Connecticut’s most storied underground rap stalwart stormed back with his renowned fusillade of bars and boom-bap beats to smack your dome if you dared to sleep on him. The album possesses enough self-reflection, maturity, and braggadocio to galvanize MCs into double checking the amount of ink in their pens. After 20 years of numerous nightmares and dreams manifested in the rap game, the Alien Tongue channels Jim Valvano prompting his listeners to never give up (minus the sappy tone).
Check Out The Complete List Of Slept-On Rap Albums
Video Of The Year
Beyonce – Lemonade
Directors: Beyonce, Kahlil Joseph, Melina Matsoukas, Dikayl Rimmasch, Todd Tourso, Jonas Akerlund
Sorry guys, but Queen Bey wasn’t playing fair in 2016. Not only did she run away with the top-rated album on the site this year, she surpassed everyone in terms of creativity by putting the package in a visual format. While Desiigner’s “Panda,” Kanye West (or mainly Teyana Taylor’s) “Fade,” DJ Khaled and Nas’ “Nas Album Done,” Vince Staples’ “Prima Donna” and A$AP Mob’s “Yamborghini High” definitely made a splash (among others), it was Beyonce’s layered depiction of intuition, denial, anger, apathy, emptiness, accountability, reformation, forgiveness, resurrection, hope, and redemption that warranted the most repeated viewings.
Mumble Rapper Of The Year
Young Thug
2016 was the advent of the Mumble Rapper. We were forced to listen to 21 Savage, Lil Yachty and Lil Uzi Vert whether we wanted to or not and there was a clash between old heads and the new generation that was inescapable. While Future could be considered the godfather of the whole mumble rap movement, our Mumble Rapper of the Year Award goes to Young Thug. Or Jeffrey if you prefer.
Thugger has become a pop culture icon for his daring fashion choices and wild personality. The Atlanta rapper released not one, not two, but three mixtapes this year, two of which landed in the Top 10 of Billboard’s Top 200 albums chart. He was part of one of the hottest songs of the year with “Pick Up the Phone” and was featured on many of the year’s biggest albums, including Kanye West’s The Life of Pablo and Usher’s Hard II Love. Where will he pop up next? We don’t know but we’ll be sure to get the memo ASAP.
Hardest Working Artist Of The Year
Gucci Mane
Photo: Astrid Stawiarz/Getty Images for The Confidante
4 projects while in prison (2 compilations, 2 mixtapes), 6 projects post-prison (2 albums, 3 EPs, 1 mixtape)
Since stepping out of prison at the end of May, Gucci has been on a musical tear. He has released two studio albums, three EPs, and a mixtape. That’s in addition to the four projects that dropped this year while he was still behind bars. Mr. East Atlanta Santa turned 2016 into a one-man No Limit Records album release schedule: and he’s had a tremendous impact.
Check Out The Complete List Of Hardest Working Artists Of 2016
Collaboration Of The Year
Fat Joe & Remy Ma f. French Montana & Infrared – “All The Way Up”
Producer: Edsclusive, Cool
Every now and then, a celebratory record rises to the occasion, giving us all reason to celebrate that last $2 in our pockets like we just won the lotto. Fat Joe and Remy Ma made their long-awaited collaboration dreams a reality this year with the first single from their album. “All The Way Up” took up a life of its own and brought French Montana and Infrared (and even Jay Z) along for the ride. And wouldn’t you know, they fucked around and got Grammy nominations for Best Rap Performance and Best Rap Song. Nothing can stop them … you know the rest.
Beat Of The Year
Young M.A – “OOOUUU”
Producer: U-Dub of NY Bangers
Great Hip Hop production can do a lot of things but it doesn’t always evoke rappers to bring out the #Bars. Which is what made Young M.A’s “OOOUUU” so damn irresistible. The track, scored by U-Dub of NY Bangers, propelled M.A to spill Hennessy all over the booth to obtain her biggest hit to date, and it also inspired the likes of Nicki Minaj, Remy Ma, A$AP Ferg, French Montana, Yo Gotti, Jadakiss and more to bring out those #Bars as well. Additionally, it was the soundtrack to the short-lived (and ridiculous) beef between The Game and Meek Mill so, even more kudos to U-Dub.
Verse Of The Year
Chance The Rapper on Kanye West’s “Ultralight Beam”
[Verse 2: Chance The Rapper (via Genius)]
When they come for you, I will shield your name
I will field their questions, I will feel your pain
No one can judge
They don’t, they don’t know
They don’t know
Foot on the Devil’s neck ’til it drifted Pangaea
I’m moving all my family from Chatham to Zambia
Treat the demons just like Pam
I mean I fuck with your friends, but damn, Gina
I been this way since Arthur was anteater
Now they wanna hit me with the woo wap, the bam
Tryna snap photos of familia
My daughter look just like Sia, you can’t see her
You can feel the lyrics, the spirit coming in braille
Tubman of the underground, come and follow the trail
I made Sunday Candy, I’m never going to hell
I met Kanye West, I’m never going to fail
He said let’s do a good ass job with Chance three
I hear you gotta sell it to snatch the Grammy
Let’s make it so free and the bars so hard
That there ain’t one gosh darn part you can’t tweet
This is my part, nobody else speak
This is my part, nobody else speak
This little light of mine
Glory be to God, yeah
I’ma make sure that they go where they can’t go
If they don’t wanna ride I’mma still give them raincoats
Know what God said when he made the first rainbow
Just throw this at the end if I’m too late for the intro
Ugh, I’m just having fun with it
You know that a nigga was lost
I laugh in my head
Cause I bet that my ex looking back like a pillar of salt
Ugh, ’cause they’ll flip the script on your ass like Wesley and Spike
You cannot mess with the light
Look at lil’ Chano from 79th
It doesn’t take much backstory to perceive that Chance left the pulpit in splinters after he set off Kanye West’s self-proclaimed “gospel album,” The Life of Pablo. The unforgettable sermon paved the way for his more heavenly Coloring Book and will forever make listeners scream chuuuch when they play it back.
Comeback Of The Year
A Tribe Called Quest
Photo: Dave Kotinsky/Getty Images
You couldn’t open up any social media platform without seeing Gucci Mane in your face following his release from prison in May 2016. But when you factor in the obstacles A Tribe Called Quest overcame, it’s evident who the clear winner of the year’s best comeback was. It must have taken a legendary effort to band together again after 20 years in limbo to create one of 2016’s best albums while dealing with the sudden passing of one of the founding members. Then, to go and perform for a national audience on SNL in a perfect tribute to the group’s fallen brother. The Kings of Queens were pretty damn magical in 2016 and for that, we give them their props. Long live Phife Dawg.
Most Slept-On Rap Albums Of The Year
2016 Mixtape Of The Year: Royce Da 5’9 – Tabernacle: Trust The Shooter
Release Date: March 29, 2016
Producers: DJ Premier, Jahlil Beats, DJ Pain 1, Jake One, Araabmuzik, S1, Nottz, Jake One, Streetrunner, Mr. Porter, Antman Wonder, J. Rhodes, Tarik Azzouz
If you’re a Nickel Nine fan, there was undoubtedly some conflict in picking your favorite project between Tabernacle: Trust The Shooter and Layers. Whichever you chose, there was no question that Tabernacle bucked down any doors his sixth studio album walked through this year. It was a project bathed in immense storytelling, endless battle rhymes and seamless lyricism — and those are just the first three tracks.
Check Out The Complete List Of Best 2016 Mixtapes
Worst Rap Album Of 2016: Cardi B – Gangsta Bitch Music Vol. 1
We don’t hate Cardi B, but the bars were so bad they made us look forward to her cackle.
Kendrick Lamars verse on holy Key and that remix were better than chances verse, come on
Chance’s verse on Ultralight Beam is godawful… Lol. What about that verse is impressive? Someone please enlighten me.
For real. Kanye’s verse on the same album – “I love kanye” – was the best verse of the year. #yeezus2020
He didn’t mumble or make up words
it was enlightening!!!
The first bar- who’s ever used Pangaaea in a rhyme, nevermind with such potent imagery
The Tubman bar- he is literally changing the way underground hip hop is monetized and everyone is following it
“Aint one gosh darn part you cant tweet”- Every word of Coloring Book was tweeted in the first 48 hours of release, never happened before
My ex looking back like a pillar of salt- maybe the greatest bible reference ever flipped in a rap verse. Read up on the Wife of Bath if you dont get it
The biblical and religious theme throughout, the effectiveness of the braggadocio, the humor, the delivery. Just because. Not m you dont understand something doesnt mean it isnt great. Not my first choice but name another this year that was as undeniably dope and as game changing. I’ll wait
Kanye’s Verse on No More Parties In LA
Can Dx make a sub-site for real Traditional Hip-Hop? Mumble-rap, Singing Rappers of the year. Jigga’s wife got vid of… I luv HipHop, & every year this site highlights shit that don’t qualify IMO. I can get away from 21 Savage… fact that you can’t/won’t shows how the industry has manipulated this culture & art into everything it was never meant to be…Help me & the culture by saving your own souls…
I know he’s not a popular name but Joe Budden shut down the summer with his diss records, Freedom verse and a dope ass album he dropped in Oct. He deserve consideration in some of these categories.
Exactly. But budden doesn’t have money to throw to get himself on this post. Who is Kaytranada? He is on it lmao guess he has a major that’s tryna make him blow. It’s a joke. We need a site that will at least make an effort to support hip hop and this one used to be legit. Not a site like every radio station who is up to the highest bidder.
Kaytranada is as indie as they come
Beyonce isn’t rap and mumble crap isn’t rap. Otherwise the list is ok. Not exactly my list but people have opinions don’t they?
But we need to change their opinions. Because there opinions are based on what websites and radio plays. But they play it for us no? So why are they forcing this garbage onto the younger generation? It’s going to kill hip hop. Turn it into this mumble shit which silences the messages that actually made hip hop. Hip hop is all of us! It’s a lifestyle it’s music and it’s the way we think as a people. 2017 is set to be the worst year in rap ever and it’s the radio websites fault.
It’s more a part of me than almost anything nigga. I agree with your reply and I agree that media is showing these lil niggas and shit down our throat (no one seems to like them that much-sales figures lower than their talent) but I was just saying that aside from the trap shit, this list ain’t too bad. Just different from mine.
This list sucks in its own way but still, check out the hnhh list of best Atlanta released this year. They placed fucking young thugs Jeffery on top. Wtf.
Fake ass punk block my ip instead of just deleting my comments… seriously I talk about people that aren’t paying u money to post their shit and I get an instant delete. Didn’t swear didn’t say anything negative besides the fact that the editor and chief promotes garbage? Justin you know damn well these new mumble bs artist aren’t what built this genre and aren’t what will sustain it! these labels prob pay bank for you to do hip hop an injustice!!
Shut up Dinkle. Hunte is the maaaan
Anyone being called a Dinkle is probably the coolest person ever
So you’re somehow saying that Chance & Young Thug are best rappers of 2016? What a time to be alive smh
What’s happening to hip hop is starting to break my heart.
I feel ur pain smh
^^^ Said every fan of Hip Hop since 1979…
Really MUMBLE RAPPER OF THE YEAR is a catagory????
Stupid idiots of DX
Games album 1992 is the album of the fuckin year no rap album better this year period you delusional muthafuckas!!!!! THE JUICE shits on any song off a album this year!!!! 92 Bars are the hardest fuckin bars of any MC this year and Pest Control is the fuckin ultimate diss on bitch nigga of the year Meek Rat Mill!!!!!! FACTS!!!!
“I used to ETHER NIGGAZ in all of my 16’s, Now I Scare em once a year like Im fuckin Halloween”!!!!
“And thats on Piru, Yeah I put the P on that hat, You get Hit with the Eagle Roll a Philly To That”!!!!
Smh. Games album was aiight. It was above average but no, I disagree that it was album of the year
Too commercial for my taste.
This dude chance the rapper is the most overrated artist I’ve seen in the past 10 years.
I’m sorry. Have you heard of Drake?
MUMBLE RAPPER OF THE YEAR………………………… stop. -__-
According to this list, 2017 might be they year I finally stop visiting this website.. Your list is quite subjective, and your explanations really stupid.. So beyonce is hip hop and mumble rappers are a diferent category? You failed to adapt and appreciate all the good aspects of the current game.. If something is constant in hip hop it’s the changes, and here you are sleeping on the hottest trio ever – migos and their epic year. and all this wannabee smash headlines you be posting… idk, as an almost 10 year old follower I must say you’re loosing your credibility rapidly. Check yourself before you wreck yourself HHDX. Happy holidays.
Lawd! I was cheering every goddamn word of yours until you mentioned Migos. And you’ve been visiting this website for 10 years? Anybody who has been coming here for at least 10 years IS NOT listening to the likes of Migos. Unless you were 6 then…
Gave you thumbs up then call migos greatest trio ever? Ever heard of- A Tribe Called Quest
Run-DMC
Digable Planets
The Fugees
Naughty By Nature
The Beatnuts
Tha Alkaholiks
De La Soul
Black Moon
Little Brother
Random Axe
Main Source
Fat Boys
Fu-Schnickens
Poor Righteous Teachers
Dilated Peoples
Def Squad
KMD
CunninLynguists
Company Flow
Cypress Hill?
Y’all niggas gotta stop with Chance the Rapper.
Why don’t you…give him a Chance? *brum pum pum”
Layers was the best album of the year.. best album in years..
Layers was dope but Black America Again was fire.
Andre 3000 verse on Solo (Reprise) is easily the verse of the year
Wait. Andre 3000 stans still exist? Wtf?!?!
Naw, keep this up. Only reason I come to this site is for the comments. A click is a click for DX but know it’s never for the writing.
Donald Trump was MC of the year imo
His oouuu remix verse possibly the hottest verse of 2016.
I am really looking forward to his collaboration with Kanye West
Danny Brown-Really Doe is collab of the year hands down…”You a mouse that the falcon picked up!”
Hardest working was curren$y hands down.
No doubt! 12 months 12 mixtapes. N word please. Not even close.
MC OF THE YEAR
Chance the Rapper
(Honorable Mentions: Kendrick Lamar, Kanye West, ScHoolboy Q, and J. Cole)
I have personally been a fan of Chance the Rapper since 2013, when Acid Rap dropped. I listened to that album so many times, I memorized it in two days. I thought to myself, please don’t let him get big in the wrong way. Apparently, somebody heard me, because Chance has gotten incredibly popular without selling out, starting beef, or making basic drugs, money, and women raps. He has become popular off of his own merit, his own positive style, and no creative limitations.
He started 2016 with arguably the best verse of the year, on Kanye West’s ‘Ultralight Beam’, the first track off of Kanye’s long-awaited Life of Pablo. Later in the year, he made incredibly critically-acclaimed mixtape Coloring Book, featuring big names such as Kanye West, Justin Bieber, Lil Wayne, 2 Chainz, Jeremih, Future, Young Thug, D.R.A.M., and Lil Yachty. Even after this, I wasn’t sure that he hit the big time until he almost single-handedly forced the change of the rules of the Grammy Awards to include mixtapes, and free music, also. He appeared in the music of people such as Big Sean, Kanye West, Macklemore, and John Legend, then capped off the year with a surprise Christmas album with Jeremih (which just happens to be my favorite Christmas album of all time). That sounds like mainstream success to me, all while releasing all his music for free.
PRODUCER OF THE YEAR
Metro Boomin
(Honorable Mentions: Kaytranada, Mike WiLL Made-It, 40, and Knxwledge)
COLLABORATION OF THE YEAR
Really Doe – Danny Brown (Feat. Kendrick Lamar, Ab-Soul, and Earl Sweatshirt)
VERSE OF THE YEAR
Solo (Reprise) – Frank Ocean (Feat. Andre 3000)
Given the generic and shitty nature of the rest of this list, I am quite shocked that they picked Kaytranada for producer of the year. It just doesn’t seem to go along with all of the other choices on the list.
Not sure how Beyonce’s Lemonade video is Hip Hop. Just because a R&B singer gets someone to write a song with a message, then co-opts dress and dance from the culture doesn’t necessarily mean its Hip Hop.
WTF… How is Beyonce on this list? I am guessing it was between her, Taylor Swift and Katy Perry for HIP HOP video of the year?
21 Savage should be best new artist!!!
“21, 21, 21…”
Fuck tha haterzzz!!!!
Swear to God, De La Soul & The Anonymous Nobody better get Album of the Year…. : |
Seriously? Fucking Beyoncé for Hip Hop video of the year?
it never said it was ‘hip hop video of the year’
Are you stupid? This is a Hip Hop site. Do you really think everything has to be prefixed with Hip Hop to be a Hip Hop award?
Do you really think Gucci Mane was the hardest working artist in all of music year? SMH… dumb fuck.
You got be dumb if you really think OOOUUU was the best beat of the year. It’s a good beat but thats it probably not even the best of the month!
I love me some Beyonce vids but no way Lemonade is video of the year.
THIS..LIST…IS…TRASH…
You all can do better than this…..
Chance? Rapper of the year? smh
Daringer should be Producer of the year have people not heard the work with Westside Gunn and Conway the most slept on mc’s everything Griselda records put out has been fire seriously worth checking them guys out.They the only ‘new’ Mc’s ive found in the last couple years that im loving the music as much as the classic stuff i keep in rotation
Somebody had to say it! Salute!!!
I like Chance but nah…..Game, Kanye, Drake…come on son
Can we all just take a moment to remember that Chance The Rapper’s Coloring Book features the likes of Young Thug, Little Yachty AND Justin Bieber? Wake up sheeple
Lemonade, Video of the Year… Is this r&bdx.com?
Chance on “ultralight beam” was a great verse, and worthy of the title, but not my personal choice I would say kendrick on “THaT Part black hippy remix”…the flow..
DX just copied & paste the same list from HotNewHipHop from couple of days back.F#ckin Sheeps lol
Zeitgeist the movie….this is wild. Netflix and YouTube
Most overrated atist of the year – Chance the rapper
It’s an okay list. Not sure if I agree with verse of the year or picking Lemonade(A dumb RB song that was based on fake shit) video of the year on a hip hop site, when it wasn’t that good of a song or video tbh but you gave it the spot because of bunch of repeat viewings.
Verse of the year should be Kendrick on “Holy Key”
Gucci been working hard but Currensy is obviously the HARDEST WORKING ARTIST OF THE YEAR period
How the hell is beyonce on here? Isn’t this a hip hop site and hip hop award list?