Hell, even if neither of these adages end up being true, Yachty has risen from near obscurity to New York Times Style icon in the span of mere months, a glow up that’s undeniable no matter how many old head radio hosts take shots at him (Can that tiresome, pathetic subset of rap beef be over in 2016, please?). If a rising tides lifts all boats, and all press is good press, then Lil Yachty is sitting pretty. Despite the weight of these topics, Mike uses his wiry flow and dark humor to create frustrated poetry that never gets dragged under, and to voice lamentations that never slip into defeated resignation. Mike is most at home rapping in, around, and through the jittery, soulful beats that White provides here, using the space to break apart and examine everything from the overwhelming constance of digital notifications to the specters of surveillance and police violence. (See: Desiigner.)įilm Festival carves its own lane by hewing closer to existential interstitials and tongue-twister rapping than trap drums or insatiable hooks. His music eschews any of the popular and prevalent sounds of successful rap in 2016, a fact that feels like a feat as homogeneity becomes a shoo-in for success. Probably because, as he points out on “Smiling (Quirky Race Doc),” rappers are expected, and nearly required, to inhabit a certain set of signifiers and speak within certain grammars in order to achieve success. Mike has four solid solo albums, five EPs, and five formidable collaborative albums - including this one - and yet the mainstream has yet to catch onto his self-styled Art Rap aesthetic. Mike’s sly expansiveness mimics the deceptively cheerful warmth of the city of Los Angeles that he now calls home, and though he can sound downright lackadaisical on rubbery, light-headed jams like “Dang Is Invincible” or “Drunk Dreaming,” his steely-calm exterior is the result of a Chicago upbringing. Open Mike Eagle makes paranoia sound zen on his sprawling collaboration with UK producer Paul White, Hella Personal Film Festival, a record that playfully interrogates deadly serious topics. Open Mike Eagle, Hella Personal Film Festival In 2016, the student has become the master, and everybody is still learning.Ģ0. But more than anything, the lull from rap’s two reigning kings let two other superstars-in-the-making rise, so two of the youngest, brashest, most independent voices clamored so loud they clambered all the way past their idols. It let near-supernovas who have been grinding just outside the spotlight like YG and Schoolboy Q take center stage.

and Rae Sremmurd step into the spotlight.

After the initial thrill of these big name records wore off, there was still energy left over to celebrate emerging acts like Open Mike Eagle, Noname, and Lil Yachty.Ī vacuum of sorts began to open up in the hip-hop world, particularly in the back half of the year, that let weird, wild newcomers like D.R.A.M. Another huge contender, Kendrick Lamar, had already dominated 2015 with jazz-fusion of To Pimp A Butterfly, so his surprise collection of castoff demos this year felt like a carryover, but not a crown. Two of the biggest superstars in the genre put out records - Kanye and Drake respectively - but neither release possessed the world-stopping power that was apparent the last time this face off happened, back in 2013. All are constant rotators and will likely give you the same emotions, neck cramps, and mental field trips as they did me.Rap in 2016 was a strange beast. If you haven’t checked any of these tracks out this year, please do yourself a favor and do so. Jay Electronica – “The Curse Of Mayweather”Īs you can see, there was a lot of sincere heat this year, and there’s likely even more that I haven’t named – this is strictly a subjective list.Pac Bundy and Chuck D – “Young Black Intelligent” T-Pain and Kirk Franklin – “Drown/Finish Line” BJ The Chicago Kid – “Day The Women Took Over” Anna Wise, Punch, and Jay Rock – “untitled 5” Kendrick Lamar – “No More Partying In L.A.” A Tribe Called Quest – “Black Spasmodic”.

Hip hop rap songs 2016