Revisiting the Legacy of 2016 Rap

Emma Paff

Rap/Hip-hop Director  

The second the ball dropped on New Year’s, the internet traveled back in time and decided that 2026 is the new 2016. Suddenly, feeds were flooded with rose colored filters and throwback pictures using the dog filter. Kanye is making a song about the old Kanye while underground rappers are getting ready to drop their first tracks on SoundCloud. Old rappers were conspiring against the new wave, referring to them as mumble rappers in their tracks. 2016 was an explosive time for the rap industry. 

To start, 2016 was when YouTube got the most iconic Freshman Cypher class of all time. Lil Uzi Vert, Lil Yachty, Kodak Black, Denzel Curry, G Herbo, Dave East, Lil Dicky, Anderson Paak, Desiigner, and 21 Savage took XXL magazine by storm. With 3.4 million likes, the free style featuring Kodak Black, 21 Savage, Lil Uzi Vert, Lil Yachty, and Denzel Curry is still a cult classic. We got 21 Savage holding his double-stacked foam cup, and Kodak Black poking fun at the beat with the producer in the room. The 2016 Freshman Cypher group is full of trailblazers who will carry us for the next decade. 

In May of 2016, we got album releases from both Drake and Lil Uzi Vert. Views by Drake dominated the charts, becoming the year’s top-selling hip-hop album. It might have been the peak of the Drake persona, featuring tracks like “Hotline Bling,” “Child’s Play,” and “Controlla.” Lil Uzi Vert gave us the trap banger, “Money Longer,” on his album Lil Uzi Vert vs. The World. By blending trap-style beats and emo-infused lyrics, Lil Uzi established himself as a leader in the SoundCloud era. 

On Sep. 16th, Travis Scott released Birds In The Trap Sing McKnight, an album featuring one of his most notable songs, “goosebumps.” The hypnotic song featuring Kendrick Lamar recently became the highest certified rap single ever, reaching 17x Platinum status in October of 2025. Listening back, I recognized the chorus from “beibs in the trap,” from my Musical.ly FYP. If that doesnt make you feel old, then I don’t know what will. 

The release of The Life Of Pablo also marked Ye’s first public mental health crisis, where his erratic behavior caused the cancellation of his Saint Pablo Tour in November 2016. The chaotic rollout of the much-anticipated album caused waves in the media. The public began to turn on him as his outlandish statements hit their Twitter feeds, and the album’s mixes were frantically changed by Ye. It was a storm of perfectionism and mental illness. 

In classic J-Cole fashion, he released “False Prophets” in December of 2016, calling out the controversial behaviors of Ye. The rapper who we used to hold in such a high standard is now being controlled by his ego and insecurities. “False Prophets” is full of grief and mourning for the rapper he used to consider his “hero.” 

Following “False Prophets” was the introspective album 4 Your Eyez Only. The tracks are slower with stripped-down melodies, letting J-Cole’s emotions shine through. The opening track, “For Whom The Bell Tolls,” is heavy and raw. You can hear the desperation and exhaustion in his voice as he draws us into his anxiety. 4 Your Eyez Only tells us the deeper story of the systemic struggles and perspectives faced by young black men. It’s full of compassion and stories relating to the hardships. 

The rappers in 2016 carried the music culture in that era. We saw a prominent change when trap became mainstream and streaming services like Soundcloud popped off. Rap dominated the culture, and everything felt new and exciting. It’s no surprise that 2016 is making a comeback a decade later.