When LeBron James got Top on the phone, we never expected K. Producer: Kanye West, Boi-1da, Frank Dukes, Havoc, Mike Dean, Darren King, Noah Goldstein, Sevn Thomasġ0. Kendrick Lamar – “No More Parties In L.A.”ġ2. Producer: Kanye West & The Social Experimentġ6. Cole, BLVK, Childish Major, Chargaux, Theo Croker, Nate Jones Producer: Powers Pleasant, Kirk Knight & Adam PallinĢ3. Kendrick Lamar, Ab-Soul & Earl Sweatshirt – “Really Doe”Ģ8. Producer: Watch The Duck & Karriem Rigginsģ1. Producer: The Chemists Create, Drumz & Rosezģ4. Producer: Vinylz, Frank Dukes, Mike Dean, Allen Ritterģ7. Skyzoo & Apollo Brown – “Care Packages”Ĥ4. Producer: Cardo, Yung Exclusive, Cubeatz, Mike DeanĤ5. Flatbush Zombies – ”New Phone, Who Dis?”Ĥ8. Producer: Metro Boomin, Smash David, Hitmaka & Amaire JohnsonĤ9. Check out the year’s finest rap tunes below. But mainstream rappers such as Chance the Rapper and YG carried their lyrical weight, too, as evidenced in this list. Rappers like Royce Da 5’9, Skyzoo and eLZhi gave us supreme bars backed by equally stalwart production. Peep game.Ģ016 proved lyricism is alive and well in Hip Hop, despite cries for the return of the ’90s. The goal here is not to widen the divide between purist and partier but to give excellence its due.
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 most lyrically and sonically potent) and the ones that had the most impact culturally. This year, HipHopDX is distinguishing between the best rap songs (a.k.a. Whether you’re a crate-digging backpacker or a mumble-rap aficionado, there was plenty of ear candy from 2016’s Pez dispensary. 2016 was politically and socially gut-wrenching, but the soundtrack to this turbulent year was superb.