49 of the Best Songs of 2016 So Far
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Time flies when good music keeps coming. 2016 is officially half over and as far as hip-hop is concerned, we've been pretty spoiled so far.
Kanye West's seventh solo album caused a hype in hip-hop like nothing else in recent memory, mostly because of its rollout. The rapper debuted the LP live at Madison Square Garden in New York while simultaneously presenting a fashion show of "migrant chic" garments for his Yeezy Season 3 line. And even with the delays, streaming slip ups and CDQ rips, The Life of Pablo birthed some sonic standouts.
Oxnard, Calif. native Anderson .Paak started the year with a bang with his independent sophomore LP, Malibu, and reminded hip-hop that funk ain't for the faint of heart. Kendrick Lamar put his star power to the test and doubled down, dropping a surprise project of TPAB leftovers on untitled unmastered., which quickly debuted at No. 1 on the Billboard 200.
Switching coasts, Brooklyn's own Desiigner has become the breakout star of the year so far thanks to his infectious hit single "Panda." Though critics say the song sounds too much like the wave of Future, you can't argue with results. The song went No. 1 on the Billboard 200 in April of 2016 and to date, "Panda" has charted higher than any other Future song in his entire career. To top that off, the spastic 18-year-old rapper recently dropped his first mixtape, New English, proving he's not merely a one-hit wonder.
Moving from the North to the South, ATL rhymer Young Thug completed his mixtape trilogy by dropping the long awaited Slime Season 3 featuring production from the hottest beatsmiths in the business. ATL God Gucci Mane surprised everyone by getting out of prison early in May and getting right back to the studio, dropping heat of his own and hopping on songs with Kanye West, Dreezy, Kodak Black and more. Speaking of Kodak, the ostentatious Florida MC and newly minted 2016 XXL Freshman has proven he can deliver time and time again, dropping his anticipated tape Lil B.I.G. Pac in June.
From first time collabs to veterans spitting hot fire to anticipated mixtapes and surprise returns, here's the best new music the first half of the year had to offer. Keep in mind, songs selected for this list were released between Jan. 1 and June 30, 2016.
"Come Down"
Anderson .Paak"Let It Bang"
A$AP Ferg Featuring ScHoolboy Q"ULT"
Denzel Curry"Countin'"
Lil Uzi Vert Featuring 2 Chainz & Wiz Khalifa"untitled 07"
Kendrick Lamar"Lockjaw"
French Montana Featuring Kodak Black"Ultralight Beam"
Kanye West Featuring Chance The Rapper"Summer Sixteen"
Drake"Slippin"
Meek Mill Featuring Future & Dave East"Before the Vomit"
Amir Obe"Bring Yo Friends"
Tunji Ige"I'm On"
Kamaiyah"Bounce"
Flatbush Zombies"Work"
Rihanna Featuring Drake"Gotta Lotta"
2 Chainz Featuring Lil Wayne"Need to Know"
Macklemore Featuring Chance The Rapper"Making a Murderer"
Black Thought Featuring Styles P"I'm the Man" Remix
50 Cent Featuring Chris Brown"All the Way Up"
Fat Joe & Remy Ma Featuring French Montana"Down in the DM" Remix
Yo Gotti Featuring Nicki Minaj"Not the Only One"
Kevin Gates"Dapper"
Domo Genesis Featuring Anderson .Paak"Digits"
Young Thug"Bake Sale"
Wiz Khalifa Featuring Travi$ Scott"Pick Up the Phone"
Travi$ Scott and Young Thug Featuring Quavo"Mixtape"
Chance The Rapper Featuring Young Thug and Lil Yachty"Ladies Hit Squad"
Skepta Featuring Double E and A$AP Nast"Black Owned Business"
Bas"Too Late Now"
Anik Khan"Come and See Me"
PARTYNEXTDOOR"Lite Weight"
Anderson .Paak"For Free"
DJ Khaled Featuring Drake"Panda"
Desiigner"Wicked"
Future"Champions"
Kanye West, Gucci Mane, Big Sean, 2 Chainz, Yo Gotti, Travi$ Scott, Desiigner, Quavo"Money Longer"
Lil Uzi Vert"4 PM in Calabasas"
Drake"One Dance"
Drake"Wake Up"
Fetty Wap"Might Not"
Belly Featuring The Weeknd"Moolah"
Young Greatness Featuring Lil Wayne and Yo Gotti"Great Example"
Kevin Gates"With Them"
Young Thug"Panda Summer Sixteen Freestyle"
Meek Mill"Look Alive"
Rae Sremmurd"Bad Boy on Death Row"
Dave East Featuring The Game"Today"
Kodak Black"First Day Out Tha Feds"
Gucci Mane"My PYT"
Wale