2016 was a momentous year in music, from the biggest of mainstream acts to emergent underground scenes. Before summer had arrived, some of music’s A-list stars—Beyoncé, Rihanna, Drake, Kanye West—had all dropped albums, while the passing of two legends in Prince and David Bowie came as tragic surprises. By the time the year ended, Frank Ocean and Solange had released seminal albums and artists like ScHoolboy Q, Chance The Rapper, Isaiah Rashad, Mac Miller, and Noname, showed that hip-hop was flourishing in so many ways. 2016 was also the year that SoundCloud rap made an indelible mark on pop culture, with acts like Lil Uzi Vert, 21 Savage, Kodak Black, Denzel Curry, and Lil Yachty crossing over from underground favorites to genuine stars with viral songs and full projects. That year’s XXL Freshman Cypher, with all those names in one room, remains a compelling snapshot of that special moment. Quickly watch through this non-exhaustive list of incredible albums that turn 10 this year and ...