For our Best Rappers Alive series, we take a look at the top five best rappers, year by year – ranking them on projects dropped, guest verses and overall impact.
Top Five: The Best Rappers Alive of 1996
Honourable mentions:
Snoop Dogg
Busta Rhymes
Bun B
Hip hop journalist and author, Shea Serrano, once tweeted that Bun B on “Murder” was the best ever verse on a southern rap song. After a few years grinding, UGK hit a stride with their third album
Big Boi
Black Thought
Jeru the Damaja
Ghostface Killah
Prodigy
Redman
The Notorious B.I.G.
1996 was a relatively quiet year for Big, compared to the monster 1995.
5. Andre 3000
Notable releases:
Key guest appearances:
4. Jay-Z
Notable releases:
Key guest appearances:
3. Lauryn Hill
Notable releases:
Key guest appearances:
2. Nas
Notable releases:
Key guest appearances:
Nas may have become the first King of New York when he dropped Illmatic in April 1994, but by the end of the year, his crown had been snatched by The Notorious B.I.G.
1996 is the first, true year that Nas reigned of the King of his city.
1. 2Pac
Notable releases:
Key guest appearances:
What a year 1996 was for Tupac Shakur. In October 1995, he was out on bail from Clinton and immediately started recording
by February he had dropped it
