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Music released by Black artists in 2016 both shaped and reflected culture

2016 was a complex year for Black music, between the last year of the Obama presidency, and the numerous high-profile deaths of Black people at the hands of police.

Copyright 2026 NPR

Rodney Carmichael
Rodney Carmichael is NPR Music's hip-hop staff writer. An Atlanta-bred cultural critic, he helped document the city's rise as rap's reigning capital for a decade while serving on staff as music editor, culture writer and senior writer for the defunct alt-weekly Creative Loafing.
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