2016 managed to bring the world to its knees, but in any setting, there are always those who thrive despite the odds.
On that note, here’s a list of celebrities who totally kicked this year’s ass.
1. Beyoncé
There’s nothing that can knock Beyoncé off her game – this was her year. The singer and mom released her groundbreaking visual album “Lemonade” and created a political firestorm in the process. She’s also got more Grammy nominations than any other artist this year and we can’t forget the Super Bowl 50 performance that shook White supremacists to their core.
2. Solange Knowles
Following in her big sister’s footsteps, Solange released her own groundbreaking album this year. “A Seat at the Table” gave fans a very candid view of her life as a Black woman living in the world. It spoke to cultural appropriation, Black ownership, and more.
3. Issa Rae
Love Philly's R&B station? Get more! Join the Philly's R&B station Newsletter
Thank you for subscribing! Please be sure to open and click your first newsletter so we can confirm your subscription.
Issa Rae should be on everyone’s winners’ list this year. The incredible actress stole our hearts with her portrayal on the HBO show “Insecure,” which captured the lives of Black millennials like no other show has. Seriously, if you haven’t tuned in yet, get on that ASAP.
4. Blac Chyna
Blac Chyna’s name was on the tip of everyone’s tongues this year as she made a love connection with Rob Kardashian. Not only has all of social media crowned Chyna the ultimate revenge goals, she’s got her own reality show, is working on a wedding special, and just had a baby – but you wouldn’t know by the way her snapback game is set up. We’ll say it again… #GOALS.
5. Teyana Taylor
Teyana Taylor won hearts when she completely killed Kanye West’s “Fade” video, alongside her beautiful and creative family. She then went on to also kill her tribute to Lil Kim at the VH1 Hip Hop Honors. We can’t wait to see more from this young hustler.
6. Gucci Mane
With his ride-or-die Keyshia Ka’oir by his side, it seems nothing can stop Gucci Mane. He got out of prison and got right back to work. The rapper opened the BET Hip Hop Awards this year and has been on several songs with rap’s greatest since his release.
7. Tracy Morgan
After miraculously recovering from a six-vehicle crash back in 2014, Tracy Morgan was ready for his comeback last year. He made his big return to “SNL” and was welcomed with open arms. Now he’s back to killing the stand-up scene. He was even nominated for a 2016 Emmy, which is obviously major.
8. DJ Khaled
DJ Khaled made it cool to be positive when he took over social media as the one and only Snapchat King. He also dropped his #1 album “Major Key,” which knocked Drake’s “Views” out of the top spot. He’s got to be doing something right.
9. Mahershala Ali
Mahershala Ali has been wowing fans this year. He starred as the brutal Cotton Mouth in the hit series “Luke Cage” and helped tell an incredible story of self-discovery in the film, “Moonlight.” The world is definitely looking forward to seeing more of his talent.
10. Jesse Williams
If you haven’t witnessed Jesse Williams in action, we suggest you start Googling. He brought the house down at the BET Awards with a speech we’ll never forget this year and completely destroyed Melania Trump on Twitter – and that was just the beginning.
11. Van Jones
Van Jones took the words right out of our mouths when he reacted to Donald Trump’s win in the 2016 presidential election and ultimately coined the very necessary term, “Whitelash.”
