Summer 2016 - A 10-Year Retrospective

[AgentZero]

For the past decade, Summer 2016 has been constantly referenced as a pivotal point in time. To this day I still see posts and memes about it and continue to hear it mentioned. That summer it seemed like music was good, sports were good, and the vibes were high. Some key events from that summer (and year as a whole):

• NBA playoffs: 73-9 Warriors complete 3-1 WCF comeback only to become the first team to blow a 3-1 lead in the Finals
• MLB season: Cubs later win first World Series since 1908
• NFL (earlier, but significant league aftereffects/public discourse): favored Panthers led by MVP Cam doesn't dive on fumble as they fall to Broncos in Peyton's last ride
• Summer Olympics: historic performances from Usain Bolt, Michael Phelps, Simone Biles, Katie Ledecky
• Freshman XXL Cypher: Denzel Curry, Lil Uzi Vert, Lil Yachty, 21 Savage, Kodak Black, Anderson .Paak, Desiigner, Dave East, G Herbo, and Lil Dicky- some pioneered new sounds and most still hold weight in the rap and entertainment industry
• Atlanta trap rap scene: Gucci released from jail, emergence of 21 Savage and Playboi Carti, Metro Boomin and Zaytoven production everywhere, Future's Freebandz collabs with OVO (can still hear the Summer Sixteen and Freebandz OVO tags in my head )
• Pokémon Go: pushes people to go outside, resurgence of Pokémon brand
• Social media: rise of Instagram and Twitter was still relevant
• Fashion: peak hypebeast and collab era- BAPE x Adidas, OFF-WHITE x Chrome Hearts, OVO x Jordan, Supreme x The North Face, etc.

For me, I had just graduated college and my peers and I got to spend it with nearly zero responsibilities before our new jobs started. I was playing sports most days and hitting bars/parties/cookouts on the weekends. That summer I made a lot of new friends I still have today. 10 years later and I'm a few thousand miles away, rehabbing a knee surgery, and responsibilities are greater- especially for the friends who now have wives and kids.

Looking back what do you remember from Summer 2016? What was it like for you? Why do you think it had such a cultural impact?

 

[robpzee612]

Hillary vs Trump

 

[swendro]

Yeah it's basically moments before disaster struck.

 

[FThe45th]

i was living north of LA second contract job in aerospace, by the end of 16 id be moving to ATL, i kept saying theres no way america votes this clown in. absolutely no way, we are smarter than that. america broke my heart that year. anyways i believe i copped the true blue 3's that year and the space jams in december. bumped lil dicky album, and when i was in LA hit this chick that worked at chrome hearts and it was my first time eating at ocean prime. good ol days for sure.