1996 in hip-hop
This article summarizes the events, album releases, and album release dates in hip-hop for the year 1996.
Highest-charting singles
| Song | Artist | Project | Peak position |
| "California Love" | 2Pac featuring Dr. Dre & Roger Troutman | All Eyez On Me | 1 |
| "How Do U Want It" | 2Pac featuring K-Ci & Jojo | All Eyez On Me | 1 |
| "Tha Crossroads" | Bone Thugs-N-Harmony | E. 1999 Eternal | 1 |
| "Loungin" | LL Cool J featuring Total | Mr. Smith | 3 |
| "1, 2, 3, 4 (Sumpin' New)" | Coolio | Gangsta's Paradise | 5 |
| "Woo Hah!! Got You All in Check | Busta Rhymes | The Coming | 8 |
| "Doin' It" | LL Cool J | Mr. Smith | 9 |
| "Elevators (Me & You)" | OutKast | ATLiens | 12 |
| "Tonite's Tha Night" | Kris Kross | Young, Rich & Dangerous | 12 |
| "Get Money" | Junior M.A.F.I.A. featuring The Notorious B.I.G. | Conspiracy | 17 |
| "Bow Down" | Westside Connection | Bow Down | 21 |
| "Po Pimp" | Do or Die featuring Twista | Picture This | 22 |
| "Too Hot" | Coolio | Gangsta's Paradise | 24 |
| "Fu-Gee-La" | Fugees | The Score | 26 |
| "It's All the Way Live (Now)" | Coolio | Eddie (soundtrack) | 29 |
| "My Boo" | Ghost Town DJ's | So So Def Bass All Stars | 31 |
| "What's Love Got to Do with It" | Warren G featuring Adina Howard | Supercop (soundtrack) | 32 |
Highest first-week sales
| Number | Album | Artist | 1st-week sales | 1st-week position | Genre |
| 1 | The Don Killuminati: The 7 Day Theory | 2Pac | 664,000 | 1 | West Coast hip hop |
| 2 | All Eyez On Me | 2Pac | 566,500 | 1 | West Coast hip hop |
| 3 | Tha Doggfather | Snoop Doggy Dogg | 470,971 | 1 | West Coast hip hop |
| 4 | It Was Written | Nas | 268,000 | 1 | East Coast hip hop |
| 5 | Family Scriptures | Mo Thugs | 219,000 | 2 | East Coast hip hop |