Baller Alert’s Year In Review: Don’t Call it a Comeback! Biggest Glow Ups of 2016

This year has been one for the books, filled with several ups and even more downs. 2016 has claimed some of our favorite singers, comedians, actors and athletes, however this year has also provided some of the best music, the funniest memes and the greatest comebacks of 2016, if not, of all time.

Check out some of our biggest come backs and glow ups of 2016.

11. Ghostown DJs, Shirley Caesar, Monica, Rae Sremmurd (The Challenges)- 2016 was definitely the year of the challenges which sparked the resurgence of several heavy hitters in the music industry. Earlier this year, The Running Man challenge took over the internet to the timeless tune “My Boo” by Ghostown DJs. Everyone and their auntie was getting their “running man” going, stemming from the popular Jersey Club dance. At the peak of its viral existence, the “My Boo” hitmakers came back and graced the stage in Los Angeles during the Bet Experience prior to the 2016 BET Awards. Once that challenge died down, a new one popped up thanks to Chance the Rapper. A video of the rapper freestyling over the “So Gone” beat went viral and that was all she wrote. Several celebrities joined in on the challenge, posting videos of their rendition of the song. Even Monica got in on it, posting a video of herself, alongside the writer and producer of the track, Missy Elliot. Rae Sremmurd was already keeping pretty busy with the releases, but it was their mannequin challenge that sparked a rise in their “Black Beatles” track and shot it to the top of the Billboard harts.  Finally, can’t forget about Shirley Caesar. This year we had a special tune to soundtrack our Thanksgiving dinner, thanks to Pastor Caesar.

10. Solange – Solo came back with a vengeance this year, after she released her third studio album. It had been nearly four years since Solange released music and eight since she released an album. In 2010, she revealed in an interview with Vibe that she suffered “a little bit of a breakdown” while recording her new album. In 2012, Beyonce’s soulful baby sister released an EP, titled True on iTunes. Between then and now, Knowles launched her own record label. However, the Solo buzz boomed after the September release of her first number one album, “A Seat At The Table.” This was the first time that sisters have both had US number-one albums in a calendar year. Go Solo!

9. Bad Boy Reunion Tour- You can always count on Diddy to make big things happen and the Bad Boy Reunion Tour was one of the biggest. It all started at the 2015 BET Awards. The Bad Boys family took the stage to celebrate 20 years of their hip hop legacy. That is when the idea was born. Diddy took the celebration and brought it back for a “One Night Only” style show to celebrate the 44th Birthday of Biggie Smalls in his hometown, Brooklyn. However, just days before the huge reunion show, Diddy announced the first-ever Bad Boy Reunion Tour featuring Lil Kim, Mase, Faith Evans and more. The tour kicked off on August 25th in Ohio and ran through October. Several big name superstars hit the stage from The Lox, French Montana and 112 to Mario Winans, Total and Carl Thomas. Since then, a few of the artists have been working on new projects. The Lox have released an album, Faith Evans is reportedly working on something with Stevie J and as for Diddy, he is always up to something. Legendary comeback! Take that, Take that!

8. Rihanna- Like Solange, it had been years before the release of her eighth studio album, “Anti.” The Badgal left fans hanging after her 2012 release of Unapologetic. While, she didn’t ditch the scene completely, it would be four years until the release of her next, highly anticipated album. In the meantime, she appeared in a few movies, remixed a few songs, took a couple features, however, fans wanted the new era of Rihanna. At the top of the year, Rihanna released “Anti” exclusively through streaming service Tidal. The album peaked at number one and her first single, “Work” featuring Drake hit the number one spot on the Billboard Hot 100. Rihanna took control of the year, featuring on several songs from Calvin Harris’ “This Is What You Came For,” to Mike Will Made It’s “Nothing Is Promised.” She was also honored with the MTV Video Vanguard Award at the 2016 MTV Video Music Awards and signed on to several movies, set to release next year. The bajan songstress was acknowledged by Footwear News at the 2016 Achievement Awards after the publication named her Fenty Puma Creeper the Shoe of the Year. Not to mention, the pop princess debuted her Fenty line with Puma in Paris during Fashion Week, making her mark as a designer in the industry.

7. Tom Brady – In January of 2015, reports surfaced that the NFL would be investigating the New England Patriots and their use of “deflated footballs,” in the AFC Championship game against the Indianapolis Colts. The league discovered nearly a dozen balls used by the team were underinflated. After months of investigation, the league announced that the team’s star quarterback would be suspended without pay for four games for violating policy. The suspension was appealed on behalf of Brady, however, the league commissioner Roger Goodell upheld Brady’s suspension. The back and forth between Brady and Goodell, of nullifying, appealing and upholding the suspension finally ended in July, when Brady accepted his suspension, eligible to return on October 9th against the Cleveland Browns. In Brady’s return, he threw for three touchdowns for 406 yards. That was just the beginning. In his 11 games, Brady came back with 25 total touchdowns and 3,278 yards, bringing the team to 10-1 as a starter. If that wasn’t one of the greatest comebacks of 2016, I don’t know what is.

6. Remy Ma– After six years in prison, Remy Ma came back like she never left. With the help of her “brother” Fat Joe and her husband, Papoose, Ma is at the top, ready to proclaim her throne. The rapper was released in 2014 and immediately after, she hit the ground running. Remy joined the cast of VH1’s Love & Hip Hop: New York for its sixth season, to get her face and name back out there for those who didn’t know. Shortly after that, Fat Joe revealed that the two would be releasing a joint album, with the first single being “All The Way Up,” featuring French Montana. The song was released in February and Remy Ma has been on fire ever since. She’s preformed the hit song at every award show, including Hot 97’s Summer Jam. She even came back with a harder verse than before on the remix featuring Jay-Z. Since then, she has hopped on several beats, demolishing the competition. According to reports, she is also working on her sophomore album, as well as her third. Comeback fit for a boss!

5. Gucci Mane– From 2005 to 2016, Gucci put out nine studio albums and dozens of mixtapes, many of which were released during his time behind bars. On May 26, 2016, Gucci was released from prison, five months early. He was picked up by his longtime love, Keyshia Ka’oir. She stocked him with several bands and a new whip upon his release, to get the ball rolling. Not to mention, Gucci had dropped several pounds, sparking rumors that he had been cloned. The day after his release, Gucci dropped his first single under his new deal with Atlantic Records, titled “First Day Out Tha Feds.” A couple days later, he was featured on the first single off of GOOD Music’s forthcoming album. A few days after that, Gucci performed for the first time since his release and dropped his 9th album, one month after that. He was then featured on several other projects and headlined his own welcome home concert in Atlanta. In the seven months that Gucci has been released, he’s dropped three projects, slimmed down, headlined a show and got engaged. Don’t call it a comeback!

4. DJ Khaled – Khaled has been a household name for some time. However, since Snapchat, he’s become a social media mogul. At the top of the year, he premiered his new radio show on Beats 1, which debuted Future’s fourth studio album EVOL. After that, he announced the debut of French Montana’s new mixtape, which premiered on Khaled’s “We The Best” radio show, as well. However, the big moves begun after Khaled signed a management deal with Roc Nation, and announced his ninth studio album, Major Key. All of which was announced via Snapchat. He also traveled the country with the Queen Bey, opening for her Formation World Tour. In his free time, the producer becomes a motivational speaker on snapchat, providing the major keys to success. Every day, he would eat a balanced meal for breakfast, lather himself in suds in the shower, and hop on his jet ski outside of his Miami home. Sometimes, he would even catch up with Diddy on a sunny day in the sunshine state. Khaled turned his snapchat into a business venture, becoming everyone’s favorite snap chatter.

3. Dallas Cowboys– If you’re a fan of America’s team, this is may be your favorite comeback of all time. Last season, the Dallas Cowboys finished the season at the bottom of the NFC East with only four wins, after the team lost their beloved quarterback Tony Romo. In the first week at home against the New York Giants, the team lost their star receiver, Dez Bryant, to a fractured bone in his foot. However, the Cowboys managed to win 27-26. But, things went from bad to worse in week two on the road against the Philadelphia Eagles, when Romo suffered a broken left collarbone. Brandon Weeden stepped in for Romo and managed to lead the team to a 20-10 win over the Eagles. But, the 2-0 start shot down to a seven-game losing streak with Romo sidelined. The Cowboys finished 4-10, catching one more win when Romo returned in Week 11, before he was sidelined again in Week 12. Then, received another W in Week 13. However, things have turned around completely for the Dallas Cowboys. While, much may not have changed, in regards to Romo, who lost his starting position to a back injury, the team is completely different this season. With the help of rookie quarterback, Dak Prescott and rookie running back, Ezekiel Elliot, the team has clinched playoff berth, won the NFC East title, and secured home field advantage, with a 13-2 record. What a comeback!

2. Cleveland Cavaliers – There is no way you could have forgotten this comeback because LeBron James and the Cavaliers make it their mission to remind us every chance they get. In the 2016, NBA finals, the Cavs came back to defeat the Golden State Warriors after being down 3-1. Golden State took game one and two, while Cleveland tried to catch up with a win in Game three. However, Golden State closed out game four with a 108-97 victory over the Cavs. A determined LeBron James and an unstoppable Kyrie Irving delivered in game 5 with a 112- 97 win over Steph Curry and the Warriors. Continuing to close in on the Warriors’ finals lead, Cleveland tied up the series in Game 6, 115-101. In Game 7, the Cleveland team sealed the deal in a 93-89 win over the Warriors. Since then, the Cavs have not let the Warriors forget that they blew a 3-1 lead. In the finals match up on Christmas Day, the Cavs painted their championship trophy onto the court, just as a reminder. But, what made it worse, is that the Warriors blew a 14-point lead in the fourth quarter. Talk about throwing salt in an old wound. Comeback of the year!

1. Issa Rae – Issa went from a Youtube star to a television phenom. She turned nonbelievers into full fledged fans after releasing season one of her HBO series “Insecure.” Whether you were #TeamIssa, #TeamLawrence or ride with the Bank Teller Bae, Insecure had everyone glued to their seats and yelling at their television sets down to the final episode. The success from the show also landed Issa Rae an array of magazine covers, red carpet appearances and televised interviews. It’s safe to say she’s glowed up majorly since her Youtube days.

What are your favorite comeback of 2016?