In the music
- Tupac Shakur was murdered, sending shockwaves through the global hip hop community. He was fatally wounded after being shot on his way to a club after a Mike Tyson fight in Las Vegas. No one has ever been convicted of his murder.
- Recently divorced from Lisa Marie Presley, Michael Jackson married Debbie Rowe, his 37-year-old nurse, at a secret ceremony in Sydney. Just ten days prior to the marriage Jackson had announced that Rowe was six months pregnant with his child. By the end of 1999 they had divorced.
- London's garage scene started making waves. It began by UK DJs playing US garage instrumentals pitched up, then evolved into a distinct sound. The older, dressy and champagne-fuelled image of UK garage soon gained national exposure when tracks like Armand Van Helden's mix of Tori Amos broke into the UK charts. The name Γ«speed garage' was soon imposed on the scene.
- Jungle got dark and mechanical, revived by DJ Trace's groundbreaking Mutant Jazz remix that was on this years' Emotif compilation Techsteppin'. The Metalheadz club night was going strong, breaking anthems like Adam F's Metropolis and Doc Scott's Shadow Boxing.
- The Fugees went global with their album The Score. Fusing conscious lyrics with irresistible hooks, hits like Killing Me Softly and Ready Or Not made stars out of Pras, Wyclef Jean and Lauryn Hill. Proof that there was a big market for hip hop.
- Snoop Doggy Dogg and his bodyguard are acquitted of first degree murder. The jury deadlocks on voluntary manslaughter charges and a mistrial is declared.
- Mariah Carey and Boyz II Men's collaboration, One Sweet Day, finally left the US No.1 slot after 16 weeks. It is the longest consecutive stay at No.1 in Billboard history.
- Having enjoyed massive success taking hip hop to the commercial mainstream, MC Hammer filed for bankruptcy. His taste for the glamorous lifestyle had outstripped his income and his career would never recover.
- Jay-Z drops his first album in 1996, called Reasonable Doubt. This would become a platform to dominate rap music in the late 1990s and beyond.
