HIPHOP HISTORY

Every week on our Live DJ, we cover This Week in HipHop History and add them to our website here. This page covers January through March.

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January | February | March | April | May | June | July | August | September | October | November | December

December

December 31st, 1991: The Soundtrack to the 1992 film “Juice” starring Tupac Shakur was released. It was a variety of artists who contributed to the album: Naughty By Nature, Too $hort, Cypress Hill, and more. It reached the #17 spot on Billboards 200 and is currently Certified Gold with the RIAA. Some songs off this project are “Uptown Anthem,” “So You Wanna Be A Gangsta,” and “Shoot ‘Em Up.”…more!

December 25th, 2009: Tyler, The Creator released his debut mixtape “Bastard*.” Being it was free on Datpiff and not sold in retail, it’s considered by many as a mixtape, even though Tyler considered it his debut studio album. This project, along with his 2011 album, “Goblin,” would secure him a ban from the UK until May 2019. Some songs on this project are “Odd Toddlers,” “Pigs Fly,” and “AssMilk.”
*Links to Datpiff.…more!

December 23rd, 1989: After his massive contribution and feeling he was robbed of his royalties from the album “Straight Outta Compton,” Ice Cube left NWA. After leaving, he spawned a successful solo music and acting career. In 1990, he released his first solo album, “Amerikkka’s Most Wanted.”

December 22nd, 2013: Tyler, The Creator’s concert was cut short and spawned a Riot at the Roxy on Sunset Strip in LA. Apparently, Tyler was performing, and the Sound Engineer turned off his microphone. Tyler then crowd-surfed back to the stage, threw the Mic, and yelled at the Engineer before trashing the soundboard. He was arrested by the cops on stage, and when he was taken into custody, the fans went nuts protesting his arrest. Authorities called in the SWAT Team using beanbag rounds and shut down the street for over a half hour to control the crowd. Tyler would apologize and pay $8k in damages. This would be the arrest that spawned the famous Tyler Mugshot.…more!

December 19th, 2003: Jay-Z collaborated with Nokia on a special edition of their cellphone, the 3300 Music Phone. The wireless device was preloaded with Jay-Z’s “The Black Album” and sold only to select retailers for $124. It also included some Jay-Z Ringtones, and registered owners would receive texts and voice messages from Jay-Z for a limited time. Jay-Z was quoted in a statement: “Technology now provides us with the opportunity to deliver music in new ways. The Black Phone is at the forefront of the future, which includes buying music instantly and taking it with you wherever you go.”…more!

December 18th, 1997: Fruity Loops, now known as FL Studio, partially released its first 4-channel Midi Drum Machine. This is seen as the birthdate of FL Studios. The official launch of the program wouldn’t be until April 26th, 1998. FruityLoops was renamed to “FL Studio” in mid-2003, after the threat of a lawsuit from Kellogg’s and to improve the software’s marketability.…more!

December 18th, 1991: Biz Markie lost the lawsuit against him for using samples from Gilbert O’Sullivan’s song “Alone Again (Naturally)” without permission. The ruling changed how HipHop could use samples in its music process, now requiring each sample to get permission from the original works creator. Before this court case, artists used several instrumentals to make their beats. After the court case, each sample has to be cleared by the copyright holder, and that takes a lot of time and money, especially when you stack multiple samples. As a result, more producers and artists used fewer samples in their songs.…more!

December 11th. 2001: Mobb Deep released their 5th album, “Infamy.” It was released shortly after Jay-Z dissed Prodigy on “Takeover” off “The Blueprint,” where they responded on their track “Crawlin.” It is currently Certified Gold with the RIAA. Some songs off this album are “The Learning (Burn),” “Hey Luv (Anything),” and “Get Away.”

December 10th, 2013: Childish Gambino released his second album, “Because The Internet.” In promoting the album, Gambino released a short film titled “Clapping for the Wrong Reasons” and a 72-page screenplay to accompany the album. It debuted at #7 on Billboards 200 by selling 97k copies in the first week. It is Certified Gold with the RIAA. Some songs off this album are “3005,” “Sweatpants,” and “Telegraph Ave.”…more!

December 9th, 2014: J. Cole released his 3rd album, “2014 Forest Hills Drive.” Announced just three weeks before its release, there was very little marketing done, with no singles or features. The title pays homage to his home in Fayetteville, North Carolina. It was foreclosed in 2003 but he rebought it in 2014. Some songs off this classic are “Wet Dreamz,” “A Tale of Two Cities,” and “No Role Modelz.”…more!

December 4th, 2007: DJ Drama released his debut album, “Gangsta Grillz: The Album.” Sharing the name of his Mixtape series, it reached the 26th spot on Billboards 200. Some songs off the album are “5000 Ones,” “The Art of Storytellin’ Part 4,” and “The Setup.”

December 4th, 2001: Nate Dogg released his second album, “Music & Me.” Some songs off the project are “I Got Love,” “Your Wife,” and “Ditty Dum Ditty Doo.”

December 2nd, 2014: Wu-Tang Clan released their 6th album, “A Better Tomorrow.” Some songs off the project are “Keep Watch,” “Ron O’Neal,” and “Crushed Egos.”

November

November 27th, 2015: Kendrick Lamar and J. Cole switched the instrumentals of some of their biggest hits, “Alright” and “A Tale of 2 Cities,” to rap over and released it as a track titled “Black Friday” on YouTube. There has always been hype to have these two artists collaborate, and this is a product of those calls. It currently has 77M views on YoutTube. …more!

November 27th, 2001: Ludacris released his second studio album, “Word of Mouf.” The album debuted at #3 on Billboards 200 and sold 281k copies in the first week. It is currently 3x Platinum with the RIAA. Some songs off this project are “Area Codes,” “Move Bitch,” and “Rollout (My Business).” …more!

November 25th, 1997: Will Smith released his debut solo album “Big Willie Style.” It would reach the #8 spot on Billboards 200 and is Certified 9x Platinum with the RIAA. Some songs off this album are “Gettin’ Jiggy Wit It,” “Miami,” and “Men In Black.”

November 22nd, 2010: Kanye West released his 5th studio album, “My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy.” After taking the mic out of Taylor Swift’s hand at the VMAs in 2009 and receiving backlash in the media, West went on a self-imposed exile to Hawaii to work on this album as what he describes as a “backhanded apology.” It debuted at the #1 spot on Billboards 200 and is currently 3x Platinum with the RIAA. The album won Best Rap Album at the Grammy’s in 2012. Some songs off this album are “POWER,” “All Of The Lights,” and “Runaway.” …more!

November 21st, 2006: Jay-Z released his 9th studio album “Kingdom Come.” This was considered his comeback album as in 2003, “The Black Album” was promoted as his last one. The album debuted at the #1 spot on Billboards 200 by selling 680k copies in the first week and is currently 2x Platinum with the RIAA. Some songs off this album are “Show Me What You Got,” “Do You Wanna Ride,” and “Hollywood.” …more!

November 19th, 2006: Jay-Z completed a live concert marathon of 7 shows in 7 cities within 24 hours. Both East and West Coast as he performed 30-minute sets in Atlanta, Philadelphia, Washington DC, New York, Chicago, Los Angeles, and finished in Las Vegas. The Associated Press had a reporter ride along to account the whole trip. He started in Atlanta at 6am EST on Saturday and ended in Las Vegas with the show starting at 6am EST. This was all in the lead up to his unretirement by dropping his 9th album “Kingdom Come” two days later. …more!

November 16th, 2004: M.F. Doom released his 5th album “Mm…Food.” The title is an anagram of M.F. Doom. Some songs off this album are “Beef Rap,” Hot Cakes,” and “Fillet-o-rapper.”

November 16th, 1999: Dr. Dre released his second studio album “2001.” It debuted at the #2 spot on Billboards 200 by selling 516k copies in the first week. It is currently certified 6x Platinum with the RIAA. Dr. Dre stated about this album, “Everything you hear is planned. It’s a movie, with different varieties of situations. So you’ve got buildups, touching moments, aggressive moments. You’ve even got a ‘Pause for Porno.’ It’s got everything that a movie needs.” Some songs off this classic are “Still D.R.E,” “Forgot About Dre,” and “The Next Episode.” …more!

November 15th, 1986: Beastie Boys released their debut album “Licensed To Ill” and became the first Rap album to top the Billboard album chart. It is Columbia Records’ fastest-selling debut album and was certified Diamond with the RIAA in 2015. Some songs of the album are ” Fight For Your Right,” “Brass Monkey,” and “No Sleep till Brooklyn.” …more!

November 9th, 1993: Wu-Tang Clan released their debut album, “Enter The Wu-Tang (36 chambers).” The title originates from two martial arts films, “Enter The Dragon” and “The 36th Chamber of Shaolin.” The album would debut at #41 on Billboard 200 and #8 on Top R&B/HipHop albums and is currently 3x Platinum with the RIAA. Some songs on this classic are “Bring Da Ruckus,” “Wu-Tang Clan Ain’t Nuthing ta F’ Wit,” and “C.R.E.A.M.”…more!

November 8th, 2011: Mac Miller released his debut album, “Blue Slide Park.” The album had no features and debuted at #1 on Billboard 200 by selling 144k copies in the first week, helping it become Certified Gold by the RIAA. It would also become the first independently-distributed debut album to top the charts since 1995. Some songs on this album are “Party on Fifth Ave.,” “Smile Back,” and “Under The Weather.”…more!

November 8th, 2002: “8 Mile” starring Eminem was released. The movie was a success making $242m worldwide. The accompanying movie soundtrack is currently 4x Platinum with the RIAA.

November 7th, 1995: Goodie Mob released their debut album, “Soul Food.” The album debuted at #45 on Billboard 200 and is Certified Gold by the RIAA. This is considered one of the albums that brought Southern HipHop to the mainstream. Some songs on the album are “Thought Process,” “Dirty South,” and “Cell Therapy.”…more!

November 6th, 2001: Petey Pablo released his debut album “Diary of a Sinner: 1st Entry.” The album sold 100k in the first week and would go on to be certified Gold with the RIAA. Some songs off this album are “Rise Up,” “I – Street Album Version,” and “La Di Da Da Da.”…more!

November 5th, 1996: Tupac’s fifth studio album “The Don Killuminati: The 7-Day Theory” was released posthumously under his alias Makaveli. It was recorded in just 7 days during August of 1996, and was released 2 months after his passing in September. The album peaked at the #1 spot on Billboards 200 and sold 664k copies in the first week. It is currently 4x Platinum with the RIAA. Some songs off this album are “Hail Mary,” “To Live and Die in L.A.,” “Toss It Up.” …more!

November 4th, 1997: Jay-Z released his second album, “In My Lifetime, Vol. 1.” The album would debut at #3 on Billboard 200 by selling 138k copies in the first week, helping it become certified Platinum by the RIAA. This album was Jay-Z’s first after the passing of Biggie Smalls, whom he would often collaborate with on music. Some songs on this album are “The City Is Mine,” “Friend or Foe ’98,” and “Face Off.”…more!

November 2nd, 1999: Lil Wayne released his debut album, “Tha Block Is Hot.” The album debuted at #3 on Billboard 200 by selling 229k copies in the first week, helping it become Certified Platinum by the RIAA. Some songs on the album are “Whatcha Wanna Do,” “Lights Off,” and “Respect Us.”…more!

November 1st, 1999: 3 years after Tupac’s passing, a book titled “The Rose That Grew From Concrete” was released. It was a collection of poems that Tupac had written between 1989 and 1991.

October

October 31st, 2000: Jay-Z released his 5th studio album “The Dynasty: Roc La Familia.” The album is certified 2x Platinum with the RIAA. It debuted at the #1 spot on Billboards 200 by selling 557k copies in the first week. Some songs off this album are “I Just Wanna Love U (Give It To Me),” “Change The Game,” and “Guilty Until Proven Innocent.” …more!

October 31st, 2000: Outkast released their 4th album “Stankonia.” The album was named after the studio they had recently bought before recording this project, ‘Stankonia Studios.’ The album debuted at the #2 spot on Billboards 200 by selling 525k copies the first week. It is currently certified 5x Platinum with the RIAA. Some songs off this album are “Ms. Jackson,” “So Fresh, So Clean,” and “B.O.B. (Bombs over Baghdad).” …more!

October 30th, 1990: Big Daddy Kane released his third album, “Taste of Chocolate.” The album would peak at #37 on Billboard 200 and #10 on Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums. Some songs on the album are “Dance With the Devil,” “All Of Me,” and “Down The Line.”…more!

October 25th, 1985: The American Musical Comedy-Drama movie “Krush Groove” was released by Warner-Bros. The film is loosely based on the early days of Def Jam Recordings in Brooklyn, New York, and record producer Russel Simmons. The film features hiphop acts like Run-D.M.C., LL Cool J, Beastie Boys, The Fat Boys, and more.…more!

October 24th, 1995: Onyx released their second album, “All We Got Iz Us.” The album debuted at #22 on Billboard 200 and #2 on Top R&B/HipHop Albums. It has sold 500k copies but is not certified by the RIAA. Some songs on this album are “Life Or Death,” “Betta Off Dead,” and “2 Wrongs.”…more!

October 23rd, 2001: Dilated Peoples released their second album, “Expansion Team.” The album debuted at #36 on Billboard 200 and #8 on Top R&B/HipHop Albums. Some songs on the album are “Worst Comes To Worst,” “Trade Money,” and “Proper Propaganda.”…more!

October 22nd, 2012: Kendrick Lamar released his second studio album “Good Kid, M.A.A.D. City.” Billed as a short film by Kendrick Lamar on the cover art, the concept album follows the story of Lamar’s teenage experiences. The album debuted at the #2 spot on Billboard’s 200 and sold 242k copies in the first week, earning him as the highest first-week HipHop sales by a male artist in 2012. It is currently certified 3x Platinum with the RIAA and was nominated 4 times at the 2014 Grammy’s, including the infamous loss for “Best Rap Album” to Macklemore. Some songs from this classic are “Bitch, Don’t Kill My Vibe,” “Money Trees,” and “Swimming Pools(Drank).” …more!

October 22nd, 1996: Westside Connection released their debut album, “Bow Down.” The album would peak at the #2 spot on Billboards 200 and sold 145k copies in the first week. It is currently Certified Platinum with the RIAA. Some songs off this album are “Gangstas Make The World Go Round,” “Bow Down,” and “The Gangsta, The Killa and The Dope Dealer.” …more!

October 21st, 2013: Diddy launched his own cable Network, Revolt TV, as a 24-hr channel reporting on the latest in entertainment news and interviews. They focus on HipHop/Rap music, with music video blocks making up a majority of its programming during the afternoon. In 2011, Comcast solicited proposals for minority-owned networks, and in 2012, Comcast announced 4 new networks, including Revolt TV. …more!

October 20th, 1990: A jury in Florida found three members of 2 Live Crew not guilty on charges of obscenity after performing at a 21+ Florida club in June 1990. One juror said, “As the cross-section of the community that we are, it was just not obscene. People in everyday society use those words.”

October 19th, 1993: Easy-E released his second and final EP “It’s On (Dr. Dre) 187um Killa.” It was largely a response to Dre’s debut solo album “The Chronic,” which repeatedly dissed Easy. His EP debuted at the #5 spot on Billboards 200 and sold 110k copies in the first week. It is currently Certified 2x Platinum with the RIAA and remains the only Hip-Hop Gangsta Rap EP to go multi-platinum. Some songs off this EP are “Exxxtra Special Thankz,” “Any Last Werdz,” and “It’s On.” …more!

October 18th, 1994: Digable Planet released their second album, “Blowout Comb.” This would be the duo’s last original album together as the album was commercially a flop, peaking at only #32 on Billboard 200. However, many hiphop critics believe their second album is better than their debut album, “Reachin’.” Some songs on this album are “Black Ego,” “The Art of Easing,” and “For Corners.”…more!

October 17th, 2000: Reflection External, a Talib Kweli and HiTek duo, released their album “Train Of Thought.” It is a conscious-rap album and would peak at the #17 spot on Billboard 200. Some songs off this album are “Move Something,” “The Blast,” and “Experience Dedication.”

October 16th, 2012: Dead Prez released their third album, “Information Age.” It was released digitally first, then physically on January 29th, 2013. Some songs on the album are “Upload (Begin Within),” “What If The Lights Go Out,” and “Time Travel.”…more!

October 15th, 1973: The US Supreme Court upholds, by a 7-2 vote, the 1971 FCC directive that bans radio DJs from playing songs that glorify drugs and their use. The notice did not order broadcasters not to play drug related songs, but it warned that stations were responsible for knowing the content of the records they played, saying their licenses could be revoked. …more!

October 14th, 1994: Snoop Dogg starred and performed in the short film and soundtrack to “Murder Was The Case.” Dr. Dre and Fab Five Freddy directed the 18-minute film and follows the fictional death of Snoop Dogg and his resurrection after making a deal with the devil. The title comes from a song title on Snoop’s debut album, “Doggystyle.” The soundtrack to the film debuted at #1 on Billboard 200 by selling 329k copies in the first week, helping it become Double Platinum by the RIAA. Some songs on the soundtrack are “Natural Born Killaz,” “21st Jumpstreet,” and Dollars and Sense.”…more!

October 12th, 1999: Mos Def released his debut solo album, “Black on Both Sides.” The album peaked at #25 on Billboard 200 and is Certified Gold by the RIAA. Some songs on this album are “Ms. Fat Booty,” “New World Water,” and “Mathematics.”…more!

October 10th, 1995: KRS-One released his self-titled second solo album. Some songs off this album are “Health, Wealth, Self,” “Rappaz R. N. Dainja,” and “MCs Act Like They Don’t Know.”

October 10th, 1989: Ice T released his third studio album, “The Iceberg/ Freedom of Speech…Just Watch What You Say!” It is Certified Gold with the RIAA. Some songs off this album are “The Iceberg,” “Lethal Weapon,” and “You Played Yourself.”

October 9th, 2015: The Game released his sixth album, “The Documentary 2.” This was the first half of a two-piece album, with “The Documentary 2.5” released the following week. The album debuted at #2 on Billboard 200 by having 95k album-equivalent streams in the first week, 85k of which were pure album sales. Some songs on this album are “On Me,” “Don’t Trip,” and “Dollar and a Dream.”…more!

October 7th, 2008: Spotify launched. The Swedish company that runs the app was founded in 2006. They currently have 433 Million Active users and 188 Million paying subscribers.

October 4th, 1994: Common released his second album, “Resurrection.” This was the last album to feature the rapper’s full stage name ‘Common Sense.’ The album would peak at #179 on Billboard 200 by only selling 2k copies in the first week but is often held as a classic album by HipHop critics. Some songs on the album are “I Used to Love H.E.R.,” “Book Of Life,” and “Chapter 13 (Rich Man vs. Poor Man).”…more!

October 3rd, 2000: Jedi Mind Tricks released their second album, “Violent by Nature.” Though it never charted on Billboard 200, the album sold 50k in the first week. Some songs on the album are “Heavenly Divine,” “Genghis Khan,” and “Retaliation.”…more!

October 2nd, 2001: Ja Rule released his third album, “Love Is Pain.” The album debuted at #1 on Billboard 200 by selling 361k copies in the first week. It became certified 3x Platinum by the RIAA. Some songs on the album are “Dial M for Murder,” “Livin’ It Up,” and “Always on Time.”…more!

October 1st, 2002: Xzibit released his 4th studio album, “Man vs. Machine.” It debuted at the #3 spot on Billboards 200 and is Certified Gold with the RIAA. Some songs off the album are “Symphony in X Major,” “My Name,” and “Multiply.”

September

September 30th, 2008: T.I. released his sixth studio album, “Paper Trails.” Unlike his past album, he wrote his lyrics on paper, hence the title. The album would debut at #1 on Billboard 200 by selling 568k copies in the first week, helping it become certified 2x Platinum by the RIAA. Some songs on the album are “Whatever You Like,” “56 Bars,” and “Dead and Gone.”…more!

September 29th, 1998: Outkast released their 3rd studio album “Aquemini.” The title combines the zodiac signs of Big Boi, Aquarius, and Andre 3000, Gemini. It debuted at #2 on Billboard 200 and was Certified Platinum only two months after its release. It is currently Double Platinum with the RIAA. Some songs off this album are “Rosa Parks,” “Da Art of Storytellin’ (Pt. 1),” and “Skew it on the Bar-B.”…more!

September 29th, 1998: Jay-Z released his third studio album “Vol. 2…Hard Knock Life.” It debuted #1 on Billboard 200, selling 350k copies in the first week. It was Certified 5x Platinum by the year 2000. He won a Grammy for Best Rap Album but boycotted the event because he felt the Grammys were continuing to disrespect Hip-Hop by not broadcasting the rap nominations. Some songs off this album are “Can I Get A…,” “Hard Knock Life,” and “Money Ain’t A Thing.”…more!

September 28th, 2018: Lil Wayne released his twelfth studio album, “Tha Carter V.” The album was slated to be released in 2014 but was delayed due to contract disagreements with Cash Money Records and personal disputes with label-head Birdman. The album would be completely re-recorded as much of the music was “stale” over the 4-year hold. It debuted at #1 on Billboard 200 by receiving 480k album-equivalent units, including 140k pure album sales in the first week. Upon the album’s release, Lil Wayne would become the first artist to debut two songs in the top 5 of Billboard 100. Later, it would become certified 2x Platinum by the RIAA. Some songs on the album are “Dedicate,” “Uproar,” and “Mona Lisa.”…more!

September 27th, 2011: J. Cole released his debut album “Cole World: The Sideline Story.” Most of the production on this album was handled by J. Cole himself. The album debuted at the #1 spot on Billboard 200 by selling 218k copies in the first week and later went on to be Certified Platinum with the RIAA. Some songs off this classic are “Can’t Get Enough,” “Mr. Nice Watch,” and “Work Out.”…more!

September 25th, 1991: Tupac released his solo debut single, “Trapped.” It promoted his debut album, “2pacalypse,” and the single talks about his encounters with the police and the topic of Police Brutality. The first verse tells a story of 2Pac being harassed by the police, with one even shooting at him. He then fires back and says he did it because he was tired of constantly being profiled and abused by police officers.…more!

September 24th, 1991: A Tribe Called Quest released their second studio album, “The Low End Theory.” In 2022, the album was inducted into the Library of Congress’s National Recording Registry for cultural relevance. It is currently Certified Platinum with the RIAA. Some songs from this classic are “Check the Rhime,” “Jazz (We Got It),” and “Scenario.”…more!

September 23rd, 2003: Outkast released their 5th studio album, “Speakerboxxx/ The Love Below.” It was released as a double album and is two hours long. Big Boi and Andre 3000 essentially created two solo albums and merged them together to make one whole project. The album debuted at the #1 spot on Billboards 200 by selling 510k copies in the first week. It is currently Certified Diamond and 11x Platinum with the RIAA. It achieved this because each album counts as 2 separate units. Some songs off this classic are “Hey Ya!,” “I Like The Way You Move,” and “Roses.”…more!

September 22nd, 1992: Redman released his debut album “Whut? Thee Album.” The album peaked at #49 on Billboard 200 and was Certified Gold by the RIAA. Some songs on the album are “Psycho Ward,” “So Ruff,” and “Funky Uncles.”…more!

September 21st, 2004: EA Games released their HipHop-influenced action video game “Def Jam: Fight for NY” to the PS2, XBox, and Game Cube. The game acts like a story-lead wrestling game and includes characters based on Lil Kim, Snoop Dogg, Redman, Mobb Deep, and many more. The game is currently selling on Amazon for upwards of $300.…more!

September 20th, 2013: After releasing his second album, “Watching Movies With The Sound Off,” Mac Miller was presented with the key to the City of Pittsburgh by Mayor Luke Ravenstahl and was declared “Mac Miller” Day. When a recipient receives the key to a city, it signifies that they can enter and leave the city at will and is a trusted friend.…more!

September 19th, 1980: Kurtis Blow was the first rapper to perform in a stadium at Madison Square Garden. He performed as an opener for Bob Marley and the Commodores on Bob’s “Uprising Tour 1980.” Blow performed his song “The Breaks,” the first HipHop single to go Gold with the RIAA.

September 19th, 2006: Lupe Fiasco released his debut album “Food & Liquor.” It’s a very conscious rap album, and he talks about topics like poverty, Islam, terrorism, racism, and individuality. The album was reported to have debuted at the 12th spot on Billboards 200; however, due to incomplete reports from a music sales data collector, it debuted at the 8th spot without having a top 10 single on the album. Regardless, the album did win the 49th Grammy award for Best Rap Album. It is currently Certified Gold with the RIAA. Some songs off this album are “Kick, Push,” “The Instrumental,” and “Daydreamin.” …more!

September 18th, 2015: Mac Miller released his third studio album, “GO:OD AM.” In promoting the album, Mac Miller released an app that functioned as an alarm to play snippets of the album leading up to its release. The album would debut at #4 on Billboard 200 by selling 74k copies in the first week. After his passing, the album would reenter Billboard at #32 and help it become Certified Gold by the RIAA. Some songs on this classic are “Rush Hour,” “100 Grandkids,” and “Weekend.”…more!

September 15th, 2009: Kid Cudi released his debut album “Man on the Moon: The End of Days.” The album debuted at #4 on Billboard 200 by selling 104k copies in the first week and would become 4x Platinum by the RIAA. In 2020, Rolling Stone ranked it #459 on their 500 Greatest Albums of All Time list. Some songs on the album are “Day N Night,” “Soundtrack 2 My Life,” and “Simple As.”…more!

September 14th, 1990: LL Cool J released his fourth album, “Mama Said Knock You Out.” The album would peak at #16 on Billboard 200, helping it become Double Platinum by the RIAA. Some songs on the album are “The Boomin’ System,” “Mr. Good Bar,” and “Murdergram.”…more!

September 13th, 1996: Tupac passed away six days after being shot in Las Vegas by an unknown gunman.

September 12th, 1989: MC Lyte released her second album, “Eyes On This.” This album would help MC Lyte become the first Female Solo Artist to appear on Billboard 200 and break the Top 10 on Billboard Top Black Albums, peaking at #86 and #6, respectively. Some songs on the album are “Cha Cha Cha,” “Slave 2 the Rhythm,” and “Cappuccino.” For some unknown reason, though probably sample cleaning, the album is unavailable on streaming services; however, most of it can be heard on YouTube.…more!

September 11th, 2007: Kanye West’s “Graduation” and 50 Cent’s “Curtis” went head-to-head with their third album release. Kanye won the battle by selling 957k copies in the first week and going #1 on Billboards 200 while 50 Cent sold 691k copies and took the #2 spot. “Graduation” is currently 5x Certified Platinum with the RIAA and some songs off this classic are “Stronger,” “Homecoming,” and “Good Life.” “Curtis” is Certified Platinum with the RIAA with songs off this album “I Get Money,” “Straight To The Bank,” and “Amusement Park.” …more!

September 11th, 2001: Jay-Z released his sixth studio album, “The Blueprint.” Despite the historical relevance of its release date, it still sold over 427k copies in the first week and is certified Double Platinum with the RIAA. In 2019, the Library of Congress selected the album to be preserved by the National Recording Registry as the first entry to be created in the 21st century. For some background, Jay-Z was beefing with Nas, Prodigy, and Jadakiss around its release. Some songs off this classic are “Takeover,” “Girls, Girls, Girls,” and “Lyrical Exercise.” …more!

September 7th, 1996: At 11:15pm in Las Vegas Valley, Tupac was riding shotgun in a car when they stopped at a red light when he was shot four times: twice in the chest, once in the arm, and once in the thigh. He would pass away six days later, and the case would officially remain unsolved.…more!

September 6th, 1994: Dru Down released his second studio album “Explicit Game.” It was basically a re-release of his underground project, “Fools from the Streets,” but with a different track order. Some songs off this album are “Pimp of the Year,” “Ice Cream Man,” and “Fools from the Street.”

September 5th, 1989: Young MC released his debut album “Stone Cold Rhymin’.” The album would peak at #9 on Billboard 200. Some songs on this album are “Bust A Move,” “Principal’s Office,” and “My Name Is Young.”…more!

September 4th, 2015: Travis Scott released his debut album, “Rodeo.” The album debuted at #3 on Billboard 200 by selling 85k copies in the first week, 70k were pure album sales. It was certified Platinum by the RIAA. Some songs on the album are “3500,” “90210,” and “Antidote.”…more!

September 3rd, 1991: Naughty By Nature released their self-titled second album. It is currently Certified Platinum with the RIAA. Some songs on this classic are “O.P.P.,” “Uptown Anthem,” and “Let The Ho’s Go.”

September 2nd, 2016: Isaiah Rashad released his second album, “The Sun’s Tirade.” Some songs on this album are “4r Da Squaw,” “Free Lunch,” and “Tity and Dolla.”

September 1st, 1998: Fat Joe released his third album, “Don Cartagena.” The album debuted at #7 on Billboard 200 by selling 106k copies in the first week, helping it become Certified Gold with the RIAA. Some songs on the album are “The Crack Attack,” “My World,” and “Misery Needs Company.”…more!

August

August 30th, 2005: Kanye West released his 2nd studio album, “Late Registration.” It reached the #1 slot on the Billboards 200 and sold 860k copies in the first week. It is certified 5x Platinum with the RIAA. Some songs on this classic are “Gold Digger,” “Touch The Sky,” and “Addiction.”

August 29th, 2011: Lil Wayne released his ninth album, “Tha Carter IV.” The album debuted at #1 on Billboard 200 by selling 964k copies in the first week and is 5x Platinum with the RIAA. Some songs on the album are “6 Foot 7 Foot,” “Blunt Blowin,” and “President Carter.”…more!

August 28th, 2007: Aesop Rock released his fifth album, “None Shall Pass.” The album would peak at #50 on Billboard 200 by selling 13k copies in the first week. Some songs on this album are “Keep Off the Lawn,” “Bring Back Pluto,” and “Gun for the Whole Family.”…more!

August 27th, 1996: Outkast released their second album, “ATLiens.” It’s a combination of the abbreviation for Atlanta and Aliens. It debuted at the #2 spot on Billboards 200 charts and sold 350k copies in the first two weeks. Currently, it is certified Double Platinum with the RIAA. Some songs on this classic are “ATLien,” “Wheelz Of Steel,” and “Jazzy Belle.”…more!

August 25th, 1998: Lauryn Hill released her debut solo album “Miseducation of Lauryn Hill.” The album debuted at the #1 spot on the Billboard 200 chart and sold 422,000 copies in the first week, which broke the record of first week sales by a female artist. Currently, it is sitting at Diamond Certification with over 10 million album sales. In the 1999 Grammy awards, Hill was nominated 10 times, winning 5 awards, making her the first woman to receive that many nominations and win that many awards in one night. She was sued by a group she collaborated with in the creation of the album when they felt they were not properly credited on the project and was ultimately settled out of court in 2001. This album is her only studio album. Some songs off the album are “Doo Wop (That Thing),” “Ex-Factor,” and “Can’t Take My Eyes Off Of You.”…more!

August 24th, 1999: Puff Daddy, AKA Diddy, released his second album “Forever.” The album sold 205k copies in the first week helping it debuted at #2 on Billboard 200 and was certified Platinum by the RIAA. Some songs on the album are “What You Want,” “Do You Like It…Do You Want It…,” and “I Hear Voices.”…more!

August 23rd, 2005: Pumpkinhead released his second album, “Orange Moon over Brooklyn.” Some songs on this album are “Alkaline ‘n’ Acid,” “I Just Wanna Rhyme,” and “Anthem for the End of the World.”

August 22nd, 2006: JDilla’s third album, “The Shining,” was released posthumously; it was around 75% complete at the time of his passing but his producer Karriem Riggins was able to finish the album. Some songs off the album are “So Far To Go,” “Won’t Do,” and “Dime Piece.”

August 21st, 2007: Talib Kweli released his third album, “Eardrum.” The album would peak at #2 on Billboard 200 with some heavy-hitting features like Justin Timberlake, Kanye West, and KRS-One. Some songs on the album are “Everything Man,” “Holy Moly,” and “Give ‘Em Hell.”…more!

August 19th, 1997: O.C. released his Sophomore album “Jewels.” The album features a wide range of rappers and producers, and upon release was praised as having a very clean and crisp sound, while at times holding onto a dark and menacing sound. Some songs off the album are “Dangerous,” “War Games,” and “Can’t Go Wrong.” …more!

August 19th, 2003: T.I. released his Sophomore album “Trap Muzik.” It sold 110,000 copies in the first week and was Platinum Certified in 2007. Some songs off this album are “Rubber Band Man,” “24’s,” and “Let’s Get Away.”

August 16th, 2000: Eminem files for divorce against his Highschool Sweetheart, Kimberly Mathers, citing irreconcilable differences. They were married for one year and while Eminem was on the ‘Up in Smoke’ tour performing songs that humiliated her in front of thousands of people every night, she became suicidal.…more!

August 15th, 2000: Lil Jon & East Side Boyz released their second album “We Still Crunk!!” It would peak at #71 on Billboard Top R&B/Hip-Hop and #44 on Billboard Independent Albums. Some songs on the album are “I Like Dem Girls,” “Nothins Free,” and “Take Em Out.”…more!

August 14th, 1990: N.W.A. released their first EP after Ice Cube and Arabian Prince left the group, “100 Mile and Runnin.” The EP would become N.W.A.’s first national success, not controversy, having their single and music video aired on national Television. It peaked at #27 on Billboard 200 and became certified Platinum with the RIAA. Some songs on the EP are “100 Miles and Runnin,” “Just Don’t Bite It,” and “Sa Prize Pt. 2.”…more!

August 13th, 2010: Mac Miller released his 4th mixtape, “K.I.D.S.” It references the 1995 movie “Kids,” which is quoted throughout the mixtape. This album has over 1 million downloads on Datpiff and helped pave the road to his first tour in 2011, the “Incredibly Dope Tour,” which sold out every location. In July of 2012, Mac Miller, Datpiff, and Rostrum Records were sued by Lord Finesse for using a sample from his song “Hip 2 Da Game” in the Mixtape. It was later settled out of court for an undisclosed amount. Some Songs off this mixtape are “Koolaid and Frozen Pizza,” “Knock Knock,” and “Nikes On My Feet.”…more!

August 13th, 1991: Cypress Hill debuted their self-titled album. The album is Double Platinum certified by the RIAA. Some songs off this album are “How I Could Just Kill A Man,” “Hand On The Pump,” and “The Phunky Feel One.”

August 12th, 1988: Public Enemy became the first rap group to perform at Rikers Island, a minimum-security jail in New York. Chuck D had this to say about the concert: “My expectations were to go inside a facility and be able to do concerts like Johnny Cash did at Folsom. But for us it was just a different dynamic. One of the things we wanted was [to] reach the population inside [with the political messages in our songs.]” Planning for the show only took a week and had around 250 prisoners present.…more!

August 10th, 1999: Def Jam, in collaboration with Violator Records, released the first installment of the Violator HipHop Compilations, “Violator: The Album.” The album contains features from Busta Rhymes, LL Cool J, Mobb Deep, Ja Rule, The Hot Boys and the first appearance from the Bronx Rapper, Mysonne. The album would reach #8 on Billboard 200 and would be Certified Gold with the RIAA. Some songs on this album are “Whatcha Come Around Here For,” “Say What,” and “Nobody Likes Me.”…more!

August 9th, 2005: Proof released his second album “Searching for Jerry Garcia.” The album intentionally coincided with the 10-anniversary of Jerry Garcia’s death, the lead singer and guitarist of the band Grateful Dead. Some songs off this album are “Purple Gang,” “Forgive Me,” and “Gurls Wit Da Boom.”…more!

August 8th, 1988: N.W.A. released their debut album “Straight Outta Compton.” It was the first Gangsta rap album to be certified Platinum and is currently 3x Platinum with the RIAA. In 2015, there was a movie based off this album. It is the first Rap album inducted into the Grammy Hall of Fame in 2016 and was also inducted into the Library of Congress National Recording Registry in 2017. Some classics off this album are “Straight Outta Compton,” “Fuck Tha Police,” and “Express Yourself.”…more!

August 7th, 2012: Producer Hitboy released his mixtape “HITstory*. ” It has features from artists like Big Sean, Kid Cudi, and John Legend. Some songs off this album are “Break Lights,” “Old School Caddy,” and “She Belongs To The City.” [*Link leads to LiveMixtapes.com]

August 6th, 1988: “Yo! MTV Raps” debuted as the first HipHop music show on the network as a 2-hour television music video program. The show launched in Europe a whole year before it hit airwaves in the US. It even aired in Brazil, changing the name to just “Yo! MTV.” In addition to music videos, they also had interviews, live in-studio performances and comedy. It aired 1,838 episodes before it went off the air in 1995.…more!

August 4th, 1994: The Notorious B.I.G. and Faith Evans got married just nine days after meeting at a photoshoot for Bad Boy Records. Both barely 21, they would remain married for three years until Biggie’s tragic passing.…more!

August 3rd, 2010: Bun B released his third album, “Trill OG.” The album would peak at #4 on Billboard 200. Some songs on this album are “Trillionaire,” “Put It Down,” and “Countin’ Money.”…more!

August 2nd, 1988: Rob Base and DJ E-Z Rock released their debut album, “It Takes Two.” The album would peak at #31 on Billboard 200, helping it become Platinum with the RIAA. Some songs on this album are “Joy and Pain,” “Get on the Dance Floor,” and “Make It Hot.”…more!

August 1st, 2000: Big L’s second and last album “The Big Picture” was released posthumously. The album was set to be released in 1999, but after his untimely murder, the album was unfinished and was pieced to completion by his manager over the next year. It sold 72k copies the first week and was certified Gold a couple of months later by the RIAA. The album had some big features like Tupac, Fat Joe, and Big Daddy Cane. Some songs off the album were “Ebonics”, “Holdin’ it Down”, and “Flamboyant.” …more!

August 1st, 1995: Raekwon and Ghost Face Killah released “Only Built For Cuban Linx…” This was Raekwon’s debut album and was loosely composed to play like a film with Raekwon as the star, fellow Wu-tang members Ghost Face Killah as the co-star, and RZA as the director. It contains a feature from each Wu-tang member and holds the first collaboration on a Wu-tang member’s album and a non-affiliated member, Nas. It sold 130k copies in the first week and is Certified Platinum with the RIAA. Some songs off this album are “Criminology,” “Ice Cream,” and “Heaven & Hell.”…more!

July

July 30th, 1996: A Tribe Called Quest released their 4th studio album “Beats, Rhymes and Life.” It sold 172k copies the first week and became certified Platinum with the RIAA. Some songs off the album are “1nce Again,” “Stressed out,” and “Get a Hold.”

July 28th, 1992: EPMD released their fourth studio album, “Business Never Personal.” The album would peak at #14 on Billboard 200 and became Certified Gold with the RIAA. Some songs on this album are “Crossover,” “Head Banger,” and “Scratch Bring it Back, Pt. 2.”…more!

July 27th, 1993: Fat Joe released his debut album, “Represent.” Some songs on this album are “Flow Joe,” “Da Fat Gangsta,” and “Get On Up.”

July 26th, 2005: Young Jeezy released his overall third album and debut studio album, “Let’s Get It: Thug Motivation 101.” The album debuted at #2 on Billboard 200 by selling 172k copies in the first week, helping it become Double Platinum with the RIAA. Some songs on this album are “And The What,” “Soul Survivor,” and “My Hood.”…more!

July 25th, 2006: Pharrell Williams released his debut album “In My Mind.” It sold 142k copies in its first week but did not chart with the RIAA. It has some heavy-hitting features on this album, like Gwen Stefani, Snoop Dogg, Jay-Z, Pusha T, Nelly, and Kanye West. Some songs off this album are “Can I Have It Like That,” “Stay With Me,” and “That Girl.”…more!

July 25th, 1986: 2 Live Crew released their debut album “The 2 Live Crew Is What We Are.” It was Certified Gold by the RIAA. Some songs off this album are “We Want Some Pussy,” “Throw The ‘D’,” and “Cuttin’ It Up.”

July 24th, 1990: Masta Ace released his debut album “Take A Look Around.” Some songs off this album are “Together/Letter to The Better,” “Music Man,” and “Movin On.”

July 22nd, 1997: Company Flow released their debut album “Funcrusher Plus.” The album has been recognized as a landmark independent HipHop release. Some songs on this album are “Bad Touch Example,” “Blind,” and “Population Control.”…more!

July 21st, 1998: Nate Dogg released his debut album, “G-Funk Classics, Vol. 1 and 2.” Vol. 1 was released in January of 1997, but was taken off of the market for legal issues after just a week. The album would peak at #58 on Billboard 200. Some songs on this album are “Hardest Man in Town,” “My World,” and “Bag O’ Weed.”…more!

July 20th, 1993: Cypress Hill released their second album, “Black Sunday.” It debuted at the #1 spot and sold 261k copies in the first week. Being that their first album was on the charts at the time of its release, they were the first hiphop group to hold two spots in the Top 10 of Billboards Hot 200 at the same time. It has sold over 3.4 million copies and went triple platinum with the RIAA. Some songs off this album were “I Wanna Get High,” “Insane in the Brain,” and “Hits from the Bong.”…more!

July 19th, 1994: Coolio released his debut solo album “It Takes a Thief.” It would eventually sell over 1 million copies and become Platinum Certified with the RIAA. Some songs off this album are “Fantastic Voyage,” “Smoking Stix,” and “Sticky Fingers.”…more!

July 17th, 2012: Nas released his 11th studio album, “Life Is Good.” The album debuted at #1 on Billboard 200 by selling 149k copies in the first week, helping it become Certified Gold with the RIAA. Some songs on the album are “Loco-motive,” “A Queens Story,” and “World’s An Addiction.”…more!

July 13th, 1999: Lil Cease released his debut and only solo album, “The Wonderful World of Cease a Leo.” The album peaked at #3 on Billboard 200. Some songs on the album are “More Dangerous,” “Future Sport,” and “Play Around.”…more!

July 15th, 1997: Missy Elliott released her debut album “Supa Dupa Fly.” The album was recorded and produced solely by Timbaland in only 2 weeks. It sold 129k copies in the first week and would go on to Platinum Certification with the RIAA with over a million units sold. Some songs off this album are “The Rain,” “Best Friends,” and “Beep Me 911.”…more!

July 12th, 1994: Above The Law released their third album, “Uncle Sam’s Curse.” The album would peak at #113 on Billboard 200. Some songs on this album are “Set Free,” “Kalifornia,” and “Black Superman.”…more!

July 10th, 1990: Kid Frost released his debut album, “Hispanic Causing Panic.” It is considered one of the first Hispanic Rap albums.” The album peaked at #67 on Billboard 200. Some songs on this album are “La Raza,” “Straight To The Bank,” and “Smoke.”…more!

July 9th, 1991: The Geto Boys released their third studio album “We Can’t Be Stopped.” It went on to be Platinum Certified by the RIAA. Some songs on this album were “Mind Playing Tricks on Me,” “Gotta Let Your Nuts Hang,” and “Punk-Bitch Game.…more!

July 8th, 2016: Schoolboy Q released his 4th album “Blank Face LP.” Some songs off the album were “THat Part,” “WHateva U Want,” and “By Any Means.”

July 7th, 1987: Eric B. And Rakim released their debut album “Paid In Full.” The album is Platinum Certified. Some songs off the album are “I Ain’t No Joke,” “I Know You Got Soul,” and “Eric B. Is President.”…more!

July 6th, 2010: Big Boi released his debut solo album “Sir Lucious Left Foot: The Son of Chico Dusty.” It debuted at #3 on Billboard 200 by selling 62k copies in the first week. Some songs on this album are “Daddy’s Fat Sax,” “Tangerine,” and “Hustle Blood.”…more!

July 4th, 1995: Funkdoobiest released their second album, “Brothas Doobie.” This album had its fair share of controversy for its tracks “Superhoes” and “Pussy Ain’t Shit.” Some songs on this album are “Rock On,” “Lost In Thought,” “XXX Funk.”…more!

July 3rd, 2007: T.I. released his 5th studio album “T.I. vs. T.I.P.” The album debuted at #1 on Billboard 200 by selling 470k copies in the first week, helping it become Certified Platinum with the RIAA. Some songs on this album are “Big Shit Poppin (Do It),” “Da Dopeman,” and “Touchdown.”…more!

July 2nd, 1991: Ice Cube co-starred in his first acting role in the movie “Boyz-N-The-Hood.” The movie was first released in Los Angeles on July 2nd, then in the rest of the country on July 12th. The film’s title is a double entendre; a play on the term boyhood and a reference to the 1987 Eazy-E rap song of the same name, written by Ice Cube.…more!

July 2nd, 1996: Nas released his second studio album “It’s Been Written.” The album sold 270k copies in the first week. The album is 3 times Platinum Certified. Some songs from this classic are “If I Ruled The World (Imagine That),” “Street Dreams,” and “Nas is Coming.”…more!

July 2nd, 2011: Kendrick Lamar released his debut album “Section.80“. It took almost 6 years from its release to become Gold certified. Some songs from the album were “A.D.H.D.,” “Rigamortus,” and “HiiiPower.”

July 1st, 1982: Grandmaster Flash and the Furious Five released their song “The Message.” It was an early prominent hiphop song to provide social commentary. It would peak at #62 on Billboard Hot 100.…more!

June

June 30th, 2017: Jay-Z released his thirteenth album, “4:44.” It was released as an exclusive to Sprint and Tidal and was planned to be the first of many to be released under the same exclusivity, but nothing would fruit from it after the Sprint X T-Mobile merger three years later. On July 2nd, the album was free to download on Tidal, and a physical copy was released on July 7th. The album still debuted at #1 on Billboard 200 by selling 262k copies in the first week, which would help it become Double Platinum with the RIAA. Some songs on this album are “Kill Jay-Z,” “The Story of O.J.,” and “Family Feud.”…more!

June 29th, 1993: The soundtrack to “Poetic Justice” was released, consisting of a blend of HipHop and R&B. The album peaked at #23 on Billboard 200 and is Certified Gold with the RIAA. Some songs on this soundtrack are “Get It Up,” “Indo Smoke,” and “Call Me Mack.”…more!

June 28th, 2011: Big Sean released his debut album “Finally Famous.” Some songs of the album were “My Last,” “Wait For Me,” and “Dance.”

June 27th, 2000: Nelly released his debut album “Country Grammar.” It sold 235k copies the first week and became Diamond Certified. Some songs off the album were “Country Grammar,” “Ride Wit Me,” and “Batter Up.”

June 26th, 2013: Run The Jewels released their debut self-titled album. The collaboration is between Brooklyn Rapper and Producer El-P and Atlanta Rapper Killer Mike. It’s the first of their current four albums together.

June 22nd, 1999: Missy Elliott released her second studio album, “Da Real World.” The album debuted at #10 on Billboard 200 and is Certified Platinum with the RIAA. Some songs on this album are “All n My Grill,” “She’s a Bitch,” and “Hot Boyz (Remix).”…more!

June 21st, 1994: Bone Thugz-N-Harmomy released their debut EP, “Creepin On Ah Come Up.” The album peaked at #12 on Billboard 200 and Certified 4x Platinum with the RIAA. Some songs on this album are “Thuggish Ruggish Bone,” “Foe tha Love of $,” and “No Surrender.” …more!

June 20th, 1995: Mack 10 released his self-titled debut solo album “Mack 10.” The album would peak at #33 on Billboard 200 and is Certified Gold with the RIAA. Some songs on this album are “Foe Life,” “Wanted Dead,” and “On Them Thangs.”…more!

June 19th, 1989: N.W.A. got arrested after performing their song “Fuck Tha Police” at the Joe Louis Arena in Detroit, Michigan. The Detroit Police Sergeant told the group they couldn’t perform the song as it may incite violence. The group performed it anyway and authorities pulled the plugs on the show mid-song. A total of 18 people were arrested for misdemeanors when the crowd turned angry at the action of the cops. N.W.A. was not arrested outside the venue, but rather in the hotel lobby, they were staying for the night. Ultimately, the song did not incite violence, it was the actions the police took that sparked the event and made the crowd upset….more!

June 18th, 2013: Mac Miller released his second studio album, “Watching Movies With The Sound Off.” It would reach #3 on the Hot 200 and sold 102k copies in the first week. Some songs off the project were “Avian,” “Matches,” and “Objects In The Mirror.”…more!

June 18th, 2013: J. Cole released his second album “Born Sinner.” It debuted #2 on the Hot 200 and sold 297k copies the first week. It is Certified Double Platinum with 796k copies sold. Some songs off the album were “Power Trip,” “She Knows,” and “Born Sinner.” …more!

June 16th, 2016: Oakland, CA recognized this day as ‘Tupac Shakur Day,’ as this was the day he was born. Though he was born in Harlem, New York in 1971, he regularly expressed his love for Oakland and said he got his ‘game’ from Oakland.…more!

June 15th, 2017: Jay-Z became the first rapper inducted into the Songwriters Hall Of Fame.

June 14th, 2011: Royce Da 5’9 and Eminem collaborated as “Bad Meets Evil” to make their debut EP “Hell: The Sequel”. Some songs off the album were “Fast Lane,” “Lighters,” and “Welcome 2 Hell.” It reached #1 on Billboard’s Hot 200 and sold 171k copies the first week.…more!

June 13th, 2000: The hiphop duo Quasimoto, comprised of Madlib and his animated alter ego Lord Quas, released their debut album “The Unseen.” It’s reported that Madlib took Mushrooms for a month while creating this album. Some songs off this album are “Microphone Mathematics,” “Welcome to Violence,” and “Discipline 99 Pt. 0.”…more!

June 12th, 2012: Joey Bada$$ released his debut mixtape “1999.” Some songs off the project were “Survival Tactics,” “Hardknock,” and “Waves.”

June 11th, 1990: A Miami-based group, 2 Live Crew, got arrested for violating a prohibition against obscenity in the county. A federal judge ruled that their album “As Nasty As They Want To Be” had tracks that were too obscene and couldn’t be sold in some Florida counties. This led to the arrest of some retail shop owners who defied the ban on sales. After a Live performance in Hollywood, FL of some of the banned songs, police arrested the two members, Luther Campbell and Chris Won Wong, for being concerned with the “prohibition on certain acts in connection with an obscene, lewd performance.” The crew stuck it to the law and fought the case, taking it all the way up to the Supreme Court. They were acquitted of the charges as their music was an exercise in freedom of speech. The album went on to sell over 2 million copies.…more!

June 8th, 1984: The movie “Beat Street” was released. The film is set in the South Bronx, and follows the lives of a pair of brothers and their group of friends, all of whom are devoted to various elements of early hip-hop culture, including breakdancing, DJing and graffiti. Many artists, such as Notorious B.I.G. and Jay Electronica, have referenced this film in their lyrics.…more!

June 7th, 1994: Warren G released his debut studio album “Regulate…G Funk Era.” The album debuted at #2 on Billboard 200 after selling 176k copies in the first week. It is Certified Triple Platinum with the RIAA. Some songs off this album are “Regulate,” “This D.J.,” and “Do You See.”…more!

June 5th, 2012: Curren$y released his sixth studio album, “The Stoned Immaculate.” The album would feature some major artists like Pharrell, Wiz Khalifa, 2 Chainz, Wale, and more, helping the album peak at #8 on Billboard 200. Some songs off this album are “What It Look Like,” “Capitol,” and “Sunroof.”…more!

June 4th, 2000: Eminem got arrested for either punching or pistol-whipping a 6′ 2″ bouncer after seeing Kim, at the time Em’s wife, kissing the club bouncer, John Guerra. This happened just 2 weeks after releasing the Marshall Mathers LP. He then talks about the incident in his next album, “The Eminem Show.” The assault charges were dropped in 2001 when Em took a plea deal of carrying a concealed weapon and a settlement of $100,000 was reached in 2002 with both parties denying any wrongdoing. …more!

June 3rd, 1997: Wu-Tang Clan released their second album “Wu-Tang Forever.” It has 27 tracks and runs for 1 hour and 52 minutes. Some classics off this album were “Reunited”, “Triumph”, and “It’s Yourz.” It debuted at #1 on the Hot 200, went 4x Platinum, and sold 612k copies in the first week. It’s another one of the double-disc albums so each copy sold counts as 2 sales, with a total of 2 million copies being sold to date. …more!

June 3rd, 2014: 50 Cent released his 5th studio album “Animal Ambitions.” Some songs off the album were “Don’t Worry About It”, “Pilot”, and “Smoke.” In the first week, it only sold 46,000 copies with no certification. His 4th album, “Before I Self Destruct”, sold 160k in its first week and got the gold certification, so a significant drop-off. …more!

June 1st, 2018: The term “stan” was added to the Oxford Dictionary. The term comes from the Eminem song with the same name that talks about an obsessed fan. The official definition reads “an overzealous or obsessive fan, esp. of a particular celebrity.”…more!

June 1st, 1999: Ja Rule released his debut album, “Venni Vetti Vecci.” The album alludes to the Latin phrase “Veni Vidi Vici,” meaning “I came, I saw, I conquered.” The album sold 184k copies in the first week, helping it debut at #3 on Billboards 200. It is Certified Platinum with the RIAA and some songs off this album are “We Here Now,” “Holla Holla,” and “Story To Tell.”…more!

May

May 31st, 1988: HipHop Group Boogie Down Productions released their second album, “By All Means Necessary.” The album’s cover art and title are a reference to Malcolm X. The album peaked at number 75 on Billboard 200 and is currently Certified Gold with the RIAA. Some songs off the album are “My Philosophy,” “Stop The Violence,” and “Jimmy.”…more!

May 29th, 1984: The Fat Boys released their debut self-titled album. The project opens with an 8:30-minute song “Jail House Raps”. Some other songs off the project were “Can You Feel It” and “Human Beat Box”.

May 28th, 1996: Tupac almost drown off the coast of Mexico while on vacation. Tupac was determined to prove that he was better at swimming than Suge Knight. Tupac ended up nearly drowning and had to be carried to shore by Suge. Tupac threw up salt water and was taken to the hospital nearby. We almost lost Tupac early. Snoop Dogg was also there to witness and tell the story. …more!

May 27th, 1998: Master P and No Limit Records released their first movie, “I Got The Hook-Up.” It’s an American Crime Comedy starring Anthony Johnson, Master P, Ice Cube, C-Murder and directed by Michael Martin. A soundtrack accompanied it and would peak at #3 on Billboards 200. A sequel was released in 2019.…more!

May 26th, 2002: Eminem released his 4th studio album “The Eminem Show“. It debuted at the #1 spot on the Hot 200. It went Platinum 22x and became the second best-selling album of the 21st century, behind Adele’s album “21”. Some classics off this album were “Cleaning out my Closet”, “Without Me”, “My Dad’s Gone Crazy”. They recently released a 20-year extended version of the album this year. …more!

May 25th, 1999: Slick Rick released his fourth studio album, “The Art of Storytelling.” It would peak at #8 on Billboards 200 and is currently certified Gold with the RIAA. Some songs off this album are “Street Talkin’,” “2 Way Street,” and “King Piece in a Chess Game.”…more!

May 24th, 2000: 50 Cent was hospitalized after getting shot nine times in the hand, arm, hip, legs, chest, and face. He was outside his grandmother’s home in Queens, New York. 50 Cent says the man who shot him is dead, and the one who paid him got life in jail. This was a huge backstory to a lot of his music.…more!

May 23rd, 2000: Eminem released his 3rd studio album, “The Marshall Mathers LP.” It debuted at #1 on the Hot 200. Some classics off the album were “Stan”, “The Way I Am,” and “The Real Slim Shady.”

May 22nd, 2012: HipHop Squares Debuts.Narrated by Ice Cube and hosted by Peter Rosenburg. It’s a game show where two contestants battle to get tic-tac-toe or be the first to capture 5 squares. Calling on a celebrity in a square, the host would ask a question, and the celebrity would give an answer to the question. The contestant would agree or disagree with the celebrity’s answer, and if correct, they would successfully turn the square into an X or O, wrong, and it would change to the opponent’s control. It ran for 5 seasons over 4 years.…more!

May 19th, 1998: DMX released his debut album “It’s Dark and Hot As Hell.” It debuted at #1 on the Hot 200 and sold over 250k copies the first week. Some classics off the album were “Ruff Ryders Anthem,” “How’s it goin’ down,” and “Stop Being Greedy.”…more!

May 18th, 2010: Nas and Damian Marley, one of Bob Marley’s sons, released a joint album titled “Distant Relations.” The title is in reference to their personal relationship, their shared African Ancestry, but also the shared ancestry of the whole human race. The album debuted at #5 on Billboard 200 by selling 57k copies in the first week. Some songs off this album are “As We Enter,” “Leaders,” and “Land Of Promise.”…more!

May 17th, 2005: Memphis Bleek released his 4th studio album, “534.” The title references Marcy Houses, 534 Flushing Ave, where Bleek and Jay-Z both grew up. This album contains the song “The One,” which was the debut appearance from Rihanna as she was the vocalist on the chorus. Some songs off this album are “Dear Summer,” “Like That,” and “Smoke The Pain Away.”…more!

May 17th, 1988: Run DMC released their 4th studio album, “Tougher than Leather.” Described as Hip-Rock. Some hits off the album were “Run’s House,” “Mary, Mary,” and “I’m Not Going Out Like That” …more!

May 15th, 1986: Run D.M.C. released their third studio album, “Raising Hell.” This album became the first Platinum and Multi-Platinum HipHop Record with the RIAA, as it is currently Certified 3x Platinum. The album peaked at #3 on Billboard 200 and is hailed as ushering in the Golden Age of HipHop and HipHop’s Album Era. The album was inducted into the National Recording Registry of the Library of Congress in 2018. Some songs off this album are “Walk This Way,” “It’s Tricky,” and “My Adidas.”…more!

May 14th, 2002: Diddy released “We Invented the Remix.” The mixtape featured P. Diddy and members from his Bad Boy Family remixing major hits from artists on his label.

May 14th, 2002: Cam’ron released his 3rd album “Come Home With Me.” It would peak at #2 on the Hot 200. Some hits off the project were “Hey Ma” and “Live My Life.”

May 10th, 2011: Tyler, The Creator released his debut studio album, “Goblin.” The album was almost entirely produced by Tyler, with help from fellow Odd Future member Left Brain. The album debuted at #5 on Billboard 200 by selling 45k copies in the first week, and is Certified Gold with the RIAA. Some songs off this album are “Yonkers,” “She,” and “Sandwitches.”…more!

May 9th, 1995: The “Tales from the Hood” soundtrack was released for the horror film that was titled the same. The album contains tracks from various artists like Wu-Tang Clan, Facemob, Gravdiggaz, Scarface and many more. It would peak at #16 on Billboards 200 and is Certified Gold with the RIAA. Some songs off this soundtrack are “Let Me At Them,” “Born II Die,” and “From The Dark Side.” [Spotify partial album]…more!

May 8th, 2001: Hi-Tek released his debut album, “Hi-Teknology.” The album would peak at #66 on Billboard’s 200. Some songs on this album are “Scratch Rappin,” “The Sun God,” and “Round and Round.”…more!

May 7th, 2013: Talib Kweli released his 5th album, “Prisoner of Conscious.” It’s a highly produced album with the lyrism that Talib always brings.

May 5th, 2017: Logic released “Everybody,” his 3rd studio album. It also became his first number 1 album ever.

May 5th, 2014: While in an elevator leaving an after-party for the 2014 Met Gala, Solange (Beyonce’s sister) started beating up Jay-Z while Beyonce stood by and watched. Jay-Z’s bodyguard had to break up the fight. They never outright said the reason for the fight, but it has been hinted that Jay-Z cheated on Beyonce….more!

May 4th, 1993: Run-DMC released their 6th album, “Down With The King.” The album would peak at #7 on Billboards 200 and is Certified Gold with the RIAA. Some songs of this album are “OH, Whatcha Gonna Do,” “Can I Get It, Yo,” and “Whats Next.”…more!

May 2nd, 2006: Mobb Deep released their 7th album, “Blood Money.” It would peak at #3 on the Hot 200. Song classics off the project were “Put ‘Em In Their Place,” “Creep,” and “Give It To Me.” It was their only release under Interscope and 50 Cent’s G-Unit. Features from G-Unit, Nyce, Mary J. Blige, and Nate Dogg.…more!

May 2nd, 2000: 504 Boyz released their debut album, “Goodfellas.” It peaked at number 2 on the Hot 200.

May 2nd, 2003: Brother Ali released his 2nd album, “Shadows on the Sun.”

May 1st, 1991: The first HipHop acts performed on MTV’s “Unplugged” concert series. Previous “Unplugged” artists include legendary acts such as Elton John, Sting and Paul McCartney, but was billed as a merge between “Yo! MTV RAPS” and “MTV Unplugged” to create “Yo! Unplugged Raps.” They had performances from LL Cool J, MC Lyte, De La Soul, and A Tribe Called Quest.…more!

April

April 28th, 2003: Apple launched its digital media store, iTunes. At the time of launch, it was the only legal digital catalog to offer music from the five major labels, EMI Records, Sony, Vivendi Universal, AOL Time Warner, and BMG. They avoided the subscription model initially and implemented the buy-to-own model, where most every song would cost just 99 cents.…more!

April 27th, 1999: The label Ruff Ryders released a compilation album, “Ryde or Die Vol. 1.” The album debuted at #1 on Billboard 200 by selling 285k copies in the first week. It is currently Certified Platinum with the RIAA and has features from Jay-Z, DMX, Big Pun and more. Some songs off this album are “Down Bottom,” “Bug Out,” and “Some X Shit.”…more!

April 26th, 1994: Outkast released their debut album “Southernplayalisticadillacmuzik“. Some classics of the project “Player’s Ball” and “Git Up, Git Out”

April 25th, 1996: Tupac’s “All Eyez On Me” album went 5x Platinum just 2 months after its release. It went 9x Platinum in 1998. As of 2019, it has sold 11,000,000 copies in the US. Because it is a double-disc, the RIAA counts each album sold as two units.…more!

April 25th, 1995: Mobb Deep released their second album, “The Infamous“. Some classics off the album were “Survival of the Fittest”, “Shook Ones Pt. 2”, and “Temperature’s Rising”

April 24th, 1976: Johnnie Taylor’s “Disco Lady,” composed by Milwaukee singer-songwriter-producer Harvey Scales, went on to be the first Platinum RIAA single in history by selling 1 million copies. The RIAA did not have an award for 1 million copies, so they had to create the Platinum Certification. This was the first Hot 100 record that contained the word ‘disco’ in its title; however, the track is not Disco, it just talks about Disco. The single would remain at No.1 for four weeks. When the record took off, it was reported that Columbia executive Bruce Lundvall sent crates of Dom Perignon to Taylor, who drank some and took a bath in what was left. The record eventually went Double Platinum with the RIAA….more!

April 22nd, 2016: Birdman arrived at his interview with the radio show “The Breakfast Club” angry and upset with the host for “playing with his name.” He showed up in the tiny radio room with at least 10 people. It was the shortest interview in “The Breakfast Club” history.…more!

April 20th, 2018: J. Cole released his 5th album, “K.O.D.” It’s an acronym for Kids On Drugs, King Overdose, and Kill Our Demons. The album debuted at the #1 spot on Billboard 200 by earning 397k album-equivalent units, including 174k pure sales. It is currently Certified Platinum with the RIAA. Some songs off this album are “ATM,” “Motivate,” and “Kevin’s Hart.”…more!

April 19th, 1994: Nas dropped his debut album “Illmatic“. Some classics off the album were “N.Y. State of Mind,” “Life’s a Bitch”, and “The World is Yours.”

April 18th, 2013: Public Enemy was inducted into the Rock And Roll Hall of Fame. The fourth HipHop Act to do so.

April 16th, 1996: Master P released his 5th album, “Ice Cream Man.” It reached #25 on Billboards 200 and is Certified Platinum with the RIAA. Some songs off this album are “How G’s Ride,” “Selling Ice Cream,” and “Time to Check My Crack House.”…more!

April 15th, 1991: MC Hammer earned HipHop his first RIAA Diamond Album with “Please Hammer Don’t Hurt Em“

April 14th, 2017: Kendrick Lamar released his fourth studio album, “DAMN.” The album became the first non-jazz or classical album to earn a Pulitzer Prize for Music and won Best Rap Album at the 2018 Grammy Awards. It debuted at the #1 spot on Billboards 200 by selling 608k copies in the first week and is Certified Triple Platinum with the RIAA. Some songs off the album are “DNA,” “Humble,” and “Duckworth.”…more!

April 13th, 2005: Snoop Dogg holds a ‘Protect The West’ peace summit to squash all his beefs and help unify the West Coast HipHop scene. “I felt we should come together as one, organize, unify, and start making records with each other and be about a cause. It’s time for us to start standing up for something. It’s called Protect the West. We’re all moving together, we ended all our beefs.” Snoop Dogg said after the business meeting in a hotel conference room. In attendance were artists like The Game, Xzibit, D.O.C., Young MC, Kurupt, Nate Dogg, Warren G, Lil Eazy-E, and even comedian Steve Harvey who helped Snoop organize the meeting.…more!

April 12th, 2011: Kendrick Lamar released his debut single “Hiiipower” prior to his independently dropped “Section.80” album. The song was produced by J. Cole and it was the first collaboration between the two. “Hiiipower: the three i’s represent heart, honor, and respect. That’s how we carry ourselves…It basically is the simplest form of representing just being above all the madness, all the bullshit. No matter what the world is going through, you’re always going to keep your dignity and carry yourself with this manner that it don’t phase you. Whatever you think negative is in your life. Overcoming that and still having that self-respect.”…more!

April 11th, 1995: The soundtrack to the motion picture “Friday” starring Ice Cube was released. The album debuted at the #1 spot on Billboards 200 and is currently Double Platinum with the RIAA. Some songs off the soundtrack are “Keep Their Heads Ringin,” by Dr. Dre, “Take a Hit,” by Mack 10, and “Hoochie Mama,” by 2 Live Crew.…more!

April 10th, 1990: A Tribe Called Quest’s debut album “People’s Instinctive Travels and The Paths of Rhythm” was released. A hit off the project was “Can I Kick It?”

April 8th, 2016: NWA is inducted into the Rock N Roll Hall Of Fame by Kendrick Lamar. He spoke about how important the group was for putting LA on the Map. “Being Gansta is being inducted into the Rock And Roll Hall of Fame.”…more!

April 6th, 1999: Nas released his 3rd studio album “I Am…” It was supposed to be a double album, but some songs leaked online, forcing him to record new tracks. This split the project up into two separate discs. Thus, Nastradamus was released later that year. The album debuted at the #1 spot on Billboards 200, selling 470k copies in the first week. It is currently Certified Double Platinum with the RIAA. Some songs off this album are “Nas Is Like,” “Hate Me Now,” and “N.Y. State of Mind PT. 2.”…more!

April 5th, 2012: Ab-Soul released his debut album, “Longterm Mentality.” It reached #73 on Billboard’s Top R&B/HipHop Albums. Some songs off this album are “Real Thinkers,” “Moscato,” and “Time Is Of The Essence.”…more!

April 4th, 1995: Montell Jordan released his debut album, “This Is How We Do It,” which featured the hit with the same title.

April 4th, 2009: Run-D.M.C. was the second hiphop group inducted into the Rock-N-Roll Hall of Fame.

April 3rd, 2012: Obie Trice released his 3rd album, “Bottoms Up.” The album debuted at #113 on Billboards 200 by selling 5k copies in the first week. Some songs off this album are “Battle Cry,” “Spend The Day,” and “Spill My Drink.”…more!

April 1st, 2014: Mobb Deep released their eighth and final album, “The Infamous Mobb Deep.” It’s a double album where one disc is new original music, and the other disc is unreleased tracks from recording sessions during their second album, “The Infamous.” The album debuted #29 on Billboards 200. Some songs off this album are “Get Down,” “Survival of the Fittest (Extended Remix),” and “Waterboarding.”…more!

March

March 31st, 1992: Kriss Kross released their debut album “Totally Krossed Out.” One big hit from the project was “Jump”. It actually has two release dates, March 17th, 1992, and March 31st, 1992.…more!

March 30th, 1993: HipHop Group Onyx released their debut album, “Bacdafucup.” The album reached #17 on Billboard 200 and is Certified Platinum with the RIAA. Some songs off this album are “Throw Ya Gunz,” “Onyx is Here,” and “Getdafucout.”…more!

March 29th, 1988: DJ Jazzy Jeff and The Fresh Prince released their second studio album, “He’s the DJ, I’m the Rapper.” It was the first double album in hiphip history and the 8th Rap album to become a Platinum album. It would reach #4 on the Billboard 200 chart and is currently 3x Platinum with the RIAA. some songs off this album are “A Nightmare On My Street,” “Brand New Funk,” and “Human Video Game.”…more!

March 28th, 2011: Big K.R.I.T. released his self-produced mixtape “Return of 4Eva“

March 28th, 1981: Blondie’s song “Rapture” was the first song featuring a rap verse to sit on top of the Hot100 chart. The song was released in the album “Autoamerican” in 1980 but was released as a single on January 12, 1981.…more!

March 27th, 2001: 2Pac’s third posthumous album, “Until The End Of Time.” It went 4x Platinum and went #1 on the Hot 200 Album chart. The album was split into 2 discs, had 29 songs, and was over 2 hours long.…more!

March 24th, 2009: MF Doom released his sixth album and final, “Born Like This.” It debuted at #52 on Billboard 200 by selling 10k copies in the first week. Some songs on this album are “GAZZILLION EAR,” “YESSIR!,” and “RAP AMBUSH.”

March 23rd, 1999: OutKast released their second single, “Rosa Parks,” from their album “Aquemini.” It would peak at #55 on Billboard 200 and #19 on Top R&B/HipHop Songs. Rosa Parks, the Civil Rights Movement Leader, would sue OutKast and LaFace Records over the song using her name and objecting to some of the vulgar lyrics. The initial case would be dismissed in 2001, but another lawsuit was settled out of court in 2004.…more!

March 22nd, 2011: Pharoahe Monch released his third album, “W.A.R. (We Are Renegades).” It reached #54 on Billboard 200 by selling 9k copies in the first week. Some songs on this project are “Evolve,” “Clap (One Day),” and “The Grande Illusion.”…more!

March 21st, 2000: Ice Cube released his 6th studio album, “War & Peace Volume 2 (The Peace Disc).” It is the second part of the two-album project, the first installment being “War & Peace Volume 1 (The War Disc),” which was released in 1998. The album debuted at #3 on Billboard 200 and sold 185k in its first week. It is Certified Gold with the RIAA. Some songs off this album are “Supreme Hustle,” “Hello,” and “Until We Rich.”…more!

March 20th, 2019: Jay-Z’s “The Blueprint” was inducted into the Library of Congress’s National Recording Registry. Music is added to the library if it is culturally, historically, or aesthetically important and/or informs or reflects life in the US.…more!

March 20th, 2012: Odd Squad released their debut studio album, “The OF Tape Vol. 2.” It was a follow-up to their 2008 mixtape, “The Odd Future Tape.” The album peaked at #5 on Billboard 200, selling 40k copies in the first week. Some songs off this album are “Bitches,” “Forest Green,” and “Rella.”…more!

March 19th, 1991: HipHop Group Whodini released their 5th studio album, “Bag-A-Trix.” The album peaked at #48 on Billboard’s Top R&B Albums chart. Some songs on the album are “Freaks,” “Judy,” and “Inside The Joint.”…more!

March 18th, 2014: YG released his debut album “My Krazy Life“. Some classics of the project are “I Just Wanna Party”, “Left. Right”, and “Who Do You Love”

March 18th, 1983: Considered to be the first HipHop motion picture, Wild Style is released. The film was approached as a hybrid between a musical and documentary of how HipHop culture formed and used many pioneers in the genre to play as themselves. Some of the artists were Fab 5 Freddy, Busy Bee, and Grandmaster Flash. Many HipHop albums have sampled the film, such as “Illmatic” by NAS, “Midnight Marauders” by A Tribe Called Quest, and “Check Yo Head” by Beastie Boys.…more!

March 17th, 1987: Reacting to a Beastie Boys concert three weeks earlier where the group used a giant inflatable penis as a stage prop and encouraged girls in the crowd to bare their breasts, many in the crowd were underage girls, the city of Columbus, Georgia passes an anti-lewdness law prohibiting nudity, simulated sex, and objectionable language at any show attended by minors. LL Cool J and Gene Simmons were arrested under this law after their performances, and Danny Brown was arrested mid-performance, persuading Ice-T to cancel his performance in the city in light of his arrest.…more!

March 15th, 2015: Kendrick Lamar released his third studio album “To Pimp A Butterfly.” Some classics from the album are “i”, “King Kunta”, and “Alright”

March 14th, 1995: 2Pac released his third album, “Me Against The World.” 2Pac claimed this album was created to show the hip-hop audience his respect for the art form and was ultimately released while incarcerated. It peaked at #1 on Billboard 200 by selling 240k copies in the first week, helping it become 2x Platinum with the RIAA. Some songs on this album are “If I Die 2Nite,” “Heavy In The Game,” and “Dear Mama.”…more!

March 13th, 1990: Kid N’ Play released their second album, “Kid N Play’s Funhouse.” The album reached #58 on Billboard 200 and is certified Gold by the RIAA. Some songs on the album are “Back To Basics,” “I Don’t Know,” and “Decisions.”

March 13th, 2001: Outkast released their single “So Fresh, So Clean” leading up to their fourth album “Stankonia.” The song would reach the #30 on Billboard Hot 100 and has been Certified Platinum with the RIAA.…more!

March 11th, 2015: Wiz Khalifa released the Paul Walker tribute “See You Again“

March 11th, 2016: Flatbush Zombies released their debut studio album “3001: A Laced Odyssey“

March 11th, 2012: Chief Keef released his debut album, “Finally Rich.” The album reached #29 on Billboard 200 by selling 50k copies in the first week. It is currently Certified Platinum with the RIAA. He was just 17 when this album dropped. Some songs on this album are “Love Sosa,” “I Don’t Like,” and “Hate Bein’ Sober.”…more!

March 10th, 2017: JID released his debut album “The Never Story.” The album reached #197 on Billboards 200. Some songs from this album are “EdEddNEddy,” “8701,” and “Hoodbooger.”

March 9th, 1997: Notorious B.I.G. was gunned down in the streets of LA. Around 1am, Big was leaving an after-party in the Hollywood Hills after it got shut down by the LA fire department. Big’s car was stopped at a stoplight when the killer’s car rolled up next to them and opened fire. Notorious BIG was just 24-years-old. While many may claim they know or think they know who committed the hit, officially, it has been an unsolved case.…more!

March 9th, 1990: Some of the biggest and most influential 80s HipHop artists from the east and west coast did two shows in New York and California, simultaneously! The once-in-a-lifetime concert was called “Rap Mania: A Salute to the 15th Anniversary of HipHop” and was about 2 hours long. At the time it was available on Pay-Per-View via Satellite and is now online. Some names on the show: Ice-T, LL Cool J, Run DMC, Slick Rick and many more!…more!

March 8th, 1994: Gang Starr released their fourth album, “Hard to Earn.” The album would peak at #25 on Billboard 200 and #2 on Top R&B/HipHop Albums. It is also the duo’s first album to carry a ‘Parental Advisory’ warning. Some songs on this album are “ALONGWAYTOGO,” “Brainstorm,” and “Suckas Need Bodyguards.”…more!

March 7th, 2011: “The Eminem Show” by Eminem moved 10 million units and went Diamond with the RIAA in less than 9 years from its debut.

March 7th, 1987: Beastie Boys debut album “Licensed to Ill” was the first Rap album to hit the #1 spot on Billboard’s 200 albums chart. It would go Diamond with RIAA 29 years after release on March 4, 2015.…more!

March 6th, 2001: MTV Cribs released their episode with Redman. His “De La Casa” was as humble as a famous rapper like Redman could live. Many hold this episode as one of the best MTV Cribs, from his cousin sleeping on the living room floor, the large amount of fish in his freezer, and the screenless porch door in front of his house. He said that he liked living in this type of environment because it gives a sense of feeling that “I could move up” and work harder for “something way bigger than this.”…more!

March 5th, 1991: Ed O.G. and The Bulldogs released their debut album “Life Of A Kid In The Ghetto.” The album peaked at #166 on Billboard 200 and #21 on the Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums Chart. Some songs off the album are “Feel Like A Nut,” “Let Me Tickle Your Fancy,” and “Be A Father To Your Child.”…more!

March 4th, 2016: Kendrick Lamar released a compilation album, “untitled unmastered.” The album contained eight songs written and recorded from 2013-2016 that were not included on his “To Pimp A Butterfly” album. It earned 178k album-equivalent units in the first week, helping it debut at #1 on Billboard 200. Some songs on this album are “Untitled Track 1,” “Untitled Track 2,” and “Untitled Track 3.”…more!

March 4th, 2005: 50 Cent released his second studio album, “The Massacre.” The album debuted at the #1 spot on Billboard 200 after selling 1.15 million copies in the first four days. It is currently 6x Platinum with the RIAA. Some songs off this album are “Candy Shop,” “Disco Inferno,” and “Just A Lil Bit.”…more!

March 3rd, 1989: De La Soul released their debut album, “3 Feet High and Rising.” The album title comes from the Johnny Cash song “Five Feet High and Rising.” In 2010, the album was inducted into the Library of Congress’s National Recording Registry. The album peaked at the #24 spot on Billboard 200 and is Certified Platinum with the RIAA. Some songs from the album are “The Magic Number,” “Change in Speak,” and “Transmitting Live From Mars.”…more!

March 2nd, 1983: CDs hit the streets in America. They were launched in Japan a few months prior. CDs changed the game of music and HipHop for a while. In HipHop Specifically, it was how mixtapes were passed around and made mainstream music a portable commodity.…more!

March 1st, 2001: Sean “Puffy” Combs took the stand in his own trial for a shooting that happened at a Times Square-area nightclub in December 1999, where he was with stars like Busta Rhymes, members of the New York Knicks, and his then-girlfriend Jennifer Lopez. Puffy was accused of possessing a firearm and bribery charges but denied the charges, claiming he didn’t have a firearm that night. His bodyguard was also on trial for three counts of attempted manslaughter after injuring three people by firing his weapon in the club.…more!

February

February 27th, 2001: Project Pat released his second studio album, “Mista Don’t Play: Everythangs Workin.” The album peaked at the #4 spot on Billboards 200 and is Certified Gold with the RIAA. Some songs off this project are “Chickenhead,” “Whole Lotta Weed,” and “We Can Get Gangsta.”…more!

February 27th, 2010: MF Doom sent an imposter to perform for him at a Toronto show. Some backstory begins with a joint, 3-show tour between Mos Def and MF Doom that would go to Chicago, New York, and Toronto. After the Chicago show, rumors of an impostor under the iconic MF Doom mask started spreading online. Mos Def dropped out from the tour, and the Toronto show changed to an MF Doom solo show. Ticket holders were given the option of a refund or keeping the ticket and seeing if Doom would be present. What happened at this show was not expected.…more!

February 26th, 2001: J Dilla released his debut solo album, “Welcome 2 Detroit.” The album bears the name Jay Dee and J Dilla, and marks the first time that J Dilla was officially used. Some songs on this album are “The Clapper,” “Pause,” and “B.B.E.”

February 25th, 2014: Schoolboy Q released his 3rd studio album “Oxymoron.” It debuted at the #1 spot on Billboards 200 and sold 139k copies in the first week. The album is Certified Platinum with the RIAA. Some songs off this album are “Collard Greens,” “Man Of The Year,” and “Hell Of A Night.”…more!

February 25th, 2003: Nate Dogg’s third and final self-titled album was, not released, bootlegged. Later that year it was released by the record labels, but only for digital streaming. Only a few promotional copies were pressed to CDs. You can’t find the whole album online to listen to its entirety. It’s a “lost” album. Some songs off this album are “Get Up,” “Gott Damn Shame,” and “Somebody Like Me.”…more!

February 24th, 1998: Paris released his fourth album, “Unleashed.*” The US release has a different track order and is two tracks shorter than the European release. Some songs on this album are “Mob On,” “Root of all Evil,” and “Same Ol’ Same Ol’.” *Link to YouTube.…more!

February 23rd, 1999: Eminem released his second studio album, “The Slim Shady LP.” The album debuted at the #2 spot on Billboard 200 by selling 283k copies in the first week. It is Certified 4x Platinum with the RIAA. Some songs off this album are “My Name Is,” “Guilty Conscious,” and “Bad Meets Evil.”…more!

February 23rd, 1993: Naughty By Nature released their third album, “19NaughtyIII.” It is Certified Platinum with the RIAA. Some songs from this classic are “HipHop Hooray!” “It’s On,” and “Daddy Was A Street Corner.”

February 22nd, 1989: Rap was given a category in the Grammys. However, it was not allowed to be televised. DJ Jazzy Jeff and Will Smith, the first recipients of the award, boycotted the show with many others. …more!

February 22nd, 2017: Jay-Z got inducted into the Rock And Roll Hall of Fame.

February 21st, 1995: DJ Quik released his 3rd album, “Safe + Sound.” It peaked at the #14 spot on Billboards 200 and is Certified Gold with the RIAA. Some songs off this album are “Summer Breeze,” “Get At Me,” and “Sucka Free.”…more!

February 20th, 1996: Jay-Z released his first promotional single “Dead Presidents*” for his debut album “Reasonable Doubt.” The single would not appear on the album, a different version of the song was included titled “Dead Presidents II.” The track sampled multiple artists, but most notable in the chorus is Nas’s “The World Is Yours” with the lyrics “I’m out for dead presidents to represent me.” It would still be Certified Gold with the RIAA. *Link is to YouTube.…more!

February 19th, 1991: GZA released his debut album, “Words from the Genius.*” The album never charted, and after its failure, GZA went on to co-found the Wu-Tang Clan in 1992. The album would be rereleased in 1994, replacing one track from the original tracklist. It is only one of two pre-Wu Tang Clan releases any of the members’ recorded with a major label. Some songs from the album are “Phony As Ya Wanna Be,” “Stop The Nonsense,” and “Stay Out of Bars.” *Link is to YouTube.…more!

February 18th, 1965: Andre “Dr. DRE” Young was born.

February 17th, 2011: Wiz Khalifa released his 9th mixtape, “Cabin Fever.” It’s the 15th most downloaded mixtape on Datpiff.com, with over 1.6 million downloads, making it Certified Diamond with Datpiff. Some songs off this project are “Phone Numbers,” “Taylor Gang,” and “Errday.”…more!

February 16th, 1993: Tupac Released his Sophomore album “Strictly for my N.I.G.G.A.Z.” It’s an acronym that stands for “Never Ignorant in Getting Goals Accomplished.” Some songs from the project “I Get Around” “Keep Ya Head Up” “Point The Finga”. It was originally going to be called “Troublesome 21” and was set to be released in Sept 1992. However, it was rejected by Time Warner and needed to be redone. Most of the songs were scrapped as only 5 of the 16 current songs were transferred. …more!

February 15th, 1999: Lamont “Big L” Coleman was killed in a drive-by shooting in Harlem where he lived. One of Big L’s childhood friends, Gerald Woodley, was arrested 3 months later, and it is believed it was in Retaliation for something that Big L’s brother had done or was believed to have done. Woodley would later be released due to a lack of evidence and the murder remains unsolved. Woodley was murdered in 2016.…more!

February 14th, 2014: HipHop-Trio De La Soul made their entire catalog free for download for 25 hours if fans signed up on their website in lieu of the 25-year anniversary of their debut album. The reason for the free download was explained by Posdnous, saying “It’s about allowing our fans who have been looking and trying to get a hold of our music to have access to it.” The downloads included all seven of their albums, “3 Feet High and Rising, De La Soul is Dead, Buhloone Mindstate, Staked Is High, Art Official Intelligence: Mosaic Thump, AOI: Bionix and The Grind Date.”…more!

February 13th, 1996: Tupac released his 4th studio album and last album during his lifetime, “All Eyes On Me.” The album debuted at the #1 spot on Billboards 200 and sold 566k copies in the first week. It is Certified Diamond with the RIAA. Some songs off of the album “Ambitionz as a Ridah,” “2 of Amerikaz Most Wanted,” and “How do you want it.”…more!

February 13th, 2016: Kendrick Lamar Received the key to the City of Compton. While giving the key to Kendrick, Mayor Brown said “He has a consciousness, and he realizes music is not just for entertainment, but it’s for messaging” …more!

February 12th, 1990: MC Hammer released his 3rd album, “Please Hammer Don’t Hurt ‘Em.” The album was #1 on Billboard 200 for 21 weeks and would eventually be Certified Diamond with the RIAA. It was the top-selling album of 1990 in the United States and one of the best-selling hip-hop albums of all time. Some songs from this album are “U Can’t Touch This,” “Here Comes The Hammer,” and “Help The Children.”…more!

February 11th, 1997: Erykah Badu released her debut solo album, “Baduizm.” It debuted at #2 on Billboard 200 and #1 on Top R&B/HipHop Albums, helping it become 3x Platinum by the RIAA. Some songs on this album are “Appleton,” “Other Side Of The Game,” and “4 Leaf Clover.”…more!

February 10th, 2004: Kanye West released his debut studio album “College Dropout.” Kanye started working on the album in 1999, and took four years to complete the album. It debuted at #2 on Billboards 200 and sold 441k copies in the first week. It is currently 4x Platinum with the RIAA. Some songs from this album are “The New Workout Plan,” “Jesus Walks,” and “Through The Wire.”…more!

February 9th, 1993: Digable Planet released their debut album “Reachin’ (A New Refutation of Time and Space).” It peaked at the #15 spot on Billboards 200 and is currently Certified Gold with the RIAA. Some songs on this album are “Rebirth of Slick (Cool Like Dat),” “Jimmi Diggin Cats,” and “Time & Space (A New Refutation of).”…more!

February 8th, 2004: Outkast became the first undisputed HipHop Act to win Album of the Year at the Grammy’s. Their album “Speakerboxxx/The Love Below” was 40 songs long, basically two albums in one, 2 hr 15 minutes long and includes classics like “Hey Ya!” “Roses” and “The Way You Move” …more!

February 8th, 2000: Dead Prez released their debut album, “Let’s Get Free.” It would peak at #73 on Billboard 200 and #22 on Top R&B/HipHop Albums. Some songs on this album are “Hip-Hop,” “They School,” and “Police State.”

February 7th, 1980: Sugarhill Gang released their self-titled debut album. It is considered the first HipHop Studio album recorded in a professional studio with professional equipment. It would reach #32 on Top R&B/HipHop Albums chart. Some songs on this album are “Rapper’s Reprise,” “Rapper’s Delight,” and “Sugarhill Groove.”…more!

February 6th, 2003: 50 Cent released his Debut Studio Album “Get Rich Or Die Tryin“. Dr. Dre and Eminem helped with its production. It was released a week in advance to combat bootlegging and internet leakage. The album peaked at number one on the Billboard 200, selling over 872,000 copies in its first week. It is currently 9x Platinum with the RIAA. Some classics off the album: “Many Men,” “In Da Club,” and “P.I.M.P.”…more!

February 6th, 1990: Lord Finesse and DJ Mike Smooth released their debut album, “Funky Technician.” Some songs off this album are “Back To Back Rhyming,” “Slave To My Soundwave,” “Here I Come.”

February 5th, 2003: HipHop had/almost had a boycott against Pepsi for pulling a Ludacris Commercial because Bill O’Riley on Fox News told his viewers to boycott and switch from drinking Pepsi to Coke. O’Riley said that Ludacris was “a man who degrades women.” The O’Riley campaign was successful in making Pepsi drop Ludacris, but then Pepsi replaced Luda with Ozzy Osborne, and this sparked outrage at the fact that Osborne was not much cleaner in his lyrics. The Second Boycott of Pepsi was called by Russell Simmons of HipHop Action Network, asking HipHop Artists and supporters of HipHop culture to not drink Pepsi. Simmons also asked for Pepsi to donate $5m to the Ludacris Foundation, make a public apology, and reinstate the commercial. Pepsi would only make the first of the demands, but ultimately only donated $3 Million to charities that Pepsi and the Ludacris Foundation agreed on. The HipHop boycott came to a halt after this agreement.…more!

February 4th, 2008: G-Unit released their debut mixtape, “Return of the Body Snatchers.” Some songs off the mixtape are “The Mechanic,” “Rider 4 Real,” and “Paper Chaser.”

February 3rd, 2004: Danger Mouse released “The Grey Album.” It’s a mashup between acapella from Jay-Z’s “The Black Album” and the Beatle’s self-titled album, commonly known as “The White Album.” Danger Mouse never asked permission to use copyrighted materials from Jay-Z or The Beatles, he was experimenting with the two acts and intended only to make 3000 copies in a limited release. The holder of the Beatles Music took legal action to prevent the distribution of the project in stores, but that backfired when hundreds of websites posted the download link for free in protest, saying the album falls under Fair Use. Around 100k copies were downloaded in just 24 hours. Some songs on this project are “Public Service Announcement,” “Encore,” and “My 1st Song.”…more!

February 2nd, 2017: Young Dolph released his 15th mixtape, “Gelato.” it would peak at #54 on Billboard 200 and #22 on Top R&B/HipHop Albums. Some songs on this mixtape are “Baller Alert,” “Whole Lot,” and “Drop It Off.”

February 1st, 2013: Drake released his first single, “Started At The Bottom,” on his third album, “Nothing Was The Same.” The track would peak at #6 on Billboard Hot 100 and is certified 8x Platinum by the RIAA.

February 1st, 2007: The beef between 50 Cent and Cam’ron started on ‘The Angie Martinez Show’. Cam’ron called into the show while 50 was promoting his 3rd studio album. Cam wanted to talk about Koch Records and then 50 said Koch Records was a graveyard label. The call was not the best quality as it was mostly talking over each other and yelling on Cam’s end. The beef didn’t end until almost a decade later in 2016. …more!

January

January 31st, 1994: Wu-Tang Clan released their hit single “C.R.E.A.M. (Cash Rules Everything Around Me).” It was the second single in promotion of their debut album “Enter The Wu-Tang (36 Chambers).” Its critically acclaimed praise didn’t help it commercially, as it peaked at #60 on Billboard Hot 100, but it is Certified Gold with the RIAA. After the release of this track, the slang ‘Cream’ was used to reference money.…more!

January 30th, 2009: Kendrick Lamar released his third solo mixtape, “C4.” The mixtape primarily consists of freestyles over instrumentals from Lil Wayne’s “Tha Carter 3,” along with some original songs as well. Some songs on the mixtape are “Mr. Carter 2,” “A Milli,” and “Play With Fire.”…more!

January 29th, 2015: The Law finally caught up to Suge Knight after he ran over and killed his friend, Terry Carter. He has currently served 3 years of his 28-year prison sentence. Suge Knight is a myth and legend in HipHop, but after this tragic event, his legacy may be finalized even when he is eligible for parole in 2037. At the age of 72, the HipHop Scene will have evolved so much it will be a new landscape for one of the OGs from the 90s HipHop. …more!

January 28th, 2018: Kendrick Lamar won 5 Grammys for his album “Damn.”

January 28th, 1997: Camp Lo released their debut album, “Uptown Saturday Night.” The album would peak at #27 on Billboard 200 and #5 on the R&B Album chart. Some songs on the album are “Park Joint,” “Swing,” and “Coolie High.”…more!

January 27th, 2004: Twista released his 4th studio album, “Kamikaze.” It sold 312k units in the first week and would reach the #1 spot on Billboards 200. It is currently Certified Platinum with the RIAA. Some songs off the album are “Slow Jamz,” “So Sexy,” and “Badunkadunk.”…more!

January 26th, 2018: The Migos released their third studio album, “Culture 2.” It’s a double album containing 24 tracks and containing a lot of features from A-List Artists. The album debuted at the #1 Spot on Billboards 200 selling 199k copies in the first week. The album is Certified Double Platinum with the RIAA and has 115k pure album sales. Some songs off this project are “MotorSport,” “Stir Fry,” and “Walk It Talk It.”…more!

January 26th, 2014: Kendrick Lamar got robbed of a Grammy for Best Rap Album. It was Good Kid: Madd City vs. Macklemore’s “The Heist” Even though Macklemore had 4 Grammys from that night, he knew that Kendrick’s GK:MC was the better album and sent him an apology text reading “You got robbed. I wanted you to win. You should have…” …more!

January 25th, 1999: Eminem released “My Name Is” as the lead single for “The Slim Shady LP.” The track would peak at #36 on Billboard 100 and was ranked #6 on Q Magazines ‘1001 Best Songs Ever.’

January 25th, 2011: “2Pac Uncensored & Uncut: The Lost Prison Tapes” was released. The film included unreleased footage of interviews with Tupac while inside the Clinton Correctional Facility of New York in 1995. …more!

January 23rd, 1989: Tone Lōc released his debut album “Lōc-ed After Dark.” The album reached the #1 spot on Billboards 200 and is Certified Double-Platinum with the RIAA. Some songs off the project are “Wild Thing,” “Funky Cold Medina,” and “I Got It Goin’ On.”…more!

January 21st, 2014: Schoolboy Q released “Break tHe Bank” as a single before his album “Oxymoron.” The song was produced by The Alchemist and peaked at #32 on Billboard Hot R&B/HipHop songs.

January 21st, 1985: Run-D.M.C. released their second studio album, “King of Rock.” This album was the first rap album to be released on a CD. The album peaked at the #52 spot on Billboards 200 and is Certified Platinum with the RIAA. Some songs off this project are “Roots, Rap, Reggae,” “You Talk Too Much,” “Can You Rock Like This.”…more!

January 20th, 2015: Lupe Fiasco released his fifth studio album, “Tetsuo & Youth.” It debuted at the #14 spot on Billboards 200, selling 42k copies in the first week. Lupe said the album’s name was loosely inspired by Tetsuo Shima, a character from the Japanese manga series Akira. Some songs off this project are “Dots & Lines,” “Chopper,” and “Deliver.”…more!

January 20th, 1992: Through clues given in the song, this is believed to be the “Good Day” that Ice Cube was having in the song “It Was A Good Day.”

January 19th, 1992: Malcolm “Mac Miller” McCormick was born.

January 18th, 2005: The Game released his second studio album, “The Documentary.” The album debuted at the #1 spot on Billboards 200 and sold 586k copies in the first week. The album is certified Double Platinum with the RIAA.…more!

January 17th, 1992: The crime thriller film “Juice” featuring Tupac was released. This movie was Tupac’s debut acting role. The film touches on the lives of four black youths growing up in Harlem, following their day-to-day activities, their struggles with police harassment, rival neighborhood gangs, and their families. The Soundtrack accompanying the movie was released on December 31st, 1992.…more!

January 16th, 2009: The biographical drama film “Notorious” was released about the Brooklyn-based rapper Notorious B.I.G. The film dramatizes key events in Biggie’s life: his criminal lifestyle, his arrest and release from prison, his relationships with Sean Combs, Tupac Shakur, Lil’ Kim and Faith Evans, his involvement in the East Coast–West Coast hip hop rivalry and his drive-by-shooting murder on March 9. 1997. The Soundtrack was released with the film and debuted at the #4 spot on Billboards 200 selling 124,000 copies in total.…more!

January 16th, 2007: DJ Drama, a well-known mixtape DJ, and Don Cannon, Drama’s Friend/Business Partner, were both arrested and taken into custody for illegally distributing mixtapes and violating Georgia’s racketeering laws. They were arrested during a raid on the Aphilliates Music Group in Atlanta, GA. During the raid, business accounts were frozen, and recording equipment, computers, and pressed mixtapes were seized. *The Impact on HipHop* Mixtapes were no longer pressed into CD form. Many Mixtape DJs moved to upload solely online to websites like Datpiff and Live Mixtapes.…more!

January 15th, 1991: Digital Underground released “This Is An EP Release.” Tupac made his debut on the track “Same Song” and can be heard as a background vocalist and humorous ad-libs on the track “The Way We Sing (Remix).” The project would peak at the #29 spot on Billboard 200 and is currently Certified Gold with the RIAA.…more!

January 12th, 2000: Ice Cube’s “Next Friday” was released by his TV and Film Production company “Cube Vision.”

January 11th, 2011: Schoolboy Q released his debut album “Setbacks.” The album peaked at the #100 spot on Billboards 200. Some songs off this album are “LigHt Years Ahead (Sky High),” “#BETIGOTSUMWEED,” and “Rolling Stone.”…more!

January 10th, 1994: Dr. Dre led the police on a drunken high-speed chase through Beverly Hills in a 1987 White Ferrari Testarossa. He blew over twice the legal BAC in California.…more!

January 9th, 1996: The Soundtrack to the movie “Don’t Be A Menace to South Central While Drinking Your Juice in the Hood” was released. The album would peak at the #18 spot on Billboards 200 and has been Certified Gold with the RIAA. Some songs from this album are “Don’t Give Up,” “Renee,” and “Can’t Be Wasting My Time.”…more!

January 7th, 2003: 50 Cent’s single “In Da Club” was released. It was released in promotion for his debut studio album, “Get Rich Or Die Tryin’.” The track debuted at the #67 spot on Billboard’s Hot 100 and it took 8 weeks for it to reach the #1 spot to make it 50 Cent’s first #1 Single. In March of 2003, it broke Billboard’s record as “most listened-to” song in radio history within a week. Billboard also ranked it as the #1 song in 2003. It is currently 9x Platinum with the RIAA.…more!

January 6th, 2008: Beats By Dre was released in collaboration with Monster Cable Products and Dr. Dre. The $400 headphones aimed to bring studio sound quality to the consumer level. The collaboration would only last until 2012, when Beats didn’t renew their contract with Monster. Since 2014, Beats has been owned by Apple.…more!

January 3rd, 2005: Jay-Z became President of Def Jam for three years while still running his own label, Roc-A-Fella. A quote from Jay-Z: “I have inherited two of the most important brands in hip-hop, Def Jam and Roc-a-Fella. I feel this is a great step for me and the entire artistic community.”…more!

January 3rd, 2003: The Federal Government raided the offices of Murder Inc. in an attempt to find evidence against the record label being a money-laundering operation for Legendary Queens drug dealer Kenneth “Supreme” McGriff.…more!

January 1st, 2001: MTV’s “The Box” was taken off the air after 16 years of operation. It was a “Call-to-Program” network that would play music at the request of the viewers….more!