This Day in Hip Hop & R&B History: July 26
In the world of hip-hop and R&B, July 26 has marked many moments of transformation. One of the most prominent British MCs of all time, Stormzy, was born on this date…
In the world of hip-hop and R&B, July 26 has marked many moments of transformation. One of the most prominent British MCs of all time, Stormzy, was born on this date in 1993. The London-based rapper got his big break with the song “Shut Up,” which he had originally released as a freestyle on a streaming platform. The song quickly went viral, peaking at No. 8 on the U.K. singles chart and kick-starting his music career.
Stormzy shares his birthday with the American R&B/Soul singer Darlene Love, born in 1941. Love is best known as a member of the girl group The Blossoms, with whom she contributed backing vocals to some of the biggest hits of the ‘60s, including The Ronettes' “Be My Baby” and The Crystals' “Da Doo Ron Ron.”
Breakthrough Hits and Milestones
Several prolific artists released some of their best work on this day:
- 2005: Young Jeezy launched his third album, Let's Get It: Thug Motivation 101. His commercial debut, the record charted at No. 2 on the Billboard 200 and was certified Double Platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America in 2020.
- 2005: Trey Songz released his debut album, I Gotta Make It. Featuring guest appearances from T.I., Twista, and Juvenile, it reached No. 20 on the Billboard 200 and No. 6 on the Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums chart.
- 2011: East Coast hip-hop collective Wu-Tang Clan released the compilation album Legendary Weapons. It debuted at No. 41 on the Billboard 200, selling 10,000 copies in the U.S. in its first week.
- 2019: Chance the Rapper dropped his debut album, The Big Day. With features from Megan Thee Stallion, John Legend, and Nicki Minaj, it debuted at No. 2 on the Billboard 200, making it his highest-ranking entry on the U.S. albums chart.
- 2019: Michigan-born rapper NF released his fourth album, The Search. It debuted atop the Billboard 200, selling 130,000 album equivalents in its opening week. The album also charted within the top ten in Australia, Canada, Ireland, the United Kingdom, and the Netherlands.
Cultural Milestones
July 26 has hosted important cultural moments in hip-hop and R&B, including:
- 1963: Smokey Robinson & the Miracles' “Mickey's Monkey” was released by Motown Records' Tamla label. The song, which Robinson described as “one of our biggest records ever in life,” reached No. 8 on the U.S. Pop chart and No. 3 on the U.S. R&B Singles chart.
- 1994: Motown Records released Boyz II Men's “I'll Make Love to You.” The group had expressed concerns that the song sounded too much like their 1992 hit “End Of The Road” and questioned its potential impact, but it was a massive success, spending 14 weeks at No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100 and earning a GRAMMY Award for Best R&B Performance by a Duo or Group with Vocals.
From artist birthdays to album releases, June 26 is replete with iconic events in hip-hop and R&B, which explains why it's such a memorable date for many fans of these genres.
