This Day in Hip Hop & R&B History: August 21
Aug. 21 has witnessed great events on the hip-hop and R&B scene. American R&B and pop singer Kelis was born on this day in 1979. She got her commercial breakthrough…
Aug. 21 has witnessed great events on the hip-hop and R&B scene. American R&B and pop singer Kelis was born on this day in 1979. She got her commercial breakthrough with her third album, Tasty, which debuted at No. 27 on the Billboard 200 in 2003, selling 93,600 copies in its first week of release. It features the hit single "Milkshake," which peaked at No.3 on the Billboard Hot 100 and was certified gold by the Recording Industry Association of America in October 2004.
She shares a birthday with St. Louis drill rapper 30 Deep Grimeyy, born in 1997, who is known for songs such as "Extra Slimeyy," "First Day Out," and "Dead Goofies."
Breakthrough Hits and Milestones
Several big industry names dropped critically acclaimed records on this day:
- 2001: New Orleans rapper Juvenile released his fifth album, Project English. It peaked at No. 2 on the Billboard 200 and the Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums chart. The album's lead single, "Set It Off," went to No. 65 on the Billboard Hot 100.
- 2007: American producer and rapper Swizz Beatz released his debut album, One Man Band Man. With guest appearances from Snoop Dogg, Lil Wayne, Jadakiss, and R. Kelly, it peaked at No. 7 on the Billboard 200 and topped both the Top Rap Albums and Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums charts.
- 2007: Brooklyn rapper Talib Kweli dropped his third album, Eardrum. This is his highest-debuting album to date, and it peaked at No. 2 on both the Billboard 200 and the Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums chart.
- 2012: DJ Khaled released his sixth album, Kiss the Ring. It featured guest appearances from Kanye West, Future, T.I., Rick Ross, Meek Mill, Nas, Kendrick Lamar, and Nicki Minaj. The album peaked at No. 4 on the Billboard 200 and at No. 3 on the Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums chart.
- 2015: American rapper Method Man dropped his fifth album, The Meth Lab. It charted at No. 57 on the Billboard 200 and rose to No. 4 on both the Top Rap Albums and Independent Albums charts.
Cultural Milestones
Several artists have achieved important career milestones on this date:
- 1961: R&B/doo-wop girl group the Marvelettes released "Please Mr. Postman" through Motown's Tamla label. The song charted on the Billboard Hot 100 for 23 weeks, ultimately peaking at No. 1. It was Motown's second record to sell a million units and the label's first No. 1 hit. It also reached No. 1 on Billboard's Hot R&B Sides chart (now known as the Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs chart).
- 2020: Queens rap legend Nas released his twelfth album, King's Disease. It peaked at No. 5 on the Billboard 200, becoming the rapper's fourteenth album to reach the chart's top 10. The record also won Best Rap Album at the 63rd Annual GRAMMY Awards, edging out Royce da 5'9" with The Allegory, Freddie Gibbs & the Alchemist's Alfredo, Jay Electronica's A Written Testimony, and D Smoke's Black Habits.
From seminal album releases to the birthdays of successful artists, Aug. 21 has been the backdrop to many pivotal events in hip-hop and R&B, which explains why it's such a memorable date for many music lovers.
