This Day in Hip Hop & R&B History: August 31
Aug. 31 is considered a significant day in hip-hop and R&B history. Several birthdays, including Fab 5 Freddy and Joe Budden, fall on this date. Several R&B albums were also…
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Aug. 31 is considered a significant day in hip-hop and R&B history. Several birthdays, including Fab 5 Freddy and Joe Budden, fall on this date. Several R&B albums were also released on this day, including Ready by Trey Songz and 1977 by The-Dream. Keep reading to discover more about why hip-hop and R&B lovers celebrate this day.
Breakthrough Hits and Milestones
There's a chance you've listened to these albums released on Aug. 31:
- 1993: Mariah Carey dropped Music Box, her third studio album. According to the singer, it was one of her most authentic releases because it highlighted her desire to let her identity shine despite the opinions of others. The album debuted at No. 2 on the U.S. Billboard 200 and included hit singles "Hero" and "Dreamlover." It stayed in the top 10 for over five months.
- 2004: American rapper LL Cool J released The DEFinition, his 10th studio album, which featured contributions from hip-hop artist Timbaland and R&B singer R. Kelly. It entered the U.S. Billboard 200 at No. 4 and sold over 170,000 copies in its first week.
Notable Recordings and Performances
Below are some memorable performances from Aug. 31:
- 2014: Kanye West co-headlined the Made in America Festival in Grand Park, Los Angeles. Other performers included Chance the Rapper and Pharrell Williams. Jay-Z co-founded this festival in 2012 to allow artists in different music genres to showcase their talent.
- 2020: The Brandy vs. Monica Verzuz battle took place at Tyler Perry Studios in Atlanta, where the singers performed some of their greatest hits. It became one of the most popular Verzuz events online, attracting over 1.2 million viewers on Instagram. Kamala Harris, the vice president at the time, also made a surprise appearance, drawing the attention of more fans.
Industry Changes and Challenges
On Aug. 31, the following shifts occurred in the hip-hop and R&B industry:
- 2011: American rapper T.I. transferred to an Atlanta halfway house to complete his 11-month sentence. He'd spent 10 months in an Arkansas federal prison on drug and weapon possession charges. Following his release, T.I. continued working on his music, eventually dropping Trouble Man: Heavy Is the Head, his eighth studio album, in December 2012.
- 2018: Eminem released a surprise 10th studio album, Kamikaze, which addressed haters and critics. This set it apart from most of his albums, which usually explore personal subjects. Tyler, The Creator, was the target of homophobic slurs in "Fall," and Eminem also made fun of artists such as Joe Budden and Machine Gun Kelly in other tracks. This album reignited old feuds and started new ones with other artists.
After witnessing these memorable events, Aug. 31 occupies a special place in the hearts of many hip-hop and R&B enthusiasts.
Bianca BarrattWriter
