This Day in Hip Hop & R&B History: July 1
July 1 is a significant date in the annals of R&B and hip-hop, marked by numerous notable moments that have had a lasting impact on these genres and pop culture. It’s the birthday…
RIYADH, SAUDI ARABIA – OCTOBER 12: Missy Elliott performs ahead of the IBF, IBO, WBC and WBO World Light Heavyweight titles’ fight between Artur Beterbiev and Dmitrii Bivol as part of the Riyadh Season – IV Crown Showdown card at Kingdom Arena on October 12, 2024 in Riyadh. (Photo by Richard Pelham/Getty Images)
July 1 is a significant date in the annals of R&B and hip-hop, marked by numerous notable moments that have had a lasting impact on these genres and pop culture.
It's the birthday of the American rapper Missy Elliott, born in 1971. She achieved her mainstream breakthrough with her 1997 debut album, Supa Dupa Fly, which peaked at No. 3 on the Billboard 200 and topped the Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums chart. She was the first female rapper to be inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame and the Songwriters Hall of Fame; other notable honors and accolades include four GRAMMY Awards, the National Medal of Arts, and a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.
Breakthrough Hits and Milestones
July 1 is associated with numerous groundbreaking records in hip-hop and R&B:
- 1997: Hip-hop duo Ghetto Twiinz from Louisiana released their second album, In That Water. It peaked at No. 36 on the Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums chart and No. 13 on Billboard's Heatseekers Albums chart.
- 2008: G-Unit issued their sophomore album, Terminate on Sight. The record, which would be the American rap group's final, debuted at No. 4 on the Billboard 200, selling over 102,000 copies in its opening week.
- 2016: Rap legend Snoop Dogg released his 14th album, Coolaid, featuring production by Timbaland, Swizz Beatz, and Just Blaze. It debuted on the Billboard 200 at No. 40 and peaked at No. 5 on the Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums chart.
Cultural Milestones
This day has heralded many watershed moments in hip-hop and R&B:
- 1982: The early hip-hop classic, “The Message,” by Grandmaster Flash and the Furious Five, was released. The song reached No. 62 on the Billboard Hot 100 and was named the greatest hip-hop song of all time by Rolling Stone magazine in 2012.
- 2019: American rapper Lil Nas X's 2019 hit “Old Town Road” became the longest-running No. 1 hip-hop song on the Billboard Hot 100 after spending 13 consecutive weeks atop the chart. It was the 20th single in the chart's history to hold the top spot for at least 12 weeks.
Industry Changes and Challenges
July 1 has also seen tragic occurrences in the hip-hop and R&B scene:
- 2005: R&B legend Luther Vandross died from stroke-related complications at the age of 54. The eight-time GRAMMY Award-winning singer scored his first No. 1 album with his final release, Dance With My Father (2003), which debuted atop the Billboard 200.
- 2005: American R&B singer and songwriter Renaldo Benson died of lung cancer at the age of 69. He is best remembered as a founding member of the Motown vocal group The Four Tops.
July 1 is a remarkable date in the history of hip-hop and R&B. It has witnessed the release of many iconic albums that have had a significant cultural impact, as well as the untimely passing of two acclaimed R&B crooners on the same day. One of the biggest hip-hop singles in recent years set a new record on the U.S. singles chart, reaching its 13th week of an eventual 19-week run at the top of the Billboard Hot 100.
