This Day in Hip Hop & R&B History: September 2
Sep. 2 has witnessed many highlights in the R&B and hip-hop world. Syleena Johnson was born on this day in 1976. She was featured in Kanye West’s single “All Falls Down.” Her debut album, Chapter…
Sep. 2 has witnessed many highlights in the R&B and hip-hop world. Syleena Johnson was born on this day in 1976. She was featured in Kanye West's single “All Falls Down.” Her debut album, Chapter 1: Love, Pain & Forgiveness, charted at No. 101 on the Billboard 200 and reached No. 16 on the Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums chart. She shares a birthday with Cedric “K-Ci” Hailey, who was born in 1969. He's part of the R&B group Jodeci and a co-vocalist in the duo K-Ci & Jojo, known for the single “All My Life.” Keep reading for more moments from this day in hip-hop and R&B history.
Breakthrough Hits and Milestones
Several commercially successful and critically acclaimed hip-hop and R&B records came out on this day, including:
- 1997: New Orleans rap legend Master P released his sixth album, Ghetto D, which debuted on the Billboard 200 at No. 137 and rose to No. 1 by the second week. It also topped the Billboard Top R&B/Hip-Hop Songs chart.
- 2008: Young Jeezy dropped his fifth album. The Recession featured Kanye West and Nas. It debuted at No.1 on the Billboard 200, becoming the rapper's second album to achieve the feat, and it was certified Platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America in July 2020.
- 2014: Jeezy released his seventh album, Seen It All: The Autobiography. Featuring guest appearances from Rick Ross, Jay Z, Future, Lil Boosie, and Akon, it peaked at No. 2 on the Billboard 200 and sold 121,000 copies in its first week.
- 2016: Travis Scott dropped his second album, Birds in the Trap Sing McKnight. It entered the Billboard 200 at No. 1 and spawned the hit singles “Pick Up the Phone” and “Goosebumps.” The songs peaked at No. 43 and No. 32 on the Billboard Hot 100.
Cultural Milestones
These prominent artists achieved important milestones on Sep. 2:
- 1989: Gangsta-rap pioneers N.W.A's single “Express Yourself” debuted on Billboard's Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs chart. It was the group's second single to make it on the chart.
- 1989: Paula Abdul's “Cold Hearted” topped the Billboard Hot 100. Released as the fifth single from her debut album, Forever Your Girl, it was the third single from the record to top the chart, following “Straight Up” and the title track.
- 1995: Michael Jackson scored his thirteenth and final No. 1 hit on the Billboard Hot 100, as “You Are Not Alone” reached the top of the chart. Penned by R. Kelly, it was the first song in history to debut at No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100.
Many popular albums were released on Sep. 2 and remain as popular as when they came out. This day has also seen several celebrated artists top the charts with some of their most iconic songs. It's easy to see why Sep. 2 is an important day for fans.
