This Day in Hip Hop & R&B History: December 4
On Dec. 4, 1969, Jay-Z was born. He’d turn out to be one of the greatest rappers of all time. This date also saw the onset of the beef between…
Photo by Chris Weeks/Liaison
On Dec. 4, 1969, Jay-Z was born. He'd turn out to be one of the greatest rappers of all time. This date also saw the onset of the beef between Lil Wayne and Birdman and the untimely demise of Pimp C. Check out these notable events in hip-hop and R&B linked to this date.
Breakthrough Hits and Milestones
Dec. 4 saw significant album releases, including some that were posthumous:
- 1990: Brand Nubian, best known for their socially conscious lyrics, released their debut album, One for All. The album featured the single "Slow Down," which peaked at No. 3 on the Billboard Hot Rap Singles chart.
- 2001: Fat Joe released his fourth solo album, Jealous Ones Still Envy (J.O.S.E.). It featured the supporting singles "What's Luv?" and "We Thuggin'."
- 2001: Outkast released their first and only compilation album, Big Boi and Dre Present… Outkast. The album reached No. 4 on the Billboard Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums.
- 2007: 2Pac's record label released Best of 2Pac, Part 1: Thug and Best of 2Pac, Part 2: Life, a posthumous compilation series of his greatest hits. They charted at No. 6 and No. 8 on the Billboard Top Rap Albums, respectively.
- 2007: Ghostface Killah released his seventh studio album, The Big Doe Rehab. It featured cameos by Masta Killa, Method Man, and Raekwon and peaked at No. 5 on the Billboard Top Rap Albums.
- 2007: Scarface launched his ninth solo album, Made, which topped the Billboard Top Rap Albums chart. The album shipped over 63,000 units within its first week of release.
- 2012: Wiz Khalifa released O.N.I.F.C., his fourth studio album. It debuted at No. 2 on the Billboard 200, underlining its success.
- 2015: Rick Ross dropped Black Market, his eighth studio album. The album entered at No. 6 on the Billboard 200 and peaked at No. 2 on the Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums.
Cultural Milestones
Some artists achieved great cultural milestones on this date:
- 1994: Mariah Carey's "All I Want for Christmas Is You" made it to the ASCAP Top 30 Holiday Songs of the Century list.
- 2001: Destiny's Child won the award for Artist of the Year at the Billboard Music Awards in Las Vegas. Other notable winners on the night were Alicia Keys and Ja Rule.
Notable Recordings and Performances
Top artists stole the show with notable recordings and performances on this date:
- 2001: Nas released the single "Got Ur Self a Gun" from his fifth album, Stillmatic. The song paid homage to Notorious B.I.G. and 2Pac, who were victims of gun violence.
- 2006: Ludacris, Young Jeezy, and Pharrell brought the house down with their captivating performances at the MGM Grand Garden Arena during the Billboard Music Awards.
Industry Changes and Challenges
On this date, the industry witnessed several changes and challenges:
- 2007: Pimp C of the Underground Kingz died from an overdose of codeine. He was 33 years old at the time of his death.
- 2014: Lil Wayne aired his criticism of Cash Money Records and Birdman for pushing back his long-awaited Tha Carter V album release, marking the onset of a legal feud between the parties.
Dec. 4 was a great day in hip-hop and R&B. Some artists released career-defining albums, and others won awards for their contributions to the recording industry.
Bianca BarrattWriter
