This Day in Hip-Hop and R&B History: March 25

Breakthrough Hits and Milestones

• 1997: Bad Boy Records and Arista Records released Life After Death, the posthumous second studio album by legendary rapper The Notorious B.I.G., barely two weeks after his murder. The double album featured guest appearances from Jay-Z, Lil' Kim, 112, Bone Thugs-n-Harmony, Run-DMC, Too Short, Mase, P. Diddy, and R. Kelly.
• 1997: Warren G dropped his second album, Take a Look Over Your Shoulder. Supported by the singles “Smokin' Me Out,” “I Shot the Sheriff,” and “What's Love Got to Do with It,” it peaked at No. 4 on the Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums chart and at No. 11 on the Billboard 200.
• 2003: The Diplomats released Diplomatic Immunity, their debut album. The project saw massive commercial success, reaching No. 8 on the Billboard 200 and topping the Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums chart. 
• 2008: Guilty Simpson from the Michigan rap collective Almighty Dreadnaughtz released his debut solo album, Ode to the Ghetto. It peaked at No. 69 on the Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums chart and at No. 23 on the US Billboard Heatseekers Albums chart. 
• 2014: Sage the Gemini dropped his debut album, Remember Me. It spawned the minor hit “Red Nose,” which peaked at No. 52 on the Billboard Hot 100 and at No. 14 on the Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums chart. The album itself reached No. 47 on the Billboard 200 and No. 11 on the Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums chart. 
• 2016: Domo Genesis released his debut album, Genesis, through Odd Future and Columbia Records. With features from Mac Miller, Juicy J, Wiz Khalifa, and Tyler, the Creator, it reached No. 14 on the Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums chart and No. 110 on the Billboard 200. 
• 2016: Young Thug released his third commercial mixtape, Slime Season 3, which was mainly produced by his frequent collaborator, London on da Track. The project debuted at No. 7 on the Billboard 200 and at No. 3 on the Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums chart. 
• 2022: Latto released her second album, 777, via RCA Records. It features the viral hit “Big Energy,” which topped the Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs chart and reached No. 3 on the Billboard Hot 100. The album reached No. 8 on the Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums chart and peaked at No. 15 on the Billboard 200. 
• 2022: Japanese hip-hop producer Nigo released his second studio album, I Know Nigo. The project featured performances from A-list rappers such as Tyler, the Creator, A$AP Rocky, Kid Cudi, and Gunna. It peaked at No. 13 on the Billboard 200 and at No. 6 on the Billboard Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums chart. 
• 2022: Denzel Curry released his fifth studio album, Melt My Eyez See Your Future, with guest appearances from Robert Glasper, T-Pain, Rico Nasty, 6lack, and Saul Williams. The record enjoyed a positive reception, debuting on the Billboard 200 at No. 51, and it was the 10th best album of 2022 according to Complex.
• 2022: American R&B sensations Summer Walker and SZA dropped an extended version of the song "No Love" from Walker's second album, Still Over It, which she had released in 2021. The pop-inspired R&B track featured rapper Cardi B.

Cultural Milestones

• 1983: Motown Records commemorated its 25th anniversary with a television special, Motown 25: Yesterday, Today, Forever. The program was recorded at the Pasadena Civic Auditorium in Pasadena, California, and featured performances by Michael Jackson, Smokey Robinson and the Miracles, Marvin Gaye, Diana Ross and The Supremes, Lionel Richie, and Stevie Wonder.
• 1985: Music icon Prince won his first and only Academy Award at the 57th Academy Awards for Best Original Song Score for the motion picture Purple Rain. He beat fellow nominees Jeff Moss, who was nominated for The Muppets Take Manhattan, and Kris Kristofferson, nominated for Songwriter.
• 1988: Sean Michael Leonard Anderson, popularly known as Big Sean, was born. He achieved mainstream commercial success in 2015 with his third album, Dark Sky Paradise, which topped the Billboard 200 and the Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums chart. It spawned the platinum-selling singles “Blessings” (featuring Kanye West and Drake), “Paradise,” “Play No Games” (featuring Chris Brown and Ty Dolla Sign), and “One Man Can Change the World” (featuring Kanye West and John Legend). 
• 1988: American producer Ryan Lewis was born in Seattle, Washington. He was part of the duo Macklemore & Ryan Lewis, which shot to fame in the early 2010s with singles such as “Can't Hold Us,” “White Walls,” and “Thrift Shop.” 

Notable Recordings and Performances

• 1985: Motown legend Diana Ross performed "I Just Called to Say I Love You" at the 57th Academy Awards. The ballad, written by singer-songwriter Stevie Wonder for the 1984 soundtrack album The Woman in Red, was a global hit and remains Wonder's top-selling single.
• 2015: Acclaimed singer Mariah Carey sang some of her signature tunes on the first installment of Carpool Karaoke alongside James Corden, the new host of The Late Late Show. During the program, the star performed "Always Be My Baby," "Vision of Love," "Thirsty," and "Fantasy."