This Day in Hip-Hop and R&B History: March 29
March 29 is associated with many memorable events in R&B and hip-hop. Brooklyn drill phenom Fivio Foreign was born on this day in 1990. He initially gained attention with his…
March 29 is associated with many memorable events in R&B and hip-hop. Brooklyn drill phenom Fivio Foreign was born on this day in 1990. He initially gained attention with his 2019 debut single “Big Drip,” which later spawned a remix with Quavo and Lil Baby. His debut album, B.I.B.L.E., which dropped in 2022, earned him widespread critical acclaim and debuted at No. 9 on the Billboard 200 and at No. 5 on the Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums chart.
Also born on this day is Louis Price, who was born in 1953. He sang lead vocals for the R&B/soul group The Temptations in the two years following the departure of Dennis Edwards.
Breakthrough Hits and Milestones
Here are some chart-topping singles and albums that have dropped on this date.
- 1988: DJ Jazzy Jeff & the Fresh Prince released their second album, He's the DJ, I'm the Rapper. It features the smash single “Parents Just Don't Understand,” which won the inaugural GRAMMY Award for Best Rap Performance at the 31st Annual GRAMMY Awards in 1989. The album itself did well commercially, peaking at No. 4 on the Billboard 200 and at No. 5 on the Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums chart.
- 2007: Rihanna released “Umbrella” as the lead single from her third album, Good Girl Gone Bad. The track, which features her then-label boss, Jay-Z, is widely credited with catapulting the Barbadian singer from a rising pop artist to an international superstar.
- 2011: Wiz Khalifa dropped Rolling Papers, his third album. Supported by the singles “Roll Up,” “Black and Yellow,” “No Sleep,” “The Race,” and “On My Level,” it entered the Billboard 200 at No. 2, selling 197,000 copies in its first week.
- 2011: Snoop Dogg released his eleventh album, Doggumentary, through Priority Records. The project debuted at No. 8 on the Billboard 200 and reached No. 2 on the Top Rap Albums chart.
- 2024: R&B star Beyonce dropped her first country album, Cowboy Carter, which would also be her eighth album overall. It became her first album to top the Billboard Top Country Albums chart. The project also won Album of the Year and Best Country Album at the 67th Annual GRAMMY Awards.
Cultural Milestones
March 29 has seen many watershed moments in hip-hop and R&B.
- 1975: Labelle's “Lady Marmalade” began a one-week stay at No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100. It also topped the Billboard Top Soul Singles chart (now the Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs chart) for one week.
- 1982: Stevie Wonder and Paul McCartney issued “Ebony and Ivory,” the lead single from the latter's third solo album, Tug of War. The song went on to top the Billboard Hot 100 for seven consecutive weeks and was ranked the 69th-biggest hit of all time on the chart.
- 2019: Janet Jackson was inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame at the 34th annual induction ceremony. Other honorees for the night included Stevie Nicks, Radiohead, Def Leppard, Roxy Music, and The Cure.
When it's all said and done, March 29 will go down as one of the most unforgettable dates in hip-hop and R&B. This day not only marks the birthday of prominent artists who changed the game, but has also served as the backdrop to many consequential cultural moments.
