This Day in Hip Hop & R&B History: September 29
Sept. 29 is not just any average date in hip-hop and R&B. Over the years, it has served as the backdrop to some of these genres’ most memorable moments. To…
Sept. 29 is not just any average date in hip-hop and R&B. Over the years, it has served as the backdrop to some of these genres' most memorable moments. To begin with, it's the birthday of Youngs Teflon, who was born in 1987. A prominent figure in the U.K. rap scene, he's known for his songs "Broken Safety," "When Thugs Cry," and "Stay Dangerous."
Also born on Sept. 29 is VC Barre, in 2003. His highest-charting single, "SOLDAT" (with Pablo Paz and takenoelz), debuted at No.1 on the Swedish singles chart and topped the Norwegian singles chart for four weeks.
Breakthrough Hits and Milestones
This day has witnessed the release of numerous career-defining records:
- 1980: Kurtis Blow's self-titled debut album was released. Its most successful single, "The Breaks," peaked at No. 87 on the Billboard Hot 100. Rolling Stone ranked the album No. 71 on its list of The Greatest 80 Albums of 1980.
- 1998: Jay-Z's seminal third album, Vol. 2… Hard Knock Life, was released. It was his first album to debut at No. 1 on the Billboard 200, a position it held for five consecutive weeks. It also bagged the rapper the Best Rap Album award at the 41st GRAMMY Awards.
- 1998: Outkast dropped their third album, Aquemini. With features from Erykah Badu, Raekwon, and George Clinton, it peaked at No. 2 on the Billboard 200. It's widely considered the duo's magnum opus and was ranked No. 49 on Rolling Stone's 500 Greatest Albums of All Time list in 2020.
- 1998: A Tribe Called Quest released their fifth album, The Love Movement. It peaked at No. 3 on the Billboard 200 and received a Gold certification from the RIAA in November 1998 after selling 500,000 units.
- 2009: Ghostface Killa released his eighth album, Ghostdini: Wizard of Poetry in Emerald City. It peaked at No. 28 on the Billboard 200 and at No. 3 on Billboard's Top Rap Albums chart.
- 2017: A Boogie wit da Hoodie dropped his debut album, The Bigger Artist. His third project to chart on the Billboard 200, it debuted at No. 4, selling 67,000 album-equivalent units in its first week.
Cultural Milestones
Sept. 29 has hosted various culture-shaping moments in R&B and hip-hop:
- 1968: Diana Ross and the Supremes debuted "Love Child" on the season premiere of The Ed Sullivan Show. The single, officially released the following day, topped the Billboard Hot 100 and became the group's best-selling hit after "Baby Love" and "Someday We'll Be Together."
- 2003: DMX made a guest appearance on an episode of the sitcom Eve, starring fellow rap veteran Eve. The multiplatinum-selling rapper was cast as Xenon, considered the "best tattoo artist in Miami."
- 2021: Eminem opened his first permanent restaurant, Mom's Spaghetti, referencing a line from his 2002 hit single, "Lose Yourself." The rapper made a surprise appearance at the grand opening, serving the first customers and taking photos.
Sept. 29 remains one of hip-hop and R&B's most consequential dates. This day has hosted everything from landmark album releases to one-of-a-kind television appearances, which is why it's so memorable for R&B and hip-hop fans.
