This Day in Hip Hop & R&B History: November 3
On Nov. 3, Positive K exploded onto the rap scene with his debut album, while Mary J. Blige soared the Billboard charts. Other music artists received top accolades for their…
On Nov. 3, Positive K exploded onto the rap scene with his debut album, while Mary J. Blige soared the Billboard charts. Other music artists received top accolades for their contributions to the industry. Check out this summary of notable events and milestones in hip-hop and R&B on this date.
Breakthrough Hits and Milestones
Nov. 3 marked the release of new albums, hit singles, and chart-topping tracks:
- 1992: Positive K dropped his debut album, The Skills Dat Pay Da Bills. The album's supporting single, "I Got a Man," logged in at No. 1 on the Billboard Hot Rap Singles chart.
- 1998: Juvenile released his third studio album, 400 Degreez. It peaked at No. 9 on the US Billboard 200 and reached No. 2 on the Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums chart.
- 2001: "Family Affair" by Mary J. Blige reached the top of the US Billboard Hot 100 chart, starting a six-week run at No. 1.
- 2018: Ariana Grande released the hit single "Thank U, Next." The song peaked at No. 1 on the US Billboard Hot 100.
- 2023: Jeezy released his thirteenth studio album, I Might Forgive… But I Don't Forget. It logged in at No. 5 on the US Billboard Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums chart.
Cultural Milestones
Several hip-hop and R&B artists attained cultural milestones on this date:
- 1990: "Ice Ice Baby" by Vanilla Ice finally peaked at No. 1 on the US Billboard 100, making it the first rap song to top the chart.
- 2005: Alicia Keys won the Best R&B act at the 2005 MTV Europe Music Awards ceremony in Portugal.
- 2013: The first YouTube Music Awards ceremony was held in New York City. After the 2015 edition, YouTube discontinued the event due to technical issues.
Notable Recordings and Performances
On this date, top hip-hop and R&B artists electrified their fans with smashing performances:
- 1973: The Jackson 5 performed their hit song "Dancing Machine" on the Soul Train TV show. The highlight of the show was when a young Michael Jackson did the robot dance.
- 2005: Alicia Keys delivered an emotional performance at New York's Jazz at Lincoln Center to raise funds for the Keep a Child Alive charity.
- 2013: Eminem, M.I.A., and Tyler, the Creator were among the artists who performed at the inaugural YouTube Music Awards at Pier 36 in New York City.
Industry Changes and Challenges
The hip-hop and R&B scene underwent notable changes and challenges on this date:
- 2015: A former prison officer was sentenced to one year behind bars for selling stories to the press about George Michael's time in prison.
- 2015: Riff Raff's former landlord sued him for $68,500 in overdue rent and property damage.
- 2022: Edot Baby died from a self-inflicted gunshot wound to the head, aged 17.
- 2024: Award-winning record producer and musician Quincy Jones died of pancreatic cancer at the age of 91.
From music artists dropping new hits to climbing the charts, Nov. 3 remains a historic date in the hip-hop and R&B calendar. Some musicians found the going tough, while others sadly passed away.
