This Day in Hip Hop & R&B History: January 8
Jan. 8 is an unforgettable date in R&B and hip-hop for various reasons. R. Kelly was born on this day in 1967. He has released 18 studio albums, with six…
Jan. 8 is an unforgettable date in R&B and hip-hop for various reasons. R. Kelly was born on this day in 1967. He has released 18 studio albums, with six reaching No. 1 on the Billboard 200 and 55 songs charting on the Billboard Hot 100, including 13 Top 10 hits and two No. 1 songs.
Marcus Hutson, a member of the R&B vocal group The Whispers, was also born on this day in 1943. He was best known for hits such as "And the Beat Goes On," "Lady," and "Do They Turn You On."
Breakthrough Hits and Milestones
This day welcomed several groundbreaking albums, including:
- 1994: Natas dropped his second album, Blaz4me, under Reel Life Productions. While it didn't chart on major Billboard charts, it featured some popular hits, such as "I'm Bout 2 Do Some Dirt," "Stay True To Your City," and "I Ain't Giving Up No Love."
- 2002: Deepspace 5 released their debut album, The Night We Called It A Day, featuring "Winter In Manhattan," "Thinking By Numbers," and "If Tomorrow Starts Without Me."
Cultural Milestones
These remarkable cultural moments took place on Jan. 8:
- 1970: Marvin Gaye's 10th album, That's The Way Love Is, was released by Tamla (Motown). A significant portion of the album features Gaye's interpretations of other artists' songs, including "Yesterday" by The Beatles, "How Can I Forget" by The Temptations, and "That's the Way Love Is" by The Isley Brothers.
- 1980: Prince made his national television debut on the NBC variety show Midnight Special. Rocking zebra-print lingerie, black stockings, and high heels, the 21-year-old soon-to-be superstar delivered electrifying renditions of "I Wanna Be Your Lover" and "Why You Wanna Treat Me So Bad?."
Industry Changes and Challenges
The industry experienced some major losses on this day, including:
- 2016: Mississippi-born R&B singer Otis Clay died of a heart attack at the age of 73. He scored his first major hit in 1967 with "That's How It Is," which went to No. 34 on the Billboard R&B chart. In 2010, he was honored with a marker on the Mississippi Blues Trail, and three years later, he was inducted into the Blues Hall of Fame.
- 2018: Denise LaSalle, born Ora Denise Allen, died at the age of 83. She's best known for her 1971 crossover hit, "Trapped By a Thing Called Love," which reached No. 13 on the Billboard Hot 100 and topped the Billboard R&B chart. She received a marker on the Mississippi Blues Trail in 2009 and was inducted into the Rhythm and Blues Hall of Fame in 2015.
It's easy to see why Jan. 8 is so memorable for many hip-hop and R&B fans. It's a day that has seen many transformative events in the culture, including the birth of legendary artists, unforgettable performances, and the loss of several titans.
