This Day in Hip Hop & R&B History: January 14
Jan. 14 is an important date in R&B and hip-hop, and for good reasons. Two-time GRAMMY-winning rapper LL Cool J was born on this day in 1968. He was one…
Jan. 14 is an important date in R&B and hip-hop, and for good reasons. Two-time GRAMMY-winning rapper LL Cool J was born on this day in 1968. He was one of the first rappers to achieve commercial success and is credited with helping bring the genre into the mainstream. He made history in 2017 when he became the first rapper to receive the Kennedy Center Honor.
He shares a birthday with fellow hip-hop icon Slick Rick, who was born in 1965. Slick Rick rose to prominence in the mid-80s as part of Doug E. Fresh's Get Fresh Crew and was featured on the hit singles "The Show" and "La Di Da Di," both regarded as early hip-hop classics. His debut solo album, The Great Adventures of Slick Rick, released in 1988, peaked at No. 31 on the Billboard 200, and topped the Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums chart for five nonconsecutive weeks.
Breakthrough Hits and Milestones
Several noteworthy albums were released on this day:
- 1997: Rhyme & Reason, the soundtrack to the rap documentary film of the same title, was released under Priority Records. It featured performances from rappers such as Busta Rhymes, A Tribe Called Quest, E-40, RZA, Master P, and KRS-One. The album peaked at No. 16 on the Billboard 200 and went to No. 1 on the Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums chart.
- 2012: ScHoolboy Q released his second album, Habits & Contradictions. It reached No. 111 on the Billboard 200 and No. 25 on the Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums chart.
- 2022: Cordae released his second album, From a Birds Eye View. The project saw features from Eminem, Lil Wayne, Gunna, Lil Durk, Roddy Ricch, Freddie Gibbs, H.E.R, and Stevie Wonder. It peaked at No. 13 on the Billboard 200.
- 2022: Earl Sweatshirt dropped his fourth album, SICK!. It reached No. 80 on the Billboard 200 and No. 45 on the Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums chart.
Cultural Milestones
Jan. 14 is associated with various landmark cultural moments in R&B and hip-hop:
- 1970: The Supremes performed their final concert with Diana Ross at the Frontier Hotel in Las Vegas, Nevada, during which Ross officially launched her solo career and introduced Jean Terrell as her replacement. The performance was taped and released on the album Farewell later that year.
- 1989: Bobby Brown's "My Prerogative" from his second album, Don't Be Cruel, reached No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100, where it would stay for one week. It also peaked at No. 1 on the Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs chart (then known as Hot Black Singles).
- 2001: Jennifer Lopez's "Love Don't Cost A Thing" started a week-long reign at No. 1 on the U.K. Singles chart. It was her first single to reach the top spot in the U.K. The song was also her first single to top the U.S. Billboard Pop Airplay chart.
The legacy of Jan. 14 in hip-hop and R&B is undeniable. Not only were two of the most iconic rappers of all time born on this day, but the industry also welcomed the release of many genre-shaping albums. It's also a day that saw several artists top the charts and the curtain finally close on one of Motown's greatest female acts.
