This Day in Hip Hop & R&B History: September 25
Several culture-shaping developments in hip-hop and R&B occurred on Sept. 25. Rapper and songwriter T.I., born on this date in 1980, was a pioneer of the trap subgenre of rap….
Several culture-shaping developments in hip-hop and R&B occurred on Sept. 25. Rapper and songwriter T.I., born on this date in 1980, was a pioneer of the trap subgenre of rap. He first achieved commercial success with his sophomore album, Trap Muzik, released in August 2003, which peaked at No. 4 on the Billboard 200. His three follow-up albums, Urban Legend (2004), King (2006), and T.I. vs T.I.P (2007) all topped the chart.
He shares a birthday with Childish Gambino, who was born in 1983. While primarily an actor, Gambino has released five studio albums, the most commercially successful being his third, Awaken My Love. Released in 2016, it peaked at No. 5 on the Billboard 200 and at No. 2 on the Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums chart.
Breakthrough Hits and Milestones
Sept. 25 witnessed several influential record releases over the years:
- 2001: Guru dropped his fourth album, Baldhead Slick & da Click, through Landspeed Records. It peaked at No. 122 on the Billboard 200 and topped the U.S. Billboard Heatseekers Albums chart.
- 2007: Gorilla Zoe released his debut album, Welcome to the Zoo, via Block Entertainment and Bad Boy Records. With guest appearances from Yung Joc, Boyz n da Hood, and D. Woods, it debuted at No. 18 on the Billboard 200, selling 35,000 copies in its opening week. It also reached No. 3 on Billboard's Top Rap Albums chart.
- 2012: Lupe Fiasco released his fourth album, Food & Liquor II: The Great American Rap Album Pt. 1. It peaked at No. 5 on the Billboard 200 and topped Billboard's Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums and Top Rap Albums charts. The album also received a nomination for Best Rap Album at the 55th GRAMMY Awards.
- 2015: Fetty Wap dropped his self-titled debut album through 300 Entertainment, which topped the Billboard 200 and the Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums chart. The album featured the breakout single, "Trap Queen," which peaked at No. 2 on the Billboard Hot 100 and the Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs chart.
- 2020: Machine Gun Kelly released his fifth album, Tickets to My Downfall. It debuted at No. 1 on the Billboard 200, while Kerrang! magazine named it the ninth best album of 2020.
Cultural Milestones
Significant cultural moments in R&B and hip-hop occurred on Sept. 25:
- 1964: The Temptations cut their signature song, "My Girl," at Hitsville U.S.A. Written and produced by Smokey Robinson, it was their first U.S. number-one single. The National Recording Registry included it in 2017 for its cultural, aesthetic, and historical significance.
- 1993: DJ Jazzy Jeff and & The Fresh Prince's "Boom! Shake the Room" began a two-week run at No. 1 on the U.K. Singles chart. In the U.S., the song peaked at No. 13 on the Billboard Hot 100 and at No. 21 on the Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs chart.
Sept. 25 witnessed several significant influences on hip-hop and R&B. This date marked the birth of critically acclaimed rappers and the release of many albums that have shaped the culture. The Temptations cut their signature song, "My Girl," which the National Recording Registry included in 2017 for its cultural, aesthetic, and historical significance.
