This Day in Hip Hop & R&B History: October 31
Oct. 31 commemorates numerous notable events and milestones in the hip-hop and R&B scene. On this day, music artists released collaborative albums and others celebrated their birthdays. Read about more…
Oct. 31 commemorates numerous notable events and milestones in the hip-hop and R&B scene. On this day, music artists released collaborative albums and others celebrated their birthdays. Read about more intriguing events that happened on Oct. 31 through hip-hop and R&B history.
Breakthrough Hits and Milestones
Oct. 31 saw legendary rappers and singers release chart-busting albums and breakthrough singles:
- 1995: Cypress Hill released their third studio album, Cypress Hill III: Temples Of Boom. The platinum-certified album logged into the No. 3 spot on the U.S. Billboard 200 chart.
- 1995: Tha Dogg Pound released their debut studio album, Dog Food. It peaked at No. 1 on the Billboard 200 weekly chart.
- 2000: Outkast dropped their fourth studio album, Stankonia. Popular hits "So Fresh, So Clean" and "Ms. Jackson" propelled it to the No. 2 spot on the Billboard 200 chart.
- 2000: Jay-Z launched his fifth studio album, The Dynasty: Roc La Familia. It logged at No. 1 on the Billboard 200 chart.
- 2006: Birdman and Lil Wayne release their collaborative studio album Like Father, Like Son. The gold-certified album peaked at No. 1 on the Billboard Top Rap Albums chart.
- 2009: Lil Wayne released his ninth mixtape, No Ceilings. The mixtape fared well, logging at No. 18 on the Billboard 200 chart.
- 2012: Ne-Yo released his fifth album, R.E.D. (Realizing Every Dream), in Japan. this track made it to the No. 4 spot on the Billboard 200 weekly chart.
- 2017: Chris Brown released his double-disc album, Heartbreak on a Full Moon. It peaked at No. 1 on the Billboard Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums chart.
- 2017: 21 Savage, Metro Boomin, and Offset released the collaborative album Without Warning. It logged at No. 4 on the Billboard 200 chart.
Cultural Milestones
Oct. 31 has seen the industry celebrate famous birthdays and cultural milestones:
- 1967: Vanilla Ice, of the "Ice Ice Baby" hit, was born. His debut single became the first hip-hop song to peak at No. 1 on the Billboard charts.
- 1972: Pharoahe Monch was born. The rapper is best known for the hit singles "Oh No" and "Simon Says."
Notable Recordings and Performances
This date has celebrated notable recordings and performances by various artists:
- 1995: Tupac Shakur recorded the first version of the diss track, "Hit 'Em Up," featuring the Outlawz. The song targeted several East Coast rappers, particularly the Notorious B.I.G.
- 2013: Fifth Harmony posted a video on YouTube of them performing the song "Wannabe" while dressed as the Spice Girls.
- 2019: Ari Lennox delivered a thrilling performance at the homecoming concert for Southern University College, singing popular hits like "Got Me" and "Bussit."
Industry Changes and Challenges
The music industry also witnessed legal cases and tragic moments on this date:
- 1993: Tupac Shakur was arrested and charged with firing at two off-duty police officers.
- 2002: Claude "Juan" Johnson of R&B vocal duo Don and Juan died of pneumonia, aged 67 years.
- 2005: A Los Angeles jury convicted Ronald Isley of The Isley Brothers of multiple counts of tax evasion. The United States Court of Appeals affirmed his 37-month sentence in 2008.
Oct. 31 can never go unnoticed in the hip-hop and R&B scene. It's the day Tha Dogg Pound made their debut and Chris Brown released a double-disc album. Get ready to explore more significant events, birthdays, and performances associated with Oct. 31.
