This Day in Hip-Hop and R&B History: February 14

Breakthrough Hits and Milestones

• 1985: Whitney Houston released her self-titled debut album through Arista Records, which sold over 13 million copies in the U.S. and produced three Billboard Hot 100 number-one hits: “How Will I Know,” “Greatest Love of All,” and “Saving All My Love for You.”
• 1991: Vocal group Boys II Men released their debut studio album, Cooleyhighharmony, which reached number one on the R&B rankings and achieved nine-time platinum certification. 
• 1995: South Central Cartel released Murder Squad Nationwide, which went to No. 1 on the Billboard US Heatseekers Albums chart. The album also charted at No. 106 on the Billboard 200 and No. 12 on the Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums chart. 
• 2017: Memphis-based rapper Moneybagg Yo dropped his eleventh mixtape, Heartless. With only two features from YFN Lucci and Lil Durk, it debuted at No. 181 on the Billboard 200. 
• 2018: Moneybagg Yo released his thirteenth mixtape, 2 Heartless, which served as the sequel to Heartless, released exactly a year earlier. Featuring guest appearances from Quavo, Yo Gotti, BlocBoy JB, and Lil Baby, it peaked at No. 16 on the Billboard 200 and at No. 9 on the Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums chart. 
• 2018: Kodak Black dropped his seventh mixtape, Heart Break Kodak, through Atlantic Records. The project went to No. 15 on the Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums chart and No. 25 on the Billboard 200.
• 2020: Migos released the single “Give No Fxk,” featuring Young Thug and Travis Scott.

Cultural Milestones

• 1998: Singer-songwriter and record producer Babyface was crowned Entertainer of the Year at the 29th NAACP Image Awards.
• 1998: Usher's hit single “Nice & Slow” from his My Way album went to number one in the U.S. It became the first of Usher's nine chart-topping hits on the Billboard Hot 100. 
• 2001: Music legend Prince launched New Power Generation Music Club, an early music subscription service where fans could enjoy seamless access to his music. 
• 2014: Iconic hip-hop trio De La Soul offered fans free downloads of their first six albums via their website, as legal issues over sample clearances had kept the albums off digital platforms.
• 2016: Kanye West released his seventh album, The Life of Pablo, through his GOOD Music label. The project featured hip-hop and R&B stars such as Rihanna, Kendrick Lamar, Kelly Price, Frank Ocean, Young Thug, Chris Brown, and the Weeknd, among others. It debuted at No. 1 on the Billboard 200, marking West's seventh consecutive US number-one album. 
• 2025: Canadian singer PartyNextDoor and rapper Drake released the collaborative album Some Sexy Songs 4 U. The project spawned the hit singles “Die Trying” and “NOKIA,” which peaked at No. 21 and No. 2 on the Billboard Hot 100, respectively. The album itself performed well on the charts, debuting at No. 1 on the Billboard 200 and the Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums chart.

Notable Recordings and Performances

• 1965: Singer-songwriter Otis Redding recorded the iconic R&B number “Respect” at the Memphis headquarters of Stax Records. He worked with guitarist and producer Steve Cropper of the label's in-house band Booker T. & the M.G.'s. 
• 1967: Aretha Franklin recorded her famous cover of Otis Redding's “Respect,” which won her two GRAMMY awards later that year for Best R&B Record and Best Female R&B Vocal Performance. 
• 2019: Kanye West hired saxophonist and producer Kenny G to serenade his then-wife Kim Kardashian in a room full of roses as part of his Valentine's Day surprise. The two collaborated for a performance of “Use This Gospel” from Kanye's Jesus Is King album.

 Industry Changes and Challenges

• 1996: Prince, aged 37, married the model and dancer Mayte Garcia, 22, on Valentine's Day in Minneapolis. 
• 2013: Rapper Tim Dog (born Timothy J. Blair) died of diabetes at the age of 46. He is best known for his diss track “Fuck Compton” from his 1991 debut album, Penicillin on Wax, which topped the Billboard US Hot Rap Songs chart. 
• 2023: Music producer and rapper Pharrell Williams was appointed menswear designer for Louis Vuitton.