This Day in Hip-Hop and R&B History: March 26

Breakthrough Hits and Milestones

• 1996: Busta Rhymes dropped his debut album, The Coming, via Flipmode Entertainment and Elektra Records. Its lead single, “Woo-Hah!! Got You All in Check,” peaked at No. 8 on the Billboard Hot 100 and was nominated for Best Rap Solo Performance at the 39th Annual GRAMMY Awards. The album itself reached the top spot on the Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums chart and peaked at No. 6 on the Billboard 200. 
• 2002: Ying Yang Twins released their second album, Alley: The Return of the Ying Yang Twins. It went to No. 58 on the Billboard 200 and No. 8 on the Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums chart. 
• 2012: E-40 released the first trilogy of The Block Brochure: Welcome to the Soil, which would be his fifteenth, sixteenth, and seventeenth albums. The projects peaked at Nos. 59, 58, and 71, respectively, on the Billboard 200. 
• 2013: Lil Wayne dropped his tenth album, I Am Not a Human Being II. Supported by the singles “Love Me” featuring Future and Drake, “Rich as Fuck” featuring 2 Chainz, and “No Worries” featuring Detail, the album debuted at No. 2 on the Billboard 200, with 217,000 copies sold in its first week. 
• 2013: Papoose released his debut album, The Nacirema Dream, through Jive Records. With features from Jadakiss, Mobb Deep, Jim Jones, and Remy Ma, it peaked at No. 13 on the Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums chart and at No. 97 on the Billboard 200. 
• 2018: Born on this day in 2003, American rapper Bhad Bhabie celebrated her 15th birthday by dropping her single "Gucci Flip Flops" featuring Lil Yachty. The song, which featured on her debut mixtape 15, reached No. 39 on the Billboard Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs chart. 
• 2021: 24kGoldn dropped his debut album, El Dorado, the follow-up to his 2019 debut EP, Dropped Outta College. Featuring guest appearances from Future, Swae Lee, and DaBaby, the album peaked at No. 22 on the Billboard 200 and reached No. 1 on the US Billboard Top Rap Albums chart. 
• 2021: Chicago rapper Vic Mensa released his I Tape album, the official follow-up to his V Tape EP. The seven-track album, with a run-time of about 25 minutes, featured guest appearances from Chance the Rapper, Wyclef Jean, and Jeremih.
• 2021: American rapper Saigon released his Pain, Peace and Prosperity: The Yardfather Album, the sequel to his acclaimed 777: The Resurrection EP. It was the artist's first album released through Strange Music.
• 2021: Rapper Lil Nas X released the lead single "Montero (Call Me By Your Name)" from his debut album Montero. While the song and accompanying music video sparked controversy and criticism on mainstream and social media, it performed well commercially, debuting at No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100 and topping the charts in 20 other countries.
• 2021: Rapper and singer Rod Wave released his third album, SoulFly, with guest appearances from  Lil Durk, Kodak Black, and Polo G. The album debuted at No. 1 on the Billboard 200 chart and reached No. 1 on the Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums chart.

Cultural Milestones

• 1944: Diana Ross was born in Detroit, Michigan. Dubbed the “Queen of Motown,” Ross shot to stardom in the '60s as the leader of the vocal group The Supremes, one of the best-selling girl groups of all time, with their influence spanning R&B, soul, and pop music.
• 1950: R&B/soul icon Teddy Pendergrass was born in Kingstree, South Carolina. He shot to prominence as the lead singer of Harold Melvin & the Blue Notes before pursuing a solo career under the Philadelphia International label.
• 1969: Marvin Gaye's “I Heard It Through the Grapevine” went to No. 1 on the UK Single Chart. While the song had been recorded by several prominent artists, including The Miracles and Gladys Knight & the Pips, Gaye's version would become the most popular and was eventually inducted into the GRAMMY Hall of Fame.  
• 1975: New Orleans rapper Juvenile was born. He is best known for hits like “Back That Azz Up” featuring Lil Wayne and Mannie Fresh, and “Ha,” which peaked at No. 19 and No. 68 on the Billboard Hot 100, respectively. 
• 1995: West Coast rapper Eazy-E, a former member of the genre-defining hip-hop group N.W.A., died at age 31 from AIDS-related complications. Often called the “Godfather of Gangsta Rap”, Eazy-E, born Eric Lynn Wright, pioneered the style in the late 80s and early 90s with fellow N.W.A. members Dr. Dre and Ice Cube. The group's 1989 album Straight Outta Compton became the first rap album in history to be inducted into the GRAMMY Hall of Fame (2016) and was added to the National Recording Registry in 2017.