This Day in Hip-Hop and R&B History: April 7

Breakthrough Hits and Milestones

• 1987: DJ Jazzy Jeff & the Fresh Prince dropped their debut album, Rock the House. Supported by the singles “Girls Ain't Nothing but Trouble,” “A Touch of Jazz,” and “The Magnificent Jazzy Jeff,” it charted at No. 83 on the Billboard 200 and reached No. 97 on the UK Albums Chart. 
• 1992: Das EFX released Dead Serious, their debut album, through East West Records. The project peaked at No. 16 on the Billboard 200 and spent five weeks at No. 1 on the Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums chart. 
• 1992: College Boyz released their debut album, Radio Fusion Radio, through Virgin Records. It spawned the moderate hit “Victim of the Ghetto,” which peaked at No. 28 on the Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs chart and at No. 68 on the Billboard Hot 100. The album itself went to No. 118 on the Billboard 200 and reached No. 25  on the Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums chart. 
• 1992: Southern rap group Poison Clan released their second studio album, Poisonous Mentality, through Luke Records. The album was mildly successful, peaking at No. 62 on the Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums chart.
• 1998: Goodie Mob, the American Hip-Hop group, released their second album, Still Standing, with guest appearances from Outkast, Lil' Will, Witchdoctor Backbone, Cool Breeze, and Chiefton. The album reached the top 10 on the Billboard 200, peaking at No. 6, and rose to No. 2 on the Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums chart. 
• 1998: American rapper Fat Pat's second album, Throwed in da Game, released on Wreckshop Records, was the rapper's second posthumous release and peaked at No. 40 on the Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums chart.
• 1998: New York rap phenom AZ dropped his second album, Pieces of a Man. Featuring guest performances from Half-A-Mil, the Firm, RZA, and Monifah, it peaked at No. 5 on the Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums chart and at No. 22 on the Billboard 200. 
• 1998: Do or Die released their second album, Headz or Tailz, which featured production from Mike Dean, Mr. Lee, and the Legendary Traxster. It spawned the hit “Still Po Pimpin,” which peaked at No. 62 on Billboard Hot 100. The project itself went to No. 13 on the Billboard 200 and No. 3 on the Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums chart. 
• 2009: Mims released his second album, Guilt, which featured the singles “Love Rollercoaster” and “Move (If You Wanna).” The album debuted at No. 53 on the Billboard 200, with 12,400 copies sold in its first week. 
• 2015: Flo Rida launched his second EP, My House. With features from Chris Brown, Akon, Robin Thicke, and Sage the Gemini, it debuted at No. 14 on the Billboard 200 and at No. 10 on the Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums chart. 
• 2023: Canadian R&B singer Daniel Caesar dropped his third album, Never Enough. It featured collaborations with Ty Dolla Sign, Omar Apollo, Summer Walker, and Rick Ross. The album peaked at No. 14 on the Billboard 200 and won the rising star a JUNO Award for Contemporary R&B/Soul Recording of the Year in 2024.
• 2023: NF dropped his fifth album, Hope, which featured collaborations with Julia Michaels and Cordae. It entered the Billboard 200 at No. 2 and reached No. 1 on the Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums chart. 
• 2023: Rae Sremmurd released their fourth album, Sremm 4 Life, which would be their first release after a five-year hiatus. Featuring the singles “Tanisha (Pump That)” and “Torpedo”, it peaked at No. 11 on the Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums chart and at No. 28 on the Billboard 200.

Cultural Milestones

• 1937: Charlie Thomas was born in Lynchburg, Virginia. He was a member of the R&B vocal group The Drifters and sang lead on their top 40 hits “When My Little Girl Is Smiling” and “Sweets for My Sweet”.
• 1937: Patricia Bennett was born in the Bronx, New York. She sang with the R&B/pop girl group The Chiffons, known for hits such as “One Fine Day,” “Nobody Knows What's Going On (In My Mind But Me),” and “He's So Fine.”
• 1973: Motown queen Diana Ross scored her first U.S. No. 1 album with Lady Sings the Blues. The soundtrack album to the Billie Holiday biopic, which the singer also starred in, ultimately became the fourth best-selling album of 1973 in the U.S.
• 1978: American music legend Prince released his debut studio album, For You. The album, solely composed, arranged, produced, and performed by the star, peaked at No. 163 on the Billboard 200 and No. 21 on the Billboard R&B Albums chart.
• 2007: R&B icon Beyonce's "Beautiful Liar" featuring Latin pop superstar Shakira jumped from its debut position of No. 94 to peak at No. 3 on the Billboard Hot 100, breaking the record for the highest leap on the chart. The previous record had been held by Senegalese-born rapper and singer Akon, whose 2006 single "Smack That" featuring Eminem rose from No. 95 to No. 7, eventually peaking at No. 2.