This Day in Hip Hop and R&B History: February 10
From Michael Jackson granting his first interview in 15 years to Kanye West dropping his debut studio album, Feb. 10 is a significant date in hip-hop and R&B history. On this day in 2019, many hip-hop and R&B artists won various categories at the 61st Annual Grammy Awards. Check out these memorable events in hip-hop and R&B that happened on Feb. 10.
Breakthrough Hits and Milestones
On Feb. 10, many artists released breakthrough hits and won several accolades at different award ceremonies:
- 1951: “Somebody’s Gotta Go” by Cootie Williams reached No. 1 on the Harlem Hit Parade Top R&B/Hip-Hop Singles chart.
- 1967: Aretha Franklin released her career-defining song, “I Never Loved a Man (The Way I Love You).”
- 2001: Jennifer Lopez’s second album, “J.Lo,” topped the Billboard 200 chart, and her movie “The Wedding Planner” reached No. 1 at the box office the same week.
- 2004: Kanye West released his debut studio album, “The College Dropout,” which later won the Best Rap Album at the 47th Annual Grammy Awards in 2005.
- 2007: Pretty Ricky’s second studio album, “Late Night Special,” reached number one on the Billboard 200 chart.
- 2008: Ne-Yo, Alicia Keys, Prince, Amy Winehouse, and Kanye West won various awards in the Rap/Hip-Hop and R&B categories at the 50th Annual Grammy Awards.
- 2008: “Graduation” by Kanye West won the Best Rap Album at the 50th Annual Grammy Awards.
- 2018: Migos’ third studio LP, “Culture II,” reached No. 1 on the Billboard 200 chart.
- 2019: “Bet Ain’t Worth the Hand” by Leon Bridges won the Best Traditional R&B Performance at the 61st Annual Grammy Awards.
Cultural Milestones
Discover more cultural milestones and significant events involving hip-hop/R&B artists on this date:
- 1937: American R&B singer Roberta Cleopatra Flack was born. She later became the first artist to win Record of the Year at the Grammys for two consecutive years.
- 1993: Michael Jackson appeared on Oprah’s prime-time special and spoke about his skin condition, Vitiligo.
- 2004: Eminem made a guest appearance on Comedy Central’s “Crank Yankers,” giving Bobby’s Brother a voice in a prank call to a restaurant.
Notable Recordings and Performances
Feb. 10 also saw notable recordings and performances by famous artists:
- 2008: Alicia Keys opened the 50th Anniversary of the Grammy Awards with Frank Sinatra at the Staples Center, performing “Learnin the Blues.”
- 2019: Childish Gambino’s “This Is America” won Record of the Year, Best Music Video, Song of the Year, and Best Rap/Sung Performance at the 61st Annual Grammy Awards.
Industry Changes and Challenges
The hip-hop and R&B industry has faced several changes and challenges on this date, including the following:
- 1994: Snoop Dogg’s performance at Leicester Square’s Equinox and British tour ended in controversy, as the hotel he was staying at ousted him due to a murder charge case.
- 1999: BPI Communications suspended the publication of its Musician magazine.
- 2006: James Yancey (J Dilla or Jay Dee) died of a heart attack at age 32, days after releasing the album “Donuts.”
Feb. 10 remains etched in hip-hop and R&B history thanks to the many events throughout the years, from artists releasing career-defining singles to dropping their debut albums. Stay tuned for more “This Day in Hip-Hop & R&B History” news.
