This Day in Hip Hop & R&B History: September 20
Sept. 20 is a notable date in hip-hop and R&B. It marks the birthday of American rapper Yung Joc in 1980, who rose to mainstream prominence with his 2006 smash…
Sept. 20 is a notable date in hip-hop and R&B. It marks the birthday of American rapper Yung Joc in 1980, who rose to mainstream prominence with his 2006 smash hit, "It's Goin' Down," which reached No. 3 on the Billboard Hot 100. His debut album, New Joc City, from which the single comes, also peaked at No. 3 on the Billboard 200. B
ronx rap legend Robert "Keef Cowboy" Wiggins was also born on this date in 1960. He was a member of the influential rap group Grandmaster Flash and the Furious Five, who coined the term "hip-hop."
Breakthrough Hits and Milestones
Numerous seminal hip-hop and R&B albums came out on this date:
- 1994: Craig Mack dropped his debut album, Project: Funk da World. The album, mainly produced by Sean "Puffy" Combs, peaked at No. 21 on the Billboard 200, reaching No. 6 on the Top R&B/Hip-Hop albums chart.
- 2005: David Banner released his fourth album, Certified. Featuring guest appearances from Three 6 Mafia, Jagged Edge, Jadakiss, Twista, Too Short, and Talib Kweli, it went to No. 6 on the Billboard 200.
- 2006: Janet Jackson released her ninth album, 20 Y.O. It debuted at No. 2 on the Billboard 200 and was nominated for Best Contemporary Album at the 49th Annual GRAMMY Awards.
- 2024: Lil Tecca released his fourth album, Plan A. It debuted at No. 9 on the Billboard 200, becoming his fourth album to chart within the Top 10. The album also reached the Top 40 in Canada, Australia, Hungary, and New Zealand.
Cultural Milestones
Sept. 20 marked significant cultural milestones in hip-hop and R&B:
- 1988: Epic Records released Luther Vandross' sixth album, Any Love. It went to No. 9 on the Billboard 200 and topped the Top R&B/Hip-Hop albums chart for two weeks. The album received a nomination for Best R&B Vocal Performance, Male, at the 31st Annual GRAMMY Awards.
- 2015: Future and Drake dropped the collaborative mixtape "What a Time to be Alive." It debuted on the Billboard 200 at No. 1, with 375,000 album-equivalent units in its opening week. The project also topped the Billboard U.S. Top R&B/Hip-Hop albums chart and the U.K. R&B albums chart.
Industry Changes and Challenges
The hip-hop and R&B scene suffered tragedies on this date.
- 2008: Nappy Brown died at the age of 78. He scored several hits in the 1950s and 1960s, including "Don't Be Angry," "It Don't Hurt No More," and "Coal Miner."
- 2021: Sarah Dash died at the age of 76. She was a member of the influential vocal group LaBelle and was a backing singer for the Rolling Stones.
Sept. 20 witnessed the release of many culture-defining records that still inspire fans and artists. But this date also marked the passing of two R&B titans, Nappy Brown and Sarah Dash.
